[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6658102,"mediaKeyId","5030940-4cf0c0b05eebf14d0aeaf9fb3540a63c","parentId",5030940,"title","Sheriff and commissioners say infrastructure investments are vital to manage growth and sustain services","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",6868000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030940-4cf0c0b05eebf14d0aeaf9fb3540a63c&start=6868&end=6868","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030940-4cf0c0b05eebf14d0aeaf9fb3540a63c/thumbnail_6868000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6658102/Hernando-County/Florida/Sheriff-and-commissioners-say-infrastructure-investments-are-vital-to-manage-growth-and-sustain-services","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658102-54ad462181d880559b3cf7da73d45e03/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137060&Signature=B1LykId9U2mqLZ-6pBssIVCJtNkaawXOvE74jV7CYNfwboJQuOS0HgTFhZUbIIRquCxq9Qm4LPcSHXxxHp2q1O6Y3css6ZPMYDAn2~vcztySNiGCRToSAABHtH4NoST72ej8JP5kA-zE9hzNdE8quKEtUXJivlX9mcDfLmJfA1f4XDv5Lm-kzroE5iDWAMt8EI-ijEPc23cg~d6hcLMKIy-tu9NTXA1u5T1N2vrUPUjI9WI~JfnKWUDUlRuYYC2OgvUjfz0jeV7-PbQFj7qBjxqPKnhU8mzCmYZGEWIK4jyVlohVCYsYl1Mbey44LVmky3M7VQIKvbYJyFCRzeB70g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hernando County","date","2025-06-19T07:36:00Z","article","Multiple elected officials and the sheriff told Hernando County's strategic planning workshop on June 18 that investments in infrastructure are essential to manage growth, deliver public safety and support economic development.

Sheriff Al Neen urged the county to avoid \"management by crisis,\" saying short-term cuts that later require expensive fixes are costly in the long run. He highlighted the county's law enforcement academy and said local training pipelines have reduced turnover in detention and patrol ranks.

Commissioners and the county administrator discussed past attempts to secure dedicated local revenue for infrastructure. Commissioner comments and staff remarks noted that a surtax measure proposed to fund road and other infrastructure improvements failed at the ballot some months earlier, leaving the county to pursue other, more incremental funding sources such as grants, impact fees and enterprise revenue for utilities.

Board members emphasized the link between infrastructure and economic opportunity. Commissioner John Malakow and others said new businesses require water, sewer and road access; county leaders said site readiness, runway upkeep at the local airport and utility expansion all factor into attracting manufacturing, aerospace and technology investment.

Several commissioners and staff urged the public to recognize trade-offs. One commissioner summarized the political reality: \"If we don't want to raise new revenue, we must accept the limits to how quickly we can add roads or other infrastructure.\" The sheriff and others said short-term political pressures can impede long-term planning.

County presenters noted existing activity on utilities and water/sewer expansions and said that infrastructure can be incorporated into the strategic plan's objectives where appropriate. The board asked staff to continue exploring grant opportunities and other funding mechanisms and to incorporate infrastructure considerations into the strategic-plan goals and objectives.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hernando County - Board of County Commissioners on 2025-06-18 9:30 AM - Strategic Plan Meeting - Jun 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Hernando County officials used the June 18 workshop to stress that infrastructure investment underpins economic opportunity, public safety and quality of life, and noted that prior surtax proposals to fund roads were rejected by voters.","taxTitle","Hernando County, Florida","taxId",2876,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6658107,"Supervisor of Elections warns of polling-location and storage shortfalls as county grows",197,4108000,4305000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030940-4cf0c0b05eebf14d0aeaf9fb3540a63c&start=4108&end=4305","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030940-4cf0c0b05eebf14d0aeaf9fb3540a63c/thumbnail_4108000.jpg","/articles/6658107/Hernando-County/Florida/Supervisor-of-Elections-warns-of-polling-location-and-storage-shortfalls-as-county-grows","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658107-87d6b857d316ae17afa69def6eb24429/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137060&Signature=EfEKNfZoBd9PDPNVk-kjcZqc0szG2~yJRtSrVFE39wDIvPCJBZS-UOE7scy3UYn45mEAx8XuIl9FVpjPBlPdC69GAr2TJelia56kluGGNe0QHOoQUiCoGnaTmLOMwNoDEzLVlyZsstOrZeI64VmVzYSrFl6yNdG9Cq1Vsf3i8k9RJm7XWQ9Rbzk~xGaSv9R~2m50y7sA9tcZsgz3kST7j75yM~MxKIHF76G6aLmVYw~sNTU7gXKDFDJEIjeLXlsx94JOtyDZJMRPWbB8E0fXYxC8lTHxVE8m0N5HeXrEL8gAOaZ2TLiOq7scNOa9s3q5EUke-V9q04UOY0PHoS1eBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Denise Lavancher, Hernando County's supervisor of elections, told the Board of County Commissioners on June 18 that rapid population growth has strained the elections office's ability to find polling and early-voting locations in fast-growing areas of the county.

