A team charged with evaluating the efficiency of Anne Arundel County functions has released its first set of recommendations — a list that includes outsourcing Anne Arundel’s animal shelter and asking government agencies to bid some of their services alongside private industry.

The Commission on Government Innovation and Effectiveness recently presented its preliminary report to County Executive Steve Schuh, who said in a statement he would evaluate the suggestions over the summer “to determine how to best ensure an efficient county government for our citizens.”

Schuh formed the commission in December with the goal of conducting a “wholesale review of every department and operation” to find opportunities to reduce budget costs and limit expansion of the government’s workforce by contracting with the private sector where it would be cost-effective to do so.

The nine-member group, which includes several former state and county government officials as well as local businesspeople, found overall that county departments are performing well given their resources.

The report notes that “the need to pay market rates combined with profit requirements is likely to make county-offered services more cost-effective.”

Claire Louder, the commission’s executive director, said the commission is recommending side-by-side bidding only for government functions that are not considered fundamental — police services and zoning inspections, for example, would not be bid out.

Louder said having departments produce bids for some services they traditionally have performed in-house would give the county a clear cost comparison between government and private business.

“It seems like a lot of our agencies are doing a really good job,” she said, but “taxpayers think there’s a lot of inefficiency in government. We didn’t find that, but if you stack it against the private sector then you settle the question, because these things get brought up again and again.”

One area where the commission saw an opportunity for divestiture is the county’s animal shelter services.

While commissioners recommend retaining police department control over animal control — which involves responding to dangerous animal cases and checking up on animal welfare — they suggested that the county explore transferring its shelter services to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a nonprofit focused on caring for abandoned pets.

If the county decides to pursue the idea, there would likely be a transitional period during which the SPCA receives county money to support the higher volume of cases, Louder said.

County spokesman Owen McEvoy said the county might also offer a building for the shelter.

“The devil’s always in the details with something like this,” he said. “The idea is that the county would save money in the long run.”

Some commissioners still have concerns about the SPCA’s ability to handle the county shelter’s work, according to the report, which noted the transition would mean a quadrupling of operations for the nonprofit. Representatives of the Anne Arundel County SPCA did not respond to requests for comment.

Other recommendations include:

Outsourcing basic fleet maintenance functions, such as oil changes, to lessen capacity issues at county garages. The commission also recommended replacing county-maintained parts shops with a private, on-site company.

Consolidating transportation services offered by the Health Department and Department of Aging and Disability and hiring a mobility manager to connect people with rides.

Contracting out all of the county’s landscaping and grounds maintenance services. McEvoy said county landscaping employees would be transferred to facilities maintenance if Schuh takes the suggestion.

Increasing grant funding for the county’s stormwater remediation “pay for performance” program from $5 million to $10 million. The program, launched last summer, offers money to private companies who can complete watershed improvement projects.

The commission’s report also notes areas already found to be cost-effective for the county:

Commissioners said Anne Arundel should continue to own buildings rather than leasing government space; they calculated renting could lead to more than $60 million in additional costs over 20 years.

The Department of Recreation and Parks’ child care programs are fully paid for by parent fees and yield about $650,000 a year in profit. Anne Arundel’s two equestrian centers also turn a small profit, according to the report.

While the county already contracts out much of its custodial services, commissioners discouraged outsourcing the remaining custodial staff, which is able to handle snow removal and after-hours cleaning.

While surrounding counties have contracted with private business for risk management services, the county’s in-house risk management division has proven to cost less, according to the report — risk management costs about $39 per employee in Anne Arundel, compared with $130 to $162 per employee in nearby jurisdictions.

The commission’s next meeting is July 19. Members plan to look next at outsourcing recruiting services, particularly for specialty fields; offering naming rights to county parks and recreational facilities; and using technology to more efficiently complete processes such as employee timesheet submissions and tracking workers’ compensation claims.

ayeager@capgaznews.com