The Lake-Sumter Metropolitan Planning Organization is working on a plan to outsource some of its work to consultants, a move that ultimately could result in staff cuts.
The organization also will seek to sever its direct ties with Lake County, becoming an independent agency, and its staff eventually no longer would be county employees.
“This is a very lengthy process,” said MPO director T.J. Fish. “Nothing could happen this calendar year.”
Fish, who was interviewed by telephone after an MPO board meeting Wednesday, said he is working to develop a plan for the changes over the next two months. He also is preparing a separate action plan for submission to the Florida Department of Transportation. The effort could require a special board meeting in July.
The changes were sparked by an internal audit, which found fiscal and operational issues. The audit questioned appropriate use of funds and found that employees were estimating instead of tracking actual time spent on grant activities,
Sumter County Commissioner Don Burgess, a member of the MPO executive committee, said the committee discussed cutting the staff to two employees, which would include Fish and a grants and financial manager. The agency currently has about a half dozen employees.
He said the agency also must move its offices because the landlord wants to sell the building.
The decade-old Lake-Sumter MPO is the lead agency for regional transportation issues in Lake and Sumter counties and helps to allocate millions of federal transportation dollars each year.
“When it comes to Lake and Sumter counties, you’re looking at two rapidly growing counties,” Burgess said. “Growth comes down to roads, which is our main function.”
If staff cuts are needed, Fish said he hopes the two counties would provide jobs for the affected employees.
“I would be looking for Lake County or Sumter County to take care of these people,” he said.
Fish said severing the agency’s direct link to Lake County requires significant changes.
“Being independent means we need to have our own bank accounts,” he said, adding that the agency also would need interim financing until federal grants come in.