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Manteca city halls new bathrooms cost $211,000
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How much does it cost to put in place two American with Disabilities complaint bathrooms?
The answer, as the City of Manteca found out, is $211,155.
That’s the final price tag  to purchase and put in place a portable restroom unit directly north of the council chambers at the Manteca  Senor Center.
It’s the final piece to the nearly $800,000 worth of upgrades to the council chambers and adjoining parking lot to make them complaint with current ADA requirements as well as put in place state-of-the-art cable broadcast capabilities and audio-visual equipment in the council chambers.
The council when they meet Tuesday are being asked to approve a final change order increasing what Diede Construction is being for installing the portable restrooms by $2,688 to $92,213.15. The balance of the cost was for the purchase and delivery of the portable restroom structure.
By contrast it cost $125,000 a decade ago to install a similar portable restroom structure at Library Park. You can also buy a resale home with less than 950 square feet in Manteca and have being leftover to buy a new Ford Fusion and have spending loot with $211,155.
The cost is driven by ADA requirements being more expensive.
There is an existing public restroom at the Civic Center but it is across the quad by the Parks & Recreation classrooms.
Twenty-one months ago the city completed the bulk of the $700,000 project that included technology upgrades.
The work included:
uhandicap access that now meets all federal and state requirements from the parking lot to the speaker’s podium.
uallowing those in the audience plus those watching via Comcast Channel 97 being able to clearly hear the council conducting the public’s business.
uthe audience being able to view documents that are presented to the council via various flat screens.
uin the event of overflow crowds those standing in the hallways will be able to hear what is going on inside the council chambers.
The remodel was long overdue given the deterioration of the audio system that was 25 yearsold. Major changes also have occurred in handicapped accessibility laws since the Civic Center was built in the 1980s.
City officials expect the current Civic Center location to handle municipal needs for at least 20 to 30 years as there is room to expand near the Parks and Recreation complex. 
The council had originally wanted to keep the 70 plus chairs that the audience used for 25 years. But if they did would have been out of compliance with new ADA standards. New ADA standards frown upon permanent seating so the configuration can be easily changed if there are a larger number of people in wheelchairs that need to be accommodated.
The chairs now being used can be hooked together like a long string of Legos to form rows.
The sloping floor was leveled. Instead of two entrances — one of the west side and the other on the east side — there is now one main entrance facing the south.
An access ramp complete with handrail leads to the dais to accommodate staff members or elected leaders who may be handicapped.
Improvements also were made to the parking lot with access ramps and handrails installed.