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Evansville council approves budget transfers and funds downtown Portland loo restroom
Summary
The council adopted Ordinance F2025-06 authorizing multiple transfers and appropriations, including funding to support a Portland loo public restroom downtown, transfers to the housing trust fund and appropriations for fire hazmat cleanup and central dispatch equipment.
The Evansville common council on April 28 adopted Ordinance F2025-06, authorizing a series of intra‑budget transfers and appropriations across city accounts and approving funds to acquire and install a Portland loo public restroom downtown.
Controller Robert Gunter summarized multiple adjustments: a $3,900 transfer from the fire department to central dispatch for an AVL/MCT replacement system, an $82,000 transfer from the general fund to the housing trust fund to correct an earlier under-appropriation, and a $58,044 appropriation for fire department hazmat cleanup revenue applied to specified line-item expenses.
Deputy Chief Jerry Brown of the Evansville Fire Department explained the hazmat billing income source and maintenance needs. He said recent fleet and equipment repairs have driven higher maintenance spending and described an operational switch from high‑end vehicle laptops (MCTs, about $7,000 each) to iPads (about $1,000 each) to improve location and dispatching: “We actually transitioned from MCTs, which is basically a high end laptop that costs approximately about $7,000 for a setup to iPads on our trucks, which are, as you probably all know, about a thousand dollars a piece.”
Controller Gunter also described the creation of a dedicated federal forfeiture fund to separate and track forfeiture receipts; the transcript includes an unclear numeric reconciling item that could not be verified from the record and is therefore marked in the clarifying details as not specified.
Deputy Mayor Lindsay Snyder presented details on the downtown restroom purchase and operations. She said the city has worked with Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District (Downtown EID) staff to select a location and that Downtown EID will maintain the facility. Snyder said the Portland loo should be installed within three to four months and estimated annual maintenance at roughly $16,000. “I never thought I’d be up here so excited for the use of these funds for a public restroom,” she said.
Adam Trinkle, representing Downtown EID, described repeated public-health cleanups downtown and urged adoption: “The Portland loo is a proven, effective solution to this challenge,” he said, noting similar installations in other U.S. cities.
Councilor Talkman moved the ordinance and Councilwoman Kayler Lindsey seconded (on the record). A roll call registered nine ayes and no nays; the council declared Ordinance F2025-06 adopted.
