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Rubbish pickup may be first cut for Gates Mills
(by Sue Reid - November 12, 2008)
Rubbish pickup may be first cut for Gates Mills
By SUE REID
Gates Mills Village Council was to consider a recommendation this week from the village's finance committee regarding a projected $400,000-plus budget deficit.
The finance committee deliberated for nearly two hours Saturday on ways to compensate for the failure of two levy attempts for streets and culverts in March and August.
Despite approval of a 3-mill operating levy renewal by Gates Mills voters Nov. 4, decisions still need to be made regarding the deficit, Finance Manager JoAnn Lechman said. "The village still needs to be able to replace roads and culverts, and an average of over $400,000 is needed to do so."
Councilman Jerry Tone, who chairs the finance committee, said the committee has a "relatively short window" to make the adjustments. "In effect, we're running out of money in 2009-2010. It will be difficult to pay our bills," he said.
"The problem is still roads and culverts, and that hasn't changed," Mr. Tone said. "We have been voted down twice resoundingly."
"I think voters have told council they want expense reduction," committee member Roger Rankin said.
The committee decided to ask council to consider implementing garbage fees for residents. It also recommended the formation of a committee to investigate efficiencies in the area of safety, including dispatch and emergency medical services. In addition, the committee recommended the elimination of capital purchases, postponing non-emergency projects involving roads.
The committee asked council to consider other sources of income for the village, including charging for resident services such as alarm monitoring. The cost of running the jail in the basement of Town Hall also will be examined.
The budget committee recommended challenging department heads to find cost savings of up to 10 percent.
In making the recommendations, committee member Robert S. Reitman said, it's important to note that the committee examined every element of revenues and expenses in the village.
"There are a number of structural changes that need investigated and implemented," committee member Timothy Reynolds said. "Ultimately, we need to have permanent solutions to everything."
Mr. Rankin said it's important to eliminate expenses, not just postpone them.
In the area of trash removal, the committee agreed to recommend that the village extend its contract with Landmark at a bargain rate for a year, after which the company would bill the residents.
Mr. Reitman said residents can be given the option of either paying for the entire year or being billed monthly or quarterly.
Turning over the trash costs to the residents will result in a yearly savings of approximately $300,000 to the village.
In the area of safety, Mr. Reynolds asked if the village has seriously explored whether fire service can be handled by another community, such as Mayfield Village.
"We've investigated it from all angles, and only one possible liaison makes sense, and that is Mayfield Village," Mr. Tone said. Neighboring Hunting Valley receives its fire and EMS service from the Chagrin Falls Suburban Volunteer Fire Department, he said.
Mr. Tone said that it's a "long, drawn-out process" to merge two public service organizations, including police, dispatch and fire. "We don't have the will at this moment," he said. "It's a difficult process. I can't imagine who would lead the charge."
Mr. Reynolds asked what the hurdles are. "What makes this a difficult process?" It would be more "economically efficient," he said, to "really push how we can combine dispatching."
"I'm not against it," Mr. Tone said. "It's the biggest potential long-term savings we've got, but you've got to think of the ramifications." It would be a significant reduction of employment in the village, he said.
Wages for the village's dispatch center cost $270,000 annually, not including equipment. Gates Mills' dispatch service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The village has a mutual agreement with Mayfield Village for EMS service. In exchange, Gates Mills houses Mayfield Village prisoners in its jail.
Running the jail only costs the village about $3,000 a year, Mrs. Lechman said.
Fire protection is through the Gates Mills Volunteer Fire Department, with mutual aid from other communities. The village budgets over $200,000 annually in total expenses for the department.
The committee said it would place particular emphasis on controlling personnel costs, but the plan is not to freeze wages. Cost of living needs to be recognized, committee member Tucker Marston said.
Mr. Tone noted that the ideas discussed are only recommendations and that council would be the voting body. The purpose of the finance meeting, he said, was to review various alternatives to either increase income or reduce expenses and break down the discussion for recommendations to council.
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