Council Requests Report on Downtown Public Washroom Options for October 27
Owen Sound Council has directed staff to bring back a report on public washroom options and costs for the River District by October 27, including rentals and self-cleaning facilities.
Owen Sound City Council has directed staff to prepare a detailed report on public washroom options for the River District, to be presented at the October 27 council meeting.
The motion, introduced by councillor Melanie Middlebro at the September 22 meeting, asks staff to outline a range of possibilities — including rentals and self-cleaning facilities — and to provide cost estimates for both capital and operating expenses.
The discussion came as council reviewed the City Manager’s update on outcomes from the July 28 River District stakeholder meeting. In the facilitator’s meeting notes, public washrooms came up multiple times as a “small but visible win” that could help improve safety, dignity, and downtown vibrancy.
City Manager Tim Simmonds cautioned that while the October 6 report on River District management may touch on the issue, a full staff review of washroom options would require more time and could realistically be completed for October 22 or later.
Middlebro confirmed she was open to any and all options, noting that she and other councillors had seen a variety of self-cleaning facilities at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference.
Councillor Suneet Kukreja agreed, adding that council has been exposed to these solutions for the past two years and that it was time to move forward: “Whatever it takes, we should be going ahead and doing it,” she said.
Councillor Carol Merton reminded colleagues that public washrooms had also been raised at a recent community meeting and suggested exploring whether downtown businesses could be part of the solution.
After a brief clarification of the motion’s wording to ensure operating and capital costs were included, council voted in favour.
Staff will now return on October 27 with a report on potential washroom facilities in the River District, including location considerations and cost implications.