Arrange periodic meetings
Arrange periodic meetings with colleagues at the board of education, utilities authority, etc. to review current operations and identify ways in which you can increase cooperation.
Arrange periodic meetings with neighboring municipal leaders to discuss and investigate opportunities to initiate cooperation or cooperate more.
Discuss with your school district and other common functions
Discuss with your school district and other internal (within the municipality) common functions both perform such as:
- Facilities and ground maintenance
- Field maintenance
- Information technology / voice and data communication
- Landscaping services
- Payroll and benefits administration
- Purchasing
- Snow and ice control
- Review the status of your purchasing system:
- Are you using cooperative purchasing opportunities to the maximum extent possible?
- Are you comparing prices of various cooperative purchasing alternatives to choose the best one and assure the best price?
- Are you quantifying your purchasing needs and guaranteeing a vendor a minimum quantity to obtain the best possible price?
- Through a commodity resale agreement, are you offering this great price to other municipal agencies such as first aid squads, fire districts or the board of education?
When a vacancy in a key municipal position occurs
When a vacancy in a key municipal position occurs, examine the opportunities to redesign the service and its administration:
- Must the position be full time?
- Can you use a job-sharing model to fill the position?
- Can you share the service with or buy it from another municipality?