Budget cuts in Eau Claire, Wis., will put an end to some important accommodations at area parks.
According to the local NBC affiliate, all portable toilets will be removed from city parks by the end of the week.
Upkeep on the toilets is expensive, costing as much as $30 per toilet, per week. With 11 total portable toilets in local parks, the city contends it can save just south of $20,000 annually by doing away with the accommodations.
"We're going to be taking them out on Friday, the ones that are in the parks that we typically put out in different locations during the winter time, we will be bringing those in and storing them,” said Jeff Pippenger, the city’s community services director.
The city-owned portable toilets will be removed, but a deal has been reached to allow both of the city’s dog parks to keep theirs, with costs covered by the dog park budget. "Because this brings in so much money we could easily afford to sustain the Porta-Potties here,” said local resident Pat Williams, who frequents the dog parks in Eau Claire.
Pippenger said he’s hopeful the city will find a resolution to return the toilets to the parks in the future.
