Sarasota County Restructures Public Works Staff

The shake-up continues at the Sarasota County Administration Building as County Administrator Randall Reid announced major staff changes Monday.

"While I believe we are a sound organization overall, there are changes in our organizational structure that we feel are necessary to restore confidence and address the challenges ahead," Reid wrote in an email to staff. "We recognize that past efforts to consolidate services under the Operations and Maintenance Business Center have not been totally successful and this area has been undergoing administrative review. Initially, we are focusing on realigning workflow and skills within Operations and Maintenance, Environmental Utilities and Public Works."

The new arm of county government is called the Capital Assets Group, creating a more robust version of the Public Works Department and related areas.

Reid released the changes, which are effective Oct. 1, in an email to staff Monday morning and includes the following:

• Executive Director of Public Works Jim Harriott will lead the Capital Assets Group as the county’s Chief Engineer. 
• Ed Gable will join the county on Nov. 5 and will oversee the Facilities department, which includes general services, maintenance and planning, as well as fleet, horticulture and support. Gable has a Bachelor of Building Construction from the University of Florida, as well as 20 years of experience managing facilities and similar functions for Alachua County School Board.
• Operations and Maintenance Director Dave Cash will be in a new role to oversee the Asset Management Stormwater/Utilities Renewal & Replacement Program.
• Environmental Utilities Director Theresa Connor, P.E., will resign as of Nov. 16 "to pursue other professional opportunities." She will assit the new Capital Assets Group until her resignation.  .
• Roger Rasbury and Spencer Anderson will continue to manage Capital Projects and Field Services, respectively.
• Gary Bennett will serve as director of Environmental Utilities on an interim basis
• Clarke Davis will serve as direcotr of the Transportation group on an interim basis.

Reid wrote that Cash's job to supervise the Asset Management Stormwater/Utilities Renewal & Replacement Program will try to figure out a sound plan to upgrade the county's aging and failing stormwater and sewer pipes.

It's all a part of moving on from the days of County Administrator Jim Ley and the purchasing controversy that caused the county to reconsider how it does business and who's in charge of the business.

Commissioner Joe Barbetta likes what Reid is doing with the changes, The Herald-Tribune reports:

“It was always a concern that Jim Ley had created some departments that were top heavy or too much for one guy to handle,” Barbetta said. “It’s obvious that some of us have become frustrated with some of the things that we’ve seen over the past few years and that’s why Ley’s not here anymore.”

Wednesday's County Commissioners agenda includes an introduction of more changes to the county procurement code. County staff will present six major points of a revamped procurement code that includes responsibilities, protocal for suspensions and mishandling of procurement contracts and ethics standards.

The new code will be officially presented at the Oct. 24 meeting and be sent out for public hearing.