$130K contract approved for analysis of Apache Junction facilities

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A more than $130,000 contract with FM Solutions Management has been approved for a technical analysis of the physical condition of the city of Apache Junction’s 19 facilities.

The Apache Junction City Council voted unanimously Sept. 17 on a consent agenda with other items to approve the contract.

The city facility condition assessment uses a cooperative contract in an amount not to exceed $131,694, according to the agenda.

Such an assessment has never been done, said Trina Harrison, capital improvement plan program manager for the city of Apache Junction, during the council’s Sept. 3 meeting.

“We’re currently finalizing our master plan, which will identify our anticipated facility needs as we grow. This brings us to another important need and that is to be proactive and have our facilities surveyed for their current condition as this has never been done on this level,” she said. “This will allow us to strategically plan for the repair and upkeep of the wonderful facilities that we currently have.”

FM Solutions Management would survey the city’s 19 facilities totaling 169,544 square feet, Harrison said.

The city of Apache Junction will provide one public works building maintenance escort at each site with pre-coordinated access to all rooms/areas within the building — such as mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, roof, etc. The escorts will walk with the assessment team(s) throughout the on-site survey, the professional services agreement in the council packet states under project assumptions.

“FMS will identify the cost required to bring the buildings to a standard condition, addressing both the building deficiencies and necessary improvements, and develop an implementation strategy for improving, repairing and upgrading the buildings based on a prioritization of equipment and system-wide needs,” Heather Unger of FM Solutions Management LLC said in a letter to Harrison.

“The term ‘deficiencies’ is not a failure of staff; it is the industry standard term to identify the material physical deficiencies to a user,” Unger said in the letter. “The anticipated contract duration from notice to proceed is 120 days.”

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.