Commissioners approve courthouse public restroom renovation

Pulaski County Commissioners are taking a step toward fixing one of the handicapped-accessibility issues that has been neglected as they approved a small renovation during their last commissioners’ meeting. 
On Feb. 21, maintenance director Jeff Johnston pitched the idea of renovating the public restrooms. The renovation would be small in expense but would address an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) noncompliance issue. 
He proposed that in the women’s bathroom one of the stalls could be removed so the other stall can be widened. In the men’s bathroom, a stall would be removed and the current handicapped-accessible stall would be expanded to meet ADA regulations. The entry doors into the bathrooms will still be an issue, according to Johnston, and will cost more money to fix. 
Johnston said he would also like to repaint the bathrooms and replace the lighting, broken tiles and trim. The new LED lights could be installed in-house and will save the county in utility expenses. The lighting is also estimated to last more than 12 years. 
The estimated cost of repainting, new lights and renovation can be done for less than $2,000, according to Johnston. 
Johnston estimated the proposed project could take about three weeks. 
Johnston is also looking at the costs of handicapped-accessible sinks.