The Cottage Grove City Council deferred a decision about whether to keep ownership of a city‑owned shower and restroom trailer or transfer it to non‑profit Community Sharing after a lengthy discussion focused on insurance, operational capacity and emergency deployment.

City staff reported the trailer was purchased in 2020 and has been operated under an agreement with Community Sharing that has since expired. Mike Fleck of Community Sharing said the trailer provides weekly free showers (open roughly 11 a.m.–3 p.m.) and that an average day yields about 15 uses. Fleck said Community Sharing supplies cleaning materials, towels and most day‑to‑day operational work but expressed concern that his organization could not shoulder the financial risk of a catastrophic repair or long‑term large maintenance.

Councilors pressed for clearer, itemized operating costs. Staff cited two line items from the fiscal notes: an insurance liability amount of about $366.77 per year and a workers’ compensation line of $171.75 (both presented in discussion as fiscal‑year figures associated with keeping the trailer on the city insurance schedule). Staff also said the trailer is insured for replacement value and that the city is currently carrying liability coverage on the asset.

A key practical concern was insurer guidance that Community Sharing could not obtain coverage allowing the trailer to be deployed off site in an emergency; Fleck said his insurer would not price or accept that risk, which would prevent Community Sharing from guaranteeing availability during certain disaster scenarios. Councilors discussed contractual language as a workaround, including an MOU that would allow the city to temporarily place the trailer on city insurance during emergencies while Community Sharing otherwise operates it.

Councilor Irvin and several members said they favored renewing an agreement that keeps city ownership but shifts cleaning responsibilities to Community Sharing. Councilor Heinke and others said they preferred transferring ownership to reduce city liability exposure. City staff said the practical savings from transferring ownership would likely be limited to the annual insurance/workers’ comp line items while many operational expenses are already borne by Community Sharing.

Given the mixed preferences and unanswered insurance questions, the council voted to defer the matter to the next meeting and asked city staff to consult with the city’s insurance carrier and provide clearer estimates and contractual language options before returning the item for a decision.