Hey, maybe we need a plan...
Doug Thompson July 10, 2008 - 7:45am.
Floyd's public restrooms, AKA The Timber Frame Outhouse, opened with little fanfare on Friday, July 4, and closed on Monday, July 7.
Seems there was a floor that needed resealing and a leak that had to be fixed and the town council is still debating what color to paint the timber frame.
It should be open again on Friday but we're told Town Manager Mike Maslaney is talking about having the facility open ONLY on weekends because the town may not have the personnel to keep the public johns clean or open during the week.
Let's see. The town built a public restroom but didn't have a plan for keeping it clean? Nor did they really know what hours it would be open to the public it is supposed to serve?
Maslaney tells me the town never planned to keep the public johns open 24/7, which means that if you have to go after hours you may have to go behind a building in town and do your business. No wonder the bushes behind some of the buildings in town are looking a little worse for wear.
We've seen this before on too many occasions. Somebody gets a grant to build something but they don't get around to developing a plan on what to do with what they build. Heck, The Jacksonville Center has lumbered along with this "get the money...we'll figure out a plan later" philosophy for years.
Our tax dollars at work...or not at work...or simply not working. Floyd's downtown rehabilitation project is, for the most part, a great thing but good ideas can be destroyed when you don't have a plan. The money may have come from the state but it was still funded by our tax dollars and it is past time for our elected, and appointed, officials to start demonstrating more accountability to the public they are supposed to serve.
Planning - Who Needs It?!
The town I live in (Vinton) is stuck with the same dilemma - they built a skate park several years back without giving any thought to upkeep, and now they can't afford to keep the thing open and safe.
Timberframe
God I hope they don't "paint" the timberframe a "color"!Stained or clear-coated to preserve is one thing...but to paint it a color would be absolutely ridulous!
If I had been designing the downtown public areas I would NEVER has done brick and concrete. Wood is so much more beautiful...and now the little bit of wood we got they want to cover up.
Where there is no vision...
Sure seems like nobody likes to look down the road and see what's coming. Look at the patch jobs on the roads this summer. Patched 25 feet on this side of the road, 15 feet on the other side, skip 10 feet and do both sides of the next 50 feet...I realize funds are short everywhere.
That Timberframe Toilet is an interesting thing. I can't tell you the last time I was in any town ANYWHERE that had a public restroom other than in some playground or park.
Very sad that they already had someone deface the new restrooms like that. If they had caught the cretin who did that, it would have been a great sentence of free labor cleaning those restrooms every day for a few months!
Hay, maybe we need a plan...
Clean public toilets worthy of concern someone may ask? I think you are right on! When I first learned there were to be public toilets my first question was, "Who is going to keep them clean?"
And you are not the only one to worry about such things. Eric Weiner's new book, "The Geography of Bliss" addresses this issue on page 30 where a spokesperson from Switzerland proudly proclaims that one of the reasons Switzerland is regarded as one of the happiest countries in the world is that "Our public toilets...they are clean." Eric goes on to say that the roads also don't have potholes, the trains run on time, and they work very hard at avoiding envy. Contrary to the American way of "If you got it, flaunt it" the Swiss who have it hide it just so their neighbors won't be prone to envy.
Let's see what we have in Switzerland: clean toilets; trains on time; humble people trying to avoid envy with their neighbors. Does this suggest to your readers that you may be on to something by discussing clean toilets in Floyd? Keep up the good work.
McBathrooms
I'm sure the town will work out the kinks. It will take a bit of time.
I remind myself of the cowardly lion in wizard of oz: "if I were king of the fo-r-r-r-rest...." Well, if I was, I wouldn't have built such costly bathrooms. Who the hell are we anyway? This little mountain town with these 6 figure bathrooms. Wouldn't a rustic wooden building with decent stalls and sinks have been enough. It could have been done nicely for a quarter of the price. The reason I know that is I have seen many smaller homes in Floyd and I know how much they cost.
Bitch, bitch, bitch...what a spoiled lot we are. I am.
Our Town
Well, and here's the thing. I know legally if you do not live in the town of Floyd limits, your vote does not count. But I've said before and I'll say again...in reality, Floyd is all of our's town. It is the only town in the county. It is the county seat. Many people have lived here all their lives (in the county), gone thru school here, and many people are dedicated to shopping locally. Many have danced in Floyd town limits, prayed in Floyd, been treated for illness in Floyd, buried their loved ones in Floyd.
I really want this to be recognized: Floyd is our town wherever we live in this county!
I've said before that I'm not too savvy about local government but I do believe that though we don't get to vote in town issues....we still get to be taxed the same as a town resident.
And I'm curious. Just read about the "lodging tax". Is this just for hotels in the town limits or in the county?
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