What Happened?
Hunterdon County plans to hire a private animal control services provider to handle the work for 10 municipalities. The county considered bids from both the public and private sector for selecting the most affordable bid from a private company.
The Deal
Officials in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, considered four bids on the shared services agreement. The county accepted a $57,600 offer from an animal control and investigative services provider to manage all animal control services in 10 of the county’s municipalities for 2015, NJ.com reported.
Other offers were submitted by private companies and animal control departments in neighboring counties. One big was lower than the offer selected, but failed to meet state law governing animal control services. Other bids were submitted, but only offered to handle a portion of the 10 municipalities in the shared services agreement.
Hunterdon County officials wanted to incorporate all 10 participating municipalities to achieve the most savings. Most animal control services providers will charge a town based on its population. By offering a contract with 10 municipalities, the county knew the price would be less per capita, NJ.com reported.
The shared services agreement will maintain the 10 municipalities participating for 2015. If more municipalities choose to join the arrangement, Hunterdon County will ask for new bids and draw up a new contract for the following year. Depending on how well the animal control services are taken care of, the county and each municipality will reevaluate the program at the end of 2015, NJ.com reported.
Transit Consolidation
Commissioners in Polk County, Florida, recently approved a transit consolidation plan that will combine staff and services to be managed under a single entity. The consolidation plan includes:
- Merging staff under the Lakeland transit district
- Contracting with the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District to provide services for seniors and disabled people
- Providing services to unincorporated Polk County
- Transferring equipment
The Lakeland Area Mass Transit District will receive grants for future projects through Polk County. The consolidation plan will not integrate the boards of the Lakeland Area Mass Transit District and Polk Transit Authority. Each transit organization will also maintain control of their existing routes, The Ledger reported.
Shared Services Increasing
After reporting significant savings and improvements to efficiency, Elmira and Chemung County in New York have plans to add on to shared services agreements without increasing taxes on residents. The proposal calls for Chemung County to pay $400,000 of Elmira’s highway department personnel costs for 2015. Chemung County will then absorb $400,000 more annually until Elmira’s $1.8 million in public works personnel expenses is reached. This is expected to be accomplished in five years. The strategy will not only increase operational savings for the city and county, but also help preserve jobs while maintaining high level of services to residents without increasing taxes, Star Gazette reported.
Currently, Elmira and Chemung County have shared services agreements for purchasing and information technology departments. Elmira is struggling more than other cities within Chemung County. By sharing services with the county, the city will have access to capital to support development projects, Star Gazette reported.
New Approach to Public Services
Gov1 has reported on outsourcing projects and shared services agreements that achieve savings without sacrificing the quality of services to residents.