By Marvin G. Cortner
Editor

The Osceola County Commission Monday in a 4-0 vote adopted a new method of assessing fire fees based on a property’s fire risk, a building’s square footage and on what resources would be needed to fight a fire at that property.

Property owners previously were assessed flat fees based on the kind of property they owned. The new fee would go into effect for the 2010-11 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

A fire assessment fee committee comprised of a cross-section of the community met for a number of months and then recommended a methodology to the commission, which was the one they adopted. However, that recommendation was not unanimous, as several members of the committee wanted fees based on property values.

Commissioners Monday also voted to exempt from the fee property that currently is exempt from ad valorem taxes, such as churches and nonprofits. The cost of those exemptions, county officials said, would be $235,350, which will have to be spread over the remaining properties that would be subject to the fee or paid out of the county general fund as it was last year.

Commissioners Michael Harford and Brandon Arrington wanted to remove the exemption but the motion failed in a 2-2 tie, with Ken Smith absent and John Quiñones and Chairman Fred Hawkins Jr. voting to keep the exemption.

“I still have concerns about exempting these properties,” Harford said before the vote, adding that it would be unfair for the other properties to have to pick up the extra cost.

Arrington said all properties should be assessed a fire fee because there is a cost involved in protecting that property.

Hawkins said churches, for example, should be exempt from the fee because many of them provide meeting space for community organizations.

Quiñones said he still had concerns that certain classes of business, such as restaurants, would face dramatically higher fees.

The commission will hold its next public hearing on the fire fees at its June 7 meeting.

Meetings planned this month and

next on fees

Osceola County Fire Rescue Chief Rich Collins and his staff will host a series of community meetings at local fire stations throughout the county in May and early June to explain Fire Rescue’s budget, levels of service and the proposed fire assessment fees.

“This is a great opportunity for citizens to come out to their local fire station, meet with staff, and receive answers to their questions about the proposed fire fee,” Collins said. “Some mistakenly think the fire assessment fee is a new fee but it has actually been in place since 1989 as a fair and equitable means of providing funding for fire rescue services.”

Community meetings will be held on the following dates and tours will be available at the conclusion of each meeting:

• Monday at 6 p.m., Campbell City Fire Station 43, 1665 Broad St.

• Tuesday at 6 p.m., Narcoossee Fire Station 51, 5026 Yukon St.

• Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Pine Grove Fire Station 52, 1420 Pine Grove Road

• Thursday, May 13, at 6 p.m. at Shady Lane Fire Station 63, 1097 Shady Lane

• Saturday, May 15, at 10 a.m. at Buenaventura Lakes Fire Station 62, 403 Buenaventura Blvd.

• Tuesday, May 18, at 6 p.m. at Lindfield’s Fire Station 71, 8706 W. U.S. Highway 192.

• Wednesday, May 19, at 6 p.m. at Deer Run Fire Station 53, 4070 Hickory Tree Road.

• Thursday, May 20, at 6 p.m. at Overstreet Fire Station 64, 3267 Pleasant Hill Road.

• Saturday, May 22, at 10 a.m. at West 192 Fire Station 42, 2000 N. Poinciana Blvd.

• Monday, May 24, at 6 p.m. at Celebration Fire Station 72, 595 Celebration Blvd.

• Wednesday, May 26, at 6 p.m. at Harmony Fire Station 54, 3600 Arthur J. Gallagher Blvd.

• Thursday, May 27, at 6 p.m. at Poinciana Fire Station 65, 1201 Cypress Parkway.

• Tuesday, June 1, at 6 p.m. at Reunion Fire Station 73, 7855F Osceola Polk Line Road.

• Wednesday, June 2, at 6 p.m. at Holopaw Fire Station 55, 8807 Reliant Road

• Thursday, June 3, at 6 p.m. at Kenansville Fire Station 57, 1130 S. Canoe Creek Road.

For more information on the community meetings or the fire assessment program, call 407-742-7000 for assistance or visit the county’s website at www.osceola.org and click on “Fire Assessment Program” link under the Hot Topics section of the homepage.

Niki Whisler, public information officer and public education coordinator for Osceola County Emergency Management, provided information for this article.