Less than a month ago city councillors were very clear that they supported pissoirs in the downtown core, but were not willing to spend 5,000 taxpayers' dollars to fund a test project.
The proposal was sent back to the Nightlife Task Force, which we all assumed would lean on bars and late-night restaurants to pitch in and cover the cost of the trial.
Instead, the task force will ask a city committee tonight to commit nearly three times the amount councillors last month balked at shelling out.
The new proposal, to go before the Emergency Services, Community Services and Operations committee this evening, seeks a $14,200 buy-in from the city.
(The total cost to run the pilot until the end of the year is about $18,400, but downtown stakeholders have pledged $4,200)
This proposal would see pissoirs available in the downtown core 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the rest of this year, though there would be some sort of privacy screening installed.
Unlike the last proposal, which called for trough-style units, the ones now being suggested are like the one shown at right. While this style should offer more discretion for the men using them, they are clearly also designed for use solely for the emptying of male bladders.
Expect another interesting discussion of this issue tonight.
UPDATE -- The committee approved a modified version of the modified version. The units will be installed on a full-time basis, but only during the months of September and October. The costs to taxpayers was not calculated at the meeting, but I figure we're on the hook for about $8,500 using figures presented to the committee. The whole thing still has to be approved by council next Monday.
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