Shared Services, Burdens Discussed at Joint Meeting

The Howell Township Council and the township's board of education took some time on Wednesday night to discuss ways of working together toward shared successes in the future.

Over the past few years the two bodies have entered into several shared services agreements and have expanded their coordination and other forms of cooperation. One of the most recent examples that was hailed by many people on the dais was the to use the former Southard School for the township's recreational activities. 

Wednesday night's meeting was a chance for the two boards to celebrate their collaborative efforts while also talking about ways they might be able to work together in the future, especially as ther is no sure sign of a turnaround in the economy. 

The future does hold many questions not only for the school district, but also for the township. However, the Southard project does give people reason to believe things can go well going forward. While the Police Athletic League has only been in its new offices in the building for a short time, there is already progress being made. 

Going forward, there is a consensus goal among the parties involved that the former elementary school use all the assets it had when students were there to make it a community center that everybody can enjoy and utilize. 

Hal Foley, of the PAL said the early progress is just the beginning of what will hopefully be a success for everyone involved. "We really see something special about to happen," he said. "I've said repeatedly over the last several weeks as we get closer and closer to this becoming a reality, don't look at Southard School today. Look at Southard School a year from now. What will Southard School look like in the fall of 2012."

With more and more space being utilized, and more programs being held at the facility, Foley said he was confident residents would see the benefits of the project. "When you look at the shared services and the ability of a board, a district and a town to work together with a non profit, there are things that we can do together that maybe none of us could have done on our own. We really think that that's an opportunity that we cannot pass up."

Deputy Mayor William Gotto said he was glad that all the parties involved were able to gather on Wednesday to show what can happen when they work together. "We commonly use words like shared service and we're here for a purpose to come together to creatively discuss these things," he said. 

Gotto said that while there were lots of people involved in making this work come to be, the important thing was not who did it, but that it was done at all. "I'm glad that we're all here to celebrate it, but even more importantly I think it's a great catalyst for some great things to come."