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Fairfield Township departments outline cost‑cutting steps and operational changes
Summary
Township department heads reported multiple cost‑saving measures — from cancelling subscriptions and renegotiating service contracts to internalizing maintenance tasks — and administrators said they will pursue additional reviews including health insurance options and potential disposal or sale of an underused fire station.
Department leaders and the administrator used the Aug. 14 meeting to summarize ongoing and proposed cost‑saving actions across township operations.
Police, fire and administrative staff described several measures already implemented or under review to reduce operating costs. Examples discussed included shifting training in‑house, negotiating lower rates for vehicle maintenance and equipment, eliminating or reducing subscriptions and service plans (including a vehicle maintenance tracking program and certain data plans), cancelling or not renewing outside policy‑management subscriptions, adjusting contracts with service vendors and trimming third‑party contracts such as shredding and linen services where feasible.
The fire department reported reductions in outside training and subscriptions and said it is evaluating whether certain dashboard subscriptions and other line items can be provided in alternate ways. The police department described overtime‑saving practices, use of partnered training programs, removal of tuition reimbursement from the collective‑bargaining agreement (noted as part of earlier contract negotiations) and other measures to limit overtime and external costs.
Administrator Dempsey said staff are also evaluating broader measures: consolidating vendor work into public works where practical (for example, median maintenance and mowing), reviewing the storage/scanning vendor arrangement and finishing a records‑scanning backlog, and exploring health‑insurance options — including shopping brokers or considering self‑insurance — with an intention to have a recommendation to the board before year end. She noted the township is assessing costs related to an unused fire station on Kalishville and said options include demolition or sale.
No formal board decisions were made at the meeting on policy changes; staff reported ongoing reviews and said follow‑up proposals would be brought to the board as options are developed.
