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SFD September 2013 Finance Workshop and Regular Board Minutes

Sedona FireSedona AZ (September 10, 2013) – The following is the Sedona Fire District September 8, 2013, Draft Board Minutes published without comment or edits by SedonaEye.com:

8-28-13 SFD Board Meeting DRAFT Minutes

Sedona Fire District 2860 Southwest Drive, Sedona, Arizona 86336

Telephone (928) 282-6800 FAX (928) 282-6857

FINANCE WORKSHOP AND REGULAR BOARD MEETING

Station #1 – 2860 Southwest Drive – West Sedona – Multipurpose Room

Wednesday, August 28, 2013 / 3:30 PM

~ Minutes ~

I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL

Board Present: Ty Montgomery – Chairman; Corrie Cooperman – Clerk;

Nazih Hazime, Scott Jablow, Diane Schoen – Members

Staff Present: Kris Kazian – Fire Chief; Scott Schwisow – Division Chief; Buzz Lechowski – Division Chief; Gary Johnson – Fire Marshal; Sandi Schmidt – Finance Manager; Carla Dufort – Admin. Specialist/Acting Recorder to the Board

Others Present: Bill Whittington – Attorney; approximately 11 Citizens

The meeting was called to order at 3:31 P.M.

II. EXECUTIVE SESSION

A. Vote to go into Executive Session relating to the following item pursuant to ARS 38-431.03(A)(3) Legal Advice; and ARS 38-431.03(A)(4) Instruction to Attorney – Lowell Johnson Complaint.

It was determined there was no need for an Executive Session at this time and the meeting moved directly to the Finance Workshop.

III. FINANCE WORKSHOP

A. Discussion regarding the impact of ARS 48-807 as it relates to changes in financial disclosure procedures. Illustration on understanding the new format of financial statements in future board meetings.

Chief Kazian thanked the Board for the opportunity to give this presentation on the upcoming changes. He stated he wanted to provide an understanding of the new legislation. He went on to say the workshop would be recorded separately so it will be available for future use as a teaching tool to new Board Members. (Please see the attached PowerPoint) House Bill 2572/ARS48-807 recently passed to address financial concerns as relating to fire districts and funding. This PowerPoint will assist the Board in reading and navigating the reports. Chief Kazian reminded the Board of their key responsibilities, which are to have monthly board meetings, an annual budget, determine compensation for district personnel, publish a financial report and hire a fire chief to take care of the day to day operations. It is the Board’s fiduciary responsibility to make sure policies, procedures and best practices are followed. I have provided you the language of the house bill with special attention to paragraph O, which outlines the changes. The district shall reconcile all accounts, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, for each calendar month of the fiscal year within thirty days after the end of the month. The district board shall review the reconciled fund accounts monthly. This law takes effect on September 14th, at which time we will have to produce monthly reports that include a cash flow projection, which shall be updated monthly showing revenue and expenditures for the preceding month. At that time, the Board will have responsibility to notify the Board of Supervisors within ten days of discovering any potential problems. This arose because of a mismanagement of funds by fire districts in the past. SFD has a long history of sound financial practices; we have done this for the past several decades. We have had a third party review of all financials on an annual basis as well. There are a new requirements and I will outline them as follows:

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Sedona Fire District

Sedona Fire District

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a. Follow required timeline and procedural issues as relating to posting/publishing, which is 20 days minimum.

b. Approve/certify the budget.

c. Estimate revenues and expenses for current and upcoming years.

d. Complete a joint study if expenses exceed revenue for any year.

If there are insufficient funds, we have the ability to draw warrants. SFD has not had to request funding from the county in the past 25 years.

e. Monthly financial report outlining accounts, expenses, revenue, and fund balances.

The format will change to accommodate better information and more streamlined reporting.

f. Reconciliation of bank statements.

Staff will do the work but the Board is expected to be able to identify irregularities or areas of concern.

g. Provide monthly financial reports, statement of financial activities and a statement of net assets.

We are proposing to streamline the report so it is generated directly from our accounting software.

h. Present an annual cash flow projection.

