How will the community support the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District was on the minds of everyone at the most recent meeting last week of the fire board.

Two members of an advisory board said Lehigh residents don’t want to pay an additional assessment fee to augment the ad valorem tax rate in order to keep the fire department working at present levels.

In fact, the vote on the advisory board to ask for an assessment fee as an option to bring more money into the department is at a stalemate of 4 to 6 leading Fire Commissioner Larry Becker to say that he didn’t think that would change.

Robert Anderson, who serves on the advisory board, said he conducted a survey of people in Lehigh and it revealed an overwhelming amount of people opposing such a fee.

Without additional income next year, some tough decisions will have to be made about the continued existence of the fire department because of lessened revenue coming from ad valorem taxes.

Commissioner Kevin Shea told members of the fire department and his fellow board members that to change a millage rate from 3.0 mills to 3.75, it takes legislative action and he didn’t see that happening.

“This is the way it is. We have just got to live within the situation. This is really a time to roll up our sleeves and then he turned toward the chief and told him that as the CEO of the fire department, he needs to come up with other options or get another job.

He agreed with Commissioner Becker and said he saw no reason for the advisory board “to go forth,” or to continue.

However, Cathy Kruse, the chairman of the advisory board, said during a public discussion time slot, that the advisory board has two more meetings scheduled and she wants them to continue. The board took no action in ending the last two budget meetings of the advisory board.

Chief Don Adams, who had suggested an additional assessment fee a few months back, said as far as he understood the issue of a new fee that “it’s a no go.“

With the emotions set aside regarding the financial future of the fire district, the board made it official and set the official millage rate of 3.0 mills as the ad valorem tax for the new 2011-2012 budget.

The board also heard from Robert Swanson of Pro-Lab Air Quality who said he had checked the fire station on Gunnery Rd., which had reported mold problems and said it was now in satisfactory condition.

Drywalls and carpeting had been removed before Swanson did his check. There had been complaints by firefighters of mold on the walls and in the ceiling. It was determined that the mold on the wall was green in color and had come from a milk spill.

The board of commissioners suggested that the fire department check on a regular basis the condition of each of the stations in the future.

Chief Adams said his staff would visit each station on a weekly basis to keep up with any complaints made by firefighters regarding any mold problems.

Swanson said his firm checked every room at the fire station on Gunnery Rd., the suspect contamination and other areas, and found no present danger. Swanson said he checked the three older stations and had not been asked to check the two new stations 104 and 105.

No problems were named in the other two stations on Joel Blvd. and on Homestead Rd.

Jeff Nickells, who handles logistics for the fire district, said Station 103 on Gunnery Road had been remodeled with the removal of all the carpeting except at the entrance of the station. He said a new floor was installed but will have to be taken up and another installed this week. New insulation has been installed and a moisture barrier has been set up between the base floor and the new one.

In other action, a tentative budget hearing was approved for Sept. 8 at 5:01 p.m. with a final hearing set for Sept. 22.

Cathy Kruse, the chairman of the advisory board, told commissioners she was concerned about the humidity in the stations and wished the inspections had been made before walls were removed.

It was also announced that the proposed budget for the fire district is online for the public to view.

Although it was never brought up, on the back of commissioners’ and staff’s minds is the question: What will the fire department do next year when the SAFER grant runs out. Layoffs may take place again and they could be larger than before.

The chief showed several photographs taken at the warehouse fire that contained food and cooking oil two weeks ago. He said for most of the firefighters, it was one of the largest they had ever fought.

“We were limited at really getting at the fire inside,” the chief said. Within the first two hours, firefighters used 500,000 gallons of water and guessed the total amount of water used to fight the blaze to be at a millions gallons or more.

He praised the firefighters and those in the community that brought refreshments to the firefighters at the scene of the blaze in western Lehigh near the industrial park.

Commissioner Linda Carter asked if the warehouse had sprinklers. Chief Adams said there were sprinklers every 15 feet, but that as much as 70,000 gallons of cooking oil kept fueling the massive fire.

As the fire chief continued to talk about the fire, Commissioner Kevin Shea said he objected to hearing details “due to possible litigation.”

Chief Adams said ambulance fees will be discussed at the August meeting. He wants the fire board to review the ambulance transport fees from the existing fee scheduled in order to be consistent with lee County EMS and Fort Myers Beach Fire Rescue ambulance fees.

The fire board meets at the Microtel Inn & Suites each month in the afternoon.