The Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District will meet on Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. at Veteran's Park Community Center to listen and ask questions of two experts in the field of funding the fire district through special assessments. The meeting is open to the pubic, but the public may not offer any input, according to Richard Pringle, the fire district's chief counsel.

However, he said, that the board can call for a special meeting a month later where the public can offer input.

The two firms are being summoned to the District because the fire department is in serious financial condition, serous enough for the chief to tell Commissioner Ralph Hemingway that if the department dipped into the $700,000 surplus now, the department would be bankrupt in 2012-13.

Hemingway had raised the issue by suggesting some of the surplus in this year's budget be used to bring back some of the firefighters that were laid off in August because of the lack of tax revenue. In the meantime, Hemingway has fought on the board to not transfer the Lehigh ambulance transport service over to Lee County EMTs. The chief last month said that in his best professional opinion, he would ask the Commission to transfer ambulance service to the county so he could use the personnel used on ambulance and put them on fire engines. As it is now, there are only two men to a fire truck and Chief Don Adams says that is not enough. He fears for the safety of not only his men in a serious fire, but for the life and property of fire victims.

Hemingway acknowledged during the meeting that he has been blasted for voting to retain the ambulance service. He was not alone. Commissioners David Adams and Julie Barrett also voted to keep the ambulances even though Lee County Emergency officials attended the December meeting and said they can provide the same service with the same response times by stationing their ambulances in Lehigh. They already provide ambulance service to the rest of the county. Commissioners Jeff Berndt and Joel Guzman voted to support the chief and transfer the service to the county. Guzman told Hemingway several times that Lehigh taxpayers were already paying for the county service to the tune of a million dollars a year through their taxes and that the fire district could reopen Station 105 on Milwaukee Blvd., near the East Lee County High School.

Hemingway said he wanted the station reopened but not at the expense of handing over local ambulance control to the county.

Because of what appears as apathy in Lehigh, few people attend the meetings and few apparently don't care how many firefighters are assigned to fire equipment. And that is what stresses out Fire Chief Don Adams who says he fears the upcoming brush fire season. Already, fire alerts have been issued as the season fast approaches.

Kevin Shea, an analyst that the fire commissioners often listen to said during a public input of the meeting that Lehigh has yet to see another devaluation of homes this coming November from all the research he has conducted.

"I see a decrease of at least 25 to 30 percent in ad valorem tax levels ... currently you are terminally bankrupt.

"I plan to explore an effective means to place you in receivership and ask that you do so," Shea said.

Cathy Cruse was the only other person who spoke during the public period. She asked when would negotiations "be wrapped up" with the unions. She was told progress was ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Commission suspended the time that was needed for Fire Marshal Ken Bennett to finish his college studies and earn his bachelor's degree. Chief Adams has called Bennett his righthand man now with the layoffs of personnel.

The Council also voted to cancel a program with Florida Gulf Coast University that allowed students to ride with firefighters in safety and firefighter courses. The action was taken over questions about insurance liability. The Commission directed its attorney to send a letter to the college and note that a new agreement could be drawn up.

Concerning the workshop in February, attorney Pringle said that whatever the Commission decided to do concerning "non ad valorem assessments" that it would have go to a referendum vote of the people in August. That would save the fire district money from having to pay for a special election.

Concerning having a workshop instead of a special meeting concerning other revenue - gathering ways, Commissioner Hemingway said he preferred the workshop so members of the board could "take it in and understand" what could be done.

He said he didn't want to hear from "more experts" at a special meeting, "who don't know what they are talking about," referring to the public's input.

Commissioner David Adams agreed saying there could be a "lot of negativity" at a special meeting so a workshop would be a better way to hear suggestions in revenue gathering to keep the department afloat.

Then a special meeting would be scheduled. The chief suggested one of the high schools as a venue, expecting a larger turnout of the public, much more than come to regular monthly meetings.

The two firms - GSG and Brian Miller-Olive will come to the workshop without charging the fire district and offer ways to bring in money through special assessments that would be in addition to the regular ad valorem taxes.

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