The city of Gardiner is holding a public hearing Wednesday for people to learn more about a consultant’s assessment of the city’s major services and to provide feedback about whether the city should make any changes to the services.
The consulting company reviewed the fire, police and public works departments and the library, seeking possible efficiencies and comparing the services and costs to similar or nearby communities. The 175-page report, posted on the city’s website in August, offered recommendations or suggestions for each of the four departments.
Last month, City Manager Scott Morelli said people should attend the public hearing because the city will use recommendations from residents when deciding whether to make changes to the city services.
The public hearing is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. Wednesday at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Gardiner on Pray Street.
Morelli has said he expects councilors will review the findings for each of the four departments at subsequent council meetings this year.
Representatives from the consulting company, New Hampshire-based Municipal Resources Inc., met with city councilors last week and are expected to present the report to the public Wednesday.
The report, which cost the city about $25,000, didn’t recommend any drastic changes, but the options it reviewed included outsourcing services, such as police work to the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office.
Some of the recommendations it did make included increasing the number of on-call volunteer firefighters who can respond to fires, using a chip seal treatment as part of road maintenance and changing library hours to better accommodate working families.
Paul Koenig — 621-5663
Twitter: @pdkoenig
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