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Storm center opening delayed
The total cost of the building will now be $6-million, up from the county's original $5-million estimate.
By ASJYLYN LODER
Published March 29, 2006
BROOKSVILLE - Hernando County's new Emergency Operations Center won't open until near the end of the 2006 hurricane season, and will cost $1-million more than originally predicted.
"We don't want to get hit ever (by a hurricane)," Sheriff Richard Nugent said, "but if it has to be, let's hope it's not this year."
The Sheriff's Office, which houses the current emergency operations center, was built to withstand a Category 1 hurricane. The new building, which will be adjacent to the Sheriff's Office on Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville, is designed to withstand sustained winds up to 140 mph, and gusts up to 160 mph.
In the event of a hurricane, the 19,000-square-foot center will shelter the county's emergency operations staff and provide a hurricane-proof power and communications system.
The County Commission voted 5-0 Tuesday to push back the center's opening day to Oct. 22 - a three-month delay. The board also approved $444,370 in cost increases, bringing the total cost of the center to $6-million, up from the county's original $5-million estimate.
The three-month delay reflects time spent waiting for a building permit, said Gregg Sutton, the county's project manager.
The cost increases will pay for structural and technology improvements not foreseen in the original design, Sutton said. For example, the county's computer system will also be backed up at that location so that services can be maintained even if county offices are damaged.
Additional changes include upgrading the center's power supply and expanding its communications ability.
The Sheriff's Office kicked in an additional $73,600 to pay for radio equipment and upgrades to the power system. An $890,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover the rest.
The county still has approximately $80,000 left in the project budget to cover any contingencies, Sutton said.
"The project was in the black, the project is in the black, and I will keep it so," he said, promising not to come back before the board for additional funding.
Asjylyn Loder can be reached at aloder@sptimes.com or 352 754-6127.
[Last modified March 29, 2006, 01:23:20]
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