In an effort to save taxpayer money, the city and school department have intensified talks to combine services.

The Rhode Island Public Expenditures Council Report, completed in early 2006, recommended merging the city and school department information technology departments, as well as combination of municipal and school maintenance departments.

A committee to implement the findings was formed, but so far no action has been taken. Late last week, Mayor Scott Avedisian and School Committee Chairman Christopher Friel announced that two, six-member committees, one to study IT department mergers and another to study maintenance department mergers, have been formed.

In one month, each committee will report on whether consolidations are feasible.

“We all know that it is in our collective best interests to try to work together whenever possible,” said Friel.

There is currently pending legislation, sponsored by Senate Finance Chairman Daniel Daponte (D-East Providence), which passed the Senate, and is currently in the House of Representatives, that would force school departments and municipalities to merge services over a certain timeline. Even if that legislation doesn’t pass this year, it will likely pass in an upcoming session.

“I think everyone is saying let’s see if we can get ahead of the curve here,” said Avedisian, with respect to consolidation.

The committee to study the combination of the school department’s and city’s information technology departments will be made up of Councilman Steven A. Colantuono (R-Ward 1), School Committee member Paul Cannistra, City Finance Director Ernest Zmyslinski, School Business Manager Leonard Flood, City MIS Director Dean Kosaka and School IT Director Diane Silvia.

The school department has argued in the past that the federal E-rate, which reimburses school departments for technology costs, would be endangered by consolidation. Avedisian pointed out that several other municipalities have overcome the obstacle, and said the committee would investigate that issue.

The committee to investigate whether savings can be achieved by merging the city’s public works department and the school department’s maintenance department will be comprised of Friel, Councilman Raymond Gallucci (D-Ward 8), School Compliance Officer Rosemary Healy, City Personnel Director Oscar Shelton, Dave LaPlante of the school’s maintenance division and David Picozzi, director of the city’s department of public works.

Cheryl Nickerson, president of Warwick Independent School Employees (WISE) union, is not happy about the makeup of the committee.

“I should be on that committee,” said Nickerson.

“They shouldn’t be discussing our jobs without union input.”

Nickerson is an opponent of consolidation if it would cost the WISE union members their jobs.

There is a provision in the WISE union’s contract, which expired over three years ago, which prohibits work currently being done by WISE Union employees to be done by people not in that bargaining unit.

Avedisian said that Nickerson would not be on the committee, but that her input will be solicited. The mayor said there was concern about the committee becoming too large.

“She’s going to have to be part of the discussion. The committee is what it is, but there will be plenty of other people they’ll talk to,” said Avedisian.