Jail costs coming in less than estimated

Because jail costs are coming in less than anticipated for the first two months of this fiscal year, the county's purchasing director said the jail budget should realize a $412,787 decrease, bringing the total budged amount down from $11.3 million to roughly $10.9 million.

James Gantt said the savings were realized from a decreased prisoner population in October and November (the first two months of the 2009-10 fiscal year) and a reduction in the daily inmate per diem rate from $59.46 to $53.

Gantt cautioned the lower costs are contingent on all factors staying the same from now until October, the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year.

"That (savings) is a snapshot based on two months," Gantt said.

Gantt will present his findings to county commissioners when they meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St. in downtown Brooksville.

Also Tuesday:

•County Engineer Charles Mixson will ask commissioners to award contracts totaling $35,325 to demolish 12 homes along Elgin Boulevard, Woodridge Lane and Chamberlain Street and remove eight others from Elgin and Tanner Road.

This is part of the project to widen Elgin Boulevard from the end of the existing four-lane roadway at Village Van Gogh, westward to Mariner Boulevard. The houses that the county has acquired must be removed prior to roadway construction

•Mixson will also present a revised method of treating various limerock roads in the county.

As part of the county's capital improvement program, commissioners in October approved spending $390,000 per year for the next five years for dust control on limerock roads.Eligible roads were analyzed and prioritized according to certain criteria.

At the time, Mixson and his staff believed that dust would be controlled by application of a surface treatment called chip and seal.

But after reviewing annual contracts and cost figures, Mixson has come up with different treatment options that he will discuss with the board Tuesday.

To view the entire agenda, visit http://hernandocountyfl.iqm2.com/citizens/ and click on the Dec. 15 meeting.