Fire commissioner seeks to move meetings

The presence of firefighters might incite feelings of safety in many, but it is their attendance at Bonita Springs Fire District board meetings that drives away residents, says one fire commissioner.

Having Bonita Springs fire fighters sit in on the monthly meetings at Fire Station 1 on Old 41 Road is intimidating to the public and keeps residents from speaking up about problems with the district, said Fire Commissioner Ed FitzGerald.

On Monday, FitzGerald will recommend that meetings be moved to the Bonita Springs City Hall on Bonita Beach Road.

He may be hard-pressed to get support from fellow board members, however. So far, they have refused to conduct meetings elsewhere.

Monthly fire district meetings are routinely attended by 10 to 15 firefighters, many of whom are on duty at Station 1. FitzGerald — the lone dissenter on many district issues — said he thinks fewer community members show up because residents fear being ridiculed if they criticize the department, he said.

“I think we need to hold meetings in an open, less intimidating (building),” FitzGerald said.

Not everyone agrees.

Fire stations are far from intimidating, said Commissioner Evans Conforti, who said people might not care enough to show up no matter where the meetings are conducted.

FitzGerald’s idea to have the meetings at City Hall came about two months ago, when the fire district was discussing televising its monthly meetings. At the time, FitzGerald said the city would allow the fire board to use space at City Hall because the building is already wired for broadcasting.

Bonita Springs City Manger Gary Price said the fire district could use the space for about $100 a meeting, plus overtime costs for any city employees who need to work video equipment.

No outside groups use the meeting rooms at the City Hall now, Price said. Price added that he’d be surprised if a new meeting room would attract larger crowds.

“Firefighters are the community’s darlings; I can’t imagine anyone would be (afraid) of them,” Price said.

Televised or not, Conforti said he doesn’t want to go elsewhere.

“I have no interest of moving to City Hall,” he said “We have our own meeting place. There is absolutely no way I would vote to hold meetings there.”

In addition to already having a meeting place at Station 1, the fire district is set to open a larger headquarters soon. Station 4 on Bonita Grande Drive will serve as the district’s new, larger headquarters and meeting place this summer.

Conforti said he is looking forward to conducting meetings at Station 4 and that he’d be willing to address televising meetings at that location.

If the fire district were to move to city hall, it won’t be alone in conducting meetings away from headquarters.

Estero Fire and Rescue conducts its board meetings at Estero United Methodist Church because there is no space at the fire station, spokesman Jim Clarke said. Even with the neutral site, community participation is rare.

Most meetings attract one or two residents, he said.

Still, FitzGerald said he hopes his idea will get more community members interested and more people questioning the fire district’s spending.

“(If) it weren’t for me, Ed FitzGerald, (the media) wouldn’t even be going to the meetings,” he said. “Budgets would pass, they’d hire their firefighters and they’d think they were doing a good job. (The community) needs to see.”