Bob Knecht came to city hall Wednesday with an urgent message: When you have to go, you have to go.

But some Rapid City businesses won't give their customers restroom access, even in cases of a urinary emergency, Knecht told the city Legal and Finance Committee.

"I'm one of 60 million Americans who are on water pills. And when you're on them and you gotta go, it's right now," Knecht said. "You better get in the bathroom in a minute or two or you wet your pants."

The 85-year-old Rapid City resident said he has been denied restroom access while doing business in certain shops and offices in the city, even though he told employees that he could not make it to another store. Knecht asked the committee to mandate in city ordinance that stores and offices make restrooms available to their customers.

Jim Steele accompanied Knecht to support his complaint. Steele said he and his wife faced a similar problem at a gas station and convenience store in town, where they were told they could use bathroom facilities next door, he said.

Restroom access for customers isn't asking too much of businesses to provide for their customers, Alderman Malcom Chapman said.

"It seems to me to be a reasonable request, that you would at least allow them to use a restroom if you have one available," he said.

Marcia Elkins, the city's growth management director, said the city's plumbing ordinance for businesses outlets is not clear on that point. It seems to require store to have restrooms for customers without clearly stipulating that the customers must be allowed to use them, she said.

The committee directed Elkins and her staff to develop language revising the ordinance to clarify restroom rights for store customers. The revised ordinance will then go to the city plumbing board and eventually end up before the full city council. Elkins said that could take weeks.

Knecht said he doesn't mind waiting for council action. It's those occasional antsy delays in city stores that get him worked up.

"They have to do something about this," he said after the meeting. "Sometimes, you can't wait."

The committee also proposed a ban on feeding wildlife and waterfowl in the city, sending the proposal on to the full city council for a first reading next Monday. The feed ban would carry a maximum fine of $500.

Alderman Sam Kooiker, chairman of the Legal and Finance Committee, wants to make sure the ban doesn't apply to feeding squirrels and chipmunks. He also believes a maximum fine of $500 is too high. Green said a full fine of $500 would probably only be imposed in cases where people repeatedly violated the ban after being notified to stop.

Most people who are in violation of existing city ordinances comply when notified by the city, Green said. He expects the same with the feeding ban.

And if it does go to a fine, most would be less significantly less than $500, he said.

The committee also discussed regulating so-called payday-lending businesses, possibly through licensing and checking for previous criminal records by payday operators and employees. The businesses typically provide immediate loans to people who provide personal checks post-dated to their next payday. The interest rates are commonly between 15 percent and 20 percent if the loan is repaid in two weeks, but quickly compound if unpaid - sometimes to 400 percent or more.

The committee delayed action on the issue after Mayor Alan Hanks said the city is part of a national program to find more traditional lending options for people who now might be turning to payday outlets and similar lenders.

Rapid City is one of eight cities selected by the National League of Cities to participate in the Bank on Cities Campaign, which assists cities in finding ways to help families who are struggling financially to make connections with mainstream lending institutions, Hanks said.

"I think a lot of the intent of this discussion will be addressed by this program," Hanks said.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com