Stouffville accessible washroom trailer inventor 'sick' over rent hike

'It will sit in the garage,' Diane Ward says

Yorkregion.com
February 20, 2019
Lisa Queen

York Region residents with disabilities who now enjoy fairs and festivals thanks to Whitchurch-Stouffville’s accessible washroom trailer are at risk of being shut out of community events due to a “ridiculous” hike in rental fees, vehicle inventor Diane Ward says.

The increase passed by council has left her feeling “a little bit sick.”

“It was so well used. It’s been a godsend. (Now), they are putting the price way up, out of reach. So, it will sit in the garage and that is not my reason for doing this,” said Ward, who is also past-president and current chair of the office support committee for the Markham Fair.

“It allows (people with disabilities) to get out into the world and do things and be part of life and see the people and the colours and the lights and the smiles and the laughter and all the things you and I get to experience all the time.”

Without accessible washrooms, many people with disabilities will only be able to attend community events for very short periods, if at all, Ward said.

The town now rents out the trailer for $500 per event regardless of how many days it lasts.

Council had been looking to charge $550 per day but backed off following an appeal by Ward last summer, although it indicated it would bring in rates that better reflect equipment rentals charged by other municipalities.

Council has now voted to boost rates to $1,200 a day within 30 kilometres of the town and to $600 a day within the town.

A $1,000 security deposit is also required.

While the town didn’t contribute financially to building the trailer -- instead, former mayor Justin Altmann donated $54,000 when he asked guests to his 2016 wedding to donate to the washroom in lieu of gifts, plus $50,000 came from the federal government and $90,000 came from community fundraising including $5,000 each from the towns of Aurora, Newmarket and Georgina, the Region of York, the Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor’s Community Fund and Magna International -- the town maintains, stores, delivers, handles bookings and issues tax receipts.

The increased rental fees reflect a number of town direct and indirect costs, including having two additional staff be trained to earn special driver’s licences to transport the trailer, leisure and community services director Marilou Murray said in a report.

“It should be noted that the biggest pressure with respect to the rental of the accessible trailer is the many growing needs of the community and staff’s ability to deliver the service. The town has increased contracted services to help manage the ongoing pressures in the community,” she said.

“While there is no doubt that the accessible trailer is a wonderful resource that services and addresses a highly needed population in our community, the question could also be asked, should the town be in the rental, supply and delivery business?”

Murray will prepare another report on the trailer’s rental fees this summer. Council may make changes to the fees at that time.

On March 25, Ward and other community members will meet with Murray and Mayor Iain Lovatt to talk about the possibility of reducing the fees.

It makes no sense to charge $1,200 per diem for the trailer when it costs the town no additional money for leaving the vehicle at an event for several days, Ward said.

“I fail to understand, I know there are surprise costs, hidden costs that we didn’t expect, but I don’t understand why it would cost more to rent it for one day or four days because it’s still two guys hauling it up to a site, leaving it and coming back, whether that night or five days later. It’s still the same cost,” she said.

Other municipalities charge rental rates similar to those the town is charging for the trailer, Murray said.

For example, Richmond Hill rents a portable stage only to groups within the town for $1,838 for eight hours.

East Gwillimbury rents a mobile stage for $1,426 for eight hours.

Ajax had rented a “showmobile” for $1,200 a day but discontinued renting it due to wear and tear and limited staff resources.

Oakville rents portable washrooms and a portable hand wash station for $979 and a private supplier in Hamilton rents a portable, accessible washroom unit for $1,200 a day plus a per-kilometre delivery fee.

While Ward is upset, she remains hopeful the community and the town can work out a compromise.

“Markham Fair is one of the wealthiest, and (even) it won’t be able to afford it,” she said.

“I’m feeling proud (we have the trailer), disappointed in some ways but I know we can work this out. They’re not bad people. Maybe misinformed or something, but we have to get the message out that it’s for the community and somehow we have to build on that.”