1004.37 County or area extension programs; cooperation between counties and University of Florida and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.—
(1) The Florida Cooperative Extension Service is administered through the University of Florida and is supported programmatically by the University of Florida and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in collaboration with individual county governments. County or area extension programs will be developed, based on local situations, needs, and problems, supported by scientific and technical information developed by the University of Florida, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, the United States Department of Agriculture, and other sources of research information. This information will be made available through the local program, with the aid of research scientists and extension specialists of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.
(2) In each county or other geographic subdivision the board of county commissioners or other legally constituted governing body will annually determine the extent of its financial participation in cooperative extension work. The extent of such financial participation by the counties will influence the number of county extension agents and clerical staff employed and the scope of the local extension program.
(3) Boards of county commissioners or other legally constituted governing bodies will approve or disapprove of persons recommended for extension positions in the county. If the governing body of the county notifies the extension service by resolution that it wants a list of three qualified candidates, then the extension service shall, for each position, make its recommendation by submitting a list of not fewer than three qualified persons, or all qualified persons if three or fewer. From this list, the board of county commissioners, or other legally constituted governing body, shall make its selection. If none of the persons recommended are approved, the extension service shall continue to submit lists of not fewer than three additional qualified persons until one person is selected. If the governing body of the county does not forward such a resolution to the extension service, the extension service shall recommend one qualified candidate to the governing body. If a person recommended is not approved, the extension service shall recommend another qualified candidate and shall repeat this procedure as necessary until one person is selected. Extension agents so appointed will be staff members of the University of Florida or Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, depending on the source of funds. It is the responsibility of the cooperative extension service to determine qualifications for positions.
(4) Although county extension agents are jointly employed by the state universities and federal and county governments for the purposes of administration of the cooperative extension service, the personnel policies and procedures of the University of Florida or Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, depending on appointment, will apply except in those instances when federal legislation or the basic memorandum of understanding is applicable.
(5) The University of Florida will provide county extension personnel in the county with supervision and resources for planning and programming and is responsible for the programming process. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service will make available needed program materials to the extension agents through the subject matter specialists or through other resource persons available from within the university. It will be responsible for maintaining a high level of technical competence in the county extension staff through a continuous program of inservice training.
(6) The county extension director will report periodically to the board of county commissioners or other legally constituted governing body on programs underway and results in the county. Each board of county commissioners or other legally constituted governing body will develop a plan which will enable it to be kept informed on the progress and results of the local extension program so that its own knowledge of program needs and problems may become a part of the educational work carried on by the agents. Such plan shall provide for a means of communicating the board’s satisfaction with the extension program to the county extension director and the cooperative extension service.
History.—s. 182, ch. 2002-387.
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