City council members voted last week to enter into a cooperative agreement with VTA, wherein the city would assume responsibility for the project and, in turn, VTA would contribute $225,000.

The council decided to enter into the agreement after an ad hoc committee concluded that it would be best for the city to assume responsibility for the project to keep overhead costs down. Otherwise, VTA estimates had the project running up to $600,000.

When nearby residents first got wind of plans by the VTA and the college to build a restroom at the corner of Allendale Avenue and the ingress to the transit center, they requested that the city facilitate a meeting between all concerned parties. Subsequent meetings yielded suggestions for six alternative locations for the restroom, which were further narrowed down to two: in the parking lot below the transit center and in the hillside between the bus shelters.

Though relocating the restroom in the parking lot would be cheaper, nearby residents prefer the hillside option. Thus, city staff suggested continuing with the designs and bids in both locations in case the hillside option proves feasible with the VTA funds.

The staff also sought to add a proviso to the agreement that would allow the city to terminate the agreement should the project turn out to be impossible to complete in either location with the provided funds.

The council voted 5-0 to enter into an agreement with VTA and directed staff to keep the project from exceeding the $225,000 offered by the authority.