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Pasco Tackling Abandoned Portable Toilets

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By Carl  Orth | The Suncoast News

Published: October 31, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - At the risk of being called potty-mouthed, county commissioners recently dumped criticism on companies that virtually abandon portable toilets at unfinished construction sites.

The commissioners shared a few snickers and chuckles with the audience when the touchy topic came up at a recent meeting.

But storage abuses of portable toilets are becoming a serious problem, Commissioner Michael Cox said.

CONA brought the issue to his attention, Cox said. CONA stands for Council of Neighborhood Associations.

During the downturn in the new housing market, portable toilets simply seem to be left at construction sites for long periods of time while work apparently has been suspended, Cox explained.

Commissioner Ted Schrader complained about a distributor that lined up numerous portable toilets alongside a road, even though the site had plenty of room to place the toilets out of view.

Questionable uses of portable storage units also concerned CONA, Cox reported. Some five years ago the large portable storage units didn't even exist, he noted.

Today, however, some people are converting the transportable storage units into office space or second bedrooms, Cox believes, likely violating county zoning and building rules.

Another issue for CONA is large trash bins, particularly those used to collect construction debris.

Cox asked if the County Attorney's Office can refine storage regulations.

"I don't want to become a police state," Commissioner Pat Mulieri protested.

Mulieri also mentioned that commissioners dump a lot of work on the County Attorney's Office.

But she went along with all other commissioners in the unanimous vote for a preliminary report within the next few weeks.

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