“This is a project we’d like to undergo in order to make health, safety and sanitation a little bit better considering the coronavirus,” City Manager Rob Schommer said during the council’s Monday Zoom meeting.
Schommer said the city plans to install automatic plumbing fixtures in public bathrooms at city parks, the Kroger Aquatic Center, city hall and the police and fire departments.
“These fixtures are certainly more work, but they are the gold standard when it comes to hygiene and keeping high-touch surfaces clean,” Schommer said.
The city can use funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) for this project.
The city manager will start soliciting bids, not to exceed $74,000, for the touchless fixtures project now.
In May, the city passed legislation to put automatic flushers and automatic sinks in the bathroom at the Rose Music Center. The city spent about $50,000 on that project.
After installing the automatic toilet flushers and automatic sinks, the entire bathroom is touch-free at The Rose, Schommer said, because hand dryers are already automatic and the entryway to get into the bathrooms already does not have doors, so concert-goers don’t pull or push on them.
Schommer said he thinks the other city facilities could have touchless fixtures in the next 60 days.
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