The Sedona Eye publishes the following February 16, 2012 Special Board Meeting minutes without comment:

~ DRAFT ~SPECIAL BOARD MEETING ~

SFD Station #1 – Multipurpose Room, 2860 Southwest Drive, Sedona – Public Session 

Thursday, February 16, 2012 / 5:00 PM 

~ MINUTES ~

1. Call to Order/Roll Call.

Board Present: David Blauert – Chairman; Charles Christensen – Clerk; Craig Dible – Member; Phyllis Erick – Member

Board Absent: Ty Montgomery – Member

Others Present:

Terry Keller, Interim Fire Chief

Kris Kazian, Fire Chief Candidate

Sandi Schmidt, Finance Manager

On and Off –Duty SFD Personnel

Tricia Greer, Recording Clerk

Patrick Whitehurst, Sedona Red Rock News

Approximately 30 Members of the Public

2. Salute to the Flag of the United States of America and Moment of Silence to Honor Men and Women in Service to Our Country.

Mr. Christensen led the Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence.

3. Board Discussion with Selected Candidate for SFD Fire Chief. 

Mr. Blauert introduced Kris Kazian as the choice for the Fire Chief; he said Chief Kazian called him on Sunday and said he would be in Sedona and would like to have a “Meet and Greet” with the public and the Board. He then gave the following information about Chief Kazian: 22 years of fire service experience with 20 of those in Countryside Fire Protection District in a Chicago suburb; rose through the ranks holding positions of Lieutenant, Captain, Assistant Chief, and currently, Deputy Chief; experience includes all aspects of fire and EMS; a resume list of certifications that are well rounded and everything desired for a candidate being considered for the position of Fire Chief; holds a Bachelors degree in Fire Science Management and Masters degree in Organizational Leadership; has fondness for public education, as well as appreciation for technical rescue, and exceptional customer service.

Mr. Blauert said Chief Kazian’s experience at Countryside FPD mirrors Sedona Fire District in calls, operations, dispatch, rural water system, similar population; has been a Paramedic for 20 years.

Mr. Blauert stated it should be a nearly seamless transition from his current position to the SFD Fire Chief. He said Chief Kazian has a wife and four daughters; his family will remain in Chicago until the end of the school year looking forward to relocating to Sedona in early July; he and his wife are co-founders and co-presidents of a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the comfort and quality of life for special needs’ children; is active with many civic-minded and professional groups; and is an avid hockey fan.

Chief Kazian then asked for and was given permission to make a statement, which follows:

Thank you, Mr. President (Note: in reference to Chairman Blauert). First of all, I’d like to say thank you to all the firefighters and the staff who have welcomed me with open arms over the last two days. It’s been a wonderful experience getting to see all that SFD has to offer and to get to meet some of the dedicated individuals that make Sedona Fire District what it truly is. I’d like to personally acknowledge Interim Chief Keller and the Administrative staff for their professionalism and their perseverance leading Sedona Fire District to where we are today. I’ve seen the Minutes of the meetings, and I’ve read the Minutes, and I’m hoping that most of the challenging times will be behind us. As we look to move forward, I’m certain that Chief Keller and the Administrative staff have always done things to the best of their abilities and have always placed service above self. I think that they deserve a round of applause and my hat is off to them for a job well done. Sedona Fire District Special Meeting Minutes February 16, 2012 Page 2

As for the Governing Board and the Fire Chief Selection Committee, your interest in working through the difficult task of determining who will be the next Fire Chief of Sedona was certainly not a simple one. I would imagine there was a vast array of qualified candidates and the selection process was difficult. I want to say thank you for your vote of confidence for what I believe to be a sincere interest in moving Sedona forward. I’ve had conversations with the Board Members during my interview process and it’s obvious that it is time to get back to letting the Fire Chief run the Fire District and rebuild the trust in the organization. I am humbled and honored to be here before all of you tonight.

