BC News

District, town seek state grant to study potential savings from shared services

Release Date: October 28, 2009

As the district continues to pursue non-tax revenue, it is also partnering with the town of Bethlehem to see if any cost savings could be achieved by sharing or consolidating services.

The district and the town will submit an application for a $25,000 New York Department of State grant that would provide a consultant to evaluate what savings, if any, might result from sharing or consolidating some services the two entities currently provide separately.

Both the Board of Education and the Town Board approved pursuing the grant jointly this fall, and will now work together to complete the application.

“In these times, residents rightly expect we are exploring every avenue to control costs, and by consequence, taxes.” Superintendent Michael Tebbano said. “We are continuing to consider the development of a cell tower near our Operations and Maintenance facility to bring in some non-tax revenue. And, while at this time we don’t know if consolidating any services or operations with the town is practical or feasible, it makes sense to seek the grant and find out if any savings might be available.”

If the grant application is successful, a consultant would work with the district and town to evaluate major functional areas where both levels of government have operations and provide estimates of potential savings from sharing or consolidating services. Areas of review may include building and grounds, maintenance, telecommunications and information technology, vehicle maintenance, and various administrative support services.

The study would include consideration of any legal and logistical issues associated with the fact that the district and towns borders do not match.

If the district and town receive the grant, the local share of the study would cost $2,800 to be split evenly by the two.

With regard to the cell tower issue, the Board has excluded the initial elementary school locations discussed from consideration. The Board will hold a public information meeting on the remaining potential location — a wooded area near the Operations and Maintenance facility off of Elm Avenue — at the start of its meeting on Wednesday, November 18 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

That meeting will be held in the Bethlehem Central High School Library Media Center.

The information session will include a presentation from the district’s cell tower consultant, Independent Towers LLC, who will describe the project, and the timeline for the review process. That will be followed by an opportunity for all residents to provide feedback on the plan and submit questions. 

 

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