County buildings make a quick change in cleaning services

Published 7:00 am Thursday, January 7, 2021

Pearl River County’s Board of Supervisors ended a cleaning contract early and is looking for emergency quotes to clean four county buildings.

The Board discussed the contract in executive session, and after executive session voted to cancel the county’s contract with Empire Cleaning Services and get emergency quotes for temporary cleaning services until the contract can be rebid.

The company began providing cleaning services in September at a rate of $5,833 per month to clean and sanitize four buildings; Chimney Square, the County Courthouse Annex, the Justice Court building in Millard and the county’s MSU Extension Service building. But there were numerous complaints about the service and the company had issues hiring staff in the area due to COVID-19, said County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin. The company agreed to cancel the contract with the county.

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The Board authorized Lumpkin to get emergency quotes for temporary cleaning and sanitizing services, so county buildings receive regular cleaning services as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

“We can’t wait a month to advertise and get somebody in there, so we’ll go ahead and move forward with that,” said Lumpkin.

In other business the Board:

—Approved the supplemental report from the Pearl River County Grand Jury. The jury was in session for a total of 12 days and investigated 295 matters, returning 276 true bills of indictment.

—Approved hiring two dispatchers. Both were previously employed as dispatchers for the Picayune Police Department, but are becoming county employees due to the centralized dispatch consolidation.

The next Board meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 9 a.m.