Town’s Division of Streetlighting Saves More Than $300,000

AUGUST 15, 2006, FARMINGVILLE, NY- Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley and Councilwoman Carol A. Bissonette announced today that the new ServiceStat program installed by the Foley team had identified an excessive use of contractors that was corrected, saving more than $300,000 for town taxpayers this year alone.

“This is one of the first examples of how ServiceStat is saving taxpayer money and provide better service for the residents of Brookhaven Town,” said Supervisor Foley. “ServiceStat is a management approach that will support, expedite, and power the process of cleaning up town government. It is based on a simple central premise: Data doesn’t lie, and what gets measured, gets done.”

“By relying on our own qualified employees instead of outside contractors, we are working smarter and in a more financially conservative manner,” said Councilwoman Bissonette. “The dollars saved in efforts such as this can be more efficiently applied and provide expanded services in other areas for our residents.”

The departments included in the initial phase of the implementation of ServiceStat are Parks, Waste Management, Building & Fire Prevention, and the Division of Streetlighting. An intense effort to kick off the implementation of the program has been underway for two months.

It was in the Division of Streetlighting that the gathering of performance data as part of the ServiceStat procedure revealed an excessive use of contract agencies for maintenance of lights and tree trimming.

Careful review of current staff prompted the promotion of existing employees into job titles that permitted them to do the work that in the past had been farmed out to contractors at great expense. Last year, the town spent $323,000 for contractors to do routine maintenance on lights around town. This year, the town has spent $71,000 for contractors to work on lights and expects to spend little more unless there is an unforeseen emergency, such as a hurricane. That represents a savings of a quarter of a million dollars.

Additionally, the town last year spent over $74,000 for outside contractors to perform preventative tree trimming. This year, the Department of Streetlighting has had its own employees do the trimming and they have eliminated the outside costs, a savings of more than $74,000.

No additional employees have been added; all the work has been done in-house with existing staff. In another cost-saving conservation measure, the town has embarked on a 3-year, $1 million capital project to upgrade almost 6,000 streetlights to more energy efficient lighting. The end result of this project will be a savings of more than $450,000 per year. The first phase of this project is underway and should be completed by year’s end. This will result in saving taxpayers more than $250,000 this year.

“The Supervisor and the Councilwoman have asked me to do everything I can to make sure Brookhaven Town residents get the best services available at the lowest possible cost,” said Jim LaCarrubba, Commissioner of the Department of Aviation and Transportation.
“I expect to see similar savings and improvement in service in the other departments in which ServiceStat has been introduced,” said Supervisor Foley. “It is quite simply best practices, state-of-the-art government at work. That is what I promised the people of Brookhaven Town, and I am delivering on that promise.”

Here’s how ServiceStat works. Departments gather data on performance measures. ServiceStat analysts review the data. A memo analyzing the data then is prepared for review by the Supervisor's Office and Town Council liaison.

On a regular basis, department managers will answer questions in an accountability session held by the ServiceStat Team and the Supervisor's Office. The meeting allows for instant accountability and cuts through bureaucracy as managers can make immediate decisions based on the data presented in preparation for the accountability session.
Immediately after the accountability session, a follow-up memo is sent detailing specific actions that will be taken to achieve the goals that have been identified.

“ServiceStat is revolutionizing the way town government does business,” said Supervisor Foley. “This is just the beginning. It will take time, energy, and persistence to implement these management changes. We are undertaking a comprehensive and relentless effort to bring accountability and results-oriented government to Brookhaven.  ServiceStat will drive our effort to clean up government, save taxpayer dollars, and improve Town services.”

Office of the Supervisor
One Independence Hill • Farmingville • NY 11738 • Phone (631) 451-6955 • Fax (631) 451-6677