2017-071 Public Restrooms Downtown SquareDate: September 29, 2017 Report No. 2017-071
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Overview of Downtown Square Public Restrooms
BACKGROUND:
At the August 3, 2017 Council meeting, Council Member Hudspeth requested information about
public restrooms for the Downtown Square, the ability to use a non-police security force on the
Square, and working with Denton County on the possibility for extended restroom hours.
DISCUSSION:
Staff has identified that access to public restrooms are available around the Square for the hours
listed below:
Days Hours
Monday- Thursday 8 am – 9 pm
Friday 8 am – 9:30 pm
Saturday 10 am – 9:30 pm
Sunday 12 pm – 7 pm
The restrooms are available from three public facilities within one block of the square: the
Discover Denton Welcome Center, the Denton County Courthouse, and the City of Denton
Development Services Center. Attachment 1 lists the hours of operation for each facility.
Restrooms are most utilized at the Welcome Center with an estimated average of 1,054 visits per
month equating to an estimated cost of $356/month for restroom and cleaning supplies. The
Welcome Center differentiates and counts the number of visits by guests (people that come in to
use restrooms and amenities) separately from visitors (people that come in to shop or find out
information about Denton). Denton County estimates there are 400 visits per month for
individuals using the restrooms in the Courthouse and Development Services has only a couple
visitors per month for restrooms.
The Welcome Center and Denton County shared similar issues relating to individuals coming to
use the restrooms, such as grooming in the facilities, the excessive use of toiletries, and increased
cleaning and maintenance. The Welcome Center has contracted with a janitorial company to
clean their facilities three times per week and their staff cleans multiple times per day.
Staff has attempted to identify four options to address the availability of restrooms on the Square.
Please note that some of these options would need to be thoroughly vetted, but the intent is to
provide some context on the range of options that could be further explored.
Option 1 could be to increase education about the available public restrooms by adding
signage to the kiosks on the corners of the square identifying which facilities have public
restrooms as well as including these facilities on the downtown parking map. Because
Date: September 29, 2017 Report No. 2017-071
this option is a modification to services that are already being provided, there are no
additional costs.
Option 2 could be to extend the hours of the Welcome Center to allow increased
restroom availability. The Welcome Center previously had operating hours that extended
beyond current hours, but chose to reduce operating hours based on security issues in
October 2016. The Welcome Center is open to the idea of extending hours, but
consideration should be given to the safety of staff and additional funding required. The
Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates that their cost would be $30 per hour for every
additional hour of operation. Depending on the time of the change in operating hours,
there may be additional costs, such as a security guard or additional personnel. The
Welcome Center has been staffing two employees at all times and has used a security
guard in the past during high traffic events like the tree lighting.
Option 3 could be the addition of mobile restrooms to the downtown square. This is
being done as a pilot program in a few other cities, such as Denver, Sacramento, and
Austin, to assess the need and location of permanent facilities. Restroom trailers are
parked in various locations throughout the cities and serve as public restrooms for those
areas. The restrooms are ADA compliant and self-contained, meaning they carry water
onboard and use a generator for power.
Denver has a webpage devoted to the project and can be viewed here. Austin is just
beginning their pilot program and have identified three locations near the downtown
where they will begin implementation. These cities have chosen to staff an attendant
fulltime at the locations to provide security, maintain the restrooms, and survey users.
Denver is currently leasing these trailers at a cost of $2,700 per month and Austin has
chosen to purchase trailers so they can be used other city needs once permanent
restrooms are installed. The estimated cost for staffing an attendant would be $4,000 per
month and based on Denver’s experience, operation and maintenance costs would be
approximately $5,500 per month due to cleaning, offloading waste daily, and use of a
generator for electricity and running water. The total cost of the project would be
approximately $12,200 per month. Things to consider with this option would be the
safety of users and attendants, the need to transport the trailer to replenish water and
remove waste, the location on the Square, and the effect to local businesses and residents.
Option 4 could be to install a public restroom on the square. Attachment 1 depicts a
“Portland Loo” single stall restroom that some municipalities have chosen to install, such
as Portland and San Antonio. This restroom has a design to allow high visibility to
decrease crime, outside handwashing station to prevent loitering, and is ADA compliant.
The approximate cost with installation for a restroom like this would be between
$120,000 and $150,000. The approximate maintenance cost would be $10,500 annually
based on the costs of other City restrooms. Things to consider with this option would be
the location and possible coordination with the County, the impact to surrounding
businesses and residents, and the security issues that installation of a 24 hour public
restroom would present. The City of San Diego removed the restroom they installed 13
Date: September 29, 2017 Report No. 2017-071
months prior because of a 130% increase in police calls to the area around the restroom
(Sandiegouniontribune.com).
