Crime & Safety

City-Park Consolidation Study Contract Gains Approval

The City of Grosse Pointe council approved a contract Monday for a consulting firm to conduct the consolidation study related to combining Grosse Pointe Park and the City's public safety departments into one unit.

The start of a study of consolidating and the Departments of Public Safety is drawing near as one of the councils approved the contract with a consulting firm Monday night.

The City of Grosse Pointe council unanimously approved the contract with the International City/County Management Association Center for Public Safety based out of Washington D.C.

The contract still needs the approval by Grosse Pointe Park council, which is slated to address it at its next meeting, City of Grosse Pointe Manager Pete Dame said Monday.

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Dame told the council the firm was chosen because of the five who submitted bids for the contract, no others could match the amount of studies performed in relation to public safety departments.

The study will take four to six months to complete, Dame said. The goal is to have it completed by the end of the year, he said.

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The . The remaining balance will be shared equally between the Park and the City.

Dame pursued the funding for the study through the state after state revenue sharing was changed. The changes in part look for local municipalities to try to share operations with neighboring municipalities to achieve operational efficiencies as well as money savings.

The study does not involve the remaining three Grosse Pointes. The Farms specifically declined to participate as Mayor James Farquhar said he was more comfortable with working with the Grosse Pointe Public Safety Ad Hoc committee on such issues.

City officials and at least one city councilman have expressed that the ad hoc committee is moving too slowly and they wish to start looking into the option now rather than years down the road.

Councilman Chris Walsh said the potential consolidation is an important thing to study because in the long-term he'd rather be dealing with controlling the budget rather than repeatedly going to residents for a tax rate increase.

Dame said Monday the study will begin as soon as the Park council approves the contract.

 


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