This will be a best-case scenario based on projected funds.

i. Cleary identify cash flow as we expect it to occur.

j. Mandatory reporting to the County Treasurer.

This is a check and balance to give the County Supervisors an idea if a district is in trouble.

k. Review and approve financial reports monthly.

Next month at the board meeting, there will be a motion to accept the monthly report as presented; this can be within the consent agenda.

l. Review other financial information.

This will include the SRCC and the St. 6 project report.

m. Post the budget on the website for 60 months.

SFD currently follows this and we will maintain it for seven years. This will eliminate the need to publish the budget in the newspaper.

Sedona Rope Rescue team in action

Sedona Rope Rescue team in action

Chief Kazian went on to show the board what to expect on a monthly basis. He noted that “other financing sources” is not revenue, this a practice of allocating funds between accounts. For example, we might transfer money into and out of a holding account for payroll. Chief Kazian went on to say the “Revenue and Expense” report groups all the revenue by categories. For example, all of the salaries are grouped under the 511100 number etc. The “percent spent” at the end of the report is a year to date number. The “Revenue” sheet shows the period ending, the fund name and line items for that fund. This report gives a reference of where we started and where we end up in the budget. It includes fiscal activity year to date and it shows encumbrances and the variances of favorable or unfavorable. If it is positive, it means we took in more revenue than expected. The “Expenses”, he explained if we look at printer cartridges, for example, if we budgeted $3,500.00 for them and then realize it is really $5,000.00; we could change the number to better allocate what we spend and reduce another area by $1,500.00 to balance the budget and better forecast our expenses. An example of an encumbrance is when we have a purchase order, not yet paid, the funds are allocated so we don’t overspend in other areas. Chief Kazian explained that Sandi developed the “Cash Flow” sheet to get an historical starting place. He went on to say the “Cash Flow” report shown gives the actual for July; this does not take in encumbrances. At the bottom, the General Fund balance is the amount we have in the bank. For the next month, we are projecting $103,000 in revenue and $812,000 in expenses. Therefore, we borrow money from our savings account. You can see that in October we are projecting $2.39 million dollars from the County in taxes. The next month we receive $1.6 million, as you can see we replenish our account quickly. Then money trickles in after that until the second half taxes come in. This creates an influx of cash; staff will look at this to determine the best time to make large purchases. Chief Kazian then pointed out the “Capital Reserve Fund” and explained this money sits outside the Board’s 15% and is money used for capital reserve

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Rendering of proposed Sedona Fire Station 6 in Chapel area

Rendering of proposed Sedona Fire Station 6 in Chapel area

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items. For example, this year if there is $1.3 million of capital in our budget, we should take $1.3 million and use it for capital. We should not be using that capital reserve money to balance the budget, which is what we’ve done in the past. Chief Kazian went on to explain “Fire Billing and Projects” shows previous years, if money is still owed, what’s due this year along with any expenses paid and non-district revenue as well as any other projects we may have. For each project we have we create a “project” to effectively track what we actually spend and what revenue we made. If there is money owed to us for wildfires, it will show on the report, when we receive the funds that amount will go away. “Sedona Regional Communications Group Summery” is a project outside of our budget showing what is paid and received to operate the Communications Center. In the “salaries and wages” line we are 4.54% spent and we are 8.33% into the year. It looks like we are operating under budget. If I look at “software support services”, I see we are at 81% spent. This is for a one-time license expense, which comes up in July, so the 81% on this line item is not a big deal. He went on to explain how the accounts are broken down on the “Balance sheet”. At the top of the page, you will see assets, liabilities and equity. In the liability category, for example, employee life insurance liability, we are invoiced when an employee elects additional life insurance. We then deduct that from the paycheck, and when the bill is paid that liability will be erased. Fund 20 is the “Capital Reserve” fund; you will see interest earned and no money taken from the account. Fund 99 is accounts payable and is referred to as a “pool account” because the money is pooled here. He went on to say the ledger sheet is from Yavapai County and it shows deposits, warrants FDAT, property taxes, Coconino transfers and interest earned. The bank statements will show copies of checks, deposits, electronic fund transfers and interest. It’s important for the Governing Board to confirm these balances match. Chief Kazian stated Sandi initials these as an internal control process. He went on to say the intent is to make sure the district is in good shape from month to month and year to year. We have to comply with the requirements as of September 14, 2013, and we encourage you to ask staff if you have any questions or need additional assistance with the new forms or processes. We want to be transparent and we want you to be comfortable with the finances.

