Cleaning services bid approved

By Jim Newell

Review Editor

Orion Township employees will likely be moving into the new Orion Township Municipal Complex in early November if the construction timetable holds.

“We’re about 30 days out from moving into our new facility. It’s a remarkable accomplishment,” Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said. “During COVID, to be on schedule and even better news, on budget.”

The township had hoped to move into the complex during the first week in October but a rainy summer delayed the anticipated completion.

The contract value for the Municipal Complex is $16.854 million. The township contracted Cunningham-Limp as the project supervisors.

“At the end of last month (September) we were at 83 percent completed. I think it’s a little further than that now,” Barnett said during the township board’s meeting on Monday. “We did have record rainfall this year. And so, on top of all that, you can see they’ve been working some overtime.

“The last real big piece of the puzzle that came last Friday was the roof for the main facility. Literally was produced on Thursday in a plant in Indiana and was delivered at 1 p.m. Friday. Literally hot off the presses, the steel roof,” he said.

Barnett added that there will be an opportunity for the public to tour the Municipal Complex.

The new Orion Township Municipal Complex is on the east side of Joslyn Road just south of Scripps Road.

Cleaning contract

The township board also approved a three-year contract with AmeriClean to provide custodial services for the township’s facilities.

Under the contract, AmeriClean out of Chesterfield, Michigan will clean the new municipal complex, the sheriff’s substation, Orion Center and Department of Public Services garage on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday for an annual cost of $72,620.52. The contract begins with the completion of the municipal complex.

Barnett said the township did put out a request for proposals for custodial services in accordance with its bid policy.

“We are currently using this company. They were recommended to us by another community. We use them for our public works building,” Barnett said. “But we do have to follow our bid process. We post the bid and allow bidders to quote. Obviously, we would love to always use local vendors but we have to follow the bid process.”

The township sent out a request for proposals on Aug. 19 and received five bids by the Sept. 9 deadline.

Several departments will share in the annual cleaning costs, with money taken from several funds.

Municipal Complex: $6,126.84 from the building fund; $2,023.78, water/sewer fund; $15,321.39, General Fund.

Sheriff substation: $16,954.80, police fund.

Orion Center: $19,216.56, parks and recreation fund.

DPS garage: $12,977.16.