Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/289950
• Shifting the responsibility of sustainability programs into the University of Florida/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Sarasota County Extension. • Including the Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) Department (along with Public Utilities, Public Works and Planning and Development Services) in the Community Development/Infrastructure group under Assistant County Administrator Mark Cunningham. • M o v i n g t h e C o m m i s s i o n S e r v i c e s , Enterprise Information Technology and Human Resources departments, along with the Office of Financial Management, into the Administrative Services group under Acting Assistant County Administrator Steve Botelho. • Grouping Health and Human Services; Libraries and Historical Resources; P a r k s a n d R e c r e a t i o n ; E m e r g e n c y Services; Sarasota County Extension and Sustainability; and Homeless Services under the Community Services group adminis- tered by Assistant County Administrator Lee Ann Lowery. • Realigning the Office of Business and Economic Development so it directly reports to the county administrator. EARLIER STEPS Harmer's first personnel action as county administrator was naming Steve Botelho act- ing assistant county administrator, effective Feb. 24. Botelho was the county's chief finan- cial management officer. Harmer announced the appointment during a county budget workshop on Feb. 21. Exactly a month later, on March 21, Harmer appointed Isaac Brownman as the county's public works director, effective March 24. The news release announcing that deci- sion said Brownman will "continue to oversee Capital Projects as part of the Public Works Department and [he] will also over- see Transportation & Real Estate, General Services and Field Services." REID'S FIRST DECISIONS Harmer's hiring as deputy county administra- tor in July 2012 was among former County Administrator Randall Reid's first public deci- sions. Reid started working for the county in late January 2012. At the same time Reid announced that news, he also made public his appointment of Botelho as chief financial planning officer. Slightly more than a month later, on Aug. 22, 2012, Reid told the commission during a regular meeting that the new organizational structure he was proposing would be based on multiple assistant managers, similar to the organizations of former county administra- tors Jim Ley and John Wesley White, the news release said. He added that he would create groups of directors and managers focused on common tasks and responsibilities, with oversight of each group by an assistant county administrator. According to the chart he sent to county employees with the electronic letter on March 25, Harmer has maintained that organiza- tional concept. % Sarasota News Leader April 4, 2014 Page 22