Maylor recommends consultant for Swampscott regionalization study

SWAMPSCOTT – Town Administrator Andrew Maylor endorsed a request to hire a consultant next year who will study all town departments and services in order to find possible opportunities for regionalization of services that could save the town money and take a leadership role in providing services in the area.”I think it’s a great idea,” Maylor told the selectmen at their Monday evening meeting. “Regionalization can’t just be about an idea of mitigating tax increases, but it’s also about community sustainability ? let’s be the hub of regionalization.”In presenting the topic on Monday, Selectman Barry Greenfield said that many places of a similar physical size of 3.2 square miles don’t have their own town government, let alone the many independent town services that the Swampscott provides residents.”I’m advocating bringing someone in who will look at what you’re spending, what services you’re offering ? and can say ?here’s some solutions that could save a lot of money,'” Greenfield said.Selectmen Chair Matthew Strauss expressed reservation with the idea, noting that the town has tried unsuccessfully for years to consolidate a business office with the school department. On the other hand, he noted that the town had already taken steps to regionalize services, for instance entering into regional purchasing and – most recently – a shared 9-1-1 emergency dispatch agreement with the City of Lynn.”I don’t know if we need a consultant to tell us maybe what we already know,” he said.But Maylor said that the town has been primarily reactive. A comprehensive study would enable the town to be proactive and also prevent certain departments from feeling like they were targeted for regionalization, he said.”We find the areas of regionalization either by accident or what’s presented to us. We’ve not stepped back and been able to look and say, ?this could be done,'” he said.As for the cost of the study, Greenfield said that Cumberland, Rhode Island had spent $8,500 on a similar effort. Maylor said he would examine the potential costs and include it in his budget for 2012, which selectmen must approve.Strauss said he wanted to be sure that the schools were involved in the study before approving the idea, but Selectman Jill Sullivan noted that the “sense of the board” seemed to be that the idea was “positive.”