By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
During budget discussion, the City of Great Bend budgeted for a fulltime custodian to keep the newly-constructed Justice Center clean. The facility, at the intersection of 12th Street and Baker Avenue, will house the police station and municipal court.
Knowing that the police station will nearly triple in size, the city budgeted $65,000 for the custodian salary plus benefits. City Administrator Brandon Anderson said city staff also looked at contracting out the cleaning services, and received a bid from Kleen Smart for $36,000 per year.
"We felt like as staff, this is probably a better way to go, a cheaper way to go," said Anderson. "We obviously will have a contract written up that will give us the ability to release out of that within reason. It also gives them the ability to release out of it if it became too much for them."
The Great Bend City Council approved the lone bid from Kleen Smart which includes a three-year contract for $36,000 per year. Kleen Smart will clean weekdays, with no weekends or holidays. The City of Great Bend will supply vacuums, paper towels, trash bags and hand soaps for the day-to-day operations.
An open house will be held Oct. 20 to view the $8.8 million Justice Center.