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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:42 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Beginning in FY 2012, the State also established funding incentives to encourage collaboration and shared service agreements between independent governmental entities within Michigan. A portion of the allocated revenue sharing payment requires cooperation, collaboration and consolidation efforts between governmental jurisdictions. The goal is to attain cost savings through economies of scale and reducingduplication of efforts.
Oakland County has long been a leader in collaborative initiatives, not just among local units of government within our County’s borders but also regionally beyond our borders. Automation Alley is a highly successful collaborative initiative highlighted previously in this document while discussing our economic development initiatives. A premiere example of collaboration is our Courts and Law Enforcement
Management Information System (CLEMIS) program. CLEMIS provides data sharing and low-cost access to criminal information through cutting-edge computer technology. Over the past 36 years it has evolved from its roots as a service provider to Oakland County local police agencies to an award-winning program that is one of the largest law enforcement consortiums in the nation, The CLEMIS membership includes over 200 public safety agencies across five Southeastern Michigan counties: Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Wayne and Genesee. CLEMIS products, which are developed and managed by Oakland County, include: computer aided dispatch, records management, digital mug shots and fingerprints, crime analysis mapping, mobile data computing in vehicles, and numerous other applications.
Many of our CVTs contract with Oakland County for services, such as road patrol, animal control services, real property assessing and personal property appraisal services, Information Technology services, water and sewer services, and collection of delinquent taxes, just to name a few. Most recently the City of Pontiac, which is operating under an Emergency Manager, entered into a contract with the County last year for the Sheriff’s Department to provide police and dispatch services on behalf of the City. This contract provides approximately $2.2 million in annual cost savings for Pontiac and was a major component of the city’s deficit-elimination plan. Pontiac citizens have benefitted from an increased number of police officers (increasing from 51 to 74) and enhanced dispatch services. Oakland County also provides free support to its local communities such as community planning services, support of the Mainstreet Program, which includes 11 downtown areas, and free internet to local units of government in the county.
(pages XX and XXI)
http://oakgov.com_index/government/cvt_services.html |
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Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:45 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Oakland County, Michigan provides vast local and international opportunities for the vendor community. Oakland County has joined the Michigan Inter-governmental Trade Network (MITN) to notify vendors about new bid opportunities. To find out more information, please click on Bidder Registration.
Oakland County Purchasing has a standard that encourages open competition and equal consideration giving us a reputation for fairness with the local business community. We are responsible for the acquisition of goods and services in excess of $100 million annually.
Mission Statement
The mission of Purchasing is to provide equal opportunity to the vendor community, while acquiring products and services at the best value for all County departments, through an efficient procurement process.
Vision Statement
The goals of Purchasing are to provide goods and services at the best value for all County departments in a timely manner, and stimulate participation in the County's business process with current, new, and local vendors to continually reduce costs for Oakland County.
Contact Information
Executive Office Building - Lower Level
2100 Pontiac Lake Rd, Building 41 West
Waterford, MI 48328-0462
View Map
Phone: 248-858-0511
Fax: 248-858-1677
Hours: M-F, 8:30am - 5:00pm, Except Legal Holidays
Email: purchasing@oakgov.com |
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Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:07 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint to consider joining 'Future Genesee' project on government consolidation
Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com By Kristin Longley | klongley1@mlive.com
on September 06, 2011 at 1:39 PM, updated September 06, 2011 at 1:44 PM
FLINT, Michigan — The city of Flint is considering signing on to the "Future Genesee" project to explore ways the city and other local governments can share services to cut costs.
Overseeing the project is the Flint Area Reinvestment Office, led by the city's former temporary mayor, Michael Brown.
Also leading the charge is former Lt. Gov. John D. Cherry Jr., who is acting as chairman of a group of community leaders brought together by the FARO to identify quick and relatively easy ways to consolidate services.
The Flint City Council is expected to consider joining the partnership at its committee meetings Wednesday. A final decision wouldn't be made until Monday.
Government consolidation in Michigan has been a hot topic since Gov. Rick Snyder told local communities that they would lose out on additional state aid unless they showed a commitment to share services with others to save taxpayer dollars.
Snyder set a Jan. 1 deadline for governments to submit consolidation plans if they want to receive a share of a $200-million pool of funds.
Several local communities, including Burton, Clio, Davison and Davison Township, have already joined the initiative.
The resolution the Flint City Council will consider Wednesday reads, in part:
"The City’s Mayor is hereby authorized to engage in the process of evaluating the possible joint service options or potential governmental restructuring options for participating governmental entities; and, that the City pledges to participate in this process on a voluntary basis, recognizing there is no legal commitment to restructure or contractually engage in a shared service agreement."
The Flint City Council committee meetings are scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday at Flint City Hall, 1101 S. Saginaw St. |
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Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:52 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Michael Brown with Flint Area Reinvestment Office says Future Genesee has great potential
Sarah Schuch | sschuch@mlive.com By Sarah Schuch | sschuch@mlive.com
on July 28, 2011 at 1:30 PM, updated August 04, 2011 at 12:43 PM
GENESEE COUNTY, Michigan — Seven communities have signed on to be a part of the Future Genesee program to see what a county-wide idea of shared services to do for the community.
Most recently Davison signed on to join initiative.
Future Genesee would take in suggestions from participating local communities and create recommendations on how to more efficiently share services on a larger scale other than just two communities, said Michael K. Brown, president of Flint Area Reinvestment Office, which is facilitating the program.
It's too early to say exactly how this program could help communities, but Brown said he does know there is an interest in the area.
So far seven municipalities - Clio, Burton, Fenton, Davison, Davison Township, Vienna Township and the Village of Gaines - have endorsed Future Genesee, Brown said. He is still waiting to hear from a few more communities who have expressed interest verbally but have not yet passed a resolution.