Mr. Montgomery complimented Chief Kazian on his presentation and stated it was easy to follow. Mr. Jablow asked about checks being on the website and Chief Kazian responded the checks might not be on the website for confidentially reasons. The summary page will appear on the website.

This portion ended at 4:36

Sedona Fire Station

Sedona Fire Station 4

IV. PUBLIC SESSION

A. Salute to the Flag of the United States of America and Moment of Silence to Honor all American Men and Women in Service to Our Country, Firefighters, and Police Officers.

The public session was called to order at 4:42 P.M. Mr. Montgomery led the Salute to the Flag of the United States of America and a Moment of Silence for our fallen. Chief Lechowski read the names of the seven firefighters that lost their lives in the line of duty since the July Board Meeting.

B. Discussion/Possible Action: Follow-Up for Executive Session Item:

1. Lowell Johnson Complaint.

Mr. Montgomery stated there is nothing to report at this time.

V. CONSENT AGENDA

A. Consent Agenda – Discussion/Possible Action.

1. July 31, 2013 Regular Business Meeting Minutes.

2. July 31, 2013 Executive Session Minutes.

Ms. Cooperman moved to approve the Consent Agenda, as presented; Ms. Schoen seconded and the motion unanimously passed.

VI. PUBLIC FORUM

A. Public Comments.

Craig Cushenberry, VOC, I put this together quickly. I got this app that Jeff from dispatch made a presentation on. It’s called Pulse Point. At the time he gave the presentation there was about five fire

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Sedona Fire Station 1

Sedona Fire Station 1

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departments, San Ramon Valley are the people that started this. I just went through here and counted thirty that are involved, all small, large, and all different. What it does is it locates where AED’s are and there have been a couple of cases here in town where nobody knew, I mean there’s a sign that says there’s an AED right over here, and you guys did a great save. It would be nice if the tourists know there’s a bunch of them Uptown. It’s just an app that within so many five hundred feet, I forgot what it was. I thought we were adopting this and it kind went somewhere and now, there are so many people using it and there’s been a positive result from it, and, the last time I looked at their website it doesn’t cost anything. I know you guys are terribly busy with budget and everything else, but maybe get a citizen group together or something to look into it or work with dispatch and see if it’s too much of a burden, but I don’t think a life saved is a burden. We could look at it. The other thing is a shot in the dark, I saw in the news the other day that half of the Yarnell Fire Department quit. Their equipment sucks, they don’t have much. Along time ago, when I was in the Lake Tahoe Regional Chief’s Association, that was part of what we did. We would find departments coming up in new subdivisions and find stuff from the forest service that was being released, trucks being passed along, ambulances that would otherwise go to Mexico as a tax donation. I’m wondering if there is an AZ Fire Chief Association, or some sort of district thing, that maybe Sedona could be the start of it and try to look at some way to get them equipment they can use. We’re not going to replace their people obviously, because part of the problem is most people that live there are over sixty and that’s the liability with volunteers. It was a thought, it would be nice if they could network and maybe find grant writers that can lend a hand. Our Fire Fighter Association has already done quite a bit with fund raising for them as it stands. But it’s just a thought. Chief Kazian stated the Pulse Point, had concerns initially on the time frame. I was at a conference and it certainly is an issue, there was money attached to it and we were not able to move forward with it at that time. Maybe they have changed the operation. Craig stated it was about a month ago I was on the website and they were pushing the word free.

