Ok, folks, seems like we've got a good thing going with the new Town Manager. Did anyone catch this news article in the Norwich Bulletin? How many times do we have to plead for more efforts at regionalization in order to save a few taxpayer dollars?
Looks like Ms. Therrien is at the ready, according to this article:
www.norwichbulletin.com/news/x1406499138...s-to-regionalization
Hebron looks to regionalization
By ROBERT STORACE
Norwich Bulletin
Posted Apr 30, 2010 @ 11:23 PM
Hebron, Conn. —
In an effort to be more efficient and save money, Town Manager Bonnie Therrien is looking at ways to regionalize services.
“We can potentially save tens of thousands of dollars if we do this the right way,’’ said Therrien, who was involved in regionalizing many services when she worked in Wethersfield and Simsbury. “This is very high on my list. We need to start working on this now to have a plan in place for the budget next year.’’
Hebron is in a regional health district with East Hampton, East Haddam, Portland and Marlborough. RHAM High School, based in Hebron, shares students from Andover and Marlborough.
Therrien said the first goal of regionalization is for the town to decide what region it wants to join. To that end, she said she will meet soon with leaders in neighboring towns and regions to discuss how best to share services.
Therrien said she would consider hiring an Internet technology director for four or five towns to pool resources.
“We are currently having issues with IT,” she said. “A lot of small towns, I suspect, are having the same IT problems.’’
“Sharing road paving and road work could save a lot of money,’’ Selectman Mark Stuart said.
But Selectman Brian O’Connell warned that regionalization makes sense but is not a panacea.
In Norwich, the school district has been considering ways to regionalize to save money. Hebron leaders say that could be a guide for them.
Norwich School Superintendent Abby Dolliver said several city and school leaders in the southeastern part of the state recently held strategy sessions to discuss regionalization. Among other things, town officials agreed to move forward on sharing services related to purchasing, transportation needs and trying to work on a similar school calendar, so school leaders could attend professional days together.
“It’s all about working together,’’ Dolliver said.
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