Citizen Input May Be Tweaked

From the looks of the agenda, Tuesday's county commission meeting promises to be lengthy, especially given the gravity of several business items.

And one of the first items to be taken care of will be of particular concern to the public - their speaking time.

As part of a meeting restructuring plan to accommodate more business, county commissioners were advised to shorten the citizen input portion from 30 to 15 minutes.

But that will be up for discussion Tuesday. At least one commissioner, Jeff Stabins, has spoken against the measure.

So has Commissioner David Russell. And, as chairman of the regular meetings, Russell said he will press for unlimited public input, if he can reach agreement from his colleagues.

"If people have come to that meeting to speak they will be afforded the opportunity to do so, Russell said.

Russell said he will still ask that public comment be limited to three minutes per person.

Here's a look at a few of the other hot-ticket items on Tuesday's slate:

• Human Resources Director Cheryl Marsden will formally present an employee early leave incentive plan designed to save the county $500,000. The plan would initially be offered to some 116 employees making $50,000 or more annually.

One of the talking points may revolve around funding. Marsden said the money would come from the county's worker compensation fund. But Russell believes the county might have to tap its general fund reserve.

• The public will find out who will be appointed to serve on the county's new standing committees.

In all, 21 people submitted their names to sit on either the business and economic development committee or the budget and finance committee.

Only six will make the cut.

Each committee will have five members - two of whom will be county commissioners.

Both committees are scheduled to start meeting in March.

• As he does every year about this time, Budget Director George Zoettlein creates a calendar listing important workshops, public hearings and deadlines tied to the budget process.

This time, Zoettlein will present to the board his proposed fiscal year 2010 budget calendar.

• Tax crusader Linda Hayward has submitted a detailed list of nine questions she wants answered concerning expenditures from the county's workers' compensation fund and other concerns.

Commissioners have carved out a block of time on the agenda to provide those answers.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St. in downtown Brooksville.