City Council Plunged into Swirl of Controversy
A concerned citizens group is gathering signatures for a “Protect Our Original Potties” ballot initiative that would prohibit the Mercer Island City Council from authorizing the repair of a clogged toilet in the men’s room of the Mercer Island library.
The group, which calls itself the Citizens Opposing Library Officials Not Incorporating Comments (COLONIC), says that any changes to the library bathrooms threaten the character and quality of life of Mercer Island. The proposed initiative would require that any repairs or improvements to the bathrooms at the Mercer Island library be done only if approved by the citizens of the Island in a public vote.
“The current library bathroom was good enough for my father, it’s good enough for me, and it will be good enough for my children and grandchildren,” said Ronald Grump, president of COLONIC. “That toilet has been clogged since 1974. You can’t flush away our history.”
If the initiative passes, the city would be required to decline a previously-awarded $200,000 grant from the King County Library System (KCLS) that was slated for the bathroom remodel, including $14,000 for an industrial strength “Bertha” toilet plunger.
When asked to comment, a spokesperson for KCLS clenched his teeth and grunted, saying, “If this initiative passes, we are totally stuck. We have no backup plan.”
For more information on the initiative, visit http://protectouroriginalpotties.org/.