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ALBANY---New York State has awarded 22 grants totaling more than $2.45 million to improve the efficiency of municipal government services and encourage cooperation by local governments to reduce costs for providing services to residents and businesses.
Under the new Shared Municipal Services Incentives (SMSI) Grant Program, the State offers financial support for programs such as municipal consolidations, mergers, cooperative agreements, dissolutions, or other shared services endeavors.
"While government provides important services to residents and businesses, we must continue to explore ways to deliver these services more efficiently and at a lower cost to taxpayers," Gov. George Pataki said. "The Shared Municipal Services Incentives program is an innovative approach to encourage local governments to consolidate programs, reduce duplicative services, and improve efficiency, while at the same time reducing expenses. I am pleased to announce the first grants recipients under this program, and look forward to additional efforts at the local and State levels to improve the way government operates."
The SMSI Program was initiated at the Governor's request in 2005, with strong legislative support. The goal of the program is to encourage municipal leaders to work together and explore new approaches to promote fiscal stability. In a 2005 report, "Sharing Services and Saving Tax Dollars," the Senate Local Government Committee, chaired by Senator Little, surveyed the status of local government use of inter-municipal agreements and explored ways in which such cooperation can help to control property tax growth, and rising insurance and energy costs.
A total of 266 applications were received during the solicitation for the first round of SMSI grants. All applications were reviewed by the New York State Department of State's (DOS) Division of Local Governments, which then selected the award recipients. Among the projects receiving funding are: the sharing of office facilities, studies of village dissolutions and municipal consolidations, cooperative water or sewer system construction and maintenance, and shared highway department services, including vehicle maintenance and fueling facilities.
This following is a complete list of the SMSI grant recipients:
Village of Allegany, Cattaraugus County - $52,200 Dissolution Study
The Village of Allegany, in cooperation with the Town of Allegany, will complete a study of potential impacts and the extent of efficiencies created by a possible dissolution and merger of the village. Implementation of the results, legal planning, engineering, and economic feasibility studies will be paramount in completion of this project.
Brocton School District, Chautauqua County - $36,000 Shared Business Office Feasibility Study
The Brocton CSD, in collaboration with three partner school districts (Westfield Academy and Central School, Ribley Central School District, and Chautauqua Lake Central School District), will assess the feasibility of Consolidated Business Office Services. These services will consist of an Office Manager, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Treasurer, and Payroll Departments. The proposed study will assist these small rural districts in identifying potential cost savings, and address staffing shortages.
Town of Eden, Erie County - $571,000 Southwest Erie County Regional Water Project
The Towns of Eden, Brant, Collins and North Collins and the Village of Angola and North Collins in Southern Erie County will continue an ongoing effort to resolve the region's water supply issues in a cooperative and economical manner. The proposed project includes feasibility analyses, preparation of implementation plans, preliminary engineering services, water district formation, as well as facilitating the various legal and financial requirements necessary to provide an affordable supply of potable water to the region. The project will provide a mutual benefit to participating communities through cost reductions and streamlining without which would make the necessary improvements to provide a sustainable and high quality water supply unattainable.
Town of Newstead, Erie County - $103,545 Town/Village Municipal Works Facility Feasibility Study
The Town of Newstead and the Village of Akron will conduct a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a shared village/town highway garage and the possible consolidation of the Akron Public Works Department and the Town Highway Department.
Erie County - $65,466 Utility Procurement Aggregation Group Expansion
The project will expand an existing utility aggregation program that combines electric, natural gas and fuel oil accounts from participating municipalities into pools and procures these commodities through bulk competitive purchases. The combined buying power provides cost savings through lower utility rates that would not otherwise be able to obtain individually. As lead applicant, Erie County will expand the aggregation group by marketing to and enrolling additional municipal partners in Erie, Niagara and Chautauqua counties.
Town of Ticonderoga, Essex County - $127,800 Black Point Sewer Operation & Maintenance Program
The towns of Ticonderoga and Putnam are ready to construct a sewer system along Black Point Road, on the northeast shore of Lake George, to address the failing septic systems serving homes along the lake. The new sewer will connect to about 260 properties, and convey the wastewater to the Town of Ticonderoga's existing treatment plant. Rather than creating its own sewer department, the Town of Putnam will contract with Ticonderoga for maintenance services. This grant would assist the two communities in equipping Ticonderoga to properly maintain the additional facilities in Putnam.
Town of Newcomb, Essex County - $90,000 Municipal Emergency Shelter and Support Program
The Newcomb Central School and the Town of Newcomb have entered into a cooperative shared services and resource agreement to develop, implement and maintain a joint municipal emergency program utilizing the Newcomb School as a primary shelter and support facility. This project will assist with the installation of an emergency generator to supply electricity during extended unforeseen power outages.
Town of North Elba, Essex County - $54,724 Study of Shared Services for Joint Department of Public Works
The Town of North Elba and the Village of Lake Placid want to determine how their two highway departments and the village water department could be consolidated as a joint department of public works and look at the feasibility of consolidating their parks departments. In addition, they will study the way shared services are financed, aligning the fiscal years, creating a central purchasing office, and equalizing water and sewer rates.
Town of Webb, Herkimer County - $11,632 Thendara/Old Forge Water Merger
The Town of Webb, in partnership with the Town of Webb Union Free School District, will receive funding to merge the two water districts within the town. The project will assist with the provision of legal, engineering, and mapping services necessary for the merger, resulting in direct, immediate and long-term cost savings to the aggregate water customer population.
