SHARED SERVICES Chemung County

1. SHARED SERVICESChemung County Association of Towns of the State of New York 2008 Training School & Annual Meeting February 18, 2008

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. Efficient Delivery of Services • Municipal boundaries are invisible to the typical highway user. • Routine maintenance and winter operations should be consistent across these boundaries.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Specialized Service Programs • Fleet Maintenance • Traffic Signals • Traffic Sign Shop • Bridge Work • Tree Maintenance • Tub Grinder

13. Shared Engineering Efforts • Stormwater Management • Highway and Bridge Services • Government-owned Utility Locations (Dig Safely NY) • Pooled Resources

14. 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.,

15. 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.

16. 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

17. Questions?

18. POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONSChemung 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).