TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Board OKs Transfer Of Emergency Management

ADVERTISEMENT

By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: December 3, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - In what the county's administrator called "a very important moment," the county commission on Tuesday approved a deal to hand over the emergency management department to the sheriff's office.

The board voted for the measure, which has been months in the making, after little discussion and high praise for the deal that they said would ensure the safety of the county's residents with the most efficient use of tax dollars.

"It's a win for us all," Commissioner James Adkins said.
County Administrator David Hamilton strongly recommended the plan, calling it "a very important moment" in the process to improve a department that had "problems of leadership." Former Emergency Management Director Tom Leto was fired May 9 after a sheriff's investigation and a county audit revealed questionable management practices.

"This has been a long process, but I think we've come up with a good agreement that really is in the best interests of this county," Sheriff Richard Nugent told the commission.

After the vote and a ceremonial signing, the board approved Nugent's recommendation to appoint Cecilia Patella to emergency management director.

Patella, who has been serving as interim director, will report to Bill Kicklighter, the sheriff's office director of information services, who in turn will report to Chief Deputy Mike Hensley and Nugent.

Nugent told the commission he was impressed by the department's five-person staff.

"We feel very comfortable with those folks in place, so we're looking forward to having them as part of our family," he said.

"Our mutual goals of protecting life and property will continue, and they will be seamless," Patella said.

There is no financial impact involved in the transfer. The county will shift the budget for the five emergency management employees to the sheriff's office budget.

Nugent stood firm on a couple of points during negotiations.

The agreement calls for the emergency management staffers to write their own grants. The county will keep all other grant writing responsibilities that had been put under the purview of the emergency management department.

The department also will hand back to the county its floodplain mitigation duties. Those tasks include making sure coastal homes are properly elevated, keeping track of land use issues and making sure projects are monitored for flood hazards.

Nugent said those responsibilities were too much for a five-person staff.

The official transfer becomes effective Jan. 1.

Board agrees to home purchase for Elgin widening

Also Tuesday, the board reluctantly agreed to pay more than twice the market value for a home on Elgin Boulevard to secure more right of way to widen the thoroughfare.

The county will pay $283,000 for the 28-year-old, 1,390 square-foot home owned by Charles and Barbara Bogner. The home's just market value is currently $106,000, according to the county property appraiser.

Assistant County Attorney Kurt Weissinger told the board that's "a fair negotiated price," especially since the homeowners and their attorneys initially wanted more than $400,000.

The Bogners are one of four other Elgin homeowners who hired a Tampa firm that specializes in eminent domain cases, Weissinger said. The sum agreed upon Tuesday includes attorney fees, closing costs and compensation for the homeowners' lost Save our Homes benefit, he said.

Perhaps most important, Weissinger told the board, the deal heads off an expensive and potentially unsuccessful court battle. He said the attorneys make a good argument that the county should give the homeowners the market value for the house as it stood two years ago, when the county began its process to acquire land.

The county has to date spent $4.3 million for property along the stretch of road and has to acquire 12 more parcels, eight with homes on them. County Engineer Charles Mixson said he's hopeful that can happen and construction can begin within the next 18 months.

Commissioner Jeff Stabins dissented in the 4 to 1 vote.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT