COTTESLOE Council will investigate getting its staff to scrub dunnies and save money on the public toilets it now has running under the Indiana Restaurant.
At Tuesday’s meeting, councillors considered adjusting the 2018-19 budget by $103,369 to cover cleaning and minor maintenance of the toilets, which are operating under a sub-lease until June 30 next year.
“The Department of the Environment have their own cleaners, they call them rangers, to clean toilets in national parks, and I would like to know if that could be a cheaper and better option for us,” Cr Sandra Boulter said.
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READ NOWCr Boulter said the staff member could also clean up outside the toilets and remove rubbish.
The sub-lease was agreed after a public stink followed the Indiana’s operators closing the toilets, and the council installing plastic portaloos on the beach in August.
The closure occurred when it was earlier confirmed the restaurant did not have to run public toilets as part of its contentious lease for the building.
A report said the council had spent $29,959 on the portaloos, minor repairs and immediate cleaning of the toilets – but another $73,410 was needed for the next eight months.
Chief executive Mat Humfrey said whoever did the cleaning would have to also conduct minor maintenance.
Mr Humfrey indicated a decision on funding the toilets’ cleaning until 2019-20 was needed soon.
He said the money currently allocated in the budget was not sufficient to cover next month.
It was agreed to allocate the $103,369, with staff asked to report back by December on the feasibility of hiring a staff member to look after the cleaning and maintenance.