B. Executive Staff Response to Public Comments.

Chief Kazian stated we could certainly look at this. There are liability concerns; the way it works is a CAD will forward calls meeting certain criteria to people who are signed up for this app. It will notify them if there is a cardiac arrest in their area. It will also point out AED’s in the area. Speaking to Yarnell piece, the Arizona State Fire Chief’s Association in conjunction with Arizona Fire District Association has sent a notice of what they are looking for. This effort is being coordinated at the state level. We have been very involved, helping and doing the things we can from a fire fighter and administrative standpoint. We met with the Chief of Yarnell last week and discussed where they are and how they are doing. They are in the recovery phase and it will be a long road. I was in a Rotary Meeting today and we discussed getting their water system back up. We are helping where we can.

VII. BUSINESS

A. Monthly Staff Report – Fire Chief Kris Kazian.

1. Call Summary for Month and Year to Date.

2. Calls by Still District Summary for Month and Year to Date.

3. Emergency Response Times Summary for Month and Year to Date.

4. Regional Communications Center Dispatch Activity for Month and Year to Date.

5. Special/Significant Activities and Incidents.

6. SFD Training Report.

7. Correspondence/Thank You Letters to SFD.

Chief Kazian stated we had 389 calls in the month of July making it the busiest month this year. You can see we are four calls short of last year. Ms. Cooperman stated her appreciation of the comparison of the monthly total averages of response times. In 2012, the average was 7:44 and 2013, 6:53 on calls. It’s nice to see we are improving. Chief Kazian stated my fear is we may have one or two long responses and that number can change. Chief Lechowski and I attended an International Fire Chief’s conference in Chicago. While there, we attended a data collection class and we have some goals to make improvements in the response times. He went on to say that on the morning of July 26th we received a call from a restaurant reporting a fire in the kitchen. The occupant used a portable fire extinguisher and they were able to open for business that night. Other

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Sedona Fire Chief Kris Kazian

Sedona Fire Chief Kris Kazian

significant items; I was inducted as a proud member of the Rotary Club today. I appreciate the opportunity to represent the Fire District in that capacity. There is a golf outing on September 14th so please come out and support SVVFFC. They are looking to create an honor guard and raise money for uniforms so they can provide duties at different functions. Right now, we have one engine with four people in Los Padres, California doing an initial attack on the forest. We currently have one engine and three single resources out. Battalion Chief Coil is at Yellowstone writing an evacuation plan for them. Jeremy Harris just completed an in depth Microsoft class that will save us money because he will be able to do more in house. In July, Scott and I were in Glendale at the Arizona Fire Chief’s EMS Leadership Conference, which provided a great opportunity to hear some good speakers, get some educational opportunities and to recharge our batteries. Chief Kazian pointed out a very nice email from a witness of a cardiac arrest in Call of The Canyon. Chief Kazian remarked the gentleman provided observation of what he witnessed and was very eloquent in his description. Another thank you was from a man traveling through that noticed all the AED’s uptown.

8. July 2013 Financial Report.

Chief Kazian stated there is a cover memo to show you all the different items. I went through most of this in my presentation. We can put the charts back in next month if you like. There were no questions from the Board.

B. Items from Staff.

1. Discussion/Possible Action: Purchase Order #8382 for not to exceed amount of $40,000 to Peoria Ford for purchase of replacement fleet vehicle.

Chief Schwisow stated during the budget process and the Capital Improvement Plan we identified the need for an additional fleet vehicle. I proposed a new vehicle for the Fire Chief because of Chief Kazian’s travel, and his request for a more fuel-efficient and less expensive vehicle. We are also addressing vehicles we don’t need. We want to take care of the staff needs for training and doing business around the district. For example, Chief Kazian stated, recently Chief Schwisow had to give up his vehicle for a Wildland request. We have reduced the fleet; we are now giving up our vehicles to do what’s right for the district and Wildland needs. Chief Schwisow went on to say this vehicle is on state contract with a purchase price just short of the budgeted amount of $40,000.00. He asked the board to recognize a couple of budgeted items, radios, striping, lettering, etc., that are not included on the purchase order. Mr. Montgomery asked about the training officer using a vehicle. Chief Schwisow responded one will be available in the District, but he will not have a take home vehicle. Chief Schwisow went on to say we are looking at older vehicles we may surplus out; however, we have the need for other vehicles. Chief Kazian stated it is sometimes more cost effective to use a district vehicle vs. reimbursement of mileage for a personal vehicle. Mr. Jablow inquired about the $7,200.00 in aftermarket items. Chief Schwisow stated this is for lighting, rear cage, etc. to make it a code 3 vehicle to respond to emergencies.

