Last night’s special fire board meeting was the longest (3 ½ hours) in years. But by the end of the meeting Interim Fire Chief John Wayne is now Lehigh Acres newest Fire Chief with at starting salary of $138,500.00.
The first hour of the meeting has a total travesty for Community of Lehigh Acres with Commissioner Kruse attacking John Wayne for not negotiating with the unions correctly and so called lying about union concessions percent numbers. Kruse wanted to play a segment of a negotiating session that she says Wayne calls the commissioners stupid or dumb. The tape was never played during the meeting.
Commissioner and Chairman of the Board Larry Becker said if Wayne wanted to him dumb or stupid about negotiating, let him, I know nothing about negotiating that’s why we hire people to do it for us.
But it came to light that an anonymous letter with a thumb drive was given to Commissioner Kruse and Commissioner Danis, then a week later that same letter and thumb drive were mailed to Commissioner Carter and Commissioner Adams. Commissioner Becker said for the record he never received the anonymous letter and or thumb drive.
Commissioner Adams said no one signed the letter. I cannot help you if you cannot step forward.
According to sources the anonymous information was coming for unhappy District 6 union members that do not want John Wayne to before Chief of the Department.
Wayne said there is just a hand full of union members that are breaking the districts rules.
Union President Walt Stevens was also at the meeting in support of Wayne. But Stevens wanted to let the board of Fire Commissioners know that there was no grievance brought up him about any of these so-called anonymous issue’s.
The final vote came around 8:30 p.m. of 4-1 with one Commissioner voting no.