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COOPERATION PLANNING GRANTS <br /> The Minnesota Legislature authorized Cooperation Planning Grants for local government units <br /> interested in developing plans for intergovernmental cooperation in the delivery of public <br /> services. The goal of a Cooperation Planning grant is to assist two or more local government <br /> units to achieve cost savings and/or improve service outcomes through joint service delivery. <br /> An objective of a Cooperation Planning grant is to develop a joint delivery system that can be <br /> easily replicated by other local government units. Therefore, a Cooperation Planning grant will <br /> include a work product describing the joint delivery system in a format that facilitates <br /> replication. <br /> Over the past decade, there has been a substantial increase in cooperative intergovernmental <br /> efforts for delivering public services. As a result, thousands of formal and informal <br /> intergovernmental cooperative service delivery systems are already in place. Many local <br /> governments have realized the significant benefits that can be attained through intergovernmental <br /> cooperation, often through economies of scale. <br /> A common example of improved services at lower cost through intergovernmental cooperation <br /> will better define the concept: <br /> Many cities and counties have entered into joint powers agreements for <br /> dispatching public safety services. Under such agreements, a centralized <br /> emergency communication center receives requests for public safety services and <br /> dispatches the appropriate emergency personnel. Utilizing a centralized <br /> communication center often reduces the cost of public safety dispatching services <br /> by eliminating the need for each participating local government to maintain its <br /> own 24-hour dispatching center. Centralized communication centers may be able <br /> to respond more quickly, allocate resources more effectively, afford more <br /> advanced equipment, pay higher salaries, and provide better training than <br /> independent centers. <br /> A Cooperation Planning grant would be appropriate for two or more applicants who are <br /> at the planning stage of developing their joint delivery of a service. <br />