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Council approves motion to pursue citywide RFP for automated public toilets and related street furniture
Summary
Councilmember Pacheco's motion to pursue a citywide request for proposals (RFP) that could bundle automated public toilets, standardized news racks and bus-shelter advertising cleared the council; the CLA will develop the RFP and return to the council, with staff noting potential capital and operating costs and examples from San Francisco.
Councilmember Pacheco said he had traveled to San Francisco to study automated, self‑cleaning public toilets and urged the council to direct the Chief Legislative Analyst’s office to prepare a citywide RFP that could bundle automated toilets with news racks and bus shelter advertising.
"When I was elected to the city council, there was an article written by Sister Callahan... One of the major issues that came up were the portable toilets," Councilmember Pacheco said, recounting discussions with business improvement districts and homeless service providers. He told colleagues the CLA and Public Works staff had worked on the concept and recommended packaging the items together in one RFP to improve financing options.
CLA staff (Mr. Deaton) told the council the San Francisco model suggested per‑unit capital costs in the neighborhood of $200,000–$300,000 with operating costs the contractor would handle; in San Francisco advertising has been used to help cover costs and in one example generated about $60,000 a year. Deaton said staff had looked at using an existing MTA contract but that effort had not produced an appropriate option and that using a consultant to help prepare the RFP could be beneficial.
Councilmembers discussed piloting an initial number of units (staff mentioned about 20 as a rough initial pilot figure), the desirability of integrating toilet facilities with other street furniture, and the need to move with reasonable speed because of public-health and dignity concerns in areas such as Skid Row and high-tourist districts. Councilmember Sviornich and others cited San Francisco and other cities as successful models and encouraged a citywide program rather than limiting facilities to only certain neighborhoods.
The council voted to approve the motion directing the CLA to prepare the RFP and return through the necessary process; the roll call was recorded as 10 ayes. The CLA will draft a report and timeline for the RFP process and consider whether consultant assistance and bundled advertising opportunities are needed to make the program financially viable.
No contract award or procurement occurred at the meeting; the action was approval to proceed with RFP development and further steps through the council process.
