On May 22, the City of Plant City held a ribbon cutting for its new facility at 902 N. Mobley Street. Both the Solid Waste Department and Utilities Maintenance Departments operated from 1802 Spooner Street for the past 20 years. The Environmental Compliance Department resided at 705 N Alexander Street. The three departments relocated operations to the new Solid Waste and Utilities Management (SWUM) Building.
When the Lunz Group conducted an assessment of the CIty of Plant City’s 30-year-old building on Spooner, the evaluation found the facility did not meet current building or Americans with Disabilities Act codes. Also, it was inadequate for the current size of operations, and projections of space needed for future staff. The city constructed the new building because the assessment found this to be the most cost-effective option. At a cost of $9 million, the 15,224 square foot space is double the size of the old building. Modern technology was incorporated to improve the ability of staff to work smarter, not harder. The newly installed AV system offers these benefits.
• Enhanced communication
and collaboration
• Fosters teamwork
• A more effective training experience
The new building also has a dedicated workstation to provide a separate, designated area for individual training for employees. Also added was a GIS (geographic information system) room for the city’s mapping system.
“Having three departments under one roof offers us new opportunities for interoffice communication and collaboration,” Billy Betties, Environmental Specialist III, said. “The atmosphere is much more inclusive, and we get to see firsthand how the other departments operate.”
The SWUM building now contains showers, screened-in outdoor meeting spaces, an indoor meeting room large enough for training conferences, a high-tech audio/visual system throughout the building, and paved parking. A retention pond with a walking path and picnic area is also on the property. The reason for the showers is Solid Waste and Utilities Maintenance personnel in the field work in dirty environments. The showers make a way for them to clean up before getting into their personal vehicles.
The $9 million came from Solid Waste and Water/Sewer expense funds, and so city government took on no debt to fund the construction. The city anticipates the SWUM building will be a valuable, long-term asset for the three departments and the City of Plant City for decades.
Despite the active hurricane season of 2024, the project was completed under budget and almost on time. Due to contractor error, the building flooded in mid-January. The subsequent tearing out of drywall and other materials, and repairing and reconstructing the damage delayed the project completion by two months. City government was not on the hook for any additional costs from the flooding.
The form and function of the building and project site have exceeded staff expectations. According to staff, the layout is far more efficient and spacious than the previous offices because they have much better aesthetics, air quality, climate control, and noise containment.
“I love it!” Keith Brown, Refuse Collector in Solid Waste, said. “Being from Plant City, this makes history for the City.”
The two old buildings will be demolished: 1802 Spooner will serve as a parking lot; 705 N Alexander is space for future expansion of the City’s Water Reclamation Facility.
“The completion of the new Solid Waste and Utilities Maintenance building provides a much more effective setting for these departments,” Assistant City Manager Jack Holland commented. “Both Solid Waste and Utilities expansion over the years to accommodate our growth created challenges for space, and inefficiencies in staff work areas. The added space allows the Environmental Compliance Division to join the Utilities Maintenance Division under one roof for better management of both divisions’ operations. Space is also provided for enhanced decontamination of staff after a long day working with solid waste and water/sewer lines throughout the city. The new building will meet our operational needs for years to come.”