SFD Board Member Nazih M. Hazime

SFD Board Member Nazih M. Hazime

Ms. Cooperman moved to approve Purchase Order #8382 for a not to exceed amount of $40,000, to Peoria Ford for the purchase of a replacement fleet vehicle, Mr. Jablow seconded and the motion unanimously passed.

2. Update: SFD Reserves.

Mr. Montgomery stated there have been issues with this concerning the Yarnell fire and the problems surrounding the non-fulltime employees. Chief Lechowski stated the program began in July and they are still in a training mode. The goal is one reserve per 24 hours with a limit to the amount of shifts they can work to avoid a full time status. So far, we have a reserve working 65% of the available days. This will not get us to our goal of one per day. Our hope is to expand that at the board’s pleasure. We are shooting for approximately fifteen because of turnover issues. They have the same qualifications, EMT’S and FF 1 & II, HAZMAT etc. The goal is to make this a successful program but to do that we need more on the floor. We learned from the Yarnell incident that the public at large is unaware of the disparity in benefits. When they are hired, we are explicit about benefits and we are at a crux to move forward and announce a job posting to recruit more reserves. Mr. Montgomery stated when former Chief Keller and I started this project the performance showed six to twelve was more of an expense. We need to be at twelve to eighteen to save money. The original intent was to save money and augment staffing. We don’t want to get into the problem where they are working full

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time and not given the status. The program will need to be managed to make sure that is not the case. Chief Kazian stated the program is designed for a maximum number of twenty-four hours a week. The minimum for the month is forty-eight so we want them here at least once a week. They can do two shifts in a pay cycle but can’t average over twenty-four hours in a week. We are budgeted for one per day. We have done an analysis; and the way to make this a success is the opportunity to blend the career with reserves, which can be difficult. The opportunity to work a twenty-four hour shift offsets the overtime. In the past the problems arose when someone called in sick or took a vacation a reserve was called in thus leaving a career person feeling they were not good enough, and this caused a challenge. To avoid this, the staffing max for SFD is twenty-four per shift minimum is twenty-one. We will still call full time people for staffing below twenty-one. The goal is to reduce not eliminate overtime. If we hire three people today and got them to the top pay at year seven, with benefits, you are at $2.2 million dollars in expenses. The number we pay reserves is at around $1.1 million at that point. We need to provide the service and keep the apparatus staffed. To understand the complexities in Prescott I would like to point out, the death benefit for Operations and Administrative, which have no pension, is different and this changes the pension component, which, in turn, changes the ability of what you should and shouldn’t have. The union benefits are different. Workman’s Compensation covers the reserve if they should get hurt and are unable to work. If there is a death benefit, there is a formula for that. Each benefit has a formula on how it is paid. The big difference is the pension piece. The Public Safety benefit is another component; this is a Federal death benefit, which is available to active members of a fire department. Shortly after the Yarnell 19, a nineteen year old, contract employee was killed on a fire and there is no Federal death benefit because he was not employed by a fire department. Ms. Cooperman stated my concern is along the lines of public safety and the quality of our emergency response. I’m concerned with a reserve only working twice a month are they prepared? Chief Lechowski responded I oversee the entire program. The Captain is responsible for a daily evaluation of the reserves; they complete daily activity logs, training and goals. They will not be released to full duty until they are as ready as we can make them. We apply the same safe guards with reserves as we do full-time employees as far as training and readiness is concerned. I lived through the failures of the old program, I want this to succeed, but I don’t want a liability with the citizens of our community or our employees. Ms. Cooperman then asked if they are able to maintain the skill levels working like this. Mr. Montgomery responded a number of them are already working at other fire districts. These folks want to be career firefighters and they want to have the opportunity to be full time. Chief Kazian stated if anyone is doing just the minimums and nothing more they will be gone. We have accountability and we have a job to do and to be successful. Chief Lechowski stated all of them reserve somewhere else and some are fulltime at other districts, seven of the nine have a college degree in emergency medicine or fire science. Chief Kazian stated this is budgeted and we are looking at hiring somewhere around ten to twelve, which will involve a complete testing process. Chief Lechowski made clear that the staffing goes through the Telestaff program, which he closely monitors.

