What Happened?
A number of recent outsourcing announcements illustrate the different types of services that municipalities are looking to offload on third parties. This week, we take a look at seven developments across the country:
Legal Services in CA
The city of Huntington Beach, California, recently announced it would look into the outsourcing of the city’s legal services. Coming on the heels of a recent Gov1 article on legal savings, the move would aim to cut the city’s $2.3 million legal budget. According to reports, outsourcing there could entail eliminating the city’s legal staff and replacing it with outside counsel. A recent study on the topic noted that, “many municipalities outsource their law departments, in whole or in part.” Depending on size, cities may outsource specific legal functions, like contract negotiation or litigation, or may do what Huntington Beach is proposing, and outsource the majority of the department.
Building Department in FL
The city of Ocala, Florida, might look to a third party to help staff its Building Department. According to an RFP posted by the city, Ocala is seeking a company that would provide “workforce services” in the department, such as building inspectors, plans examiners, and permit technicians. The RFP notes that the selected firm “will be responsible for the majority of building services,” such as permitting, inspections, and more. “Positions shall include the Chief Building Official, building inspectors, plans examiner and permit technicians.” Outsourcing of entire building departments has been considered or executed in Washington, Ohio, Colorado, and other states; a law passed in Michigan earlier this year specifically okayed the practice of outsourcing building departments.
Parks Department in CA
The city of Carlsbad, California, is considering outsourcing the maintenance of city parks. According to reports, the move came after a consulting firm estimated that the city could save up to $3.7 million by outsourcing such functions as mowing, tree trimming, and more. Such moves are relatively common. As Gov1 recently reported, Bristol (CT) is looking to privatize its parks, and Frederick (MD) is considering outsourcing parks maintenance. A city in Nevada saved over $100,000 by outsourcing the Parks Department’s street sweeping duties.
Police Department in CA
The city of Fullerton, California, is considering outsourcing its police department to the Orange County Sherrif’s Department. According to reports, other nearby cities are considering the same. As Gov1 has covered extensively, the outsourcing of police and fire departments is increasingly common. Elsewhere in California, the city of Baldwin Park is considering outsourcing its police department to the L.A. County Sherrif’s Department, and several other California towns have proposed police mergers. Two cities in Michigan recently outsourced fire or emergency services, and a recent study confirmed that the outsourcing of police, fire and emergency services is increasingly common.
Inmate Booking in TX
The city of El Paso, Texas, is considering hiring an outside firm to book inmates. According to reports, the police can take up to four hours to process each inmate; the department would rather have that officer out on the streets. The company being considered for the job is G4S. It is common for cities to outsource prison management and prison medical services, but this is the first police department’s inmate booking announcement that Gov1 has seen in 2012.
Trash Collection in Toronto
Though not a new announcement, the outsourcing of Toronto’s garbage collection has started in earnest, with the firm GFL Environmental now picking up trash. According to reports, the firm won a seven-year contract that will save the city $11 million per year. Critics have been quick to lambaste the transition, but advocates of the move argue that the savings will far outweigh any short-term hiccups that occur as GFL gets up to speed. Myriad other cities have outsourced trash collection; Gov1 recently reviewed related RFPs in Bristol (CT). The EPA explored outsourcing and related matters in this 1999 Collection Efficiency white paper.
Gov1 will continue to track outsourcing developments and trends on a regular basis; outsourcing and privatization coverage can always be found in the left-hand column of our Web site. If you have insights or experiences with these matters, we’d love to hear from you.