"That gives us the green light that yeah this is worth spending some time and money on," Brown said. "Many of these units are already sharing some services. This would just be an expansion for that, maybe discuss other restructuring options. We want to see what is possible."
Some possible topics of discussion could include finding a way to restructure services to maintain parks more efficiently throughout the county, purchasing in bulk to save municipalities money or planning more cooperatively between communities.
Brown said he hopes to create a roughly 25-person committee in August and begin a 90 discussion process. Another 30 days would then be spent creating a report to show to the communities.
But of course, nothing is set in stone. Any recommendations would only be recommendations. They would have to go to each individual governing body for approval, Brown said.
"The potential is great," he said. "There's a lot of reasons to this beyond sharing services. I think other communities around the state are having these kinds of discussion. It's important for us not to sit on our hands but to be proactive. ... It makes us more attractive (to businesses)." |
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Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:54 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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PDF]
Certification of Consolidation of Services Local Unit ...
www.cityofflint.com/dashboard/EVIP_Cert.pdf
“Future Genesee” was the result. “Future Genesee” developed a Shared Services Category of Priorities. ... John Cherry, Chairperson Michael Brown, ... |
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Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:58 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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After three years of inaction, why this sudden desperate move?
Are the tax abatements ending?
Is downtown failing?
Wise Guys Pizza folded because of not enough traffic in the evening. Are the bars experiencing the same issues? People who work downtown say the bars and businesses are often empty.
Lurvey allegedly wants to sell his bar.
The downtown lofts touted to sell and appeal to "empty nesters" and "young professionals" are mostly rentals and not sales. HUD cited us for the Berridge and the Land Bank lost many millions of their downtown investments. |
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Sat Mar 29, 2014 5:52 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Municipalities look at shared services, consolidation to get a share of state funding
Kayla Habermehl | The Flint Journal By Kayla Habermehl | The Flint Journal
on July 19, 2011 at 10:45 AM
GENESEE COUNTY — With the clock ticking for a piece of state money, some local governments are dusting off old plans or commissioning new studies on shared services.
Gov. Rick Snyder has set a Jan. 1, 2012, deadline for governments to submit consolidation plans if they want to receive a share of a $200 million pool of funds that rewards communities for combining services.
Swartz Creek, Flint Township and Mundy Township are among the communities looking into sharing services, especially public safety, said City Manager Paul Bueche.
The three boards plan to meet at the Mundy Township hall at 6 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the idea and hear from auditors about a proposed study on shared services.
“We have structural deficit problems in the general fund for the long term,” he said. “We’re going to look for solutions. This is obviously the first step.”
One of the biggest areas they are looking at is public safety, although everything is on the table, said Mundy Township Supervisor David Guigear.
“If we bind together as a region, I think that could be an asset,” Guigear said.
Swartz Creek Police Chief Rick Clolinger said the benefits of a combined police station could outweigh the negatives.
“The overall scheme and making everything come together and happen, that’s obviously going to a be a hurdle to get over,” he said. “Police work is police work — it’s black or white. … It’s a step in the right direction.”
Clayton Township was initially part of the discussions but decided to hold off on going further because of “money and timing,” said Clayton Township Supervisor Brian Sepanak.
Still, Sepanak said he plans to “aggressively monitor” the talks for possible discussion in the future.
Davison and Davison Township have signed on to a study through “Future Genesee,” a project spearheaded by former Michigan Lt. Gov. John D. Cherry and Mike Brown, head of the Flint Area Reinvestment Office and Prima Civitas Foundation, a group that facilitates economic and community development.
Last year, Prima Civitas held a public hearing on cooperative efforts between Davison and Davison Township which led to a community workshop.
Although the idea of shared services is “nothing new,” communities are becoming more aware it’s an option and increasingly are more open to the idea, given the messages from Lansing and eroding budgets, said Arnold Weinfeld, president of the Michigan Municipal League Foundation.
The foundation provides grants to help communities pay for shared services studies. But with an increasing number of proposals coming in, they’ve had to look at other sources of funding, Weinfeld said.
About 50 percent of the grant proposals the Michigan Municipal League receives deals with public safety, which usually is the largest part of a municipalities budget, Weinfeld said.
Combining services that have less employees usually are the most common and are the easiest to mesh, said Laura Ann Reese, professor of political science and director of the Global Urban Studies Program at Michigan State University.
This could include purchasing agreements, legal services or planning services. Combining departments such as police and fire is more complicated, she said.
“I think communities are going beyond that now when they start talking about police and fire because those services involve people, public employees,” Reese said. “They’re also services that residents identify with in their communities — their police, their fire (department).”
Some communities in the county such as Clayton Township and Swartz Creek, and Flushing and Flushing Township already have shared fire departments.
Other municipalities, such as Burton, have had “very casual” conversations with other communities about possibly forming a regional police force, said Burton Mayor Paula Zelenko.
Zelenko said she recently asked Burton Police Chief John Benthall to look into the possibility and to get ideas from other departments.
She also said she planned to ask the Burton City Council to participate in Future Genesee at its Monday meeting.
The key to making shared services or consolidation work is partnering with communities that have similar populations, demographics and economies, said Eric Scorsone, professor and member of the public policy and land use work team at Michigan State University.
“Generally, you want to make sure that whoever you’re consolidating with, the more similar they are to you, the better,” Scorsone said. |
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Sun Mar 30, 2014 6:30 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Just what has Prima Civitas and FARO really accomplished?
Too many conflicts-of-interest! |
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Sun Mar 30, 2014 6:31 am |
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