The City of Denton Police Department currently staffs officers for the downtown district with
between two and six officers on duty at any given time. The downtown patrol radius is from Bell
Ave. to Fry St. and Congress St. to Eagle Dr. with a specific emphasis on the Downtown Square.
The crime in the area is not significantly higher than other areas of the city. There have been
complaints from merchants and residents on the Square about individuals relieving themselves in
breezeways. In the past two years, the Police Department has received seven calls for public
urination downtown and issued 11 citations.
Staff also received a question regarding medical needs and EMS volume in the downtown area
related to homeless individuals. The Fire Department recently began tracking EMS calls related
to homeless individuals in September 2017. The tracking system is monitoring location, gender,
and a description of the incident with EMS tracking number for those calls. This will provide
more data to address the type and volume of EMS calls related to homeless individuals across the
city and in specific areas, such as the downtown area.
Please also note that Denton County has extended hours in which the basement entrance (that
allows access to the downstairs restroom on the north side of the building) remains open, but this
is only done for special events like the Twilight Tunes. There is a stairwell in the basement that
connects to the main building (which is roped off for these events) and would not be feasible to
remain open on a regular basis outside of business hours.
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Public Restroom Research and Options
STAFF CONTACT:
Charlie Rosendahl
Management Analyst
Charles.Rosendahl@cityofdenton.com
940-349-8433
Sarah Kuechler
Assistant to the City Manager
Sarah.Kuchler@cityofdenton.com
940-349-8356
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Downtown Public Restrooms
September 29, 2017
Available Public Restrooms
Welcome Center
Mon.‐Thu. 10 a.m.‐9 p.m.
Fri.‐Sat. 10 a.m.‐9:30 p.m.
Sun. 12 p.m.‐7 p.m.
Development Services
Mon. –Fri. 8AM‐5PM
Sat.‐Sun. Closed
Courthouse
Mon.‐Fri. 8AM–5PM
Sat. 11AM–3PM
Sun. Closed
Hours Unavailable
Sun. 7 p.m. ‐8 a.m.
Mon.‐Thu. 9 p.m. –8 a.m.
Fri. 9:30 p.m. –10 a.m.
Sat. 9:30 p.m. –12 p.m.
Hours of Operation
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Current Restroom Usage
Welcome Center
•1054 visits per month
Courthouse
•400 visits per month
Development Services
•2‐3 visits per month
Possible Options to Increase Restroom
Availability
1. Increased Education
2. Extend Current Hours
3. Mobile Public Restroom
4. Install Public Restroom
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Increase Education Option
•Add public restrooms to the
downtown kiosks.
•Add public restrooms to the
downtown parking map on the
website.
•There would be no cost to
implement this change.
•Leave the current public restroom
situation unchanged.
The unavailable hours would remain:
Sun. 7p.m. ‐8 a.m.
Mon.‐Thu. 9 p.m. –8 a.m.
Fri. 9:30 p.m. –10 a.m.
Sat. 9:30 p.m. –12 p.m.
Welcome Center Extended Hours Options
•Extend the hours of the Welcome Center to allow for more public
restroom availability
•$30 per additional hour open
Considerations
•Safety
•2 staff members present
•Funding options
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Mobile Public Restroom Option
Leased Restrooms
•Trailer ($2,700/mo)
•Attendant ($4,000/mo)
•O&M ($5,500/mo)
Why an attendant?
•Provide security
•Maintains the restroom
•Surveys users to gather feedback
Who’s doing it?
•Denver, Austin, Sacramento
Why?
•Allows them to assess need and location prior to making
larger capital investment.
Considerations
•Safety
•Self‐contained‐need to replenish water and empty waste
•Located in parking space
•Impact to residents and businesses
Install Public Restroom Option
Cost
•Equipment and Installation
•Est. $120,000‐$150,000
•Maintenance
•Est. $10,500 annually
•50 Year Lifecycle
Recommended Features
•Hand washing externally
•Visible design to decrease crime
•ADA compliant
Considerations
•Safety
•Impact to residents and businesses
•Location‐City vs. County Owned
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Options
1. Increased Education
2. Extend Current Hours
3. Mobile Public Restroom
4. Install Public Restroom
Next Steps
1. Receive Direction
2. Identify Stakeholders
3. Implement Direction/Develop Recommendation
4. Council Report