Perspective: Consolidation can only come from cooperation

By William R. Hanauer

Published in the Journal News Sunday, September 5, 2010

But, as with all important changes, consolidation should only be effected after careful planning in order to avoid unforeseen consequences. Legal requirements, existing contracts and collective bargaining agreements, potential tax advantages and disadvantages, Federal and NYS grants and eligibility for future grant opportunities must all be fully investigated and explicitly addressed so that the real savings of a change, if any, will be known in advance of action.

Working Together

For many years, the Village and Town of Ossining have enjoyed Inter-Municipal Agreements concerning the Village's provision to the Town of fire protection, water, sanitary sewer conveyance, Information Technology, a combined recreation program, the personnel and equipment for and maintenance of street lighting, and municipal dumpsters. The Village also rents to the Town facilities in the Municipal Building, the John-Paul Rodrigues Operations Center, the Joseph G. Caputo Community Center, and in the Court Building on Spring Street.

The municipalities share one Town Comptroller/Village Treasurer and his staff, as well as one Clerk and her staff. We have shared an agreement to jointly contract for Government Access Television.

In its turn, the Town accepts some sanitary sewage generated from a property that is partially situated in the Village and it maintains the grounds, buildings, and equipment at the Village-owned Veterans Park.

The Village and Town of Ossining, along with the Village of Briarcliff Manor, have been working specifically towards the potential consolidation of our Police, and DPW and Highway Departments since 2008.

At that time, in a first-ever three-community cooperative effort, we jointly engaged the services of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) using Village, Town, and NYS Funds (through a grant) process, the current provision of services, to report on any savings that might be achieved in future by consolidation of services, and to recommend to the communities changes to effectuate those changes.

Also, since the beginning of their work, the three communities, under the aegis of the New York State Unified Court System and the Administrative Judge of the Ninth Judicial District, in which we reside, have been discussing the possible future dissolution of the two Villages' courts and the formation of a "regional court."

A Press Conference

Two weeks before the final report on Police consolidation was to be released, the Town government informed the Village that it was going to hold a press conference to announce an offer of outsourcing of police services and absorption of existing excess Town Police personnel by the County. The development of this proposal had not been shared with the public or with the Town's two municipal partners.

It has since been revealed to have been in development at the request of the then Town police chief over a number of years. The Village of Briarcliff Manor has determined that it was not interested in sharing police services.

After receiving the report of the ICMA on the pre-announced date, the Village Government developed a proposal for the integration of the Village and Town police forces, as advised by the independent consultant.

The Village's proposal called for the maintenance of existing police services in the unincorporated area of the Town at an initial savings to the residents of the unincorporated area of $1,233,767.08 + $301,114 more savings than does the County proposal. An added savings to taxpayers would come from the fact that the Village's plan would not require the use of the current Town police headquarters on North State Road, resulting, if sold by the Town, in a saving to residents of the unincorporated area of the Town of $370K of annual debt service plus the principle and future maintenance of the building.

Different Options

In the original proposal, the Village offered to integrate 10 Police Officers and 1 School Resource Officer. However, the Village also presented an additional option including the incorporation of all Town line officers, with the exception of the Chief, at their existing rank, and at a commensurate additional cost. In making the proposal, the Village stated that the transfer of the Lieutenant would be negotiable. However, the Village later amended its offer to include his transfer.

Both of the options offered by the Village would provide to the residents of the unincorporated area locally supervised, stationed, and dispatched police services, at the same or higher level as existing service, one at a cost significantly lower than that of maintaining the present system or contracting with the County; the other slightly higher, but, unlike the County's proposal, guaranteeing to keep the entire transferred staff in Ossining.

Another study, concluded in 2009 by the Michaelian Institute for Public Policy and Management at Pace University, recommended that the Village and Town Boards consider further inter-municipal agreements to share the purchasing of equipment, fuels (the Village supplies the Town with fuel at cost), and supplies, sharing equipment, investment pools, banking and consulting services, comprehensive plan initiatives, Building and Code Enforcement, and employee training. Many of these functions are already shared.

In late August of this year, the municipalities were advised by the State of New York that we have been awarded a "High Priority Planning Grant" to study the possible unification of the three communities. It is incumbent upon the parties to come to the table to discuss the options, to work diligently, in good faith, and respectfully together for the benefit of all residents and merchants of Ossining.