Bids for Automated Public Toilets to Be Sought
The City Council on Wednesday voted to seek bids for the development of a citywide automated toilet program, a day after it delayed consideration of an ordinance against public urination and defecation.
City lawmakers will consider a plan to pay for the self-cleaning toilets by incorporating advertising kiosks on the outside of the facilities.
Homeless activists have been pushing for public toilets in the city’s downtown skid row area for the past decade, saying such facilities are needed before the city outlaws public urination.
The council on Tuesday delayed voting on an ordinance that would make public urination and defecation misdemeanors.
According to the Department of Public Works, automated self-cleaning public pay toilets cost $150,000 to $250,000 apiece, along with $50,000 a year to maintain. The city also could lease the units for $60,000 to $75,000 a year.
A similar plan has been adopted in San Francisco, where the 22 public toilets installed so far are funded by the revenue collected every month from kiosk advertisers.
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