Shared Services / Consolidation

WGL attorneys have significant experience advising on legal issues in connection with shared services/consolidation matters. Members of WGL have been involved with shared services/consolidation in their legal careers and in previous employment in the public sector. Our experience includes advising on:

  • County, city, town, and village relationship matters
  • Consolidation of water and sewer districts
  • Establishment of solid waste systems
  • Negotiating water rights between municipalities

Representative engagements include advising:

Orange County, New York in connection with finding ways to increase treatment capacity for its only sewer district by at least three million gallons a day without significantly raising costs. We analyzed numerous existing agreements between affected municipalities as well as a controlling agreement between the sewer district and municipalities falling outside the district for their wastewater treatment needs. Analyzing the relevant agreements, we summarized a comprehensive legal framework through which the County could proceed with the engineering firm’s practical recommendations.

Nassau County, New York in connection with the negotiation of an inter-municipal agreement with the City of Long Beach. With appropriate financing, the intent of the City (population 33,000) and the County was to transfer ownership of the City’s collection, treatment, and distribution system to the County and the County Sewer and Stormwater Authority. WGL advised on complex issues involving the transfer of land, buildings, and equipment, allocation of environmental liability, and the ability of the City to merge into an existing Zone of Assessment of the Sewer Authority, the levying of sewer rates, and charges to cover necessary capital expenses.

Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority, New York in connection with the consolidation of solid waste and recyclables collection services with the towns and villages located within the County.

Lemon-Tunkhannock Joint Municipal Sewer Authority, Pennsylvania in connection with the implementation of a DEP-mandated Act 537 Plan involving the design and construction of $9 million sewer system for the Lake Carey area. The Lake Carey area spans two Townships, which triggers a number of issues with respect to inter-municipal cooperation.