CRESTVIEW — The city may provide janitorial services for city-owned buildings. To compare costs, the City Council has unanimously agreed to have Public Works solicit bids for a cleaning service.
After the city's contract with Southern Management expired Oct. 1, department heads transferred $40,000 in designated janitorial funds from their budgets to Public Works' budget. Public Works assistant director Carlos Jones requested the City Council’s permission on Monday to hire two part-time janitors and buy cleaning supplies with the money.
Council President Robyn Helt recommended the department obtain bids from janitorial companies before the council considers the request.
City Councilman Tom Gordon said if the city is intent on cutting costs, staff could clean their own workspaces, as many businesses do.
Lately, Public Works staffers have been diverted from their usual duties to clean facilities such as the library and city hall, Jones said.
Library Director Jean Lewis said library staffers serve more than 500 patrons a day, so it would be impossible for them to do all the necessary cleaning.
Cleaning high-traffic areas, such as city hall's lobby, requires professional cleaning equipment and experience, City Clerk Betsy Roy said.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview officials weighing cleaning service options