Fiscal Year 2013 Recommended Budget Book - Lake County

Public ResourcesSupport Services provide system wide administration, oversight and technical support services. The Division Manageracts as staff liaison to the Lake County Library Advisory Board. The Division Manager is also the designatedAdministrative Head of the Library System for State reporting purposes and recommends county wide library policies,plans and procedures. Rounding out Administration are the system wide coordinators who insure consistency and qualityin literacy, youth and adult programming. Support Services, administered by an Assistant Library Services DivisionManager, provides a wide array of technical services and support. This program is responsible for the system-wideautomation system which provides both wired and wireless internet and computer access to all libraries as well as theintegrated operating systems that make up the electronic library catalog, patron database, circulation system, on-lineservices and a number of peripheral systems. Some of the peripheral systems include self-checkout, Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID) security, and computer reservation and printing systems. Support Services also provides catalogingservices, system-wide report services, database maintenance, computer and server support, e-rate applicationsmanagement, system-wide courier service, interlibrary loans and books-by-mail services. Public Services includesoversight, administration and operation of the six branch libraries. Oversight and administrative responsibility is sharedby the Division Manager and the Regional Branch Manager/Assistant Library Services Division Manager. Each branchlibrary also has a Branch Manager or Regional Branch Manager to oversee day-to-day operations. Hours and depth ofservices vary at each library based on size of staff and facility, budget, and community need.• The Parks and Trails Division develops and maintains County parks, recreation sites, trails, and boat ramps; preservesnatural areas and public lands; and maintains abandoned cemeteries. Community center facilities are assigned to theDivision, and the Minneola Athletic Complex was added at the beginning of Fiscal Year 2012. In 2004, Lake Countyvoters approved a $36 million public lands referendum, which centered on four main categories; protection of waterresources, protection of natural communities and landscapes, protection of plant and animal species and protection ofsocial/human values. As a result, the county acquired tenproperties, accepted a donated property, partnered on a multiagencyacquisition, provided grants to the City of Clermont forconservation property acquisition and provided funds for purchaseof South Lake Trail Right-of-Way. The Lake County Public Landproperties now total over 2,000 acres. All properties haveapproved management plans and three of the properties wereopened to the public in July 2011 for passive activities, andanother three properties are scheduled to open in 2012. In additionto the Public Lands properties, Lake County’s Parks and TrailsDivision has restoration and habitat conservation efforts ongoing at 685 acres of additional parklands. Management andrestoration efforts include surveys, environmental assessments, permits, burn prescriptions, archaeological assessments,invasive/exotic plant removal, grove and trail maintenance, water quality testing, reduction of overgrown vegetation andestablishment of fire lines at all of the acquired environmentally sensitive lands. Lake County is partnering with the SaintJohns River Water Management District (SJRWMD), the Green Mountain Scenic Byway Committee, and FloridaDepartment of Transportation to develop a trailhead and scenic overlook on the west side of the SJRWMD North ShoreLake Apopka Restoration Area.Department Goals and Objectives:Lake County is a High Performance Organization:• The Fairgrounds will continue outreach and networking to add more special events. Through continued outreach andnetworking with local businesses and civic groups, the Fairgrounds will be promoted as a meeting place.• Agricultural Extension Services holds educational programs for the general public as well as agricultural businesses atthe Agricultural Center and through the libraries, garden clubs, and the internet. Grants have allowed purchase ofwebinar software to increase programming availability, and the University of Florida Institute of Food and AgriculturalSciences (UF/IFAS) is providing training on video production to allow educational video production for the internet.F - 112