Mount Pleasant city commission approved apolicy for free menstrual products to be provided in city bathrooms at the city commission meeting on Monday, Oct. 26.
The dispensers will cost about $25,000, CommissionerAmy Perschbacher said.She said the yearly costs for the products will be dependent on how much is used.
Perschbacher said she wishes the commission would of considered and reached out to non profits to see if they could help with the costs of implementing the policy.
Perschbacher suggested reaching out to nonprofits like period.org, The Community Foudation and Planned Parenthood for help with funding the project.
“We are already looking at some areas that we have to cut costs and things like that,” Perschbacher said.
Commissioner Hanna Demerath brought the policy to the commission in September, but as an ordinance and not a policy.A policy is a guideline or rule put in place to help with how the government under the policy operates. An ordinance is a law that can be enforced within the city limits of the government who puts it in place. Demerath said she would like to add an ordinance or the policy.
“I think the policy is a good step,” Demerath said. “One discussion we never really had was whether we would want it in all of the public restrooms in the city, that is something an ordinance would do.”
The commission decided to start with putting dispensers only in the women’s restrooms and seeing how much is used. The policy does not specify gendered bathrooms, only that designated bathrooms will have the products.
The commission does not know at this time when the dispensers will be ready for use in the bathrooms. The dispensers must be ordered first.
Mayor Boomer Wingard proclaimed November as Family Court Awareness Month. The month is to bring awareness to the need for safer family court practices. According to the Barron Foundation, 19 states, including Michigan, have signed the same proclamation, according to the Barron Foundation.
Early voting is currently taking place in Powers Hall on the campus at Central Michigan University. It will take place until Sunday, Nov. 1 and will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. For more questions about voting, Commissioner Maureen Eke said to call the city clerk at, (989) 779-5374.
