Bayou Cane FD vote has ramifications

Voters in precincts served by the Bayou Cane Fire Protection District face a reduction in available services.

After approving the renewal of a 10 year property tax of 20 mills and rejecting a proposed new 10 mill levy designed to last 10 years, Bayou Cane Fire Chief Ken Himel said he has no other choice but to cut six firefighters by the end of the year and close one fire station. He was not certain which station would be shuttered.

“We appreciate the support we got from the people that voted yes for both propositions,” Himel said the morning following Election Day. Now, the fire chief is looking at layoffs and closing a station. “We are in the process of updating what we can respond to,” he said.

“Station 3 [at 1214 Savanne Road] has the least amount of calls we have to respond to, but that is a lot of area to have to cover,” Himel said. “It is going to take us a little bit to gather data and make the best decision [as to which station should close].”

Bayou Cane voters offered 60 percent support for the existing millage with 5,865 ballots cast in favor and 3,858 in opposition. The proposed millage failed by a closer margin with 5,368 (56 percent) rejecting the tax while 4,226 ballots were in support.

Himel said Bayou Cane Fire Department funding issues are nothing new, but he intends to manage what he has and continue to provide service for all residents in his coverage area. He admitted he also faces a challenge of boosting morale among his staff.

“The people voiced their opinion and the numbers were close on both [millage issues],” Terrebonne Parish Dist. 3 Councilman Greg Hood said.

Hood had been at the center of a long fight involving the Bayou Cane Fire Protection District, its financial practices and disputes between current and former associates with the department. He supported renewing the existing millage but said with proper money management the second millage would not be needed.

“I hope Bayou Cane looks at everything and does the right thing with what they have,” Hood said. “I think [job cuts and station closures] would be over-reacting. I think if they would look for federal grants they can keep those people on the job.”

The Bayou Cane Fire Department has a proposed $4 million budget for 2013. It services an area of approximately 35 square miles and a population of more than 27,000 people from four stations.

With spending cuts Himel said he should be able to manage on available funds into 2014. “We are hoping to keep layoffs and cuts to an absolute minimum,” he said. “We are playing the hand we were dealt.”