Beach Fire responds to Town facility fees
Last week, the Fort Myers Beach Town Council decided to waive Town Hall facility fees involving the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District for the remainder of the calendar year. But, the policy makers also stated that come 2017, the set fee schedule for Town Hall Meeting Room Rental will apply for the independent taxing district as it does for any other outside entity that wishes to use the facility.
The fee charges for Town Hall rental include $30 per hour for the room without use of audio-visual equipment, $125 per hour with use of audio-visual equipment and attendant on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and $187.50 per hour with use of audio-visual equipment and attendant after 5 p.m. and on weekends. There is also a $100 room rental fee for setup and cleanup each time.
On Sept. 21 and again on Oct. 5, Beach Fire had requested that Council at least waive the facility fees until 2016, since it already advertised meeting locations for the remainder of 2015 -a total of six meetings- and would like to avoid changing the venue and having additional advertising costs.
On Oct. 6, Beach Fire discussed its own procedures and fee structure overall. The commissioners decided to become less giving when it comes to fee waivers.
“We belong to the taxpayers, but we still have to run this place like a business. Therefore, if our fees are appropriate in general, they shouldn’t be waived,” Commission Chairperson Carol Morris said. “The moment we start waiving fees, then you are putting extra burden on the taxpayers.”
Morris used a fee waiver for a beachfront wedding as an example of a poor decision.
“The purpose of waiving a fee is because all of the money generated is going to a charitable event and we think that as a benefit for the better good of all the people,” she said.
Commissioner Bob Raymond stated he was disappointed with Town officials after viewing their meeting on webcast.
“I heard the mayor and town manager say ‘a fee is a fee and that is what it is’,” he said. “From this point on, it goes as well for us as it does for them.”
Morris did speak to both Cereceda and Town Manager Don Stilwell and clarified that only island taxpayers paid for Town Hall, while on-island residents and off-islanders in the District pay taxes to the District. Two of the five commissioners live off island, while another was said to be moving off soon.
“We do not contribute to that fee that island people have to pay,” she said. “Their argument is that the amount that went for this building only came out of the fees from people who live on the island.”
Commissioner Ted Schindler, who was one of the fire board members who requested a Town facility fee waiver until at least the end of 2015, stated he would have preferred “back-scratching” between agencies, but believes it may be time to remain steadfast in a fee policy.
“I will adopt the Town Council’s position as well,” he said. “We as a judiciary for our taxpayers, which includes the people on this island, should be charging. Unfortunately, the Town will actually lose on that. That’s the sad part of this.”
On Oct. 5, Cereceda and Councilwoman Rexann Hosafros were immovable when it came to adjusting a fee schedule. Hosafros believes in cooperation between governmental agencies, but costs should not be part of the equation.
“Both agencies will have turnover in staff, and there is no institutional memory anymore like there used to be for who is doing what for whom,” Hosafros said. “I would rather have us pay our cost for what we need to accomplish, charge appropriate rentals for things that we rent out and they do the same.”
Councilman Alan Mandel was on Council when former Mayor and current Lee County Commissioner Larry Kiker offered the facility at no cost to both Beach Fire and the Fort Myers Beach Library Board.
“The driver (for the invitation) was to make information more accessible to members of this community,” Mandel said.
The commissioners indicated but did not approve the fact that they will be moving back to Fire Station #31 for 2016 meetings.
“We have the ace in the hole with station 31, and we can use that for our meetings,” said Schindler. “We won’t be paying their fees after the first of the year. They will get 100 percent of nothing.”
As far as an island fire hydrant maintenance program, Beach Fire has conducted hydrant flow testing twice a year at no cost for many years. Rough cost for such service each year is between $5,000 and $6,000.
“That’s a service that we provide that is extremely labor intense and required by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) with no charge,” Capt. Ron Martin said.
Once fee applications are viewed, Martin recommended the preparation of an executive summary with proposed user fees to be brought before the fire board, instead of each applicant addressing the commissioners. The Fire Board gave consent to develop such policy.