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Hernando Today

County Unveils Reorganization Plan

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: January 23, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - A plan to streamline Hernando County government will go before county commissioners Tuesday.

Crafted by County Administrator David Hamilton, that plan is dependent in large part on a new organizational flow chart headed up by an eight-person leadership team, which will meet regularly to recommend policy improvements and facilitate communication among all other government departments.

And the watchword of Hamilton's plan is government transparency.

The reorganization plan, obtained by Hernando Today one day before its formal unveiling, also invites Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent and Circuit Court Clerk Karen Nicolai to be part of the leadership team.
County Commission Chairman David Russell calls Hamilton's reorganization plan "a quantum leap forward in policy execution" and coordination of government resources.

Russell believes the plan, which must be formally ratified by all five county commissioners, will get a "slam-dunk" approval.

If Hernando County had such a leadership team process in place these past decades, it would have gone along way in solving the glitches in continuity as the county went through several administrators and new elected board members, he said.

Hamilton said the current model of having 24 separate county divisions is "unworkable in a county that now serves 165,000 citizens."

The proposed model has 10 divisions, two comprised of invited elected constitutional officers Nugent and Nicolai and the remaining eight people assigned responsibilities led by a department manager.

Hamilton would chair all meetings.

The members of the leadership team, their area of focus and some of the departments they would be responsible for are:

•Deputy County Administrator Larry Jennings, administrative services (budget, purchasing, technology);

•Health and Human Services Director Jean Rags, community services (code compliance, library, veterans);

•Office of Business Development Director Mike McHugh, development services (airport, tourism, economic development);

•Utilities Director Joe Stapf, environmental services (recycling, solid waste, energy);

•Hernando County Fire Rescue District Chief Michael Nickerson, fire rescue services (hazardous materials, emergency medical, fire prevention);

•Department of Public Works Director-County Engineer Charles Mixson, transportation services (fleet, mosquito control, facilities);

•Planning Department Director Ron Pianta, land services (parks-recreation-waterways, public lands, transportation planning);

•Human Resources Director Cheryl Marsden, staffing services (staffing, recruitment, risk management).

The goal of the leadership team is to share resources across organizational lines, enhance service and reduce costs.

"Given the immense challenges of our local, state and national economy, this fundamental goal will be paramount to our work plans for the next several years," Hamilton said.

Based on preliminary meetings, the leadership team has already identified 10 issues it needs to focus on and bring before county commissioners for debate: the current budget shortfall; rightsizing government; motivation and staff morale, the county's limerock road policy; a strategic infrastructure plan; impact fee revisions; the final phase of a fire services master plan; state cost shifts; debt service; debt rating; and county jail options.

The plan doesn't mention employee layoffs, except to say a part of cost reductions could translate into early leave incentive plans to reduce staff.

It also says that later this year, all eight divisional managers' job descriptions will be rewritten to include their new assignments and placed in a revised pay grid along with all county employees.

Morris Porton, co-chairman of the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce, said he expects commissioners to go into greater detail about staffing levels because streamlining generally means a reduction in work force to save money.

"I'm assuming that by streamlining, they expect positions to be eliminated or some positions retitled," said Porton, who is also senior vice president-Hernando County executive for Florida Traditions Bank.

Porton said the leadership team should also bring more accountability and efficiency because there will be designated people responsible for certain areas of expertise.

Porton believes the plan - which is similar to larger company flow charts - will work if the unity and willingness to participate is there.

"As long as they have the right people in the right slots, it certainly makes for a happier work environment," he said.

Nugent said he would welcome being part of Hamilton's leadership team. As an elected Constitutional officer, Nugent said he is independent from the county departments and would serve more in an advisory role.

But it will allow him to be privy to any changes or policy decisions early in the process.

For example, when the county recently upgraded its telephone system software, the sheriff's office was locked out for a time until it was fixed.

From Hamilton's perspective, it should be easier working with only eight individual directors than the current 24 managers, Nugent said.

Nicolai said she is also on board with the team.

"I am very pleased that they asked us," she said.

Nicolai said there are many finance-related issues - such as impact fees - that her office can advise the team on and she welcomes being part of the discussion.

County Commissioner Rose Rocco called the plan "a work in progress."

"For the most part, it looks OK," she said. "But I want to really see how it's going to structure itself. There may be changes that may come up later if it doesn't work."

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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