FACILITIES PLANT OPERATIONS SERVICES Plant Operations consists of five areas of responsibility: Grounds, Utilities, Building Services, Trades and Automotive each managed by an Assistant Director, except Automotive which is managed by the Transportation Fleet Coordinator. The department supports the mission of the University in it s strategic goals by caring for the physical environment, infrastructure and systems on campus thereby enhancing academic programs and delivery, assist in improving retention, expanding campus resources, enhancing the campus infrastructure, enhancing student life activities, improving service, strengthening accountability and establishing a stronger sense of community. Areas of Responsibility Grounds has primary responsibility for grounds care and maintenance, landscape operations: design and installation, grading and excavating and installation and maintenance of campus traffic and other informational signs. This includes regular maintenance of grass, plants, trees, shrubs, sidewalks, and streets and other landscape features and exterior pest control. Grounds handles leaf and litter removal on the campus, garbage and recycle pickup and transportation from buildings without dumpsters or compactor and daily pickup from outdoor trash cans and recycle receptacles. Grounds is responsible for cleanup of outdoor areas after events including the athletic areas on campus, but not in the housing areas which are ground leased and maintained by the KSU Foundation. Utilities includes the HVAC (Heating, ventilation and Air Conditioning), Electrical and Plumbing shops. HVAC has primary responsibility for the maintenance, repair and replacement of the HVAC systems and central heating, cooling and control systems. This includes maintaining the present air-conditioning systems, constructing new systems, repairing or managing the repair of specialized equipment including kitchen and lab equipment. Electrical has primary responsibility for the maintenance, repair and replacement of electrical equipment and systems. The shop is responsible for the maintenance and construction of all high voltage and low voltage power systems on campus. Its personnel also maintain electrical equipment for Plant Operations and other departments/units including all routine maintenance of electrical circuits, outlets and lighting fixtures. Routine changing of light bulbs or tubes is done by the Electrical shop. Monthly emergency lighting inspections, monthly generator non-load tests, monthly generator load tests and monthly parking deck lighting inspections are all conducted as
part of the comprehensive preventative maintenance activities. It manages the elevator maintenance contract as well. Plumbing has primary responsibility for the maintenance, repair and replacement of the plumbing systems. The shop is responsible for the installation and maintenance of all campus plumbing fixtures, sinks, water closets, sanitation lines, sewers, water lines and components. This division installs piping and plumbing fixtures in renovation projects and major repair projects. It is also responsible for gas lines and systems within the building (from the meter). Trades includes the Carpenter shop, Work Center, Service Crew and the Locksmith shop. Carpenter shop is the principal resource for minor structural remodeling and modifications to campus facilities: general carpentry and limited cabinetry work. The shop modifies administrative and academic buildings and athletic facilities including scheduled maintenance, unscheduled repairs and renovations of facilities and building signage. Locksmith shop is responsible for locksmith and key control services for campus including installation and maintenance of all locks, closers and other security hardware for doors and for the recording and filing of all locks, keying codes, etc. for each building at the University. The Locksmith is responsible for recording combinations of locks for facilities and rooms in each building. This system includes the combinations, keying codes, repair and installation of locks, closers and other door hardware. Work Center is Plant Operations principal resource for small building and suite renovations. Through coordination with Planning and Design Services, plant shops and other campus service providers, the Work Center alters and renovates campus facilities or manages contractors and sub-contractors on the work and provides moving and set up services. Building Services Building Services is responsible for cleaning of all administrative and academic buildings, removal of trash and recyclable waste from buildings to adjacent dumpsters or to the loading dock for pick up by Grounds if there are no adjacent dumpsters and event setup and cleanup. Automotive Automotive is responsible for preventative maintenance, unscheduled maintenance and repairs and service of all vehicles and motorized equipment used by the Plant including emergency generators. It is responsible for transportation services, including scheduling and dispatch of vehicles, motor pool operations, bus operations, small engine maintenance and repairs and the maintenance and repair of grounds equipment.
