Park restroom a hazard, disgrace
Dear editor,
In my career working with water and sewer I have seen some pretty disgusting things. However, what I saw Friday night was the most disgusting, nastiest thing I have ever seen in my 41 years on this earth.
I don’t know who is responsible for maintaining the bathroom at Wynn Street Park, but they should be severely reprimanded for the lack of upkeep at this facility. I know that people will do nasty things in public restrooms, but if they are checked at least once a week they can be maintained.
This is not the case at Wynn Street Park. I see a lot of stopped up toilets in my line of work, and I know for a fact that one has been stopped up for more than a week. The toilet was full of feces and maggots — it doesn’t take a genius to know that it has not been maintained it at all.
This is totally unacceptable. There is no possible excuse that can be given, besides plain laziness and a lack of concern for public health. This restroom should be declared a public health hazard by the Health Department and closed if it cannot be maintained properly.
After talking to several people who visit the park regularly, I understand that this is not a rare occurrence; apparently, it is never kept very clean or sanitary. I hope that by writing this letter, some action will be taken immediately to resolve this issue, and that those who are responsible will be held accountable.
Chip Baxter
Marianna
Reader Reactions
The city is required to have a public restroom in public places for tax paying people that use thar use the park. The crew that say they have been cleaning need to be fired and these things just like everything else in goverment need to be followed up on. I could tell you the crews names that say they clean it, if the ctiy manager does not know.
Simple suggestion! If the toilets have been a problem for somany years now and havent changed then get rid of the restrooms completly put a couple of portapotties in and be done no flushing required and they are maintained by the company that owns them.Also with a portapottie people dont tend to linger around long enough to make too big of a mess LOL
The idea to add a potty was probably a good idea at the time.
However there either was no plan to maintain it indicating a lack of forward thinking (who’d a thought) or the plan to maintain it failed.
If your plan to put in a toilet fails miserably, what kind of plans are you making for things that are a little more complicated?
Oh, that’s just what I would do, but it will never happen. It requires a plan, some effort, policies, rules, decision making and accountability.
It is true that you sure can’t change the behavior of some people. If you catch ‘em what do you do? Charge them for not flushing?
The easiest and fastest “solution” to this unpleasant issue is to just eliminate the facilities. Quick, efficient.
This is the “sweep it under the rug” effect to problem solving. They do’t know how to fix the problem in a creative way, so they just make the problem itself go away.
When the problem is gone, nobody has to actually do anything or worry about it and this particular situation will never come up again.
See what a good elected official I am! I solved that smelly problem! Vote for me! I solve disgusting problems!
However, a new situation will come up to replace it. I’ll vote the incidents of urinating in public and indecent exposure will increase on the docket.
Pay attention to how local problems are resolved (not solved). Often the choice is the easiest way, but not what the public actually would want and you are the voters.
You can do something to fix the problem but it is much easier to just get rid of the problem all together.
This has been an issue since I was a little girl and I over 40 now so the city has never maitained this restroom nor the park for that much. Good luck getting this to stay clean. they will go and clean it today and the rest of the summer maybe until they think we have forgotten about it.I think i will begin to check for cleanness weekly and willlet you know how long thi last. I will write a letter to the editor in 90 with an update. HUM
Jesusboy, this isn’t the first time the bathrooms were nasty. Thing is someone could clean them everyday and the disrespectful fools that make the mess will come back & make it time and time again. Are you going to hang around the bathroom to wait for the fools that are so nasty as to leave such a mess? Clean up after them? You’d be better of to teach everyone in Marianna manners. Hey folks how hard is it to flush a toilet when your done?
Good job, Mr. Baxter.
Now we can see what the city does about it with this this situation is in the public eye.
They could do nothing or (more likely) jump into some kind of panic CYA mode to fix the immediate problem, but this problem appears to have been and will continue to be chronic if left to its own devices.
It may stay clean a week, a month, maybe two but without some enforcement, we’ll see this problem again.
How to prevent this from happening again?
Assuming some human is responsible for maintaining the facility, that person should be fired immediately for poor job performance - no questions, no second chance, no you’ll hurt my feelings. You screwed up. Too bad - you’re out. I’m sure they can find somebody that will be happy to take that job before the sun sets today.
The person responsible for that ex employee should be given 30 days to either develop or start enforcing a set of documented, accountable and enforceable standards and policies for maintaining city property. If there is no standard, create one.
I will be happy to volunteer to be author.
If there are no written policies, there is nothing to enforce so everything must be in writing. It is not top secret stuff we’re talking about here, so the public should be able to have access.
Make the rules subject to change by popular majority vote of city council and subject to on demand or at least annual review and adjustment to maintain the highest modern standards (things change over time you know).
Have at least two public hearings to review ideas and explain the new rules and get public input and acceptance prior to implementation and enforcement.
Plenty of time to get ready.
All interested and responsible city officials sign it, so there is no “I never signed that” kind of stuff later.
Establish at least a monthly surprise inspection/review of the written rules and the facilities with enforceable penalties for infractions of same up to immediate termination of employment.
When everything is written down and agreed on publish the new/revised codes where the public can see/read it.
Since the city obviously can’t seem to handle keeping a toilet clean, somebody needs to clean up that place right now.
That somebody should be the people responsible. If the high and mighty actually have to clean up one of their own foul messes for a change instead of someone else doing it for them, it is less likely to happen again.
Just like little children need to be taught a lesson to learn how NOT to do things by accepting some responsibility.
Don’t worry, I will help you. I am sure we can get some supplies donated.
Have that place spotless by the end of the week.
Have this new inspection and responsibilities plan agreed upon, documented, on my desk and ready for me to sign by the end of the month.
Your 30 day clock starts now.
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