Rosemont renews janitorial, parking contracts with mayor's brother

Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens says the village is getting the best deal and good service from a company owned by his brother, recently awarded contract renewals to clean the publicly owned Allstate Arena and Rosemont Theatre.

Mark Stephens' company, Bomark Cleaning, has had the janitorial contracts for a number of village venues since the 1980s, when his father Donald Stephens was mayor.

Last week, the village board unanimously approved one-year contract extensions with Bomark for cleaning the stadium and theater, as well as running parking operations at both venues.

Village Attorney Peter Coblentz said the contracts represent anywhere from 3 percent to 5 percent increases for particular services provided. For example, Bomark will now charge the village $7,700 per month for regular monthly cleaning of the theater. There are separate line items for special services, such as cleaning up after events.

Bomark also has existing contracts to clean the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and Rosemont Health & Fitness Club.

Before last week's vote of the village board, Brad Stephens said, "Bomark is owned by my brother. I want to make sure that's disclosed."

In an interview after the meeting, Stephens said he doesn't participate in contract negotiations with his brother; those talks are handled by staff members who manage the arena and theater.

The mayor said he doesn't tell those staffers to hire Bomark.

"He's got a cleaning company, and he's been the cleaning company for over 20 years here," Stephens said. "All the negotiation goes on between the general manager (and him)."

Added Gary Mack, the village's spokesman, "He does a good job."

"He better," responded Stephens, "because it's a direct reflection on me."

Despite the Bomark deals being no-bid contracts, Stephens said he believes the village is getting the best deal.

"I trust the guy that runs the arena that makes more money than I do, to do what's right for the bottom line in the arena," Stephens said. "That's his job."

Mark Stephens said he's proud of his work with the village of Rosemont and companies he cleans for. He said his company cleans a number of buildings in town, some that have received Outstanding Building of the Year awards from the Building Owners and Managers Association.

"We do a fantastic job. I'm proud of my affiliation with Rosemont," he said. "I'm going to make no secret about the fact that I own Bomark Cleaning, and I'm proud to have the village of Rosemont as a customer."

Mark Stephens said he's cleaned the arena since the mid-1980s but didn't have the original contract when the facility, then known as the Rosemont Horizon, opened in 1980.

"My dad wouldn't even give me a chance to bid on the work. He said, 'It's because you don't know what the hell you're doing to clean an arena.' I said, 'Oh jeez, Dad.' He said, 'Shut up.'"

Years later, the stadium had become "filthy," Mark Stephens said, and the stadium manager at the time asked him to submit a proposal.

"I think we do great work at market prices or better, and I'm very proud of the fact that the village keeps me," he said.