Options for public washrooms downtown to go to council

Complete with cost estimates, four options for bringing public washrooms to the downtown will be presented to city council on Monday night.

They range from opening the washrooms at Canada Games Plaza to encouraging downtown businesses to provide the service through a grant program similar to one up and running in Yellowknife.

Staff will be seeking council's direction to pursue one or a combination of the suggestions.

Here's a closer look:

- Open the washrooms at the Canada Games Plaza from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily with an attendant onsite during that time.

Staff is suggesting it operate as a pilot from June 15 to October 1 at a cost of $77,250.

Of that, $52,900 would go towards paying for two onsite attendants with one working a morning shift and the other an evening shift.

Given the urgency of getting the program going this summer, the bill is based on the cost of hiring contract security personnel. But ideally, attendants hired by a non-profit agency with experience working with street-involved people would take over the work.

The remaining $23,350 would go towards custodial and maintenance costs carried out by City staff.

In a survey of downtown service providers, the Civic Centre was raised as one of the most preferred sites.

- Fund three downtown service agencies to provide monitored facilities.

Saint Vincent de Paul, Positive Living North and Association (Firepit) Advocating for Women and Children are among the recommended agencies. While washrooms are available at their spots, using them can depend on whether staff is available to monitor..

Cost is estimated at $36,000 with $12,000 going each of the agencies in the form of a one-time grant to pay for both increased monitoring on a "client/peer employment model" and to train clients to work as attendants at other locations.

- Hire a full-time, year-round attendant to monitor the washrooms at the Prince George Public Library.

Onsite security staff "can only check the washrooms as frequently as their time allows," meaning other library staff can be stuck with the burden.

Cost is estimated at $63,965 to pay for an attendant's wage and benefits. Trained security personnel will still be on hand to deal with bad behaviour.

- Partner with Downtown Prince George to develop a grant program provide public access at local businesses.

The idea was implemented in Yellowknife in summer 2017. Businesses there, confirm they have the written consent of the landlord to designate an existing washroom, as a public washroom. The City of Yellowknife, in turn, provides signage and a one-time payment of $500.