Council OKs extension of janitorial contract and $215,422 budget adjustment after holiday cleanup costs

The Solvang City Council voted 4‑0 to extend the city’s janitorial contract through June 30 and approve a budget adjustment to cover an unanticipated overage in janitorial services, city staff said at the meeting.

Staff explained that the 12‑month contract signed in December 2023 had been estimated at about $307,358 per year but that actual invoices for the recent Yulefest period and other heavy‑visitor weeks exceeded that projection. The largest drivers were trash removal (about $79,170) and additional restroom cleanings (about $175,240) tied to the holiday period, staff said. To align the contract with the city’s fiscal calendar and avoid mid‑holiday vendor changes, staff recommended extending the current contractor through June 30 and carrying an additional $215,422 in the budget.

Council discussion praised the contractor’s performance but probed competition and procurement fairness. Public works staff and the vendor explained that many services had been delivered at high frequency during the high‑visitor period; staff also said some extra work — such as weekend veterinary‑hall cleaning and additional park trash pickup — had not been separately billed in earlier months.

The motion to approve the extension and the $215,422 budget adjustment passed on a roll call vote: Councilmember Infante — yes; Councilmember Louise Smith — yes; Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Arona — yes; Mayor Brown — yes. Councilmember Elizabeth Arona was absent. The clerk recorded the motion as passing 4‑0.

Staff said the extension is intended to cover operations through the end of the current budget cycle and to permit staff to evaluate future bidding and service levels when preparing the fiscal‑year budget.