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John S. Watson Institute for Public PolicyThomas Edison State College

November 18, 2010

New Jersey Shared Services Association (NJSSA)

Shared Services for Urban Communities

• What is NJSSA?

• NJUMA’s 7 Point Plan –Shared Service success–Areas for potential sharing

• Barriers to Shared Services and ways to overcome them

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What is NJSSA?

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Types of Shared Service – Thinking Outside of the Box

• Consolidation and/or Regionalization

• County to Municipality

• Municipality to Municipality

• Public/Private/Non Profit Partnerships

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• 9-1-1 Communications and Emergency Dispatching

• Consolidated Fire - North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue (NHRFR) provides fire protection and medical assistance to the communities of North Bergen, Union City, Weehawken, West New York, and Guttenburg

• Emergency Medical Service- Gloucester County became the first in New Jersey to launch a regionalized county-based EMS program, saving $2.6 million in the 1st year. 

• Emergency Notification Systems

Crime & Public Safety – Success Stories

Crime & Public Safety – Potential Areas to Share

• Anti-crime partnerships w/ local, county,

state, and federal agencies

• Gang & youth violence programs

• Ex-offender re-entry program

• Safe streets & neighborhoods

program

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Education & Positive Youth Development – Success Stories

• Bedminster Township and the Bedminster Board of Education in Somerset County share indoor and outdoor maintenance administered through one office.  

• Gloucester County’s Educational and Disability Services were merged in 2008. Including educational services within the county as well as the county’s offices of Disability Services, Therapeutic Recreation Program, and Early Intervention

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Education & Positive Youth Development – Potential Areas to

Share• Custodial services

• Buildings & grounds maintenance, including sports fields

• Snow plowing, salting, and sanding

• Off-season school bus usage

• Fueling and washing facilities

• Information technology functions

• Energy audits / renewable energy programs

• Curriculum development

• After school youth program planning

• Administrative / finance functions

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Environment and Public Health – Success Stories

• Renewable Energy Program for Affordable Solar

Electricity

• Public Health Departments -

92% of municipalities participate

in shared services

arrangements

• Hoboken: Citywide car-sharing

service.

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•Joint grant applications

•Lead Abatement Programs

•Joint Municipal Recycling Programs

Environment & Public Health – Potential Areas to Share

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Family & Community Welfare – Success Stories

• Public Assistance Welfare Administration

• Senior Service Programs

• Morris: National model non-profit mall, with community-based non-profits that fit the theme of wellness and recovery selected through an RFP-like process. 

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Family & Community Welfare – Potential Areas to Share

• School-based youth services

• Substance abuse treatment programs

• Mental health programs

• Home visitation programs

• Family success centers

• Safe domestic violence / foster care facilities

• Regionally administered school resource officer / D.A.R.E. programs

• Human Services Departments in partnership with non-profitentities to provide clients with one-stop

center for their needs.

Housing and Economic Development – Success Stories

• Federal Recovery Zone Bonds: Union County, the City of Elizabeth and Wakefern Food Corporation

• Hudson-Bergen Light Rail

• Bayonne Redevelopment

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Housing and Economic Development – Potential Areas

to Share• Quality of Life / Affordable Housing

– Neighborhood revitalization

– Commuting innovations

– Sustainable cityscape plans

• Economic Development / Redevelopment

– New business attraction

– Targeted redevelopment zones

– Code enforcement / demolition of dilapidated or abandoned properties

– Explore public / private partnerships to fund infrastructure improvements

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1.Thought Process/Behavior

2.Costs/Service Levels

3.Other Outside Influences

Barriers to Sharing, Regionalizing or Consolidating Services?

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Barriers to Sharing, Regionalizing or Consolidating Services?

Thought Process/Behavior

“Home Rule” Mindsets

Politics and Personalities

Loss of Control Fears

Short vs. Long Term Focus

Jobs Protection vs. Taxpayer

Territorial Leadership / Protectionist Dept Heads

Willingness to Consider New Ideas & Delivery Models

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Costs/Service Levels

Coverage of Start-Up Costs

Other Financial Incentives

Viable Cost Allocation Methodologies

“Win-Win” Agreement Negotiations

Service Level Expectations

“Right-Sizing” Personnel

Term of Agreements

Barriers to Sharing, Regionalizing or Consolidating Services?

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Other Barriers

Certain NJ Statutes

Civil Service Regulations

Unions / Labor Agreements

Collective Bargaining and Arbitration Awards

Partner Proximity and Size (Including Cross-County)

Existing Management Structures / Fragmented Organization

Barriers to Sharing, Regionalizing or Consolidating Services?

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Breaking the Barriers• Come together and identify 3-

5 “low hanging” priorities

• Form teams of knowledgeable participants

• Develop working groups including elected officials, administrators and people “on the ground”

• Build on smaller success

Breaking Barriers – “Peeling the Onion”

Iterative process:

• Layer 1: Develop the concept

• Layer 2: Design the organization

• Layer 3: Dot the I’s and Cross the T’s

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Developing Efforts• More and more elected officials are undertaking proactive

efforts to rethink service delivery options and lower costs for local government.

• We all can be encouraged by the “grass roots” efforts that are springing up all over the state….

– Essex County: Municipal Council Exchange.

– Middlesex County: Five-year plan to improve efficiency, focusing in part on regionalization of services.

– Union & Passaic Counties: Shared Services Forum

– Salem County: Shared Services Working Group

– Warren-Morris Council of Governments

– Morris County: Government Efficiency Movement

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• Best practices areas – doing it better than anyone else

• Available capacity – facilities, personnel, and/or other resources

• Existing leverageable investments – equipment, software, etc.

• Knowledge capital – innovative solutions for dealing w/ tough issues

What’s the Real Value of Sharing Services?