Town of Adams, Jefferson County - $200,000 Adams Shared Municipal Building
Shared Municipal Services Incentive funding will support the construction of a jointly-owned municipal building for the Village and Town of Adams, an outgrowth of ongoing intermunicipal discussions. In addition to the more cost-effective operations and maintenance resulting from a shared municipal building, this project will also lay a solid foundation for improved communication and additional cooperation between the town and village.
Harrisville School District, Lewis County - $44,836 Oswegatchie Partnerships
The project would consolidate the current Harrisville Central School and Village of Harrisville vehicle fueling stations into one safe computer controlled fuel station, allowing for the aggregation of fuels purchasing. The School, the Village, the Volunteer Fire Department and the Rescue Squad will all realize substantial savings from the installation of the station.
City of Canandaigua, Ontario County - $79,726 Canandaigua Lake Inter-municipal Watershed Protection
The City of Canandaigua in partnership with the other 13 municipal members of the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council will implement their inter-municipal watershed management plan. The watershed plan focuses on reducing the amount of pollution entering the lake from a variety of sources so as to protect a drinking water supply for approximately 60,000 people located in Ontario and Yates County. The project will include, support of an inter-municipal land use committee to review current laws and make improvements as they pertain to water quality, undertaking comprehensive water quality monitoring in the 184 sq mile watershed and lake, and a shared management and enforcement of septic systems.
Town of Chester, Orange County - $45,000 Greater Chester Shared Services Feasibility Study and Implementation Plan
The Town and Village of Chester will develop Shared Services Feasibility Study and Implementation Plan to research, identify and review the municipal services provided by each of the two governmental entities. An analysis will be completed describing areas where combining either space, services, departments or employees would result cost savings for one or both and/or an increase in the quality and amount of service delivery. This study will include the consideration of the potential for consolidating town and village police departments.
Village of Albion, Orleans County - $65,700 Municipal Consolidation Study
The Village of Albion, in cooperation with the towns of Albion and Gaines, will retain a consultant to conduct a study to examine in detail the potential cost savings, efficiency and improved levels of service associated with consolidating service delivery and potentially merging the three municipalities into a single entity.
City of Troy, Rensselaer County - $200,000 Albany Pool Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan
This project will include the data collection, analysis, project planning, and facilitation needed to put in place a six-municipality cost-sharing agreement to create an intermunicipal Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) for the communities' Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO). The plan would explore a major infrastructure construction project that would be implemented over 15-20 years to reduce pollution into waterways.
Village of Cobleskill, Schoharie County - $36,000 A Study of the Potential Benefits for the Consolidation of Services and Jurisdictions
The Village Town of Cobleskill will prepare a study of the advantages and disadvantages of all options for shared services, cooperative agreements, and the merger or dissolution of jurisdictions between the Village and Town of Cobleskill.
Town of Morristown, St. Lawrence County - $54,000 Study of Cooperation of School District, Township, and Village Functions
The Town and Village of Morristown and the Morristown Central School District, will study the cooperation on maintenance of vehicles, roads, and public works between three municipalities, including whether and where to build a common fuel depot, consolidation of vehicle maintenance and staff into a single facility. The study will also assess the merger of the town's Highway Department and the village's Department of Public Works under a single supervisor using the same equipment and facilities. The project will also consider the benefits and costs of combining the village and town.
Arkport Central School, Steuben County - $100,000 Joint Bus Garage, Maintenance and Fueling Facility
The current Arkport Central School bus facility has exceeded its capacity, as current model buses do not fit inside the doors without modification, while maintenance efforts may no longer be performed on vehicles in the garage for both environmental and safety reasons. This grant will assist with the construction of a new facility in a mutually convenient location that would serve the needs of the Arkport CSD while simultaneously serving the needs of the Village of Arkport, the Town of Hornellsville, the NYSP, the Steuben County Sheriff's Office and several other agencies from Steuben County.
Town of Southampton, Suffolk County - $360,000 Coordinated Rail and Bus Network on the East End of Long Island
The project, represented by a partnership of the five eastern towns of Suffolk County, consists of activities associated with creation of a coordinated rail and bus network on the East End of Long Island. The intent of the project is to complete planning and assessment activities so that a public referendum may be presented to voters for the creation of a Regional Five Eastern Town's Transportation System, replacing the existing transit services.
Town of Liberty, Sullivan County - $100,000 Liberty Together
In an effort to reduce the cost of government and provide better and more efficient services to residents, the Town and Village of Liberty will explore ways in which to accomplish these goals through shared services, consolidation, merger and possibly the dissolution of the village.
Village of Cambridge, Washington County - $35,145 Feasibility Study and Inter-municipal Agreement for Cambridge/Greenwich Administrator for Planning, Zoning and DPW
The neighboring villages of Cambridge and Greenwich have a history of successful shared services exhibited in the Cambridge/Greenwich Police Departments and intend to embark on additional shared services between the two villages. This project will address the redundancy in man-power, salaries, office space, and expenses, by creating the position of Administrator for Planning, Zoning and DPW to serve both villages jointly.
Village of Fort Edward, Washington County - $23,000 Shared Highways Services Project
The Village and Town of Fort Edward will receive funding to complete the Shared Highway Services Project developed by both communities to develop an implementation plan for the merger of the two separate public works departments in order to achieve long-term cost savings and service improvements that will benefit all of Fort Edward. This project includes two critical activities; a Site Implementation Plan for the relocation of the village's aging facility to the town's modern garage; and a Merger Impact Analysis to illustrate the benefits and costs of merging both public works departments into a single Fort Edward Highway Department. 8-21-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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