The Project
The City of Aztec in New Mexico had a nice problem on their hands when a reservoir project came in under budget: what to do with the excess funds? Romtec played a part in resolving their dilemma by installing two, turnkey restroom projects.
The Aztec Parks & Recreation Department was pleasantly surprised with the number it saw in its bank account after constructing a new reservoir. Unfortunately, the grant money had an expiration date that could not be changed. City officials quickly identified projects that were long overdue and could be completed with the surplus on-hand.
In Hartman Park, the City’s largest sports complex, teams were storing their equipment in an old box car, and the park was without a restroom. In Minium Park, there was no public restroom, and at Tiger Park, the site of the new reservoir, there was again no restroom.
Edward Kotyk, the projects manager for the City of Aztec, said the City had become increasingly disgruntled with the use of portable toilets. The portables were not only a constant rental and service expense, but they routinely incurred additional costs due to vandalism and misuse. Restrooms were the City’s most immediate priority according to the City’s developing Parks and Recreation Enhancement Plan (PREP),
The Solution
Kotyk turned to the internet for solutions. It did not take him long to find Romtec’s website where he saw floor plans that looked familiar. The City had previously gone to a local contractor with drawings for a public restroom building they needed at Hartman Park. When the contractor saw the proposed building, he proclaimed that a site-built structure of that scale could not be built within their budget.
In steps Romtec! Kotyk contacted Romtec to discuss the drawings the City had created. It did not take long to negotiate a suitable building, a custom Sierra III with private storage, two concession windows, and a covered patio section.
Romtec’s sales staff gave the City an initial estimate, but time was becoming the real issue. The grant money needed to be used by early October of 2011; it was May when the plans were laid out. Luckily for the City of Aztec, Romtec has a price agreement with New Mexico. The entire bidding process could be eliminated if the building was purchased as a turnkey project.
The City realized the value in utilizing Romtec’s turnkey construction services. By September of the year, Hartman Park had a brand new restroom building with concessions and storage.
The story might typically end at that point, but again, the City of Aztec faced a pleasant predicament. There were still funds, and it wasn’t October yet. This time, the City knew the capabilities and procedures of working with Romtec and was certain it could accomplish something more.
The City of Aztec and Romtec quickly established a new restroom building designated for Minium Park, where the City was installing a new water feature called the Splash Park. Minium Park is within the same block as the City’s Chamber of Commerce, Museum, and additional public buildings. Before the October deadline, an order was placed, and a new turnkey restroom was being configured in Oregon. In March of 2012, construction was finished.
Two buildings were up in less than a year from Kotyk’s first contact with Romtec.
The restroom at Minium Park was not be used immediately. The controls and electrical box for the Splash Pad fountain and water feature required installation, and the Minium restroom was tied into those services. The Splash Pad and the restroom officially launched later in 2012 when National Geographic hosted an event to debut its Four Corners Regional Tourism Map and website.
With the success of these projects, the City of Aztec began a long-term evaluation process of the City’s parks. Their number one priority is constructing permanent restroom buildings at all the city maintained parks. There are several needs, and the City is allocating a budget for a two or three-year-plan.
Romtec, Kotyk, and the City of Aztec are working now to build more restrooms –possibly even an amphitheater– to serve the citizens of Aztec.