The board agreed to move forward with hiring more reserves.

3. Discussion: IPAD/Electronic Agenda and Board Communications.

Chief Kazian stated other municipalities are using IPADS, or tablet type technology, instead of making copies, postage, and a lot of work on staff. This also will give staff more time to complete the paperwork. There is actually a program for this, and we are still in the research phase. The biggest challenge is it is not budgeted. We would like to beta test it with myself and any board members with an IPAD we could use as a beta test would be helpful. Mr. Montgomery asked if it had to be IPAD. Chief Kazian stated it’s a generic term. This separates your personal computer, would be assigned to you for your term, and then would be returned. Mr. Montgomery stated he uses the Microsoft Surface, which is considerably cheaper, and I can certainly use my personal one. Ms. Schoen stated no one should be using his or her personal computer. Mr. Whittington highly encouraged the board to use an SFD computer to protect their personal information. It also makes Skype available as well if you can’t attend a meeting. Chief Kazian stated he would send a link for a You-Tube video titled “Shift Happens” which talks about the educational learning process and the pace at which things change. Mr. Montgomery requested a proposal from Chief Kazian.

Sedona Fire District Board Member Ty Montgomery

Sedona Fire District Board Member Ty Montgomery

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4. Update: Station #6 Construction.

Chief Kazian stated the foundation is in and concrete work will begin on September 11th. We are starting to get to decision points on some of the parts and pieces that are additive alternatives that are within the SFD and the contingency budgets. I will be getting back to you next month regarding some items that are over my signing authority.

5. Discussion/Possible Action: Purchase Order #8626 in the amount of $32,589.85 to Telewave, Inc. for telecommunication equipment.

Chief Schwisow stated we have a radio interference issue that has gotten worse over time. There is more equipment at the airport and 4G has increased the problem. This combined with federally mandated narrow band of our radio wave’s decreased coverage and increased background noise. We sent it out for bids and received two and one did not meet the specifications. Therefore, the only qualified bid means this is a sole source for this type of equipment. This is the main piece for a budgeted item of $40,000.00

Ms. Cooperman moved to approve Purchase Order #8626 in the amount of $32,589.85, to Telewave, Inc for telecommunication equipment; Mr. Hazime seconded and the motion unanimously passed.

6. Discussion/Possible Action: Approval of Sales Agreement of surplus equipment to City of Cottonwood.

Chief Kazian stated the board is aware from past discussions at previous meetings regarding the sale of surplus equipment. With Board approval, we have prepared an invoice to the City of Cottonwood for the sale of these items, upon completion of the sales agreement, which requires your signature.

Sedona Fire District Board Member Connie Cooperman

Sedona Fire District Board Member Connie Cooperman

Ms. Cooperman moved to approve the Sales Agreement of surplus equipment to City of Cottonwood; Mr. Hazime seconded and the motion unanimously passed.

7. Discussion/Possible Action: Purchase Order #8619 in the amount of $17,097.60 to Merit Technology Partners for Cisco Maintenance Contract.

Chief Schwisow stated the Cisco system and support is our phone and networking system. We have been in this agreement since about 2005-06 and it gives the department the support to work on the systems along with all of the updates and upgrades as well. We go through Merit because we buy on a small scale, which eliminates us from purchasing from them directly. Cisco sets the price and is a sole source and we use Merit to be able to purchase items from them.

Ms. Schoen moved to approve Purchase Order #8619 in the amount of $17,097.60, to Merit Technology Partners for Cisco Maintenance Contract; Mr. Jablow seconded and the motion unanimously passed.

