Council Approves Amendment to Shared Services Agreement with Chatham Borough, New Providence

The Common Council approved an amendment to a shared services agreement with the Boroughs of Chatham and New Providence.

The three municipalities have been looking to share Department of Public Works vehicles, equipment and manpower for at least two years, Mayor Jordan Glatt said.

The amendments, propsed by New Providence, are considered minor, said Steve Murphy, councilman at large, and include a year-long term for the agreement which will be automatically renewed unless one of the municipalities involved wants out, language requiring proper training for staff that will be using the shared equipment, and a requirement that shared items be returned to lendor before being lent out to another town.

"I think this is where we need to start going,"Murphy said. "This resolution moves Summit in the right direction."

While the three departments have already been unofficially sharing some equipment and services, Glatt said the formal agreement took time because the cross-county aspect of the agreement complicated things slightly. The only other cross-county shared services agreement Summit currently participates in is between the fire departments of Summit and Millburn.

However, Chatham Township and Millburn are also reportedly interested in participating in this shared services agreement as well.