Two new all-season restroom facilities were approved by the city council for Maytag and Woodland parks. The vault restrooms will help to modernize the city parks, which is a top priority of the Newton Parks Board.
“I continue to be thankful to the parks team for the work they are doing to move forward and people are really seeing that in the community with the updates and changes and improvements that we are making. Those things don’t go unnoticed, and they don’t go unused,” Council Member Noreen Otto said.
The restroom at Maytag park is proposed to be near the southeast corner of the large parking lot. The restroom would allow a closer bathroom facility for guests at the Fred Maytag Bowl and those using the log cabin and Kiwanis shelter.
At Woodland Park, the proposed location is near the shelter. In the past, a portable toilet has been used at the park.
The restrooms selected are pre-manufactured vault style with solar powered fans. That style was picked because of the lack of sanitary sewer service near the areas.
Public Works Director Keith Laube said it would cost close to $15,000 each to extend sewer service at both locations.
“The cost to extend sewer to the facility was substantial,” Laube said. “The other part we looked at was if you do have sanitary sewer water facility we shut those off usually during the winter months. Having a year-round facility, people are using the parks year round, we thought both parks would be served better by a vault restroom.”
HuffCutt Concrete, Inc. of Chippewa Fall, Wis. was awarded the bid in the amount of $35,310, under the $45,000 projected cost. The project will be funded by the 2015 bond issue.
Work on the project is to be complete by May 2016, but Laube did not know the specific timeline of construction.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com