TOWN AND VILLAGE OF RHINEBECK , NEW YORK
JUDICIAL COURT CONSOLIDATION FEASIBILITY STUDY

Laberge Group was retained by the Town and Village of Rhinebeck to study the feasibility of consolidating the municipalities’ judicial courts and to analyze the potential efficiencies to be realized by sharing and/or consolidating facilities, equipment, judicial services, and/or employees. The municipalities received a Dutchess County Municipal Innovation Grant to conduct a Shared Court Consolidation Study to analyze current conditions and develop a plan to both optimize services and reduce costs.

In order to determine the feasibility and advisability of various restructuring opportunities, develop the optimal restructuring option, and facilitate the development of an effective and efficient transition plan, the study currently underway includes:

• Stakeholder engagement and coordination initiatives,
• One-on-one interviews with key personnel to gather information, glean insights into priority issues confronting the court, and gain an understanding of their views on the restructuring and the feasibility of consolidation,
• Fiscal analyses utilizing data from the Comptroller‘s Local Government Database, annual reports, and municipal budgets to determine the financial implications of various restructuring opportunities and the fiscal impact of each option on residents and property owners,
• Court operations review to gain an in-depth understanding of current operations, organization, caseload, mix of case type, the level of service demand, and the current level of service provided, and
• Court facilities assessment to determine condition, potential lifespan, capacity, and potential expansion needs.

The insights gleaned from this study will supply the necessary information to develop a thorough report that details projected outcomes of various restructuring options, and identifies the solution that will lead to the greatest opportunity for cost savings coupled with a continuation or increase in the quality and amount of service delivery. Additionally, any potential negative impacts of each restructuring alternative on service delivery will be identified and addressed. The study will provide a comprehensive action plan outlining the necessary steps and corresponding timeline needed to achieve the desired outcomes. This will include potential funding opportunities to support the initiatives.