Dissolution study hits a snag

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February 8, 2012

Staff departures delaying project

DENISE A. RAYMO Press-Republican The Press Republican Wed Feb 08, 2012, 02:28 AM EST

MALONE — A study to dissolve, consolidate or share Village of Malone services has slowed with the departure of the two people working on the project.

The Center for Governmental Research is still under contract with the Government Efficiency Study Committee, but the personnel who started the work took other jobs and left the Rochester-based company.

Its president and chief economist, Kent Gardner, stepped in, along with research associate Jill Symonds, but they are still familiarizing themselves with the data and players involved.

It means a two-week setback for committee members eager to have preliminary data to review. With that in hand, they can begin subcommittee meetings to probe deeper into town and village operations and finances.

A recent committee meeting was supposed to include a project report but instead was a review of the timeline, an update on the project's website and clarification on when the committee's real work starts.

WILL WRITE DRAFT

Gardner said members will be sent baseline information and confidential data by specific tasks for the five subcommittees to study individually: the Highway Department and Department of Public Works; water, sewer and other utilities; public safety; building codes, zoning and planning; and all administrative aspects, including municipally owned facilities and any other hard-to-categorize issues.

"We're going to pull together all the raw data, and we want to complete (information gathering) before you look at it in greater depth," he said.

At the same time, the consultants will provide suggested questions or paths of study that will generate the answers the committee needs.

"In April, the next phase begins, with the working groups going back at it while we write a draft of the dissolution plan that is all part of this process," Gardner said.

THREE AVENUES

The task before the committee is to review all three avenues:

▶ Shared services, which could be the town and village buying one piece of equipment for both to use, for example.

▶ Consolidation that eliminates overlapping services.

▶ Dissolution, which eliminates the village and forms special districts for certain services, such as street lighting.

The committee is keeping residents informed and sharing what information it can on its website: www.cgr.org/malone.

Members are expected to have a draft plan by mid July, a public hearing on it in August and final approval in October before making its final recommendation to the Village Board in November.

Email Denise A. Raymo at: draymo@pressrepublican.com