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State-of-the-art portable toilet put on hold
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - July 07, 2010)
State-of-the-art portable toilet put on hold
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Munson's park and recreation board was ready for the "next generation in human sanitation," but Township Trustees were not.
Trustees agreed recently to hold off on a recommendation to install two restrooms at the township's Scenic River Park off Mayfield Road (Route 322) despite two recommendations from the park board to move ahead.
Timothy Kearns, a park board member, urged trustees to consider the purchase of what he termed the "next generation in human sanitation." The product the board proposed is called an "Eloo," which stands for Enviro Loo. Loo is a slang British term for toilet, Mr. Kearns said.
He said the Eloo is a nondischarge, dry-sanitation system that relies on dehydration and evaporation to break down waste. He said there is no water, chemicals or electricity needed to operate the Eloos, which employ bacterial and biological technologies for its operation.
Mr. Kearns said the Eloos has received the approval of the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, and more than 5,000 of them have been installed in the United States over the last two years. "I think we've got a winner here," he said.
Mr. Kearns asked trustees to act quickly, saying Scenic River Park is a "diamond in the rough" that people are just starting to be drawn to. With increasing use and even weddings planned for the park, trustees should move to install the two restrooms, he said.
He said each unit will cost $3,895 with installation costs ranging from $15,500 to $15,800.
Mr. Kearns said the park and recreation board voted 6-3 and then 5-1 to recommend the purchase.
But trustees found reason to hold off before plunging into the Eloo.
Trustee Todd Ray said there's no need to rush on the purchase on the relatively untested restrooms. He said members of the park board who opposed the purchase questioned whether it's too soon to decide what is needed at the park which has been open for about a year.
Trustee Andy Bushman said the township spends about $600 a year to rent portable toilets.
Trustee Irene McMullen also said she believes the township needs more time to study the issue before making a purchase. She said such a technologically advanced system like the Eloo may be appropriate for a grant, which could reduce the township's costs. She said a grant could pay up to 20 percent of the cost.
Mr. Bushman said he also is concerned that the installer may not be experienced in putting in Eloos.
Mr. Ray said he wonds whether trustees should be questioning a recommendation from the park and recreation board. "We second-guess everything they do," he said.
Mrs. McMullen said a delay in the purchase would not hurt anything, and a wait may enable the township to save money through a grant. She said she planned to research what grants may be available for the purchase and return with that information to this week's trustees meeting.
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