Committee cuts school bathroom reno budget by $38K

NORWALK — The city’s $31.41 million capital budget was sent for approval to the Common Council with one minor change: Shifting $38,000 from the school bathroom renovation project to the library department.

The BOE’s budget request of $1.5 million for bathroom renovations was fully funded by Mayor Harry Rilling in March, but was lowered to $1,462,000 at the Planning Committee’s Thursday meeting following an amendment proposed by Councilmember John Kydes. The amendment to the budget and subsequent advancement to the Council were unanimously approved.

Lowering of the BOE budget came after discussion over whether the bathroom renovations were necessary. At previous Planning Committee and Board of Estimate and Taxation meetings, Norwalk parents and residents expressed their concern and disgust over the state of the schools’ bathrooms.

“To get to this point, of a million and a half, and all the things we heard during the public hearing — we shouldn’t be at this place,” Planning Commission Chair Frances DiMeglio said at a February meeting. “It’s really aggravating, at best, for families. When we heard (students) don’t use the bathroom and try to make it home because of how disgusting they are, it’s unconscionable, unbelievable, all the words you can think of.”

At Thursday’s Planning Committee meeting, however, Councilmembers Tom Livingston and Lisa Shanahan contested the $1.5 million appropriation.

After having visited each middle school bathroom in the district, Livingston and Shanahan said the bathrooms were not need of full renovations, but that the BOE should practice better maintenance on the facilities.

“I’m concerned about how these are being portrayed,” Livingston said. “Some need work, but there’s a misconception with parents . ... I worry people have a perception that they’re bad and they’re not. And I worry about that because I fear sometimes that the default setting is to throw money at it and replace the whole thing when they don’t need it.”

A recommendation was made by Livingston for the facilities department to establish a better maintenance and upkeep system for the bathrooms rather than gutting them.

Some faucets and stalls were blocked off to allow social distancing, and the worn look of the bathrooms — many still sporting original tiling and walls — may cause people to think they aren’t clean, Director of Facilities Management Bill Hodel said.

“It’s a mixed bag, but the over-lining look is an aged look,” Hodel said. “They do function and yes, they are cleaned twice a day and yes, there is a perception there, but by and large they are original to the building.”

Following the discussion over the bathroom renovation, Kydes proposed the transfer of funds from the BOE budget to the library department to fund the final stage of a five-year project to digitize The Hour newspaper, which Library Board Directors President Alex Knopp petitioned for earlier in the meeting.

Kydes suggested the amendment to appease both those in support of the bathroom project and those who consider the amount excessive.

The capital budget will move to the Common Council for approval later this month.