Santa Ana : Council Votes $16,000 for Private Restroom

The City Council has voted to spend $16,000 on a little privacy.

The seven-member council agreed unanimously Tuesday to build two single-stall restrooms next to the council chambers for the exclusive use of council members.

The new restrooms will bring to an end a practice of residents following council members into public restrooms during breaks to lobby for causes, Councilman John Acosta said.

The residents would “bend our ears a little” about issues, he said.

Acosta said that at times council members felt uneasy when people would “come in and share thoughts and concerns while you’re trying to make yourself a little more comfortable.”

The new restrooms will also eliminate the need for council members to wait in long lines at the public restrooms near the council chambers during breaks in council meetings, Acosta said.

Although construction of the new restrooms will cut off some access to council members, Acosta said, this will not cause citizens to have less access to council members.

“(The restroom) is the least desirable place to have an informal conference,” he said. “Even council people deserve privacy when they go to the bathroom.”