By Rikki Cason<br><a href="mailto:rikki.cason@journal-register.com">E-mail Rikki</a>
MEDINA — Members of the Center for Government Research in Rochester visited with elected officials in the Village of Medina and Towns of Shelby and Ridgeway on Monday. Their purpose: to begin discussions about the consolidation study meant to show ways to save money and combine resources.
In May, the Village of Medina received a grant to look into the dissolving of the village into the towns of Ridgeway and Shelby, and the two towns received a grant to look into the merger of the two entities. In total, the three municipalities received $99,000 for the study.
On Monday, 13 members of Medina, Shelby, Ridgeway and the County Legislature started talking about what they would like to see come out of the study, as well as their questions, concerns and issues.
CGR Project Manager Charlie Zettek said the nine-month study will help determine cost savings for all three entities and look at viable options they can take.
He said that throughout the process involving the public will be critical, along with involving the three boards.
“We’ve done at least a half-dozen of these studies and in no case have we not seen cost efficiency by combining operations,” Zettek said. “There is always cost efficiencies. The questions is going to be how much and the variables we put into place.”
As part of the survey, Zettek asked the elected officials to designate three or four members of the community and or board members from each municipality to sit on a committee. He said the committee will be who reports to the community and the body that tests the reality and acceptance of any recommendations that the study will come out with, in regards to moving forward.
The officials had concerns about finding community members who were not swayed one way or another.
“Right now, there isn’t anybody who wants to dissolve either the towns or the village,” said Shelby Councilman Ken Schaal. “There is a lot of animosity out there for the existing elected officials who are going to be gone, highway superintendents, town clerks, and then you’ve got the old guard that don’t want things to change. If you want an honest cross-section of people to represent all three entities you’re going to have to have the negative people as well as the positive people.”
Ridgeway Councilman Jeff Toussaint said he thinks it’s important to have someone with an open mind.
“It isn’t a simple task,” he said. “More important than anything else, I would like to appoint clear-thinkers who really are open minded and haven’t made a judgment yet.”
He said that to walk in with a negative attitude could really distort what positive things you can find out.
According to Zettek, it is important to get members with an open mind because if the committee is stacked with equal people for and against, you have biased the outcome to be a lock and nothing will be accomplished. He said the purpose of the committee and process is to gather facts and educate the community about what options there are.
After debating, the group decided to make themselves — an equal representation of the three boards — the committee.
Village Trustee Andrew Meier said that since the local residents elected them and they’re already there, it would be a good compromise so that no one is trying to stack the committee for or against.
“The people are afraid they will lose what little local control they have,” Schaal said, agreeing with the decision. “The only local control they have is re-electing me or not re-electing me.”
As the process moves forward, there will be a public meeting in two months to speak about the study and update the community on the process.
Contact reporter Rikki Cason at 798-1400, ext. 8227.
