Could the future of advanced life-support ambulance services and the construction of a planned fire station face an uncertain future in Lehigh Acres after the defeat last week of a proposal to raise more money.
“Now, without the added revenue, station 106 won’t happen,” said Chief Robert DiLallo. “We simply can’t afford to build, staff or operate the station. This also means we won’t be able to meet the county’s requirements for rescue response times. The next step is to meet with the county and turn in our report. From there the county will decide what steps they want to take.”
Fire district board chair Cathy Kruse said loss of the local ambulance service is a possibility.
“The county is going to play a big role,” she said. “Whether they decide to take over Lehigh ambulance service — it remains to be seen or not.”
Chairman Cathy Kruse likes to use threats when talking to the voters.
Lee County cannot take the ambulance services away for Lehigh Acres. One simple fact Lehigh Acres fire has pledged their ambulance service fees to pay for the 8.9-million-dollar loan they took out. Lee County cannot remove the ambulance service without doing great financial harm to the Lehigh Acres fire district.
Synovus Bank that holds the note for the 8.9-million-dollar loan would not comment on possibility of the fire district not having the funds yearly to pay back the loan at this time.
The biggest issue is:
The county public safety chief also suggested the Fire District could improve its time getting ambulances “out-of-chute” and on the road after being dispatched “through a concerted effort by their staff.”
In recommending short-term renewal for Lehigh, Public Safety Director Benjamin Abes told county commissioners in March that more than 20 percent of the calls don’t meet the time standard. Lehigh Acres Fire Ambulances takes longer than the standard 60 seconds to get “out-of-chute” and rolling after being dispatched during the day. It takes more than a minute and a half at night. (editor note – Why?)
Like other members of the fire district board, Kruse’s son employed by the department. Also, Commissioner Cia Sherman husband was just promoted to engineer.
According to DiLallo, the referendum outcome means not only a large shortfall in its budget but no way to fund a new station in the North Sunshine Boulevard section of the district’s territory. But Chief Robert Dilallo has already stated in a public meeting that when the repairs are done to station 1 on Joel Blvd, he is planning to move the double mobile home to the new station location on Sunshine Blvd for EMS to run out of.
Right now, Lehigh Fire Control and Rescue District doesn’t meet the county’s time requirement often enough for a full, two-year certification. According to Lee County Public Safety Director Benjamin Abes.
But Lee County cannot meet the call times neither. But Abes will not talk about that.
But if you use a stop watch from Station 1 or Station 3 and head to North Sunshine you can be there in less than 8 minutes driving at normal speeds, so what is the real issues with Lee County and Lehigh Acres Fire District?
So, what will the Lehigh Acres Fire Commissioners do now after the defeat of a proposal to raise more money? PLAN B?
The fire board has four tax options:
- Do nothing ……
- Charge the maximum amount on the current fire assessment (approx. $343.00 per house)
- Change to ad-valorem from the current fee assessment
- Spend another $100,000 to $200,000 dollars on an election in 2020
Fire Board Chairman Cathy Kruse threaten the taxpayers at the May 28, 2019 meeting, “if they did not vote for the new simplified assessment fee we will just go back to ad-valorem.”
But Commissioner Debbie Cunningham said on Facebook on June 6, 2019. “The citizens of Lehigh Acres had better hope that the board DOES NOT go back to ad-valorem. As one of you of your commissioners, I will not agree with that, because your taxes will go up. Those who are currently exempt from nonad-valorem taxes, will lose those exemptions, and will be required to pay those taxes. I personally, as one of your commissioners, will NOT vote to go back to ad-valorem taxes for the district. Several of us tried to educate our citizens, but many preferred to listen to those who gave out false information. The referendum will be back on the general ballot in the election year 2020.”
Despite the recent defeat, DiLallo remains dedicated to help push the fire district through and continue to provide firefighting and ALS services for preserving life and property within the 142 square mile district.
“This fire department has and will always try to do the best they can do with what we have,” DiLallo said.
The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, June 25, at 5 p.m. Meeting are held at fire station 104 at 3102 16th Street SW, Lehigh Acres. For more information visit www.lehighfd.com/
So, what do you think the Lehigh Acres Fire Commissioners are going to do?