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SFD Board May 2018 Regular Meeting Draft Minutes

Sedona AZ (May 17, 2018) – The DRAFT Minutes from the SFD Governing Board Regular Meeting of May 15, 2018 are available below.

Please remember these Minutes will not be officially approved by the Board until the June 2018 meeting and are subject to change.

Click here:  Draft Minutes of 5-15-18

Other documents from this meeting can be accessed under Board Minutes on the SFD website at www.sedonafire.org.

For more information, contact Kerrie Tarver, Sedona Fire District Administrative Specialist, at 928-204-8909.

Read www.SedonaEye.com for daily news and interactive views!

13 Comments

  1. More Money Wasted by SFD says:

    “Ms. Cooperman moved to approve the contract with Leibowitz SOLO (IWS) for community awareness and public relations needs for the Sedona Fire District subject to legal review in the amount of $2500 a month through the IWS Contract number ADSP016-145321 and subject to small contract addendum for professional services. Mr. McCarthy seconded, there was no further discussion. Motion passed unanimously.” [Page 5]

    So — $30,000 a year for “community awareness and public relations needs.”

    So — after their humiliating defeat of the proposed bond issue (which was pushed financially by a Phoenix contractor that builds firehouses), SFD needs the help of a PR firm and pays for it with our money!

    From Leibowitz SOLO’s website ( http://leibowitzsolo.com/ ): “Every campaign, every ad, every editorial, every commercial tells a story. Stories touch hearts. Told well, stories change minds and motivate action.”

    SFD is coming for your heart. SFD is coming for your mind. SFD is coming for your wallet.

  2. Michael Schroeder says:

    I continue to be amazed at the waste of taxpayer dollars by SFD. At the Tuesday 15th of May SFD Board meeting, there was a presenter introduced by Chief Kazian for a PR (public relations) firm to represent and promote the “good things” that SFD does.

    Seems to me well trained personnel with good equipment showing up when you dial 911 is pretty good PR. YouTube and Facebook posts are next to free and can be targeted to our district, if necessary. Communicating events that are important to the public can be done at will, without spending $30,000 of taxpayer money annually for a PR consulting firm.

    What is concerning is that this contract appeared to be pre approved and the presentation was just going through the process for a motion to enter into a contract, which occurred.

    Let’s hope this Board or a NEW board revisits this contract in the near future.

  3. steve Segner says:

    Mike,when I was interviewed for the opening on the fire board,
    one of my suggestions was the hire a out side P.R.firm.

    One of the reason the fire bond failed in my opinion was lack of
    GOOD. information.

    The fire board and the city of Sedona need to keep the voters informed.

    In house or a outside P.R. consulting is a must for all business,facebook twitter, local news news letters, ect. with out it “OTHERS” will control the issues.
    Getting the correct information to the tax payers is job one.
    Mike I know you want the city and the fire dist. run more like a business.
    steve

  4. Sedona Larry says:

    Well told stories change elections.

  5. Joan, nearest says:

    @SedonaLarry don’t miss the point, PR is a sales tool, the stories are fabricated & like Marlboro Man fronting for cigareete manufacturers makes you want death & cancer & SFD & Chamber & Council makes you want smog & e coli in Oak Creek Canyon & crime disguised as GOOD for you

  6. @ steve Segner says:

    Great idea, steve Segner! You should hire a PR firm to write your illiterate and moronic comments here at the Eye.

  7. So Who Wins? says:

    Totally support the firefighters and what they do. However, the Fire Chief, unions, and fire board appear to be the downfall. Do they really believe the public that just denied them an outrageous amount of more money will buy into some ads that wastes even more money! OMG – are they so convinced that it’s only the old and feeble who call upon them for services and don’t understand what’s going on here?
    P-U-L-E-E-Z-E ….. as far as I’m concerned just reading about this frivolous amount being approved for “hype” is another reason to continue voting no, no, no on increases for bonds and/or overrides. How about doing something really worthwhile and getting rid of the foolish ladder truck that is unable to turn around in Oak Creek Canyon? We are ALL losers as long as this nonsense continues.

  8. Rich Collister says:

    Hey Mike

    I’m surprised you didn’t ask that question at the fire board meeting ( under the public forum) and then walk out before the answer…

    You know like you and your buddy Kandar do.. All a big dog and pony show put on by you two.

  9. Matt Shobert, fire chief (retired) says:

    Why don’t you “70, 80-somethings” opine about something you know about? Any day now, at your ages, you will need these critcal services. And you will want them to arrive well-equipped, professional and “Johnny on the spot.” Try holding your breath for 18 minutes, like the days before a paid, professional department. Sad. Bigly. …or, go back to Cali, and complain there. You have ruined this little town.

  10. Oy vey says:

    this is EXACTLY how the chamber started with the city!

    NO NO NO

  11. Dwight Kadar says:

    At its regularly scheduled monthly meeting in May, the Sedona Fire District Governing Board voted unanimously to hire a public relations firm.
    They agreed to spend $2,500 a month, or $30,000 a year, to employ David Leibowitz, out of Phoenix, for “community awareness and public relations needs.”
    This was the job retired Fire Marshall Gary Johnson did very effectively for years as SFD’s Public Information Officer at no additional cost to the taxpayers.
    Chief Kris Kazian explained that current Fire Marshall Jon Davis
    and staff should “focus on other duties” and they needed to hire someone new “in communicating who SFD is, what the organization does and how it helps residents. In an effort to meet the goal to educate the community on what SFD does as well as promote safety in the community.”
    Leibowitz stated “that SFD could be better at explaining in an aggressive way what the public is getting in return for a $15,000,000 annual budget.”
    So Chief Kazian, never at a loss for words, and his entire Executive Management and Command Staff can’t explain what we’re getting for all our tax dollars? We have to hire a PR guy out of Phoenix to “educate” us?
    You would think, after the recent defeat of SFD’s bloated bond proposal, the Governing Board would have gotten the message: The taxpayers have had it. We don’t need additional justification on how SFD spends all our dollars, we want strategies to save money and reduce costs.
    In November, three of the five seats on the Governing Board are up for election. As taxpayers, that will be our opportunity to finally elect some new members who will prioritize these goals. And, yes, this can be done while still maintaining SFD’s high level of service that we all expect and deserve.

  12. mshobert says:

    Sad. …nothing to do in “majestic, peaceful, harmonic Sedona,” but complain and whine, until you croak. …seen it for years, …zactly why I left.

    Fact! …read this stuff.

  13. Rich collister says:

    The ole dog and pony show brought to you by Dwight Kandar..

    Ask a question at a fire board meeting then leave before the answer.. Act like the Fire Dept is an enemy…(deleted by editor)

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