JUSTIN MARTIN The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District's Board of Fire Commissioners voted unanimously on May 23 at its monthly meeting to approve Rudy Naranjo as the official deputy chief of operations.

The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District is exploring building a sixth fire station.

At the May 23 monthly meeting, Fire Chief Robert Dilallo explained to the district’s Board of Fire Commissioners that the new station would be located at Sunshine Boulevard North, near 17th Street West. The construction of the proposed station would require the purchase of four parcels of land.

Dilallo said the owners of three of the parcels have agreed to sell their land for $10,000 each. The fourth owner is open to trading his or her parcel for a piece of district-owned land on Sunshine. He told the board that he would work on acquiring letters of intent from the owners by the end of the week.

Following Dilallo’s presentation, the board voted to approve a feasibility study that would allow the chief to work with Lee County to determine if the new station could be built on the proposed site.

A second vote would be required of the fire board to approve the purchase of the parcels.

Currently, the district has fire stations at 1000 Joel Blvd., 11 Homestead Road S., 308 Gunnery Road S., 3102 16th St. S.W. and 636 Thomas Sherwin Ave. S.

Dilallo also informed the commissioners that the purchase of a Homestead Road property, which is expected to house the replacement fire station for Station 102, has been delayed due to legal reasons.

Last month, the board approved the purchase of the 14.7-acre property, at 44 Homestead Road S., for $560,000. Station 102, at 11 Homestead Road S., must be moved due to the road expansion project.

The fire board’s attorney, Robert Pringle, stated that he wants to find out who holds the oil, gas and mineral rights to the new property. He explained that they can often be sold separately to a third party, sometimes giving the third party the ability to access the property, even when someone else owns it.

“If there is a right of access, that means that the holder of the oil, gas and mineral rights can enter onto the surface of the property,” Pringle said.

He estimated that it would take about two weeks to investigate the issue.

Also at the meeting, the board unanimously approved Rudy Naranjo as the official deputy chief of operations for the district. He has been serving as the interim for the position for several months.

Naranjo will receive a $6,500 raise, bringing his annual contract to about $126,000.

Dilallo said he is looking forward to working with him in the future.

“He (Naranjo) has done an outstanding job and we work very well together,” he said.

The board also addressed Commissioner Robert Anderson’s long-running issues with Pringle.

Anderson has repeatedly taken issue with Pringle’s billing practices, encouraging the board to hire a new attorney on a contract instead of billing per hour. He set an item on the agenda to replace Pringle.

In response to Anderson’s agenda item, Chairwoman Cathy Kruse handed her gavel to another commissioner so she could make a motion to permanently dismiss Anderson’s agenda item.

“This is embarrassing and, I think, a little bit insulting,” she said.

The board voted 4-1 to remove the agenda item, with Anderson dissenting.

“Pringle has to go,” he said. “He has got to go.”

The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District board will hold its next meeting on June 27 at 5 p.m. at Station 104, at 3102 16th St. S.W.

The board meetings are open to the public; the public is encouraged to attend.

For more information, call 239-303-5300 or visit: www.lehighfd.com/.