Recreation center to get restrooms

Oregon OKs $220,000 in ’13 budget for project

12/25/2012

Oregon’s 2013 budget contains money for a community amenity that has been talked about for years.

City council included $220,000 for the installation of restrooms in the south recreation complex, behind the municipal building off the Starr Avenue Extension. Although it has been slated to be done next year, a precise completion date has not been set.

The facility will have a men’s room and women’s room, each 165 square feet. The men’s room will have three lavatories, two commodes, and three urinals; the women’s room will have the same number of sinks but five toilets. Drinking fountains are to be at the entrance to each.

The restrooms are to be part of a building with a concession area equipped for making popcorn, pizza, coffee and hot chocolate, and nachos and containing a beverage cooler, slush and ice machines, and a work area. The single-story structure will have 1,600 square feet of floor space and be situated at the soccer complex north of the Starr Extension.

Oregon spends $690,000 a year on its popular recreation program, financed by a levy and general fund transfers. The parks and recreation department has a full-time director, program coordinator, and secretary. It also employs seasonal workers.

More than 1,400 children from prekindergarten age through high school participated in its summer program. The department also has adult programs in basketball and softball. The primitive restroom facilities — consisting of portable toilets — have been a source of complaints and comments to city officials.

The money appropriated for the facility does not include the cost of a sewer line hook-up. Mayor Mike Seferian estimated this would be an additional $20,000 to $30,000.

The restroom facility was designed by the Buehrer Group of Maumee.

The 2013 budget that council adopted last week authorizes spending of $16.4 million for city operations, which is about what spending was in 2010.

Oregon has not resorted to layoffs but has been cutting personnel costs through attrition and realizing savings elsewhere to cope with an annual revenue loss of $2 million in recent years.

— Carl Ryan