Streamlining Plan Gets Airing Tuesday

Formal discussion of County Administrator David Hamilton's government reorganization plan will take place at Tuesday's county commission meeting.

The board will have had a few days to digest the streamlining plan, which involves the paring down of departments headed by an eight-member divisional leadership team.

The team would recommend policy improvements and facilitate communication among departments.

Hernando County Sheriff Richard Nugent and Circuit Court Clerk Karen Nicolai have accepted invitations to be part of the team.

If approved Tuesday, the team concept would replace what Hamilton calls the current unworkable model of having 24 separate county divisions.

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.

The reorganization plan is scheduled to come up late in the meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St. in downtown Brooksville.

Also at Tuesday's meeting:

•Board members will vote on whether to adopt a policy establishing two standing committees: one that will address budget-finance, the other business-economic development.

•County commissioners are scheduled to discuss the county's tuition reimbursement policy.

To be eligible, the person must be a regular full-time and regular part-time employee. The policy defines a regular part-time employee as "an employee regularly scheduled for 30 or more hours per week and eligible for benefits."