If the City of Albany decides to spend $180,000 on a Park restroom, will it be left open year round? Why aren't the Parks restrooms left unlocked throughout the year? Do they think people don't have to use them?
A: (provided by Dick Conolly, Parks Maintenance Manager)
We do not plan to keep the new restroom at Timber-Linn Park open year-round. The restrooms in Albany city parks are open seven months of the year, from April through October, when the parks see the most use. They are completely cleaned and disinfected every day during that season. Daily cleaning, stocking, opening and security costs just under $41 a day at Timber-Linn Park alone. That cost does not reflect the price of vandalism, which goes up in the off season. We try to use our limited dollars to provide quality restroom service during the months when the parks are most in demand.