Office locations for the Harford County Department of Community Services have been consolidated by the administration of Harford County Executive Barry Glassman to bring nearly all the department’s divisions under one roof in Bel Air.
The consolidation, completed earlier this month, reduced the department’s three office locations to two, allowing the county to end lease and utility payments at 319 S. Main St. for a total annual savings of $105,049, according to a news release.
Staff formerly at 319 S. Main, including the Office of Drug Control Policy, have joined nearly all of the other Department of Community Services divisions at 125 N. Main St. The department’s remaining division, the Office on Aging, is within walking distance at its longtime home at 145 N. Hickory Ave.
“We’re following through on a recommendation by my transition team to save money and improve efficiencies by reducing lease payments and placing departmental staff together whenever possible,” Glassman said in the release. “In the case of community services, we were also able to provide greater convenience for citizens accessing multiple programs.”
The Department of Community Services serves the needs of Harford seniors, youth, persons with disabilities and those struggling to overcome addiction.
“The space at 125 N. Main allows for private meetings with families or other members of the public, and we are also fortunate to share the building with Core Service Agency, the county’s lead agency on mental health,” Community Services Director Amber Shrodes said. “Overall, this consolidation will allow us to streamline communications, improve our productivity and enhance services for our citizens.”
