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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPresent: S.C.A.L.E. Report CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT 16200 Eagle Creek Avenue S.E. Prior Lake, MN 55372-1714 MEETING DATE: November 3, 2003 ~ AGENDA#: 8C PREPARED BY: Frank Boyles, City Manager AGENDA ITEM: REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF THE SCOTT COUNTY ASSOCIATION FOR LEADERSHIP AND EFFICIENCY (SCALE) PRESENTATION: Scott County and the cities of Scott County have a tradition of cooperation with one another. In the last year, a new organization has been formed to formalize this effort. The Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency (SCALE) has made impressive progress. Some examples include: 1. Meeting with local legislators to share with them 90 areas of cooperative efforts among Scott County cities and the County. 2. Development and training in new civil enforcement tool. 3. Cooperative Purchasing Program. 4. Cooperative Training Program. 5. Cooperative Equipment Usage Program. 6. Joint Police/Fire Training Facility project. Numerous additional examples of cooperation are underway. Finance Commissioner Dan MacCallroy and local legislators will be meeting with the group in the coming months to learn about SCALE accomplishments and how they as legislators can facilitate these cooperative efforts. This effort has been shared with more than Mayors and Administrators. Fire Chiefs, Police Chiefs and Public Works Directors have attended meetings in an effort to encourage cooperation and solicit their suggestions for new avenues of collaboration. Attached is a press release authored by Nathan Oster which offers additional information about the organization and its purpose. www.cityofpriorlake.com 1:\CQUNCIL\AGNRPTS\2003\SCALE PWt~~9l49 .4230 / Fax 952.447.4245 II r I . Jr .. Seen lelltllssecllUI. IIr lIIdllShllllll.ellICI A coalition of local units of government in Scott County, encouraging greater efficiencies and leadership in public service through enhanced communication, collaboration of services and sharing of resources. PRESS RELEASE Pursuit of partnering opportunities continues As they pass the midway point of their organization's first year, the mayors, administrators and city managers who form the Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency (SCALE) are continuing to explore ways to work together and share resources. Consisting of city and county representatives, the organization was created in the spring of 2003 to discuss past, present and future collaborations aimed at saving taxpayers dollars and bringing about greater efficiency in the delivery of services to its constituents. At the time of the organization's creation, the state, facing massive projected budget deficits of its own, was urging local units of government to cooperate whenever possible while warning them cuts in state funding for 2004 were likely. What the elected leaders of the organization initially found in the spring was that they already were collaborating - and thus, saving taxpayer dollars and being efficient - in many areas, from law enforcement to parks and recreation, community development to transportation. Since that time, the group has been pursuing new and creative ways to work together. Despite meeting informally only once a month and having no budget with which to work, the organization's first six months have been productive ones. Among the highlights: . Progress toward an agreement that creates a system for the sharing of capital equipment and other resources among governmental entities, thus saving taxpayer dollars. The agreement, the finer points of which were put together with input from public works officials, is expected to come before cities and the county soon for adoption. Currently, many cities purchase what they need in order to provide services. As a result, each city may have the same equipment, but may not need to use the equipment at the same time. · Greater efficiency in providing annual training to employees. Under state law, cities are mandated to provide certain annual training for their employees, but have historically contracted separately. They now intend to contract together with one vendor for economies of scale and simplicity. . Increased usage of cooperative purchasing agreements has helped save taxpayer dollars as well by eliminating steps for identical purchases, such as the preparation 'of separate specifications for the identical purchases. During the organization's most-recent meeting on Oct. 17 in Prior Lake, talks centered not only on the equipment sharing agreement but also on a potential joint training facility for city and county law enforcement and fire personnel. II T r .. Rob Boe, chief deputy in the Scott County Sheriffs Department, was chosen to be the key contact between fire and police officials and the SCALE group in joint training facility talks. Ronald Jabs, mayor of Jordan and president of SCALE, said, "All government agencies are rediscovering that they are not islands, but rather are part of a community. The more we can work together, the better off we will all be." Prior Lake Mayor Jack Haugen, who also serves as the vice president of SCALE, concurred, saying that in the past six months the organization has laid the groundwork for positive and effective working relationships into the future. Also in attendance on Oct. 17 were representatives of Shako pee, Savage, Jordan, New Prague, New Market, and Elko, as well as from Scott County. The SCALE organization will be expanded to include some township representation in the future. Upcoming schedule And in their final official act Oct. 17, leaders set tentative dates for their next three meetings, settling on a second-Friday-of-the-month rotation through January. Meetings will be held Nov. 14, Dec. 12 and Jan 9 at Prior Lake Fire Station No.1, 16776 Fish Point Road SE, Prior Lake. State Finance Commissioner Dan McElroy will attend the Dec. 12 meeting. SCALE leaders have invited local legislators to attend the Jan. 9 meeting, with the goal being to apprise them of the organization's progress and let them know what they can do to help further the effort. (Contact Nathan Oster, the city of Prior Lake's communications coordinator, for more information, at 952-447-9804 or e-mail noster@cityofpriorlake.com.) II T If .