As I wait to make my final decision to be the Chief for the Sedona Fire District when I get back home to be with my family to make that decision with my family, I think it’s important for everyone to realize a few things. To begin this new journey at Sedona Fire, we’re all going to have to have a great deal of faith in one another. As I embark on the thought of leaving what I believe is a perfectly wonderful, great organization back in Chicago for this exceptional opportunity to serve as your Fire Chief, some may wonder what I’m thinking. I got that question already as I was here. I’ve heard many of your comments on the Internet; I’ve watched all the meetings. I want to explain why I stand here or sit here before all of you today. You must understand a couple of things first. #1 – I have no reason to leave my job back home. I have a very good position, a very good career; this is completely voluntary for me to be here today. In fact, my current boss, if he wasn’t so supportive in my endeavors and wishes would probably be begging me to stay where I’m at. So, this is why I’m here today, because I want to be. I have the potential to be the Fire Chief of my organization in probably two to three years, and I want to be here and take this challenge to be here for many reasons. I’ve got a group of 75 firefighters, just like the 75 firefighters or so that are here; they’re all incredible people; I’m going to miss every one of them. My hope is that I will bring them out as visitors and get to show them the nice red rocks of Sedona and enjoy the place that I will soon call home. I’ve got a network of friends and colleagues dedicated to help me whenever I need it and I believe I’ve already met some new friends and colleagues here in Arizona, ready to help whenever I need it. But, I’ve worked my entire career for this moment. My education, my certifications, and my experience, along with my passion to excel have gotten me to this position today. I’m confident that I am well prepared for this next chapter.

So, again, you ask why would I leave my job? I told you I watched the meetings, I’ve heard the things that have been said, the things that have been written about the selection process, about all that has gone on. I have to clear the air and tell you that I can assure you that the process from my end was clean, impartial, and assure you that I have no relations to anyone on this Board or any one on the Fire Chief Selection Committee. I am completely an outsider coming to a great organization through a selection process of which I had no doing or part of, other than putting my application in for this job. As a matter of fact, a colleague of mine from Illinois happened to see the posting and offered me the link and I started my process from there. So, I must tell you that I’ve earned this opportunity through my skills, abilities, and certifications that I spoke of. My professionalism will stand for itself going forward. It is my intent to spend a good, long time here as part of the Sedona Fire District family and entrench myself in this great community. My wife is very excited looking over the PTA, and all the things that the park district offers and everything that Sedona has to offer all of its residents. And, so, as I begin to ask myself, how am I going to become part of this community and part of Sedona Fire District, it’s going to be through long-range planning, working through the budgeting process, the identification of core services, those would be my first steps in this process. We need to let the Fire Chief get back to the position of Fire Chief and run the fire department as the head of this great organization. I’ve had in-depth conversations with many people on the Board and I believe they are truly wanting to do this. I have consensus and support in this area from them and I have faith that we are going to move forward with that as part of our agenda – part of my agenda moving forward.

One of my key components during this interview process was focusing on the core services I spoke of earlier. Core services are identified in the budget document many times, but never did I find where Sedona Fire District Special Meeting Minutes February 16, 2012 Page 3

actually core services were actually identified. I think we’ve lost sight of what those core services are along the way, of all the things that have occurred and all the things I’ve gotten to see on your website. So, I believe it’s time we identify all those core services with our key stakeholders here – the firefighters, the staff, the board, and the citizens – so we truly understand what everyone expects as core services of the Sedona Fire District. Add to this the long-range strategic planning; good, effective communications; and the planning with capital budget needs in mind and we will have a recipe for success for all of us.

One of the key things I understand is of immediate attention is truly addressing the needs of the budget. In the budget document, it refers to doing “more with less”. There’s probably a time that works, but it’s a short-term type operation or situation, rather. In my opinion, at this point, it looks more to me to be doing the “same with less”, and if the budget is not addressed effectively and things are not able to be handled appropriately, we are going to soon need to do “less with less”. And if that is the case, we’re going to really have to identify what core services are going to be affected and how that is going to be dealt with from a Board, from the public, and from the Administrative staff and Firefighting operations and that is of grave concern to me, making sure that we go forward and address doing the “same with what we have right now”. There’s very little room with any less.

There have been many positions left open… are open and left unfilled. The process has been changed, I’ve met with the staff, I’ve read the Minutes, I’ve read the reports, I’ve read all these things here. I think some changes have been effective and some opportunities have been put in place. But, now, we are down to the core services and we have to identify what we are willing to sacrifice and what we are not. I believe that this funding is needed to be able to provide the residents with the emergency services they want, need, and deserve. There’s a lot of work to get done here. Don’t let me kid you. To do this, we’re going to need cooperation, honest discussions, and that teamwork I spoke of earlier, if we truly want to accomplish this.

