Charles Edwards the President of the Lehigh Acres Community Council asked The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District’s board of commissioners to reconsider its decision to re-open negotiations with the fire fighter’s union after a signed contract was in place in regards to a salary raise and the return of Kelly days.
Edwards, who was added to the Dec. 10 agenda and allowed a 15-minute discussion with the board.
The Fire commissioners removed the agenda item of the renegotiation prior to the meeting, BUT Chairman of the fireboard Cathy Kruse gave a 15 min speech before Edwards spoke saying that the Fireboard will not be swayed by public comment or by the Community Council.
Edwards said, “We feel that this action by the board is a total mistake, bad timing, and tantamount to a total misuse of the public trust. This is one time when the board should take the public input on this matter and set aside this matter until the next contract negotiations. Instead put their efforts into passing the new fire fee assessment and getting the sixth firehouse built to improve our rating, for the benefit of Lehigh Acres residents.”
The motion to reopen a Union 6 contract, to give a 5 percent raise across the board, was accepted at a 3-2 vote during an October 2019 meeting. Commissioners Bennett, Kruse and Sherman voted in favor of the renegotiation as an attempt to level the fire district’s employee salaries.
Commissioners Linda Carter and Debra Cunningham voted against the renegotiation.
The board also motioned to approve the following agenda items:
– To declare the trailer at Station 101 to be a surplus item and its removal from capital asset records.
– The fire district’s new public relations officer, Katie Heck, was also sworn in this month and will assume the role of the liaison between the fire department and the media and community.
The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District will hold its next regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 5 p.m. Meetings are held at Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District, 601 East County Lane, Lehigh Acres, Fl. For more information visit: www.lehighfd.com/