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Commission debates making county porta‑potties available for non‑county events, weighing cost and liability
Summary
Commissioners reviewed vendor quotes (examples: $75 per unit plus delivery, or variable truckload pricing reported at $100), UCIP insurance cautions about liability, and discussed options including charging users, requiring event applications/waivers, contracting with vendors, or surplus/selling county units.
A request for porta‑potties for a non‑county event prompted a multi‑speaker discussion about cost, liability and operational burden. Speaker 5 reported a request came in and said the county has provided units before; Speaker 8 and Speaker 3 described vendor pricing they had paid in prior years (examples cited: $70–$75 per unit plus delivery; in one recollection a $25 delivery fee applied, and an alternate vendor quoted a truckload delivery for $100 for some events).
Several commissioners said the county’s insurance carrier (UCIP) recommended that county units not be loaned out for use where the county is not managing setup and cleaning. Commissioners discussed possible approaches: require event applicants to request county units and pay a fee; set up a liability waiver for users (several commissioners said UCIP advised waivers are limited protection); contract with local vendors to supply units, cleaning and transport; or surplus and sell county‑owned units and let private vendors supply services.
Speakers also noted hidden costs the county incurs when operating units itself: staff time to set up/take down, chemicals and cleaning, and vehicle/trailer use. Some commissioners suggested a long‑term solution may be to develop an annual vendor contract for events and sell surplus units rather than operate a rental service that competes with local businesses.
Why it matters: the decision affects county liability exposure, event budgets and whether county assets subsidize private or nonprofit activity.
What’s next: staff were asked to research vendor pricing, obtain a buildings & grounds cost estimate for setup/cleanup, and report options for contracting or surplus sale.
