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Cleanlink News 8/4/2009

Custodial Service Changes Take Effect in Minn.


As a result of recent budget cuts, custodial service changes on the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus took effect Monday — saving Facilities Management about $3.2 million per year. The changes include less frequent trash pick-up in buildings and 63 less custodians on staff.

“Quads” — the groups of four bins for trash and recyclables — will continue to be picked up daily, but office trash pick-up will switch to once a week, Brad Hoff , chief administrative officer in Facilities Management , said.

About $18 million was cut from the department’s overall budget of $195 million, making changes like these necessary, Hoff said. With the hiring freeze, retirement incentive offer and voluntary severance package, none of the 63 custodians had to be laid off, Hoff said. As part of the changes, each custodian’s cleaning area is larger, but they also have fewer tasks to complete in their area, he said.

“We hope that they will have an equal amount of work,” Hoff Hey cansaid.

Hoff said the biggest change is desk-side trash will be picked up once per week rather than daily. The University was the last school in the Big Ten to provide daily pick-up. He said the day trash is picked up varies by building and floor, and employees are being asked to empty food scraps in the communal quads to prevent rodents.

“We’re asking each person to do a little bit,” he said.

Before the changes were enacted campus-wide, Hoff said a pilot program revealed that people recycle more often without daily pick-up.

“They were being more cognizant of what they were throwing away,” he said.

As reported by Minnesota Daily.


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