2006-2007 Annual Report - Santa Rosa County

Message from the County AdministratorIt is my honor as the County Administrator to present the fiscal 2006/2007 SantaRosa County Annual Report, which is designed to summarize the accomplishmentsand achievements of the offices, functions and departments of the Santa Rosa CountyBoard of County Commissioners.There were a number of significant accomplishments and achievements completedin 2007. Santa Rosa County successfully transitioned the Milton, Gulf Breeze, Jay,and Navarre branch libraries from the West Florida Regional Library System andestablished the Santa Rosa County Library System. A pivotal component of thistransition was the establishment of the central office/technical center servicing thefour branch libraries. Also, the county’s fifth branch library opened in Pace in Aprilwith over 25,000 items available for circulation. Library patronage and usage of allfive branches increased steadily each month after the changeover from the WestFlorida system.Hunter WalkerCounty Administrator6495 Caroline StreetSuite DMilton, FL 32570(850) 983-1855 Office(850) 983-1856 Faxhunterw@santarosa.fl.govThe board established the housing program manager position within the communityplanning, zoning and development division and will centralize administration/management of county housing programs including the State Housing InitiativesProgram and Hurricane Housing Recovery Program effective January 1, 2008.In 2007, both tiers of the county’s emergency medical response system were enhancedand improved. First, at the culmination of a rigorous solicitation process, SantaRosa County entered into a performance-based contract with Lifeguard AmbulanceService of Florida, LLC to provide emergency medical transport services county-widerequiring response times twenty percent lower than the previous contract. Theselower or quicker response times should directly correlate to improved patient careand outcome. Secondly, a number of steps were taken to significantly upgrade thefirst responder component or the first tier of the emergency medical services system.The Municipal Services Benefit Unit funding of the volunteer fire departmentswas overhauled and increased, while at the same time central responsibility andaccountability was transferred to the county via the Emergency ManagementDepartment. Upgrades to equipment and personnel will positively impact both theemergency and fire responsiveness of these volunteer departments, with the majorportion of the improvements impacting medical first response.In 2007 with the change in the public information officer position, the county initiatedan effort to directly and intentionally communicate more effectively with its citizensand employees. This annual report is an example of this effort, as are the districtnewsletters and the departmental fact sheets developed by the PIO for the use of ourcitizens. The employee newsletter and the monthly employee roundtable discussionswith the county administrator are designed to improve communications withemployees.In my view, 2007 was a successful, if challenging year, dominated by state forcedreductions in revenue and accompanying challenge to provide an exceptional level ofservice with fewer resources. I am confident that the County will continue to respondpositively to these challenges, providing the service levels expected by our citizens.6