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Commission cancels portable‑toilet contracts at three trailheads after cost blowout; dumpsters to remain
Summary
Faced with rising vendor charges, the Kane County Commission voted to cancel porta‑potty contracts at three heavily visited trailheads after Labor Day and to continue dumpster service; commissioners said TRT funds used to date were not sustainable at current spending rates.
KANAB, Utah — Kane County commissioners voted Aug. 26 to terminate portable‑toilet contracts at three popular trailheads (including Belly of the Dragon, Sand Caves and the Toadstools) effective after the Labor Day holiday weekend, citing unexpectedly high costs for porta‑potty servicing and the need to preserve transient‑room‑tax (TRT) mitigation funds.
Why it matters: The county had allocated TRT funds to maintain visitor amenities at high‑use natural sites. Commissioners and staff told the meeting that the porta‑potty contract costs far outpaced estimates for the year and would have required an additional six‑figure appropriation to continue through the winter at the current service level.
What the county said: Staff reported the following cost realities: - The county originally budgeted about $80,000 for the program this year but had already spent roughly $112,000 and was projected to reach approximately $220,000 if three porta‑potties per site were maintained through January. - Dumpsters at the sites cost about $300–$360 per month for the three dumpsters combined, far less than porta‑potty service.
What commissioners decided: By unanimous vote, commissioners instructed staff to end porta‑potty servicing at the three sites after the Labor Day holiday and to leave dumpster service in place to reduce on‑site trash. The vote follows months of trial service and mounting invoices for weekly or multiple‑times‑weekly cleaning at heavily visited sites.
Concerns voiced at the meeting: Some commissioners and members of the public argued that removing toilets could create hygiene issues on public lands; others countered that the county should not be on the hook for an open‑ended, high‑cost contract for portable toilets on non‑county land and that better signage and traveler education could reduce impacts.
Implementation: Staff will discontinue toilet service after the holiday weekend, pay outstanding invoices through the current billing period, and continue dumpsters at the sites. County tourism and public‑works staff said they would coordinate signage and online materials to inform visitors of restroom availability (or lack of it) and advise planning for restroom stops in nearby communities.
Ending: Commissioners framed the decision as a fiscally necessary pause that preserves TRT funds for other mitigation projects while continuing trash control. The county left open the option to rebid or reconfigure visitor‑service contracts in future budget cycles if different service models or funding sources become available.
