SWAMPSCOTT — Some departments and services have been consolidated in Town Hall, which officials said is aimed at improving efficiency and building resilience.
“It’s just an opportunity for us to really think about how we align services and core responsibilities,” said Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald. “It’s my hope that we’ll see some extraordinary teamwork and efficiencies that will help drive services for Swampscott.”
Fitzgerald said the inspectional services department has been combined with the planning department, which builds on the broader concept of community development. He said the community development function has evolved to streamline permitting and help businesses navigate through zoning.
Fitzgerald said other changes include having the town treasurer work with the town accountant, and having accounts receivable and accounts payable be closely coordinated.
As part of the changes, Fitzgerald said there’s been a bit of a reorganization in Town Hall as some offices around financial services and community development have consolidated. Some staff was moved around and the transition was completed about two weeks ago.
“It’s important for staff to have synergy and connection to other staff,” he said. “We have some really terrific staff and really capable departments. Making some of these changes will just help to streamline some of the critical services we provide.”
Fitzgerald said the moves provide more of a “one-stop shopping experience” for visitors to Town Hall, which allows someone to have more key conversations in one department as opposed to going to several.
A few years ago, the town received funding to study consolidation, and the Article 6 Committee has been working to focus on opportunities aimed at building efficiencies in operation.
The Article 6 Committee was created by the 2013 Town Meeting to focus on regionalization, consolidation, outsourcing and alternative approaches to delivery of town services.
The committee worked with the UMass Boston’s Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management on the Services Delivery and Opportunities Report, with results from the report released last year. Fitzgerald said the recent consolidation was a recommendation of the report, authored by the Collins Center, which focused on long-term financial planning and building resiliency and redundancy.
