Taxpayer Money Flushed Down the Drain?

Picon lifts the lid with this story, exposing the stark contrast between official narratives and street-level realities in the Biggest Little City.

In the shadows of Reno’s glistening “great place to live” and “we champion the arts in Reno” a couple of $100,000 toilets sit neglected, stainless-steel walls marred by graffiti and grime. This is the Portland Loo, a public restroom program championed by city officials as a solution to urban sanitation woes. A closer look reveals a tale of bureaucratic opacity, questionable maintenance, and a disturbing disconnect between City Hall’s polished press releases and the gritty reality on Reno’s streets.

Picon was working on a story focused on the Portland Loo program the City of Reno launched on August 17, 2020, during COVID, so who the heck cared or watched.

We revisited the program earlier this year and asked the City of Reno for some data which, as usual, the “powers that be” who try not to fulfill public records at the city didn’t understand what we were asking. We wanted to know initial costs, who paid, upkeep costs, vandalism, and how often the loos are cleaned, what department cleans them, and we were asking for a cleaning schedule. We could never make it clear to the city what we were asking for and finally gave up, if we have to explain ourselves more than twice, we know the records are being withheld.

As the City Council cuts ribbons for new loos, existing facilities tell a different story. When the City of Reno opened the third Portland Loo last week, with as much fanfare as they are capable of, we thought, let’s publish the photos, and let residents decide if this program is working.

Our investigation uncovers unanswered questions due to elusive public records, and a city administration seemingly more interested in photo opts than addressing the real issues plaguing Reno’s residents, homelessness, and how much government will continue to spend on these vulnerable residents. Maybe Vice Mayor Duerr could get us our requested records since she champions this project, or Councilmember Ebert, after all, she’s holding the ribbon.

Picon pondered if Vice Mayor Naomi Duerr and/or Councilmember Meghan Ebert have been to either of the two Portland Loos of late? You know, maybe stopped by, and took a seat? Or are they both available for a ribbon cutting photo opt and then move onto the next city sponsored disaster.

We wonder if Iris Jehle-Peppard with One Truckee River nonprofit, who is featured in the This Is Reno video celebrating the loo opening on June 21st, has visited either of the Portland Loos in Broadhead Park or John Champion Park, they’ve been around for a while and show battle scars of use.

We publish this because of a comment on the City of Reno Facebook page back to a resident, AKA taxpayer, who dared to comment to the City of Reno’s Facebook team. Anything but a positive response gets an acerbic gotcha response from the city.

A resident, Terri Haight, commented if the city will be able to keep up with the homeless and keep the loos clean, and said she would not use them. How dare she question the City of Reno’s Facebook page, they came back with the answer, “Well the others have been fine, but that is up to you.” Well, Terri, we wouldn’t sit our derriere down on a Portland Loo in Reno either.

Hey, City of Reno Facebook page, Mayor Schieve, Vice Mayor Duerr, No-Longer-At-Large Councilmember Reese, Councilmember Ebert, Appointed Councilmember Martinez, Appointed Councilmember Taylor, Councilmember Brekhus, and One Truckee River you call the photos we have posted ‘fine’ – you’re trying to push forward the concept these loos are being taken care of and cleaned.

Picon urges Vice Mayor Duree and Councilmember Ebert to get their “behinds” out of City Hall and actually visit a loo before cutting a ribbon celebrating another. We understand there will be ten in total.

The photo of a man using a city sewer to urinate is what is really happening in Reno, and that what our elected council members are doing nothing about.

Picon smells the stench of neglect surrounding Reno’s Portland Loo program.

We question Reno City Council pushing media that the loos solve a pressing urban problem, but it seems this is, yet another example of taxpayer money flushed down the drain.

Why are city officials so reluctant to provide basic information about the loos operation and maintenance.