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Hernando Today

Housing Authority Seeks Director

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: July 30, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Wanted: housing authority executive director. Must be comfortable entering uncharted territory.

The Brooksville Housing Authority will soon place an ad seeking a director to lead the troubled organization. The authority's efforts to hammer out an agreement that would have the Hernando County Housing Authority take over operations could make the search a tricky proposition.

Because of that, any executive director hired today could face an uncertain future. The Brooksville authority has been in talks with its county counterparts and both sides agree a merger would be in the best interest of residents and taxpayers.

But it won't happen anytime soon, despite the Brooksville authority's hopes to avoid hiring a new director before the transition. The board fired former director Ronnie McLean in May. For now, a consultant hired by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is helping run the authority, but her contract ends Aug. 15.

John Niesz, a director in HUD's Jacksonville office, wrote a letter to Brooksville housing board Chairman Randy Woodruff last week asserting that a merger would not be appropriate now because the Hernando County authority must clear up its own troubled status. HUD funds and oversees both housing authorities.

The issue is a relatively minor one relating to incomplete forms, but it could take three months or more to remedy, county housing board member Anna Liisa Covell said.

"We have to get our own house in order first," Covell said.

Still, the county housing board voted last week to continue informal talks with the city authority to draft an agreement that could be ready when the time comes. The county board has said the agreement would have to free the county authority from any of the Brooksville authority's liability.

So now the Brooksville authority is ready to advertise for the position, Woodruff said. The authority will have to be candid with candidates about the situation, he said.

"We're going to be very upfront about what our intentions are so no one comes under false pretenses," he said.

Anyone hired now likely would remain on the job, perhaps in an assistant director position to county housing Director Donnie Singer, to help manage the authority after the agreement is enacted, Woodruff said.

Finding the right candidate might not be as difficult as expected, however. A handful of potential applicants in the Tampa Bay area who are familiar with the situation have already expressed interest, Woodruff said.

He declined to provide names but said at least one of the would-be applicants seemed "very qualified."

In the meantime, the Brooksville board will ask HUD for at least a 30-day contract extension so Brenda Williams, a consultant with SMART Inc. who has helped run the authority since McLean left, to stay on while the board goes through the hiring process.

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

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