TEAM asking for contract extension

TEAM Santa Rosa Chairman David Hoxeng urged the board of directors Wednesday to authorize him to ask the board of county commissioners to renew TEAM’s contract for two more years on Monday.

The board approved the authorization with two members, Gerry Goldstein and Janice Kilgore, opposed. Dissenting board members thought TEAM shouldn’t press commissioners on making a quick decision since the economic development organization still has four months left on its contract extension. Goldstein suggested allowing economic development consultant Tom Ticknor to present his findings to commissioners on Monday and give commissioners time to digest the information before asking them to renew TEAM’s contract again.

However, Hoxeng said as chairman, it was his duty to try to keep the organization in business. Also, he told the board that TEAM employees were concerned about their jobs and already looking for other employment.

Following public economic development workshops with commissioners in October, TEAM board of directors hired a consultant for $10,000 to review TEAM’s structure, mission, accomplishments and areas of improvement.

The consultant visited the county for a week conducting interviews and will present his recommendations to county commissioners at 9 a.m. Monday during the commissioner committee meeting in Milton.

For more on this story, see the Dec. 8 issue of Navarre Press.