By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer 

NAPLES — The porta-potty problems on the Naples Causeway may lead to a more long-term septic solution. 

The answer might be one that allows the town to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars to build a public bathroom facility.

During the Naples Board of Selectmen meeting on Monday, Town Manager John Hawley brought up the public porta-potty problem, which became more of a hassle this year partly because there was a shortage of workers who normally maintained the Polyurethane plastic mobile bathrooms. 

The honey buckets have been anything but sweet for the people working near them this summer.  

“The town has had a long-standing agreement with the property owner of Rick’s Cafe that permits them to store their docks at the town beach in exchange for giving the town permission to put porta-potties for public use behind Rick’s Cafe during the summer months,” Hawley said.

“Wayne Warren, the current owner of Rick’s reached out to me, and we met to discuss the arrangement moving forward. Wayne acquired property on the Brandy Pond side of the Causeway that now permits him to storehis docks on his property,” he said.  

“He stated that the porta-potties behind his property had created a nuisance for him and his employees as the cleaning schedule for the units is not regular enough to keep up with usage. His staff often picks up the trash accumulation left behind at the units. In addition, people often use the areas around the units to relieve themselves when the units are entirely occupied, or the person is intoxicated,” Hawley said. “Therefore, he has requested that we stop using that area for the bathroom units.”

When one door shuts, another one opens. 

Recently, Hawley has been in the conversational stages with someone who owns land and is willing to lease some land for public restrooms.

Hawley said that a permanent structure could be constructed. He planned to research the legality of using the ARPA money, which can be put toward septic systems. 

One of the selectmen suggested renting a bathroom trailer instead. Perhaps, if the restrooms are classier, people will treat them better than the plastic versions.

The selectmen backed the idea of pursuing negotiations with the unidentified land-owner to lease some space for public restrooms.