SHARED SERVICES
Chemung County
Association of Towns of the State of New York
2008 Training School & Annual Meeting
February 18, 2008
Shared Services means…
• Mergers where appropriate
• Consistent levels of service for taxpayers
• Efficient delivery of services across boundaries
• Efficient scheduling of existing manpower
• Efficient use of materials and equipment
• Coordination of bids and contracts
• Coordination of training and safety programs
• Coordination of testing services
• Specialized service programs
• Shared engineering efforts
• SMSI Grants
How do we make this happen?
• Highway Services Board
– Current members:
• Towns of Big Flats, Catlin, Elmira,
Horseheads, Southport, & Veteran
• Village of Horseheads
• City of Elmira
• Chemung County
• The Highway Services Board will review the operations
and services provided by the various municipal highway
departments and explore opportunities where services
and resources can be shared. The ultimate goal would
be to develop a comprehensive road program resulting
in a more efficient and cost effective service delivery
system.
Mergers
• Mergers can be a valuable tool, when used
appropriately.
• Chemung County and the City of Elmira
have merged the administrations of their
highway functions, saving taxpayers the
cost of one layer of administration.
• Estimated immediate savings in 2008:
$128,000 in salary and fringe.
Consistent Levels of Service
• Taxpayers should have a
reasonable expectation of
responsiveness and
quality of work.
• Key Examples
– Road Maintenance
– Snow Removal
– Traffic Signals and
Pavement Markings
Efficient Delivery of Services
• Municipal boundaries are
invisible to the typical
highway user.
• Routine maintenance and
winter operations should
be consistent across
these boundaries.
Efficient Scheduling of Manpower
• Make use of expertise and current workforce.
• For e.g., City employees may work to cut trees down in the
Town of Elmira one day, while the Town may help the
City haul blacktop at a later date.
• Understand that workforce reductions are not a focus or
goal of shared services.
• Opportunities for future staff reductions could be
considered by each Highway Services Board member.
Efficient Use of Materials and
Equipment
• No need for every municipality to own
and maintain atypical equipment (graders,
aerial trucks, pavers, etc.)
• Shared use of equipment, such as the
pictured tub grinder, can be coordinated.
• Understand that each municipality will
have to own and maintain core
equipment (trucks, loaders, etc.,)
• Stockpile materials at convenient
locations.
Coordination of Bids and Contracts
• Expand use of joint
services and materials
bids for all to use.
• Coordinate priorities and
contractors.
• Provide alternative to
sometimes cumbersome
state bid contractors and
suppliers.
Coordination of Training and Safety
Programs
• Coordinate required training such as “Right to
Know” and other OSHA requisite courses.
• Provide multiple training opportunities for
employees
• Create training calendar for all municipalities.
• Improve safety on the job.
Coordination of Testing Services
• Coordinate testing
services for all CDL
Licensed drivers.
• Reduce number of
providers, while
increasing size of
driver pool for
testing.
• Create efficiencies of
scale – reduce costs.
Specialized Service Programs
• Fleet Maintenance
• Traffic Signals
• Traffic Sign Shop
• Bridge Work
• Tree Maintenance
• Tub Grinder
Shared Engineering Efforts
• Stormwater
Management
• Highway and Bridge
Services
• Government-owned
Utility Locations (Dig
Safely NY)
• Pooled Resources
Shared Municipal Services Incentive
• The Shared Municipal Services Incentive Program
(SMSI) was established by the 2005-2006 New York
State Budget, to provide technical assistance and
competitive grants to two or more units of local
government for the development of projects that will
achieve savings and improve municipal efficiency
through shared services, cooperative agreements,
mergers, consolidations and dissolutions.
• County has submitted a grant to New York State.
• Grant would look at ways to coordinate efforts and
reduce spending on highways County-wide.
• Grant would look at equipment inventory, infrastructure,
etc.,
Initial Efforts
• Merger of City and County Administrative
function for Highway departments.
• Coordination of Equipment and Scheduling.
• Coordination of Bids and Contracts.
• Coordination of Training Efforts.
• Follow-through on SMSI grant.
Shared Services Quotes…
• “The representatives on this Board have made a commitment to come
together and perform a thorough review of everything we do in
common, from snow plowing to the purchasing of equipment and
supplies, and everything in between, and to look for areas where we
can coordinate these services. Our goal is simple, to provide better
services to the community in the most cost effective manner.”
- Tom Santulli, Chemung County Executive
• “If there is a better way to provide services and save tax-payer dollars
we owe it to our constituents to look at the possibilities. Agreeing to
come together and have these conversations is the first step.”
- Michael Edwards, Town of Horseheads Supervisor & Highway Services Board
Chairperson
• “These are sound agreements that will mean better-coordinated
services, new efficiencies and cost-savings. City and county residents
will be well-served by these initiatives, which were negotiated over six
months to ensure balance and fairness.”
– John Tonello, City of Elmira Mayor
Questions?
FACTS ABOUT CHEMUNG COUNTY
Area in Square Miles 412
Population (Census in 2000) 91,070
POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
Chemung County is situated in the Twenty-ninth Congressional District, the Fifty-third State Senatorial District,
the One hundred thirty-seventh State Assembly District, and the Sixth State Judicial District.
Chemung County has one city (Elmira), eleven towns (Ashland, Baldwin, Big Flats, Catlin, Chemung, Elmira, Erin, Horseheads,
Southport, Van Etten and Veteran) and five villages (Elmira Heights, Horseheads, Millport, Van Etten and Wellsburg).
TOWNS
POPULATIONS
(2000 Census)
(2000 Census)
Ashland 1,951
Chemung County 91,070
Baldwin 853
Elmira -City (Incorporated 1864) 30,940
Big Flats 7,224
Elmira Heights (Incorporated 1896) 4,170
Catlin 2,649
Horseheads (Incorporated 1837) 6,452
Chemung 2,665
Millport (Incorporated 1923) 297
Elmira 7,199
Van Etten (Incorporated 1876) 581
Erin 2,054
Wellsburg (Incorporated 1872) 631
Horseheads 19,561
Southport 11,185
Van Etten 1,518
Veteran 3,271