Department Transfer Up For Formal Vote

County commissioners on Tuesday are expected to approve an interlocal agreement that will transfer daily oversight of the emergency management department to the sheriff's office.

Also at that meeting, the board will consider appointing Cecilia Patella as the county's permanent emergency management director. Patella has served as interim director since June.

If approved, the sheriff's office will assume responsibility for all existing emergency management operations, including the department's five employees, equipment, budgets and purchasing.

Department personnel would continue to write grants pertaining to the emergency management field. However, all other grant-writing duties would revert back to the county.

County Administrator David Hamilton said the transfer - to take effect Jan. 1, 2009 - makes sense because the goals of the sheriff's office and emergency management are identical and both departments are physically co-located at the Emergency Operations Center off the State Road 50 truck route.

The county commission meeting begins at 9 a.m. tomorrow at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St. in downtown Brooksville.

Also on the agenda:

• Commissioners will consider paying Charles and Barbara Jean Bogner, who live off Elgin Boulevard, $283,000 to cover the purchase and all closing costs of their home and property.

The purchase includes the lot and a 1,390-square-foot home with recent improvements.

The owners, through an attorney, had demanded $460,000. But the county negotiated the lower price, which also includes the costs of moving expenses for the Bogners and other fees.

The county has been acquiring properties along Elgin Boulevard in preparation for the widening of the road. Negotiated homeowner settlements have averaged from the mid-$100,000 range to $300,000, depending on the square footage of the house and other property amenities.

In all, 34 properties must be acquired on the north side of Elgin.

• Bright House Networks will formally announce the following changes to its channel lineup: MOJO on HD PAK channel 703 will be replaced with the Hallmark Movie Channel HD; CBS College Sports will launch on digital channel 139; Elections '08 On Demand, channel 888, will cease programming; Versus-Golf HD channel 729 will be replaced with Versus HD and the Golf Channel will be available on channel 737.

• The county will consider an official notice of protest letter from the Hernando County Fair Association's Joy Jackson objecting to the Florida State Fair Authority's intent to extend its annual event by six days beyond its current closing on President's Day.

Such a move - planned for 2010 - would cause surrounding counties to change their fair schedule which could affect vendors, exhibitors and patrons at the Hernando County Fair & Youth Livestock Show, according to Jackson.