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KINNELON - Boro sharing services with Bloomingdale
(by Deborah Walsh - Staff Writer - September 03, 2008)
KINNELON - In keeping with the state of New Jersey’s push for towns to pool services, the borough has contracted with Bloomingdale for construction code/ building inspection services.
Borough officials said the recent resignation of Construction Code Official Russ Heiney provided an opportunity to explore shared services. The Corzine administration is pressing towns to combine services and is withholding grant money from small towns that are not showing an effort to initiate joint agreements for services.
At the Aug. 21 Borough Council meeting, Councilman Evan Swalling, who chairs the council’s coordinating committee, announced that the municipality would sign a joint services agreement with Bloomingdale now that Heiney had resigned to take another part-time construction code position in Mendham Township. He had already served as the construction code official in neighboring Mendham Borough.
Mayor Glenn Sisco said the borough advertised for construction office/building inspection services and received proposals from Bloomingdale and Pequannock Township. Sisco said Bloomingdale was selected because it could offer more hours of service. Bloomingdale will be providing Kinnelon with services 35 hours a week.
Mayor Sisco said Bloomingdale would offer Kinnelon the identical services it provides its residents. Bloomingdale’s building department, located on Hamburg Turnpike, is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Councilman James Freda said he preferred going with Bloomingdale, rather than Pequannock, because of its close proximity to the borough.
"We think Bloomingdale will turn things over quickly because they are fully staffed," he said.
Mayor Sisco said the shared services agreement will allow the borough to save money and provide more hours of service. Currently in Kinnelon, Heiney is available to the public four days a week from 7:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and the sub code officials have hours on Tuesday and Thursday. Sisco estimated that the borough could save as much as $70,000 in its first year with Bloomingdale.
"The goal is to provide better services. We’re service oriented. We don’t manufacture a product, so we want to provide better services at a reasonable cost," said Sisco. "I hope we move forward with the support of our residents. I’m hoping for a smooth transition."
According to the shared services agreement, Kinnelon will pay Bloomingdale $39,500 from Oct. 1 through Dec. 31. Kinnelon will pay Bloomingdale $163,530 in 2009, $169, 254 in 2010, $175,177 in 2011, $181,309 in 2012 and $187,655 in 2013.
Councilman Robert Collins asked about a section of the agreement, which said Bloomingdale would not provide Kinnelon with coverage when its construction official is out because of vacation or illness. Sisco said that is the same as the present situation in Kinnelon.
Councilman Eric Nederfield said Bloomingdale might provide better services, but issues will come up. Nederfield noted that the agreement contained a "get of jail free" card where the borough can terminate the agreement with 90 days notice if it is unhappy with services.
"I’m use to us providing services for our own people," said Nederfield. "I hope our residents are as excited about this as the council is."
Sisco said there is no doubt that there will be an education period. Sisco said the borough would publish a flier that lists all pertinent phone numbers for the construction code and subcode officials. The borough will also post information on its Web site, kinnelonboro.org.
Councilman Collins said the shared services agreement is in sync with Trenton’s dictates.
"It’s in step with the pronouncements from Trenton, which is encouraging municipalities to enter into shared services agreements when it makes sense," said Collins. "It should also allow us to improve the quality of services."
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