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Tuesday presentation in Potsdam, ‘Seneca Falls Experience,’ to focus on lessons learned there during dissolution

Posted 9/29/11

POTSDAM -- Seneca Falls Mayor Diana Smith and other officials involved in implementing the dissolution of the Seneca Falls village government will speak Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Village of …

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Tuesday presentation in Potsdam, ‘Seneca Falls Experience,’ to focus on lessons learned there during dissolution

Posted

POTSDAM -- Seneca Falls Mayor Diana Smith and other officials involved in implementing the dissolution of the Seneca Falls village government will speak Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Village of Potsdam Community Room, upstairs from the police station.

Davis, along with Administrator Connie Sowards and Village Attorney Paul Reichel, will present "The Seneca Falls Experience," focusing on the lessons learned thus far in the process of dissolving the 170-year-old Finger Lakes village of 7,000 residents.

According to Village of Potsdam Dissolution Study Committee Chair Tim Connolly, Mayor Smith maintains that often, shared services arrangement between municipalities can be just as beneficial in financial impact as dissolution, but without many of the related costs.

"While we're not for or against dissolution, we believe citizens should be completely informed, and understand the impacts and implications of such a significant decision," said Mayor Smith.

Smith, who is also a representative of engineering consulting firm MRB Group, is working on a project called Strategic Municipal Initiatives.

Reichel, of Bond, Schoeneck & King, brings his legal firm's experience from representing Seneca Falls throughout its dissolution.

According to Connolly, who invited the officials to speak, their objective is to assist municipalities in achieving efficiencies, and to ensure that communities are aware of shared services opportunities including the existing state incentives to pursue them.

"It's our hope to be able to help municipalities contemplating this weighty issue to identify the key impacts in their community. If dissolution is pursued, we have the experience to help sort through the mire of details that no plan can effectively address to the degree necessary. We've blazed that trail," Smith said.

"We commend Mr. Connolly for his efforts to continue to make sure citizens are well-informed," Smith said.