When passersby notice a public works crew mowing a grassy park in Spring Lake Township or see snow-white streets plowed in Spring Lake Village, more than outdoor work is being accomplished. They’re witnessing the reportedly first-of-its-kind merger in Michigan between two municipalities’ Department of Public Works.
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Chris Burns
That spells good news for the two communities' respective taxpayers. Funds have been reallocated to municipal coffers since the merger between the township and village was formalized in March 2019. The collaboration also includes the sharing of crewmembers, equipment, and a DPW director, say Township Manager Gordon Gallagher and Village Manager Chris Burns.
“The cooperation and collaboration between the village and the township is the most unique I’ve seen in my involvement in local government for 30 years,” Gallagher says.
Earlier collaborations
Credit for the merger is due in part to earlier collaborations. This includes sharing costly equipment, such as a hydro-excavator and backhoe; personnel-sharing, such as a zoning administrator, planner, and utility billing clerk; and shared services, such as fire protection, tax collection, utility billing, and assessing.
Overall savings, thanks to collaborative efforts from 2011-19, is $534,700 for the village and $734,300 for the township.
“This (the merger) is one of countless collaborative efforts that have come together,” Burns says. “We have a Township Village Committee made up of two township elected officials, two village elected officials, and the township manager and myself, and we meet monthly. When we get together, we ask, ‘What can we do better for our constituents?’ Nothing is off the table for this committee. It’s a very safe space for them.”
A larger crew
At this point, the township employs six DPW crewmembers and the village two. The work they provide their neighboring municipality requires them to spend extra time filling out timesheets, but the savings to taxpayers make that extra time worth it.
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Gordon Gallagher
“They probably spend a half-hour or more a week filling out our timesheets, but the money we save, not both of us having that expensive backhoe or other expensive equipment, more than makes up for that,” Burns says.
“That’s the foundation of how we got where we are.”
For the village, cost savings have been reallocated into its general fund.
The township has reallocated its funds toward upgrades to its water and sewer department and parks.
Shared equipment
An example of saving taxpayer dollars is a $120,000 backhoe the village owns.
“Neither one of us uses the backhoe 40 hours a week,” Burns says. “It’s a very expensive piece of equipment. If the township uses the backhoe three times a week, they put it on a timesheet, and, at the end of the month, we bill them for it.
“Conversely, if we use their equipment, we log it all, and we settle up at the end of the month.”
A valve-turning machine the township purchased is a specialty piece of equipment that’s also available to the village.
“Most people would say, ‘Why do you need something like that?’’ Gallagher says. “In Spring Lake Township, we have thousands of water valves. If we ever have a water main break, we would be able to isolate it by turning off valves. And one of the things that are important to do is to exercise those valves on a regular basis … which allows us to maintain the system better and to be more efficient.
“The township bought that specialty piece of equipment, which we use for the village and township.”
‘Fundamentally fair’
Plus, adds Gallagher, there’s not been a schedule conflict with equipment use.
“I can tell you there’s never been a time when we both needed the same piece of equipment that we’ve shared, that we couldn’t work through it,” he says. “The benefits far outweigh any downside that I can think of. One thing that’s very important for people to understand is we don’t want someone in the township to feel we are supporting the village financially or vice versa, that the village is supplementing the township. It’s meant to be tracked and fundamentally fair.”
The advantages of the merger include both communities having a larger combined staff that can possess specialized skills and the DPW staff having an extended on-call rotation if a water main or sewer line breaks (workers are on call one week per eight weeks instead of one week per month).
“When you have a larger staff, individuals can focus on specific specialties, like water service repair, using a backhoe, specific things involving sewer-pumping stations,” Gallagher says. “By having a larger combined staff, we have some real specialized people that can help both communities.”