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No Deal Yet On Dept. Transfer

By MICHAEL D. BATES

Published: September 22, 2008

Updated: 09/21/2008 09:50 pm

BROOKSVILLE -

The county had hoped to reach an agreement by now to transfer the duties and operations of the county's Emergency Management Department over to the sheriff's office.
However, the county is "not in a position to do so at this time," County Administrator David Hamilton says in a Sept. 18 memo to county commissioners.
"Although we have covered much ground in the process, the remaining outstanding issues relate to an agreed-upon format for a detailed budget, a list of specific duties and responsibilities that would be transferred and the availability of key staff that would work jointly in a model of shared services," Hamilton said.
While negotiations continue, the status quo will be observed with Interim Emergency Management Director Cecilia Patella and her staff.
Hamilton will present a formal discussion on the matter at Tuesday's county commission meeting.
The department was rocked in May when former director Tom Leto was fired after a sheriff's investigation and a county audit revealed questionable management practices.
The county commission meeting is at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St. in downtown Brooksville.
Also at that meeting, county commissioners will discuss:
A request from County Fire Chief Michael Nickerson to approve an interlocal agreement for the shared use of the Brooksville Fire Station by the city of Brooksville and the county for the next 25 years.
County commissioners and Brooksville city council members adopted an upgraded mutual aid agreement in February that provides automatic fire services between both fire departments.
That agreement resulted in the Brooksville Fire Department moving its dispatch over to the Hernando County emergency dispatch center.
Nickerson said the spirit of cooperation between both departments "has soared to unimaginable levels."
The promotional outreach program for THE Bus, Hernando County's mass transit system. The buses have routinely been provided for certain county events and it is necessary to prioritize requests for services annually and see if they are consistent with the budget.