Responsible Department: Purchasing/Facilities

Modified Date (s): October, 09 2009; June 15, 1993

Legislative Policy Statement:

Resolution No.: 09-187

 The Facilities Division of the Public Works Department (hereafter referred to in this policy as Facilities) is responsible for the effective and efficient management and operation of county-owned and maintained facilities, except in the cases where the services are not the responsibility of Facilities and are provided through contracts with outside vendors.

Facilities is responsible for:

• Providing safe and clean work environments for employees and building visitors use during business hours (refer to Tompkins County Administrative Policy 01-03 (General Business Hours for Tompkins County Government Offices and Departments)
• Performing repairs and renovations as needed to maintain the integrity of the property for its intended purpose
• Updating and replacing building operation systems
• Moving Furniture
• Monitoring energy consumption and making recommendations for reductions and efficiencies
• Setting and controlling interior building temperatures within specified ranges
• Controlling the use of personal appliances in work areas
• Reviewing and approving plans for changes to interior spaces.

Unresolved issues, concerns, or complaints about Facilities work should be forwarded to the Facilities Director. If the issue remains unresolved after that, the Commissioner of Planning and Public Works would be contacted. If the issue were not resolved at the Commissioner’s level, it would then be brought to the County Administrator for resolution.

I. Definitions:

Work Request – A request received by Facilities from a County department for the completion of an identified task (form available electronically from the employee intranet or by contacting Facilities).

Waste Reduction Representative – An employee volunteering to serve as the point of contact within a County department and liaison with the Solid Waste Management Division for facilitating steps to reduce waste and optimize opportunities for reuse, recycling, re-buying, and composting (refer to Policy 06-15, Waste Reduction and Resource Management)

Building Environment: With a few exceptions where outside contractors provide services, Facilities is responsible for cleaning county-owned buildings, including grounds maintenance. Building interiors and exteriors will be maintained at a professional level per standards established and prescribed to by the Facilities staff.

Repairs and Renovations: Facilities is responsible for performing repairs and renovations. The work will be done by Facilities staff or outside contractors when necessary.

Operating System Maintenance: Facilities is responsible for maintaining, updating, and/or replacing building operating systems (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical).

Furniture Moving: The requesting department is responsible for submitting a Facilities Work Request when furniture needs to be moved.

Energy Consumption and Efficiency: Facilities is responsible for recommending and prescribing energy reductions and improvements that will lower costs, lower consumption, and assist in meeting the countywide goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Building Temperature Settings: In order to reduce taxpayer’s burden and to maximize energy efficiency while meeting the needs of building occupants, thermostats will be set to maintain temperatures in the range of 72 – 76 degrees Fahrenheit in summer/air conditioning season and 68 – 72 degrees Fahrenheit in winter/heating season. County buildings will ordinarily not have climate control outside of normal business hours (refer to Tompkins County Administrative Policy 01-03 (General Business Hours for Tompkins County Government Offices and Departments).

Personal Appliances: The use of personal appliances (e.g. coffee pots, microwave ovens, toasters) located within personal workspaces is prohibited for safety, fire, and energy-consumption reasons.

Reconfiguration of Interior Spaces: Prior to any reconfiguration of interior spaces, the requesting department must contact Facilities and Information Technology Services (ITS) to discuss the proposed changes.

In order to carry out the responsibilities listed above, the following procedures will be followed. The County Administrator, at his discretion and after consulting with the Facilities Director, can make exceptions on a case-by-case basis:

Building Environment: Questions regarding materials management should be directed to the departmental Waste Reduction Representative. Unwanted materials, including surplus equipment, other reusable items, recycling, organic materials, and waste should be managed according to the guidelines established in Policy 06-15 (Waste Reduction and Resource Management) as well as Policy 01-21 (Surplus Equipment). Further recycling should be placed in a labeled recycling bin. Food waste and organic materials should be placed in common break/lunch area receptacles. Other garbage should be placed in a designated waste receptacle.

Repairs and Renovations: Departments identifying repairs are required to complete a Work Request. A Work Request can be made either by completing and submitting a Work Request form or by calling Facilities to make the request. Work Requests are reviewed, prioritized, and assigned to appropriate Facilities staff members. Departments are encouraged to designate a staff member to serve as the point of contact for Work Requests to help in expediting response time when questions arise or additional information is needed. Repairs or renovations that are program driven, and not considered a standard facility repair, must be approved by the Facilities Director or designee, including how related expenses will be covered prior to work being scheduled or commenced. Capital repairs or renovations must be developed through the steps outlined in Policy 06-08 (Capital Project)

Operating System Maintenance: Work will be done by Facilities staff or outside contractors when necessary. Systems and automated components utilized in County facilities, to the greatest extend possible, will be those identified as a) “environmentally preferable” and/or b) ENERGY STAR® compliant or comparable.

Furniture Moving: Depending on the number of items to be moved, equipment needed, etc., Facilities will either notify the department that it will move the items or, in the event of large amounts and/or short timeframes, Facilities will assist the departments in seeking an outside contractor to perform the work.

Energy Consumption and Efficiency: With a few exceptions, Facilities pays utility bills for county-owned properties and monitors energy consumption. Facilities staff will work with departments to ensure that energy-efficient components are installed and utilized. Facilities is responsible for informing, and/or educating departments on changes, updates, improvement, or modifications to buildings that impact physical spaces, daily workflow, or work environment for staff and visitors.

Building Temperature Settings: Facilities is responsible for providing supplemental heating and/or cooling devices in areas of buildings that are more difficult to maintain within these temperature ranges. Use of personal temperature-controlled devices (i.e. space heaters, air conditioners, fans, etc.) brought in by employees will not be allowed unless the Facilities Director or designee specifically grants permission. Operable windows should not be used as they can impact an entire area or building system’s function.

Personal Appliances: Each county-maintained building has one or more designated employee break/lunch rooms where appliances are available for employees use.

Reconfiguration of Interior Spaces: Work that involves Facilities and/or ITS must be requested through the Work Request process for each department. The Facilities Director or designee needs to approve any changes in space use to assure compliance with building codes.