8. Discussion/Possible Action: Approval of Resolution #2013-09 authorizing the Fire Chief to sell surplus property in amounts of $1,000.00 or less.

Chief Kazian stated there are times when we have items that are no longer needed but still have a useful life and value. In the interest of time while following the government requirements, this would allow us to clean up some of these things. I recommend the board to allow me to declare surplus on any items with a fair market value of $1,000.00 or less.

Mr. Jablow moved to approve Resolution #2013-09 authorizing the Fire Chief to sell surplus property in amounts of $1,000.00 or less; Mr. Hazime seconded and the motion unanimously passed.

9. Discussion/Possible Action: Purchase Order #8383 to GenTech in the amount of $19,512.90 for a sound attenuated enclosure for the Station #1 generator.

Chief Schwisow stated that some time ago we determined our current generator at Station 1 was not sufficient to run the entire station along with the Emergency Operations Center. We started the process of purchasing a generator with the City being a co-operator. As we moved through the process it was identified it needs to be separate from the electrical equipment. When we went to bid, it came in at nearly $200,000.00. When the Station 6 project came about LEA suggested running this as part of the scope of work and by doing this the cost

Sedona Fire District Board Member Diane Schoen

Sedona Fire District Board Member Diane Schoen

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was $40,000.00. This is for an enclosure that will offer a level of sound protection. Since this is not a budgeted item, it will need to come out of contingency funds. This project will require several purchase orders as the work proceeds. We can’t put the generator in without it. Chief Kazian is working with the City of Sedona on cost sharing for this.

Mr. Montgomery moved to approve Purchase Order #8383 to GenTech in the amount of $19,512.90 for a sound attenuated enclosure for the Station #1 generator; Ms. Cooperman seconded and the motion unanimously

C. Items from Board Chairman Ty Montgomery.

1. Discussion: Determination/Clarification on Governing Board agenda order and timing for handling Executive Sessions.

Mr. Montgomery stated there have been issues with Executive Sessions that run long and Chief Kazian thought this would be a good time to discuss the timing of things. Chief Kazian stated the concern is the occasional confusion on when meetings start. We need to have Executive Sessions when it’s appropriate. There are some requests to put this at the end of the meeting. This makes for a long evening, and we still have to come back into public session. For me this creates concern about transparency. I recommend we have the meeting at 4:30, move Executive Sessions so they start at 4:00 because we generally are finished in a half hour. If we need to go longer, we stop and go into public session telling the public we will need to go back into Executive Session at the end of the meeting. Most issues can be discussed within 30 minutes and I prefer to do this at the beginning when we are fresh. I would like to maintain the public meeting at 4:30 and determine the start of Executive Session prior to that, dictated by the subject at hand. Mr. Whittington stated most districts do the Executive Session at the end of the meeting and this can make things inconvenient. Ms. Schoen stated her concern is with the website calendar and requested staff try to make sure it is correct. Chief Kazian stated the reason for the Executive Session on this agenda is due to ongoing issues that can change.

2. Monthly Update: Fees for Legal Services Provided to SFD.

SFD Board member Scott Jablow

SFD Board member Scott Jablow

Mr. Mongtomery stated the legal service is at $3,690.00, which is right on track with our budget and thanked Mr. Whittington.

VIII. FIRE MARSHAL’S SAFETY MESSAGE

Fire Marshal Johnson said that a couple weeks back I went to a fire that was a double stacked washer/dryer. This was at a resort where the laundry is in the unit. When pulling the unit forward, we noticed the ductwork was full of lint, which ended up burning. This is a reminder to clean the ductwork to your dryer vent.

IX. ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 6:14 PM

Ty Montgomery, Chairman of the Board

For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

3 Comments

  1. 9/11 Message says:

    To all the first responders who sacrificed for others, you are thanked and appreciated.

  2. Mike, uptown says:

    this is the kind of local news delivered again and again here — would you see this in rrn, NO. we get to read what everybody said, when they said it & in context. As an tv ad says Priceless — news.

  3. John says:

    @mike attaboy

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