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Communities await study on regional collaboration
(by Sali McSherry - December 30, 2009)
Communities await study on regional collaboration
By SALI McSHERRY
A final report about sharing services and regionalism among Hunting Valley, Moreland Hills, Orange and Pepper Pike has been delayed until January, according to Pepper Pike Mayor Bruce H. Akers.
The study, which is being conducted by Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, was commissioned by the communities in June. It entails studying the feasibility and desirability of greater service collaboration among the municipalities. It was scheduled to be completed in November.
The final report is expected to provide an overview of the benefits and drawbacks of collaboration. It is to include potential improvements in delivery of services and an estimate of the financial implications involved in collaborating.
The study also is expected to develop a model to guide leaders in making decisions regarding the delivery of services each communities provides separately, including those provided by fire, police and service departments.
Hunting Valley Mayor John D. Wheeler had said the communities banded together, because they are all part of the Orange School District. Woodmere, which also is part of the school district, is not part of the study.
The study also evaluates the current level of service in all four communities in order to identify best practices and areas of potential improvement. The cost for the study is $30,635, which will be split equally by the communities.
The goal is to encourage coordination and cooperation among the four municipalities to ensure the greatest level of efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of services, the mayors said. A parallel objective, they said, is to reach a uniform besting-class service level for each municipality.
Several Pepper Pike residents had asked City Council in June to put plans for a new police station on the back burner until the collaboration study is complete.
At that time, Mr. Akers said the city was moving forward with plans for a new police station, a project which has been under development for years. But that changed a couple of months ago when the city decided against building the station at this time due to the city's budget concerns.
The communities are looking for significant proposals that go beyond traditional implementation of inter-municipal agreements and have agreed to consider taking on difficult or far-reaching projects, Moreland Hills Mayor Susan C. Renda has said.
Moreland Hills and Hunting Valley contract with Chagrin Falls for fire and emergency medical service, including dispatch, but have their own police departments.
Pepper Pike has its own emergency dispatch service and Orange contracts with Chagrin Falls' dispatch service. Pepper Pike and Orange have their own fire departments. The four municipalities offer mutual aid to each other, as well as other Chagrin Valley communities. The Valley Enforcement Group, including the special weapons and tactics team, is an example of how the communities collaborate.
The project also includes studying the feasibility of expanding current cooperative efforts of the municipalities, including recreation and senior services. The Orange Education and Recreation Department is overseen by the school board and offers activities and classes to residents in the school district. The Orange Senior Center, located in Pepper Pike, serves senior residents in the district.
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