Agenda - Council - 08/13/2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ramsey, Nowthen, St. Francis, Oak Grove, and Bethel, Minnesota Feasibility Study for Shared or Cooperative Fire and Emergency Services Options for Shared Services In identifying potential cooperative and shared services opportunities, the project team considered the key issues now challenging each agency and community. Some issues represent roadblocks to integration, while others provide a unique chance for improvement. As an element of the review, affected staff and other officials provided local and internal perspective on organizational culture, community expectation, and other significant matters. The following paragraphs provide a summary of potential shared services strategies available within the study region. Although every attempt has been made to identify all the areas of potential, intimate knowledge of the current system may allow for other areas to be explored outside the parameters of this report. ESCI usually makes no distinction between unification, consolidation, or merger, tending to use each term interchangeably. The reader should note that when referring to the union of programs or agencies, the operative words are functional and legal. Governing bodies should pursue the process of joining two or more fire departments only after concluding that unification is cost-effective and is likely to provide better and/or more efficient service to the public. Each agency's legal counsel should research the particular statutory steps necessary to implement a particular unification strategy. The different processes are not commonly difficult to accomplish, but because the transfer of public assets and liabilities may be involved, the procedure itself can be relatively precise. It is important, therefore, that the agencies have the benefit of competent legal advice throughout the process. The decision to choose one unification strategy over another is a matter of local policy. Most often, officials choose a preferred course for analytical reasons; however, in certain cases politics or law may rule. Most states actively support cooperation between governments as a matter of policy in the interest of furthering the economy and efficiencies of local government. Generally, functional and operational strategies are always available as options, whereas the legal unification of fire departments is dependent on circumstance. Baseline Budget Determination ESCI projects the financial result of any proposed consolidation. The forecast does not attempt to predict the finances of the departments because changes in law and politics are certain to make such page 100 ,Erns rgcncy Services C. c