City Moves Forward With Sewer RFP

In the city's effort to explore more opportunities for shared services, the Department of Community Services has hired a consultant to conduct an RFP to study the possibility of sharing sewer services with the Borough of New Providence.

While the city is already sharing Department of Public Works equipment with Chatham Borough and New Providence, sharing sewer services is a little different.

Beth Kinney, director of the department of community programs, said sharing would involve equipment but more importantly resources and expertise.

"We outsource out sewer pump maintenance," she said. "We have a staff that does routine cleanings. But New Providence has a sewage treatment plant of sorts. They can hold it, treat it, and release it."

While it's not a full-blown sewage treatment facility she said, New Providence does have staff with special certifications that would be beneficial to the city to access.

"We have been looking at all of our services to see if there are opportunities for outsourcing, shared services or to do it better internally," Kinney said.