AUBURN — A joint resolution urging the city manager and superintendent of schools to find savings by consolidating services received unanimous support from the City Council on Tuesday.

The 6-0 vote, with Councilor David Young absent, came during a special meeting that took just 15 minutes.

Since budget deliberations began last month, Mayor Jason Levesque has been advocating for consolidating city and school departments and services and had recently begun circulating a draft of the resolution among city and school officials. 

Now that the City Council has voted in favor, the joint resolution will be taken up by the School Committee. A resolution has no binding impact, but is meant as an official statement of policy. 

After Tuesday’s vote, Levesque called the joint resolution an “important policy move for both bodies” that can help focus on ways to deliver better and “more cost-effective services for our citizens.”

He said the efforts should “never be construed as something taking over something else.” 

Councilor Alfreda Fournier, who also serves as the council’s representative on the School Committee, called it a “very positive resolution” and “a helpful document.” Fournier voiced support for consolidating services during a previous School Committee meeting. 

Departments that could be looked at are Transportation, Human Resources and Information Technology.

The language of the resolution directs city and school staff “to consider, and when appropriate, develop a plan to collaborate in order to achieve savings and (or) improved services that are consistent with Maine law.”

Regarding the report, Crichton said “I wouldn’t expect the Declaration of Independence,” adding that it will most likely be a “progress update” on what he and Grondin have discussed.  

City and school officials both said it’s not likely any savings would be reflected in next year’s budget under development now, but that savings could be realized as the fiscal year moves ahead. 

Regional service center

The council also authorized placing on the June 12 ballot the question of the Auburn School Department joining a Regional Service Center with SAD 52 in Turner and RSU 16 in Poland. 

The formation of regional service centers is tied to statewide efforts for sharing services that have been encouraged by the Maine Department of Education. 

Grondin said school officials recommend joining the service center, and that it has School Committee support, despite an official vote still forthcoming. Grondin would serve as executive director of the center. 

The special meeting was held Tuesday in order to get the question on the June ballot, with the necessary time needed to create absentee ballots.

It is still up in the air whether Lewiston will join the service center after the Lewiston School Committee voted against joining during a second reading last week. 

Grondin said Tuesday that the issue will be brought back to the Lewiston School Committee during its next April meeting, meaning Lewiston is “not officially out.”

She said the Auburn School Committee will vote May 2, but all but guaranteed the board is unanimously in favor.

If approved by voters, Grondin said Auburn will be meeting with the other districts to “discuss things we can do.” Possible points of collaboration, she said, are substitute teacher services, purchasing, nutrition, and teacher leadership programs. 

The service center would receive $92,300 from the state toward implementation.

City Clerk Sue Clements-Dallaire said the question must have its own ballot in June, but that it will be paid for by the Maine Department of Education. 

The City Council also hosted a retreat on Monday at Martindale Country Club, where they discussed at length the strategic planning process for the city, which may include a number of subcommittees.  

arice@sunjournal.com 

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