VILLAGE AND TOWN OF LAKE GEORGE & LGSD , NEW YORK
DPW SHARED SERVICES, CONSOLIDATION, & JOINT MOTORPOOL FEASIBILITY STUDY

Like municipalities throughout the State of New York, the Town and Village of Lake George are seeking solutions that will allow them to continue delivering the standard of services their constituents currently enjoy, while maintaining an affordable tax rate and addressing a steady increase in the demand on services.

Laberge Group was retained by the Town and Village of Lake George, together with the Lake George Central School District, to address these challenges by developing a study to assess the feasibility of consolidating DPW facilities and creating a joint motorpool facility. This thorough investigation included:

• Collecting and analyzing data on the services provided by the Town, Village and School District.
• Creating a matrix of existing facilities, equipment, fleet, and personnel.
• Developing a needs-assessment based on current assets and a five year growth projection.

Laberge Group spearheaded a robust public information and participation process to ensure that citizens, businesses, community leaders, and stakeholders had ample opportunity to voice their opinions and provide feedback. Laberge Group also solicited input from municipal staff and department heads from the outset of the process. This included one-on-one interviews and round-table discussions. The collaborative process allowed the team to identify shared values, discuss key issues, glean valuable insights about existing service delivery, and identify opportunities for improvement.

Laberge Group analyzed the results of these investigations, coupled with insights gleaned from years of government efficiency experience, and made concrete recommendations regarding the opportunities for potential consolidation and/or shared facilities. These recommendations included:

• Identifying optimal opportunities for cost reduction and/or improved service delivery.
• Determining the impact of facilities consolidation on the services provided to stakeholders.
• Evaluating potential efficiencies of consolidating vehicle storage, maintenance, and fueling facilities for the Town Highway Department, Village DPW, Lake George Central School District, and local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) corps into a joint motorpool facility.