Category: Announcements

Updated Vehicle Rental Process

Posted on by Cheryl DeJager

Kalamazoo College has partnered with Enterprise to provide vehicle rental services for the College community. Through this new partnership, employees will have access to reduced rental rates through Enterprise and National, along with convenient pickup and return or delivery and collection services.

As part of the program, eligible employees will also have access to the Enterprise Emerald Club and a discount code for personal rentals.

Additional information about the new rental process, pricing, and how to join Emerald Club is available at https://facilities.kzoo.edu/transportation/business-rentals/

Why is the College making this change?

Moving from an onsite fleet model to a rental program will reduce the costs associated with maintaining a College owned fleet while helping ensure vehicles are available when needed for College business. Under the new agreement, the College will receive reduced rental rates from Enterprise.

How will this affect my FY27 budget?

We recognize that this change was not known when FY27 budgets were developed and that vehicle rental costs may affect some departmental budgets.

Please continue to charge vehicle rental costs to your department’s budget as you have in the past. Any resulting overages will not negatively affect your overall FY27 budget. Necessary adjustments to budget lines will be considered as part of the FY28 budget development process.

What is happening to the onsite fleet?

The College’s onsite fleet will be downsized as we transition to the new rental program.

Some vehicles will remain onsite and will be reserved for student use, since students ages 18–20 are unable to rent vehicles through Enterprise. The College will also maintain several 12-passenger vans and minivans that will be available for College use when needed, particularly for activities involving students.

We appreciate your flexibility as we transition to this new process. More information about how to request and rent vehicles through Enterprise, including pricing and Emerald Club enrollment, can be found at https://facilities.kzoo.edu/transportation/business-rentals/.

Jenna LeRoy
Director of Finance

Changes to College Bus Transportation

Posted on by Cheryl DeJager

Dear Campus Community,

Facilities Management is writing to inform you of a change to the College’s group transportation program.

The College’s two buses have been retired from service after reaching the end of their useful life. Replacing the buses would require significant capital investment, and after careful evaluation, the College has determined that utilizing charter bus services for group transportation is the most cost-effective long-term approach.

Facilities Management will no longer accept reservations for College buses. Departments and programs requiring group transportation should arrange bus charters directly using the process outlined on the Facilities Management website.

This change will provide access to reliable transportation while allowing the College to manage its transportation resources more effectively.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Susan Lindemann
AVP for Facilities Management

Spring 2026 Hydrant Flushing

Posted on by Cheryl DeJager

Dear Campus Community,

The City of Kalamazoo will begin spring hydrant flushing in our area this week. This planned maintenance is necessary to keep sediment from building up in the water lines. This will very likely cause the water at taps throughout campus to run a rusty orange color. This is from iron buildup in the lines and is not hazardous. If you notice this, please just run the tap until water returns to normal.

Occasionally this process will cause a problem with a filter or faucet. If something isn’t working as expected (aside from discoloration), please submit a work order, and a technician will resolve the issue.

Facilities Management

Cooling Campus Buildings

Posted on by Cheryl DeJager

Dear Campus Community,

April is here, and warm days are on their way. As a reminder, the process and equipment used to cool large commercial buildings is vastly different than the “air-conditioner” you use at home. Most campus buildings are cooled from a central chiller plant, with a complex arrangement of large-scale equipment that takes several weeks to prepare to operate. This process cannot begin until temperatures are consistently above freezing, to avoid damaging the equipment. In general terms, Facilities Management targets April 15 to be prepared to run cooling, but it always depends on the weather.

The HVAC technicians have begun the process of preparing for cooling season and anticipate being able to operate by April 15. If there are warm afternoons ahead of that, they will do their best to adjust outside air dampers to help with comfort but will not be able to provide mechanical cooling. This is not related to the age or condition of the equipment, it is simply part of the process of starting up large commercial cooling plants. We appreciate your patience and understanding while the equipment is being prepared and wish you a mild spring.

Susan Lindemann
AVP for Facilities Management

Autumn Hydrant Flushing

Posted on by Cheryl DeJager

Dear Campus Community,

The City of Kalamazoo will be flushing hydrants in our area beginning this weekend. This planned maintenance is necessary to keep sediment from building up in the water lines. This will very likely cause the water at taps throughout campus to run a rusty orange color. This is from iron buildup in the lines and is not hazardous. If you notice this, please just run the tap until water returns to normal.

Occasionally this process will cause a problem with a filter or faucet, if something isn’t working as expected (aside from discoloration), please submit a work order, and a technician will resolve the issue.

Susan Lindemann
AVP for Facilities Management

Custodial Service Changes

Posted on by Cheryl DeJager

Dear Campus Community,

Due to staffing challenges (the custodial team currently below 70% of normal capacity), Facilities Management is implementing a team cleaning approach to ensure all areas of campus receive proper custodial services. This shift means custodians will no longer be assigned to specific buildings, but will instead work in teams covering multiple areas.

What to Expect:

  • The time of day your building is cleaned may change.
  • You may see different custodians in your building.
  • There may be less continuous custodial presence throughout the day.

How You Can Help:

  • Please dispose of food waste in common area trash bins.  Individual office trash will be emptied once per week.
  •  Avoid placing liquids in any trash bin. Use a sink instead.
  • Communicate needs directly with the Facilities office rather than individual custodians to ensure requests are properly tracked and addressed.
  • Be patient. This is a new process, and we appreciate your cooperation as we fine-tune operations.

If you need assistance between scheduled cleanings, please contact the Facilities Management Office at x7308 between 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM.

Thank you for your understanding and support.
Susan Lindemann
AVP for Facilities Management

Save the Dates – Summer Electrical Outages

Posted on by Cheryl DeJager
Black & white clipart image of an electrical plug and lighting bolt

Dear Campus Community,

The final phase of the Electrical Infrastructure Upgrade will take place over the 2025 summer academic break. This will require electrical outages at nearly every campus building, one at a time, as each is transitioned on to the new underground electrical service. The schedule for these outages has been carefully developed, accounting for each building’s position within the existing electrical circuits, and input from the departments that are housed in each building. Planning is underway to keep critical systems powered on a building-by-building basis. However, each building will be CLOSED to normal occupancy during the scheduled outage.

Please take a moment to review the FULL SCHEDULE, which is listed on the Facilities Management web page. Plan ahead to avoid scheduling meetings and events (in the building) during the planned shutdown. If you have individual questions about work arrangements for that day, please speak with your supervisor.

We recognize that these outages will be disruptive to your normal work and sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete this important project that will bring energy stability to the campus for decades to come.

Susan Lindemann
AVP for Facilities Management

Fall Hydrant Flushing

Posted on by Cheryl DeJager

The City of Kalamazoo is performing its annual fall hydrant maintenance in the areas near campus. This will likely have an effect on the color of the water from sources on campus. I have included a link with more information and timing of flushing.

https://www.kalamazoocity.org/Residents/Water-Sewer-Service/More-About-Kalamazoos-Utility-Systems/Hydrant-Flushing

Chris Buckhold
Maintenance Manager