At a recent math meeting in Middletown at the Middletown Area Town Hall, an issue was brought up regarding the restrooms in the new-to-be-built library and senior center complex in the future park and town center on Highway 29, by yours truly.
It seems the architect disregarded federal laws and guidelines which Lake County supervisors and legally concerned public employees need to be aware of to avoid future legal action against the county, and as a result, taxpayer losses.
Plans for the senior center building, which the county will own and rent to the non-profit Middletown Senior Center, indicate the restrooms will be inadequate and unfairly divided. Raising this issue caused this writer to be shouted down by the few louder voices in the room that are used to getting their way by loudness and puffery. It appears as no one present objected to their way of resisting discussion or taking a vote. The rest of the folks at the meeting, I guess, favor a fight in court with federal authorities who have the law on their side.
Specifically, the senior center building is designed unequally, regarding the restrooms. The male restroom will have one commode and one urinal. The female restroom will have six commodes. This is gender unfair and smacks of elder abuse, which violates federal standards and will cost lots more cash to correct this deficiency after ground is broken and the new building constructed.
The records of attendance, at the present senior center are sure to reflect that males use the center more than females and may have more bodily plumbing challenges than females, who are stronger and live longer. Let”s give the males at least one more commode and reduce the female commodes to five to keep the feds from draining our county coffers. Are our supervisors awake?
Bob Brown
Middletown