Hours of Operation Kennesaw State University s official business hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, year round, but it is a residential campus with a small number of square feet per student. This forces a high use of the available facilities resulting in much longer hours that classes are held and services are required. Plant Operations official business hours are 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, but our operation has to be responsive 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. In order to provide coverage, we have used different strategies in different shops. Building Services shifts have been staggered. The majority of cleaning is done from 4:30 am to 1:30 pm, with shared building coverage for stocking bathrooms, event coverage and emergency clean ups on an afternoon and weekend shift. There is also a night shift with a floor crew, which operates after classes end. HVAC, Electrical & Plumbing have the majority of their forces scheduled for Plant Operations regular business hours, with a small crew assigned to a second shift overlapping the day shift, but staying until classes end at 11:00 am. Afterhours, weekends and holidays the shops have technicians assigned oncall. Public Safety, who are on campus at all times, contact, Electrical or Plumbing by use of the oncall phone numbers in case of emergencies. The on call technicians for the week are also assigned campus checks that must be performed over the weekends and holidays, making them available for periods of time on campus for some non-emergency situations and to check in on large events when needed. Grounds reports to work at 6:00 am during the week and leaves at 2:00 pm. There are occasions where they are needed after hours or on weekends. For those events a crew flexes their hours to be able to assist. For emergencies, such as snow or tornado clean up, the department is called in or arrangements are made to allow a crew to stay close to campus prior to the event if there is suffiecient warning. Automotive observes the regular business hours of the department, but the two technicians alternate coming in an hour earlier to check out vehicles and equipment. The Fleet Coordinator/Supervisor is available by phone to Public Safety, Athletics and Plant Management after hours in case of emergencies and each vehicle is provided an insurance card with instructions to contact DOAS in case of an accident and the number for emergency assistance in case of a breakdown. The Trades division is staffed during regular Plant Operations business hours. The department dispatcher works in this division and comes in at 8:00 am, leaving at 5:00 pm. From 7 to 8, dispatch is handled by Plant office personnel, who also take the calls and dispatch during the dispatcher s lunch, breaks and absences. The Locksmith s shop is also a part of the Trades group. Their shop observes regular University business hours, 8-5. The Locksmith supervisor, or his designee, is available by phone at all times, for emergencies to Public Safety and Plant Management.
Public Safety is provided an emergency contact list each semester for Plant Operations. It includes the On-call phone numbers for HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing as well as a prioritized list of emergency contact information for the Director, Assistant Directors and supervisors. MAINTENANCE Locations Plant Operations provides service to 53 buildings. There are some areas within campus housing buildings that are cared for by Building Services and HVAC because they contain class room space. These areas must also be provided pest control through our pest control contract. The KSU leased spaces in Chastain Pointe are cared for similarly to the main campus, except the exterior envelope and grounds which are provided by the KSU Foundation s designated management company (Resource Real Estate Partners LLC) for the facility. Plant Operations is provided with contact information for that company to report problems to. Requests Requests for service are received through the work order system, AiM. AiM is an on-line CAFM system currently used for customer requests, scheduled preventative maintenance, projects and repairs. Costs of parts and time are recorded on the system and the status can be tracked by customers using the system. Access to the system is available from the Plant Operations web site and the main staff /faculty intranet directory. Event support is requested through the EMS system. Campus events are requested through this on-line calendar system (supported by University Events) and support functions are added to the event by University Events personnel. Building Services generates daily reports from EMS showing any required support from Plant Operations, chiefly Building Services, and schedules the needed personnel, set-up and equipment. Plant Operations shops are included in plan review and design development for new buildings and renovations, where our representatives are treated with the same respect as the Project Manager in input and requesting changes. The construction inspections done by our personnel are considered essential to the success of the projects and encouraged by the Planning and Design Project Managers, the Director of Planning and Design, the AVP of Facilities, the USG Facilities office and the GSFIC(the Georgia State Finance & Investment Commission, who finance large capital projects and manage the construction). Budget & Funding Plant Operations budget consists of University funds and a small percentage of Auxiliary reimbursement. The operating budget is supplemented regularly by MRR (Major Repair & Renovation)funds provided through the USG and appropriated by the legislature annually and occasionally by campus year end
funds, campus emergency funds, ADA (American Disability Act) project funds provided through GSFIC and appropriated by the legislature and grants. The annual operating budget request is developed by analyzing the previous years expenditures, the emerging needs, priorities and shortfalls as described by the supervisors and Assistant Directors, the increased facilities as dictated by the capital projects, the strategic priorities as described by the Director and AVP of Facilities. This information is compiled over a series of staff meetings and budget meetings beginning in fall and finalized in January to be submitted to the office of the COO (Chief Operating Officer) in Feb or March. The MRR request is an ongoing list of prioritized projects(system and equipment replacement or renovation, no new construction) intended to address deferred maintenance on the campuses. The annual amount is relatively predictable and has been ranging from $750,000 to $825,000 for the last 8 years. As needs arise on campus the projects are added to the existing list and prioritized relative to the list and current needs. Input is from the Supervisors and Assistant Directors to the Director who makes the final decision in consultation with the AVP. This input is generated throughout the year, from the time the MRR request is turned into the USG Facilities office until the next deadline the following year, with concentration in November, December and January. Cost estimates and concise descriptions of the projects must be developed for the request and it must be approved by the AVP of Facilities, the COO and the President before submission to the USG Facilities Office. The approved funding is typically announced in August with funding available in September or October.