1. Background

Staff and Structure: This program began in approximately 1992. It is supervised by the County Commissioners and managed by Mr. William Weigle. The Program is also supported by the Commissioners' staff. They provide all of the administrative support, including answering phones, drafting letters, sending and receiving mail, billing, budgeting, acting as liaison between the program and its clients, the towns, cities, and other participating entities, and providing all bookkeeping services, such as maintaining daily ledgers. The County Treasurer's Office also provides indirect in-kind support through management of the accounts and budget and payment of expenses.

Service: The Surplus Property Program has enabled Berkshire towns, cities, and eligible not-for-profit entities to acquire a large variety of items through the Federal Surplus Property Program. Such items include but are not limited to: ambulances, ladders, furnaces, hand tools, snow removal equipment, electrical generators, pick-up trucks, dump trucks, tree removal equipment, emergency drinking water storage and transport units, blankets, clothing, computers, desks, office equipment, and photocopying machines. A more detailed list of equipment purchased through the program, which was drafted by Mr. Weigle, is attached as Exhibit A.

The items purchased through this program are usually bought for 1% to 8% of the Federal Government's original purchase price, and almost never greater than 10%. The equipment is usually in excellent working condition, after having for the most part been kept in storage and not used, in preparation for some sort of an emergency. Service participation is based on responses that towns and cities provide to an annual memorandum asking towns for their "wish list" of surplus property items and responses to notices regarding specific pieces of property that are offered to all towns and cities on a first-come-first-serve basis.

In order to purchase property from the Federal Surplus Property Program Mr. Weigle had to receive clearance from the Federal Government, which is required of all persons who purchase directly or act as purchasing agents in this program. These people are known as "screeners." Mr. Weigle and Geoff Rogers from Hampshire County are presently the only active screeners in the State. With this clearance Mr. Weigle is permitted to enter upon military bases and other locations where surplus property is sold. Such sales occur on average approximately one to two times per month. At these sales, Mr. Weigle employs his extensive military experience and mechanical knowledge to assess the quality of pieces of equipment that may meet the needs of towns, cities, or other qualified entities. If the equipment is deemed desirable, Mr. Weigle arranges for the purchase and handles the transportation of this equipment from the location of the sale to the purchasing party.

2. Actual Service Usage

It is difficult to assess precisely actual service usage because of the lack of documentation regarding participation. Nevertheless, attached as Exhibit A is a detailed list prepared by Mr. Weigle identifying some of the more substantial items of property purchased by towns, cities, and other participants. Also, other County records reveal that at least the following towns and cities and other groups purchased property within the last two years: 1999 - Egremont, Florida, Lee, Mt. Washington, Tyringham; 1998 - Clarksburg, Egremont, Gt. Barrington, Hoosac Water Quality Dist., Lee, Mt. Washington, Richmond, Tyringham, Williamstown.

In assessing service usage, it is also noteworthy that in 1997 the Berkshire County Task Force survey found that fifteen of the thirty two towns and cities indicated support for the Surplus Property Program. County records also showed in 1997 that thirty-two towns and cities had participated in the program.

3. Service Costs and Funding

Aside from the administrative and supervisory support provided by the Comissioners' staff and the County Treasurers' Office, this service is self-supporting. The cost of these contributions is very difficult to quantify. A reasonable estimate, however, of the time they spend per year performing the services described above equals 80 hours per year for the Commissioners' staff and 30 hours per year for the County Treasurers' Office.

For the last two fiscal years the Surplus Property Program has received an annual budget allocation of $300.00 to meet certain of the expenses incurred by Mr. Weigle.

Mr. Weigle works on a volunteer basis at no cost for his services to the client or the County. The costs that he incurs to coordinate the purchase and transport of a piece of equipment (phone, mileage, and lodging) are paid for directly by the purchasing entity.

It is important to note, however, that Mr. Weigle has stated that after the demise of County government he will no longer manage this program on a volunteer basis. He has suggested, however, that he would consider continuing to manage the program if he were compensated in some fashion for his services. Mr. Weigle is not able to document or state with reliable accuracy the amount of time for which he would have to be compensated if he were to continue managing this program in the future. He did say, however, that he spends on average approximately one to two days a week managing the program. Approximately three to four days of his time may be directly associated with the procurement, purchase, and transport of a specific item of property for a client.

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