Efficiency study to be completed by DLS, Collins Center

BELCHERTOWN – The town will have its financial forecasting and operational/organizational review completed by the Department of Labor Services for no charge to the town following the recent approval of the Selectboard.

This will be in conjunction with a proposal for an operational and organizational review focusing on the central office of the school department. The town is still seeking help from the Collins Center based out of the University of Massachusetts, Boston, to complete the study.

This would be the first phase of a longer-term study, according to Town Administrator Steve Williams.

Williams said the working group, composed of Selectboard member Lesa Lessard Pearson, HR Manager Joanne Misiaszek, and himself, discussed the scope of the project to submit to the Collins Center and worked to submit grants to help fund the project.

Misiaszek sent grant applications for financial tasks the board previously discussed within the financial departments and a second for forecasting. However, the program ran out of money, Williams informed the board.

The program was run by the Department of Labor Services, which is the same department the town received its financial management review from.

“We provided them the scope of work and the answer is the first is no cost and the second is that they would complete the expected scope of work. The follow up would be how soon and how long?” Williams said. “They said they would like to start the process early to mid-winter.”

Working with Zack Blake, who said they could have the forecasting done within a month, which Williams said would be “perfect timing to really dive into the budgets in January/early February.”

He said the town would be looked at by the DLS and the Collins Center.

“We’re hoping we’ll have all these results back by the budget cycle, so if there are any recommendations, we can implement them,” Williams said in an interview with the Sentinel.

Lesa Lessard Pearson asked to what depth the study will go into, in the board’s Oct. 16 meeting.

“It’s not going to go down to teacher by teacher but understanding the auxiliary services. How deep can we go there? We have yet to determined,” she said. “That’s what we’re doing right now.”

Williams said the Collins Center is working on a detailed scope of work and the process takes some time.

Selectboard member Ron Aponte asked what the Collins Center study would cost. Lessard Pearson said the center is working on the scope first.

“We’re going to be working with them and they’ll take our input,” she said. “Then come up with what they believe is the best way to go about it.”

Selectboard Chair Ed Boscher said he believed it would be interested to have two studies simultaneously occurring.

“It cuts down on a lot of time, which is obviously pretty good,” he said. “I’m amazed the DLS folks are going to jump in at no cost.”