Uniontown decides to open restrooms

Garth Meyer, Gazette Reporter | Sep 21, 20170

The public restrooms are back open in Uniontown, with plans to keep them so.

The town closed the facility in June due to continuous damage and vandalism at the building on the side of Highway 195 at the town’s Holzer Park.

“That got some people furious,” said Brian Davies, town councilman. “We thought it might take more damage if we didn’t open it back up.”

Town Public Works Superintendent Brent Lane is back to cleaning them again, each Wednesday on garbage collection day, and other times as he checks them.

“It just kind of depends on the day,” Lane said.

The town is also seeking a janitorial service to potentially hire for cleaning the facility.

Lane had previously found needles in the garbage, which has now led to the idea of putting in a used-needle repository box like in a hospital or doctor’s office.

Mayor Dave Jacobs has directed Lane to find some to buy and install on the walls inside the restrooms.

“If they’re going to do their drugs, at least the needle won’t be a danger to the person taking out the garbage,” said Jacobs. “I don’t know if it’ll do any good or not.”

The two-restroom building was built 15 years ago with funding from the Washington Department of Transportation and the American Legion. It was shut down by a town council vote June 14.

Increasing problems with maintenance and theft of toilet paper and paper towels led to the decision.

Since then, the council decided to re-open it for motorists and residents.

“There’s a lot of travelers, and people saw truckers standing out behind the building doing their thing,” Jacobs reported on reaction to the summer closure.