Oakland – Oakland City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan (At Large) is concerned that Oakland be prepared to cope with the coronavirus threat. With growing concerns about public health and the risk of the spread of communicable disease, including coronavirus, Oakland Council President Rebecca Kaplan is urging immediate action to provide sanitation, and hand-washing facilities in our communities.
The Oakland City Council budget amendments, passed in June of 2019, added funding for public toilets with hand-washing stations, using a model based on the one designed by City of Portland, to be sturdy and require minimal maintenance and repair. This also helps with sanitation and public health, and reducing cleanup costs.
President Kaplan stated:
“I encourage the Oakland public to take action to protect everyone’s health, including wash your hands regularly and especially before eating, avoid touching your face, and please do not come to work or go to public events when sick. At the same time, I am urging that our City of Oakland take action to expedite the installation of the public toilets and hand-washing stations that were approved by Council in the budget last June, and that we ask the County, which has authority over public health, to provide expanded hand-washing and sanitation facilities throughout our communities.”
What Is Portlandloo?
According to its website, this is the video and text about the Portland Loo that Councilmember Kaplan calls for:
Whether you��re working within your city’s staff, transit department, or non-profits, we know that
The PortlandLoo
you want a lavatory that integrates well with the environment, while also discouraging crime and destruction. The City of Portland wanted the same thing, and the city personnel knew well the history of nightmare issues that had occurred with other city toilets open to the public 24/7. That’s why, when designing the Portland Loo, we took the time to get it right with ingenuity and input from police, fire, park staff, engineers, and more.
With it’s rounded anti-graffiti wall panels, open grating, easy-to-clean coating, and interchange-able building components, it’s the swiss army knife of restrooms. Every feature and placement adds to the uniqueness of the loo, from the cabinet with cleaning supplies to the motion sensors that let you know if someone is inside. Portland Loo’s function and aesthetic work together tangentially to fit right into any city’s landscape.
When Portland City Commissioner Randy Leonard originally had the idea for The Loo, there was a rise in the city’s homeless population. Without restroom facilities, this population was left to find somewhere else to take care of business. The city realized that having a restroom open 24 hours a day with full public access would alleviate the need to disturb local businesses for their restroom facilities. They knew the solution would also help with sanitation, to prevent waste throughout public and tourist areas, as well as the spread of disease.
Madden Fabrication took wish lists from a variety of Portland staff and volunteers, and together with The City of Portland they created a public toilet that would prevent common problems – such as vandalism, illegal drug use or prostitution. The Portland Loo is easy to clean, and nothing can be ripped off the walls or easily damaged. It’s made with components that are commonly used by many cities, making them easy to replace or upgrade. And because it’s a single stall, it’s gender neutral and can still take about 300 flushes per day, comparable to an airport restroom.
There’s no other lavatory that is designed and built for the people that maintain it, which has proved to keep keep our city clean and crime-free. The City of Portland installed the first Portland Loo over 10 years ago, and it still looks almost brand new! It won’t be a risk to your budget or reputation either. If you need a durable and inexpensive solution to reducing crime and waste in your parks, transit stations, or other populated areas, join the many cities who enjoy the look of The Portland Loo.
