Most people learn the value of cooperation in grade school — but for cities the word can mean anything from sharing resources to ideas.
Hillsboro has a relationship with Peabody providing its water and sometimes working with Peabody employees on electric issues, Hillsboro city administrator Larry Paine said.
“It’s important, particularly as it’s harder to find employees with the right levels of training in both areas,” he said.
There are drawbacks to sending city workers to assist in neighboring communities, though, Paine said.
“If we were out of town helping another community and needed somebody to respond to a current Hillsboro issue then it would take us some time to get there,” he said. “On the other hand, our collaboration processes give us the ability to have good relationships with the working staff. It opens up the door.”
Making an effort to collaborate becomes more important the smaller a city is because there are fewer resources at that community’s disposal, Florence city councilman Ken Hoffman said.
(Read more: Marion County RECORD)