Consultant Sought To Examine Merging Municipal, School Functions

By John Voket

The town has issued a request for proposal (RFP) soliciting professional services from a consultant or agency to examine and determine the merits of consolidating human resources, business office, and facility maintenance functions.

First Selectman Pat Llodra briefly discussed the issuing of the RFP during the November 17 Legislative Council meeting, and reviewed the solicitation with The Bee just prior to that meeting.

“This RFP is the result of a true and successful collaboration between myself, Finance Director Bob Tait, [School Superintendent] Janet Robinson and [district business manager] Ron Bienkowski,” Mrs Llodra said. “We’re looking for someone who can report on the merits and opportunities in consolidating services and existing practices.”

Mrs Llodra said the examination is not meant to make anyone involved in any of the departments being studied “feel threatened,” but she agreed that the town and district need to determine if the existing set of practices — maintaining individual staffs for each of the aforementioned functions — best serve the town’s needs today.

In making such a thorough examination, the first selectman said she hopes to learn if consolidation or refinement in any, or any combination, of the three areas constitute a viable and logical option.

Interested individuals or agencies that may offer such niche services will be invited to a preproposal conference on January 7. The deadline for proposals will be 3 pm on January 31.

Responding firms will be judged on a nine-point criteria by a panel of designated town officials, which includes qualifications, experience in such studies, and fees, according to the RFP. Respondents will be asked to showcase similar projects that demonstrate specifically the firm’s or individual’s capability working with other municipalities.

Then, those clients will be canvassed and questioned by local officials.

The final analysis being provided to Newtown is expected to show how well existing operations are functioning, as well as provide suggestions about how to design departments that “will serve the entire organization more effectively and efficiently,” taking into account “staffing levels, job descriptions, organizational charts, and [the] complexities related to reporting to two separate elected bodies.”