Although there’ve been a few complaints by visitors, the city of Hays does close the restrooms in its  parks each winter.

Director of Parks Jeff Boyle did look into the possibility of heating each restroom.  It would cost about 400 dollars a month per restroom, plus initial installation costs of the equipment.

The Parks Department also considered  purchasing porta-potties,  but they’re not cost effective according to Boyle, and also can freeze up during cold temperatures.

The restrooms are re-opened each spring when there’s  a consistent pattern of non-freezing nighttime temperatures.