Lavancher said some new neighborhoods along U.S. 19 and in areas such as Ridge Manor and Royal Highlands have \"literally\" outgrown available polling sites. She said the office sometimes relies on churches or other community facilities but has logistical limits for using schools—\"Logistics cannot be during school time\"—noting parking, security and children on campus as complicating factors for in-session school use.

On storage, Lavancher said the county's only unconditioned warehouse is used for other county needs and that election equipment is kept in air-conditioned storage; she put on the record that the county warehouse itself is unconditioned. The supervisor said equipment storage and adequate facilities will be increasingly important as the county grows and the office scales from a small year-round staff to hundreds of temporary workers during elections.

Lavancher described staff plans to consolidate poll-worker training at Springstead's auditorium to reduce repeated training sessions and to test more centralized approaches during the next election. The office already scales to hundreds of temporary employees for election events and expects headcount and space needs to climb with a projected rise in county population through 2030.

Commissioners asked about practices in other counties. Lavancher said most supervisors of elections in similarly sized counties use churches as polling places; using schools while they are in session is \"very rare\". She said she would research additional practices and report back.

County leaders acknowledged the constraint and said administration will work with the elections office to identify holding locations in growth corridors and continue longer-term facility planning.","Hernando County Supervisor of Elections Denise Lavancher told commissioners the office lacks adequate polling locations and has a state-identified unconditioned warehouse for election equipment, and she outlined preparations for training and early voting as population rises.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6658110,"Hernando County commissioners draft vision, mission and values during Phase 2 workshop",3779,6856000,10635000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030940-4cf0c0b05eebf14d0aeaf9fb3540a63c&start=6856&end=10635","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030940-4cf0c0b05eebf14d0aeaf9fb3540a63c/thumbnail_6856000.jpg","/articles/6658110/Hernando-County/Florida/Hernando-County-commissioners-draft-vision-mission-and-values-during-Phase-2-workshop","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658110-f0d84eaa946fea837ada2212010e75b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137060&Signature=WjX1RIlp1LxVBlE1-M~x-5yOfowBFFyMNTXpxxPJQIn4LtfUaaYNSbMW-~Aajkb2K0zwamJUPFzDuC0kxowXcF9AvzNFWPsz73BwcJe4dpNi3FqRY2fK2hZCPo-zprbTCV33b6TMlNXWGMYEheMOM4abe0zfWWr2eV4B9pV04BVqPywyRK1LMg~60O6S3nQAjyZi-flu7hKdB6Ca1ZmHvfJUCoTmvEbxwHL8ilDbjoV784zaQ36uvpDfPCipXXjel20WS2u1nW6wxS-w1t1PHHtl83LRAxjw4Xu~gnnyhKUyzWBvvmdCl6v3jxGBxvmNAAGZDePxE6AklRs~XUlUyA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Hernando County commissioners, constitutional officers and staff used a June 18 strategic planning workshop to draft a county vision, a government mission statement and a set of core values that will guide Phase 2 of the county's strategic planning work.

Attendees produced a working vision statement presented in the session: \"Hernando County, rich in history, inspired by our natural resources, focused on creating a safe environment of opportunity.\" Commissioners also reviewed a draft government mission advanced by Commissioner Kimball: \"To provide essential services and community support, ensuring public safety and fostering transparent communication and civic engagement for the well-being of all Hernando County residents.\" The board also discussed and endorsed a core-values framework using the letters HERNANDO to capture concepts such as honor, stewardship, innovation and dedication to safety.

Workshop facilitators asked commissioners to treat the documents as draft \"golden nuggets\" to be refined in subsequent sessions. Commissioners and staff noted the planning process will proceed quickly: the administrator and executive leadership will refine the board's work on July 11; the board will review updated drafts on July 31; and a final report for implementation planning is scheduled for October.

The workshop produced five strategic theme buckets (presented without priority order): public safety and emergency preparedness; economic and workforce opportunities (including manufacturing, aerospace and technology); education and workforce development; stewardship of natural resources; and enhanced quality of life through civic engagement and infrastructure considerations. Facilitators asked groups to prioritize the top 5-7 themes to keep the strategic plan manageable.

Facilitators and commissioners stressed these are high-level strategic themes that will be followed by specific goals, objectives and action plans. Commissioner Kimball said the mission draft built on work from an employee core-values group and sought to align staff input with the board's direction. County staff said Phase 3 will focus on implementation planning, including measurable objectives and assigned responsibilities.

