The Town of Huntsville has solved its need to provide public washrooms, particularly to patrons of River Mill Park, for at least another year.
The municipality has officially entered into a one-year lease agreement with Coldwell Banker for the public washrooms formerly provided by the Huntsville/Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce before it sold the building at 8 West Street to the realtor.
Because the Town paid roughly $120,000 to have the washrooms constructed at the former Chamber building, it had a 20-year agreement in place with the Chamber to provide those facilities to the public, according to the Town’s CAO Denise Corry. Upon the sale of the building, the Chamber bought back the Town’s interest in the washrooms, revenues that will be used to pay for the one-year lease with Coldwell Banker at a cost of approximately $8,400 per year or $700 per month plus HST.
At Huntsville’s June 27 council meeting, Councillor and Deputy-Mayor Karin Terziano asked that the remainder of funds be earmarked specifically for the future construction of permanent public washrooms and that they not get lost in the Town’s general reserves.
“Even after this rental we’ll have $50,000 left,” said Terziano, who urged that the funds be protected. “We will know by next summer if we’re going to [build] a permanent washroom or not.”
The hours of operation will remain status quo, according to Corry. She also noted that despite the fact that the lease does not officially commence until July 1, Coldwell Banker has been making the washrooms available to the public in the interim.
Huntsville Mayor Scott Aitchison declared a pecuniary interest and left the room during the discussions, as he is a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker.
Kudos, Karin, for your stand! During the year ahead, a cost-benefit analysis should be initiated to weigh the cost of permanent washrooms with attendant maintenance vs. rental costs of temporary washrooms for all Park events. Of course, there should be a permanent, accessible washroom proximate to the playground. If its use could be restricted somehow to children and accompanying adults, that would be extremely beneficial. Other than ineffectual signage, however, nothing occurs to this reader.