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Third SAFER grant not needed, fire chief reports

By Staff | Feb 18, 2015

John Wayne

At a special meeting of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District’s board of commissioners Friday night, Fire Chief John Wayne told his bosses they should not apply for a third SAFER grant from the federal government because the agency was nearly solvent and when the assessment fee kicks in later this year, the department will be off to a good future.

He said if there were financial problems ahead, the department could draw from its reserves and then replace them with assessment fee revenue that would start coming in at the first of 2016.

The special meeting had been called because at the January meeting, Commissioner Cathy Kruse had said she thought the department should consider filing for another SAFER grant since there would be a delay in revenue from the time the current grant ends in a few months. At the January meeting she became emotional in making a plea for seeking more federal money to pay for salaries for firefighters.

The deadline to file for another SAFER grant is in a few weeks in mid- March and Chief Wayne said he could not in good conscience ask them to apply for another grant.

He said the department was financially holding its own and despite rumors that there was going to be a layoff of a few firefighters once the current SAFER grant of several million dollars runs out, that was not the case. He said no such plans have been contemplated.

Cathy Kruze

Several employees of the fire district filled the meeting room at Station 4 on Sunshine and 16th St. for nearly two hours Friday night to listen to Wayne, who spent more than a half hour explaining the history of the last two SAFER grants and how and why they were obtained.

“We will be solvent next year and I cannot find one reason for applying for a SAFER grant now,” Wayne said.

What will the public think of us when they see we do not need it, he asked.

SAFER grants are provided to fire departments to pay for no more than firefighter positions and Wayne said the department is fully staffed and expects it to continue until the time Lehigh residents begin paying an assessment fee, which they approved off during last year’s November election.

Later this year, the board’s attorney, Richard Pringle, said commissioners would vote to initiate the assessment fee and also vote to name those that will be exempt from the fee. In previous meetings, the board announced that those who were exempt from the millage rate tax should continue to be exempt when the new assessment fee begins. But the board now has to make that official with a vote before it can levy the new assessment fee.

The public voted for an assessment fee of $292 per residential home. Commissioners can strike an assessment fee lower than that, but not more.

In January, Commissioner Kruze said she wondered if the department should apply yet for another SAFER grant from the federal government to help the department before funds run out and before new funding begins to come in for the next fiscal year.

The chief noted that it takes a lot of work to prepare papers and information to obtain a SAFER grant and also said he doubted that the Lehigh Fire District would even receive a third grant now that the assessment fee voted in would keep the department afloat.

On Friday night, he said he didn’t think it was ethical for the department to make another application “if we live within our means.”

The chief told one firefighter who spoke during the public period before the microphone that rumors about layoffs were not true.

He said through attrition of firefighters and/or retirements, the department would be able to support itself, even if it had to dip into its emergency funds.

Commissioner Kruze didn’t change her feelings that an application should be made.

During a brief discussion, fellow commissioners said little to defend the chief’s position and little to agree with Commissioner Kruze’s statements.

Eventually the commissioners voted 3 to 2 to not direct the chief to apply for another SAFER grant. The voting was confusing to the audience and the board’s attorney explained that a vote be made a second time using different wording. In both votes, the results were the same.

Those voting to ask the chief to apply for a third SAFER grant included Commissioners Cathy Kruze and Linda Carter. Those voting not to ask for another SAFER grant were Commissioners Larry Becker, chairman of the board; David Adams, and Matt Smith, the newest member of the board.

Third SAFER grant not needed, fire chief reports

By Staff | Feb 18, 2015

John Wayne

At a special meeting of the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District’s board of commissioners Friday night, Fire Chief John Wayne told his bosses they should not apply for a third SAFER grant from the federal government because the agency was nearly solvent and when the assessment fee kicks in later this year, the department will be off to a good future.

He said if there were financial problems ahead, the department could draw from its reserves and then replace them with assessment fee revenue that would start coming in at the first of 2016.

The special meeting had been called because at the January meeting, Commissioner Cathy Kruse had said she thought the department should consider filing for another SAFER grant since there would be a delay in revenue from the time the current grant ends in a few months. At the January meeting she became emotional in making a plea for seeking more federal money to pay for salaries for firefighters.

The deadline to file for another SAFER grant is in a few weeks in mid- March and Chief Wayne said he could not in good conscience ask them to apply for another grant.

He said the department was financially holding its own and despite rumors that there was going to be a layoff of a few firefighters once the current SAFER grant of several million dollars runs out, that was not the case. He said no such plans have been contemplated.

Cathy Kruze

Several employees of the fire district filled the meeting room at Station 4 on Sunshine and 16th St. for nearly two hours Friday night to listen to Wayne, who spent more than a half hour explaining the history of the last two SAFER grants and how and why they were obtained.

“We will be solvent next year and I cannot find one reason for applying for a SAFER grant now,” Wayne said.

What will the public think of us when they see we do not need it, he asked.

SAFER grants are provided to fire departments to pay for no more than firefighter positions and Wayne said the department is fully staffed and expects it to continue until the time Lehigh residents begin paying an assessment fee, which they approved off during last year’s November election.

Later this year, the board’s attorney, Richard Pringle, said commissioners would vote to initiate the assessment fee and also vote to name those that will be exempt from the fee. In previous meetings, the board announced that those who were exempt from the millage rate tax should continue to be exempt when the new assessment fee begins. But the board now has to make that official with a vote before it can levy the new assessment fee.

The public voted for an assessment fee of $292 per residential home. Commissioners can strike an assessment fee lower than that, but not more.

In January, Commissioner Kruze said she wondered if the department should apply yet for another SAFER grant from the federal government to help the department before funds run out and before new funding begins to come in for the next fiscal year.

The chief noted that it takes a lot of work to prepare papers and information to obtain a SAFER grant and also said he doubted that the Lehigh Fire District would even receive a third grant now that the assessment fee voted in would keep the department afloat.

On Friday night, he said he didn’t think it was ethical for the department to make another application “if we live within our means.”

The chief told one firefighter who spoke during the public period before the microphone that rumors about layoffs were not true.

He said through attrition of firefighters and/or retirements, the department would be able to support itself, even if it had to dip into its emergency funds.

Commissioner Kruze didn’t change her feelings that an application should be made.

During a brief discussion, fellow commissioners said little to defend the chief’s position and little to agree with Commissioner Kruze’s statements.

Eventually the commissioners voted 3 to 2 to not direct the chief to apply for another SAFER grant. The voting was confusing to the audience and the board’s attorney explained that a vote be made a second time using different wording. In both votes, the results were the same.

Those voting to ask the chief to apply for a third SAFER grant included Commissioners Cathy Kruze and Linda Carter. Those voting not to ask for another SAFER grant were Commissioners Larry Becker, chairman of the board; David Adams, and Matt Smith, the newest member of the board.