The Lehigh Acres Fire Board met July 21 and ratified contracts with the two unions representing firefighters and administration staff. The meeting, which lasted no more than an hour, also had commissioners voting to officially set the millage rate to 3.0 for purpose of trim notices that will soon be going out from the county to landowners.

Commissioner David Adams made a motion to fill the vacant seat on the board with Larry Becker, but none of the other commissioners made a comment and no second was offered.

“Are you anticipating problems?” chairman Jeff Berndt asked Adams who said that the board could be tied up in a vote of two to two. The seat comes up for election on Nov. 2.

Do I have a second on the motion,” Berndt asked. There was none. “Then we should move on,” Berndt said.

Richard Pringle, the board’s attorney, said the four members could vote to fill the vacant seat that was occupied by Joel Guzman. It has been empty for several months.

Chief Don Adams told the board that because of the SAFER grant funds of some $8,.9 million, 34 people have been rehired.

He said that those who had lost their jobs were being brought back earlier and were to start work on July 26,

“They will have 40 hours of classes about issues that have come up since they were laid off last August due to budget problems,” the chief said. The “new hires” will begin work earlier, too, on August 9. They will go through 80 hours of orientation before they go on the job.

Chairman Berndt praised the work between the Unions District 6 and 19 and the board voted unanimously in two motions to accept the new contracts.

Chief Adams said that on Oct. 1, administration staff members should be able to make up cuts in their salary and the board agreed.

Pringle reminded the board that the final budget hearing date is on Sept. 9 at 5:01 p.m. when a budget must be ratified. He said the hearing would be at East Lee County High School.

Linda Carter, a member of the audience, voiced objection, noting that there is no bus service to East Lee County High School and disabled people would find it difficult to get there. The chief said he had checked for other locations and there were none available.

The chief also said that the fire station on Milwaukee Blvd. had been reopened between Monday through Friday. It had been closed to save money for several months, and staff workers, including the chief were working 10 days a week, four days a week. The chief’s office and administration is housed at the Milwaukee Blvd. station.

Funding was also reinstated to staff members and the chief after they took pay cuts a year ago.