Strategic Planning Process Beginning – 12/20/2011

Posted by Bob on December 20, 2011 under Daily Blogs | Be the First to Comment

The Strategic Planning Action for Naugatuck Committee (“SPAN”) met last Thursday, December 15, 2011, to formulate a request for qualifications (“RFQ”) seeking consulting firms to assist with formulating long-term planning to improve government efficiency in local government.  Committee members include Deputy Mayor Tamath Rossi, Finance Board member Don Carten, Board of Education Chair David Heller, Police Union Vice-President Steven Hunt, Comptroller Wayne McAllister, community members Ed Dooling and Mini Scales and myself.

Strategic planning is a common function in private industry.  Companies often seek assistance from impartial and qualified professionals to develop long term goals, implement best practices, analyze strengths and weaknesses and improve efficiency.  Such a concept is not as common in the public sector, particularly local government.  Despite managing multi-million dollar budgets, providing services to thousands of constituents and employing hundreds of workers, local governments often operate by using historical and institutional practices while reacting to outside market forces as they arise.

While the concept of strategic planning has been discussed previously, the Joint Boards of Finance and Mayor and Burgesses (“Joint Boards”) allocated THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND and 00/100THS ($35,000.00) DOLLARS during the 2011-2012 budget cycle to begin the process.  The consensus of those who supported the project was that the Borough can no longer continue to operate in the same manner for years into the future and expect dramatically different results.  Each budget year for the past decade has resulted in the same struggles of trying to provide the same level of services in a similar manner with a grand list that grows at a rate lower than inflation.

This is not to say that local government reforms have not been made in recent years.  There has, in fact, been substantive improvements implemented that have made Borough government more fiscally responsible.  Such initiatives include but are not limited to fully-funding pension obligations while converting to defined contribution plans for many new hires; creating a not-for-profit development corporation to oversee economic development policy; maintaining a stable fund balance which has resulted in upgrades to the Borough’s bond rating; creating a human resource department, changing health care carriers and plan designs offered to employees, reorganizing the Public Works structure; implementing the conversion to automated trash collection; and cost-saving collaboration between the Board of Education (“BoE”) and municipal government with regard to common business functions.  Numerous intelligent and committed public servants from both parties and no party at all have contributed to these improvements.

Despite such positive change, we continue to struggle.  Each and every year we face the prospects of another tax increase and/or a reduction in services.  Committees have been formed and reports submitted recommending additional changes to government structures and/or levels of service, but often face entrenched opposition from those who may be impacted.  Many suggestions are weakened by the lack of a detailed implementation plan.  The strategic planning process will allow input from stakeholders, analyze Borough practices and compare with other municipal entities, and make detailed recommendations as to how local government can prepare for the future and maximize results.

The initial SPAN committee is simply charged with drafting an RFQ and interviewing companies.  It is likely that additional community members will be added depending on the style of the firm selected.  Some companies utilize larger steering committees, while others conduct direct interview and/or engage focus groups.  SPAN members will analyze what style would work best for Naugatuck, and recommend a firm to the Board of Mayor and Burgesses for contract approval.

The closest comparison to this process in Naugatuck was the Mount Auburn Associates study undertaken in the early part of the last decade that focused on economic development.  The process brought together representatives from the public and private sector and produced a report that was accepted as fair and comprehensive.  The formation of the Naugatuck Economic Development Corporation resulted, and changed the way the Borough did business.  Economic development policy has transitioned to a non-partisan partnership between the public and private sector working together to stabilize and enhance the Borough’s commercial tax base.  Success has been achieved even in the face of the Great Recession.  It is our intention to achieve similar results through the SPAN committee with regard to government efficiency.