We need to focus on our mission, and provide these core services and make sure our decisions are based on providing those core services keeping them truly what this is all about. That means we need to do it fiscally responsibly, we need to do it with transparency, and we need to do it with open eyes and open ears. We look to take care of all of the people within Sedona Fire District and take care of them well. I am confident, if given a chance to get on my feet here and get them on the ground, I can’t start running before I start walking. If I can do that without any preconceived notions and with a little bit of time to get my bearings straight, I think we’ll be sitting here in a meeting in the not so distant future, and things may look very different for all of us. I truly understand the process of the recall election occurring and whatever happens, happens. That is not really part of me. I wasn’t here in the past. I will be happy to work with any five member board elected officials that are put in the front of this room, with all those things I spoke of earlier – teamwork, commitment, open ears, all of those included. All I need is the harmony and the opportunity to let that Fire Chief – me – be the Fire Chief and have us all do our respective functions as the Sedona Fire District. Beyond that, there will be another election in November and another one beyond that; that’s the beauty of letting citizens like all of you join this Board. It is living in a democracy and that’s the beauty of it all. The one constant will be the mission of the Sedona Fire District going forward. That will never change and, so, I hope that acting in a position of Fire Chief, I will act as that balance for the operations and the mission of providing emergency services – not working for personal political agendas or anything else – but providing those services – the emergency services that Sedona Fire District is charged with providing. We’re in the business of saving lives and making a huge impact on what makes Sedona such a wonderful place. That comes with costs and it’s not cheap and we have to plan.

Lastly, I’d like to say to all of you citizens here today and any of you that will watch when the meeting is posted, that I’ve heard your concerns in the Board meetings. Unfortunately, I have not come to Sedona with a magic wand and I can’t wave it and make things better immediately. It will take time and patience. Sedona Fire District Special Meeting Minutes February 16, 2012 Page 4

Your civic involvement and passion is truly amazing and we need to utilize those resources we have amongst all of you and tap into those when appropriate. I encourage you to come meet with me, talk with me, share your thoughts with me, so that we can continue to provide these great services when it’s good or not so good, we’re only human. At these meetings sometimes the vicious cycle of counterproductive behavior has occurred on all levels and that is not in the best interest of Sedona Fire District moving forward. We have to stop that and focus on what issue is at hand and that is providing effective emergency services. Operational issues may need to be addressed by the people who are responsible for the people in Operations – namely the Fire Chief and the staff that goes with that and the Board has their elected responsibilities they are elected to do. Us firefighters – we’re not perfect, we’re only human, but one thing I’m certain about is that we’re definitely compassionate. We are not in this for the money, but we’re here for the ability to make a positive impact on the life of others and we want to do things right and we want to make sure that we are effective in our jobs, because we care and we make a difference. We will need to time to get things working like I know they can here at Sedona Fire District. I know if given a chance, we will come together and we’ll build bridges that you may have wished were built or maybe they were here before, and they’re no longer here, but I want to re-build them and start all over. All I ask is that you give me the chance. Realize that I am truly here because I want to be here. I am not crazy. I understand the tasks and challenges ahead of me. I see a great upside for what Sedona does offer to all of us, and I’m excited to be part of it. A history lesson I learned tells me that there’s quite a short tenure for many of the Fire Chiefs before, and I’d like to change that history. I’d like to be here for a long time. It appears there are many great people behind me. I’m almost done.

I’m certain that I’m in great company with many great Chiefs before me and I don’t know that I possess any skills that none of them had in the past, but change may be in the air and it may be time for us to move forward and begin to start all over again and I’m excited to be part of that change.

I think that Sedona Fire District is incredibly wonderful. The public service they provide, their dedication at all levels is truly amazing, and I vow to get Sedona Fire District back on track with support from all people within this great organization and the great citizens so we can move forward. I do thank you for listening to me and letting me express my concerns. This is my gut check and my ability to understand if this is truly a place for me to be. I have not officially accepted the position, so this is my opportunity to meet all of you tonight and to make sure that this is a fit for me and for my family, for myself and the Board, and for the Administrative staff here today that truly want to move forward and I hope you understand my passion, my interest, and my sincerity in being here through whatever processes have occurred prior to me and for whatever comes with the territory, I’m excited to be here. I really do appreciate the opportunity and I do hope that we can move forward, as has been promised to me and I hope that some of you will provide insight to help make sure that happens from your side, I will hear your story as well. So, I thank you, Mr. President, for allowing me ten minutes to speak. This is very important to me. So, again, I’m honored and humbled to be in front of all of you. I look forward to a good cookie and some great questions. So, I thank you, Mr. President.

4. Public “Meet and Greet” with Selected Candidate for SFD Fire Chief.

The Public then interacted with the selected Candidate for Fire Chief, Kris Kazian.

5. Adjournment.

The meeting adjourned at 6:00 PM.

_____________________________________

David Blauert, Chairman of the Board :tg

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