Imagine a city of 90.000 abitants governed by 4 people, where all the services and the administration is outsourced: here’s Sandy Springs, Georgia, U.S.A.
Debate over incorporation began in the 1970s when the city of Atlanta attempted to use a state law to force annexation of Sandy Springs.
When the Republican Party gained a majority in both houses of the General Assembly in early 2005, the procedural rules previously used to prevent a vote by the full chamber were changed so that the bill was handled as a state bill and not as a local bill. The referendum initiative was approved by the Assembly and signed by Governor Sonny Purdue.
The referendum was held on June 21, 2005, and residents voted 94% to 6% in favor of incorporation. Many residents expressed displeasure with county services, claiming, based upon financial information provided by the county, that the county was redistributing revenues to fund services in less financially-stable areas of the county, ignoring local opposition to rezoning, and allowing excessive development. Many residents of unincorporated and less-developed south Fulton County strongly opposed incorporation, fearing the loss of tax revenues which fund county services. County residents outside Sandy Springs were not allowed to vote on the matter. Efforts such as requesting the U.S. Justice Department to reject the plan were unsuccessful.
Striving to create the most efficient, responsive, and cost-effective city possible, the Governor’s Commission for the City of Sandy Springs opted to outsource all city services except police, fire and 911 (not true as you can see above in the list of services). The Commission issued requests for proposals for two distinct areas: an administrative side to handle duties such as customer service, human resources, accounting, and information technology; and a hands-on side to provide public services such as public works, transportation, parks and recreation, and planning and zoning. Through an intensive proposal and interview process, CH2M HILL OMI was selected unanimously for both in September 2005.
The landmark contract between the new city of Sandy Springs and CH2M HILL OMI is the nation’s most comprehensive and innovative public-private partnership for the delivery of municipal services.
CH2M HILL OMI’s scope of services includes all major functions needed to run a city:
* Administration
* Finance
* Tax and revenue collections
* Personnel and human resources, including benefits and payroll for company and city staff
* Community development, including planning, zoning, and permitting
* Municipal court support services
* Computer systems, information technology, and telecommunications
* Public information and community relations, including newsletter and Web site
* Business licensing and permitting
* Purchasing
* Parks and recreation
* Civil engineering
* Traffic engineering; streets, roads, and right-of-way maintenance
* Customer service, including citizen call center management
* Contract management for water supply, sewage collection and disposal, and garbage collection
* Police and fire support
p.s.
CH2M HILL OMI is one of the main company dealings contract for Iraq reconstruction
All the text is a remix of Wikipedia and The National Council for Public-Private Partnerships