The board approved the meeting agenda at the start of the session (motion by Commissioner Acho; second by Commissioner Campbell; vote recorded as \"Aye\"). That procedural vote allowed the day's facilitated work to proceed.

Facilitators said the county will iterate on wording and specifics and return to the board with refined language and proposed goals during July and August sessions prior to a formal adoption process.","At a June 18 workshop the board drafted a county vision and a government mission, adopted a core-values anagram and identified five strategic theme buckets to guide goals and objectives in the coming months.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6658115,"County survey finds traffic, housing and workforce concerns; employees report strong supervisor relationships",715,119000,834000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030940-4cf0c0b05eebf14d0aeaf9fb3540a63c&start=119&end=834","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030940-4cf0c0b05eebf14d0aeaf9fb3540a63c/thumbnail_119000.jpg","/articles/6658115/Hernando-County/Florida/County-survey-finds-traffic-housing-and-workforce-concerns-employees-report-strong-supervisor-relationships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6658115-946ae72eb5d3ef8e3244087f66f4a10a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137060&Signature=iwm9t0QmB7l3TmCGceFJIPbZsbhx50Fst4SMUpVFQ51qVnJD7c~qHcrIi9bML9~c1fR5iCZ2CxGyhVX7wjJMlDhrqdzbB3Bp-K4zB4udWTx-XB5BAz6eK09wzFy3edUPIs3t9FBqYRphN3hC0rC4uJ0vJxWR8iDELUUNglH5SHfgoSo1-djOthSQdinT5wZImcwKyoLgF2iEF8IO4KZki29s~goaaCMrBzkmOioeuMfIbjChqS~XNyU5Gv-FMm0EQM8wKysMJ9qTkUg5ujLurr2sVMzOjLcpBcMC-RUEVBw8EtRAWadhLyTbSdp8ikH6MJZBSA5GlRnGvRpI4zjMAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A resident survey and an employee survey presented to the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners on June 18 found that traffic congestion, perceived shortfalls in infrastructure and housing affordability were top concerns among respondents, while county employees reported strong relationships with immediate supervisors but wanted clearer career advancement and cross-department communication.

At the workshop, Dr. Neely, a professor with the USF School of Public Affairs, summarized the resident survey and said traffic and infrastructure \"stand out\" in open-ended comments and that many respondents felt local infrastructure \"hasn't kept pace with growth.\" He cautioned that the survey measured sentiment rather than a technical definition of affordability and that the 1.2% figure for respondents who rated the county as \"excellent\" for earning a good wage equated to roughly a dozen people of about 915 total respondents.

The surveys combined a countywide resident questionnaire, stakeholder interviews and an employee survey. Dr. Neely said the resident response size (about 900–1,000 people) yields a \"tight margin of error\" for overall sentiment but does not guarantee a statistically representative sample because participation was self-selected. He recommended that the county consider a separate statistically weighted survey if it needs representative estimates for policy decisions.

On housing and economic opportunity, Commissioner Ryan Amsler and others discussed the need to translate sentiment into actionable \"solution buckets,\" such as economic development and workforce training. Dr. Neely said the surveys did not apply an academic affordability definition; they recorded whether residents felt affordable options or homeownership were attainable.

The employee survey, which staff said was sent to roughly 780 employees and had about a 21% response rate, showed high marks for employees' understanding of their job duties and relationships with immediate supervisors. Areas identified for improvement were communication across departments, succession planning and career-path clarity. County staff noted an \"ambassador\" program and repeated employee focus groups as actions already under way to address these issues.

Employees also flagged veteran services and maintenance of natural resources as internal strengths. County leaders said they would use the survey findings as a \"touch point\" to inform the strategic plan and could choose to commission a statistically representative follow-up if the board wanted that level of rigor.

The presenters and elected officials repeatedly cautioned against overinterpreting self-selected survey results. As the presenters put it, the data provide an informative starting point for drafting the county's vision and goals rather than a definitive mandate for specific policy changes.

Looking ahead, commissioners said the survey themes -- traffic/infrastructure, affordable housing, economic opportunity and employee development -- will feed into the next phases of the county's strategic planning process.","A resident survey and an employee survey presented at Hernando County's June 18 strategic planning meeting showed widespread concern about traffic and housing affordability and identified workforce development, communication and succession planning as internal priorities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sheriff and commissioners say infrastructure investments are vital to manage growth and sustain services

Supervisor of Elections warns of polling-location and storage shortfalls as county grows

Hernando County commissioners draft vision, mission and values during Phase 2 workshop

County survey finds traffic, housing and workforce concerns; employees report strong supervisor relationships