~ Note: These Minutes were approved by the Fire Board on 11/20/13. ~ Sedona Fire District

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1 ~ Note: These Minutes were approved by the Fire Board on 11/20/13. ~ Sedona Fire District 2860 Southwest Drive, Sedona, Arizona Telephone (928) FAX (928) REGULAR BOARD MEETING Station #3 125 Slide Rock Road Village of Oak Creek Training Room Wednesday, October 23, 2013 / 4:00 PM Executive Session / 4:30 PM Public Session ~ 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; Buzz Lechowski Division Chief; Gary Johnson Fire Marshal;; Sandi Schmidt Finance Manager; Tricia Greer Executive Assistant/Recorder; Jeremy Harris Telecommunications Technician Others Present: 12 Citizens Chairman Ty Montgomery called the meeting to order at 4:00 PM, and entertained a motion to go into Executive Session pursuant to ARS (A)(3) for legal advice and ARS (A)(4) for instruction to attorney regarding listed matters; Board Clerk Corrie Cooperman so moved; a second was given by Board Member Nazih Hazime and the motion was unanimously approved at 4:05 PM. II. EXECUTIVE SESSION A. Vote to go into Executive Session relating to the following items pursuant to ARS (A)(3) Legal Advice; and ARS (A)(4) Instruction to Attorney: 1. Re: Lowell Johnson Complaint and to direct the Board s attorney regarding claims asserted against the District. 2. Re: EEOC Notice of Charge of Discrimination and to direct the Board s attorney regarding claims asserted against the District. III. RECONVENE INTO 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. Chairman Montgomery reconvened Public Session at 4:30 PM and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Division Chief Buzz Lechowski asked all to remember firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty in the last month. He also honored the memory of Kent Brownlow, a former 20 year SFD volunteer, who died Monday. B. Discussion/Possible Action: Follow-Up for Executive Session Items: 1. Lowell Johnson Complaint. 2. EEOC Notice of Charge of Discrimination. Mr. Montgomery said there is no action on the Executive Session items at this time. IV. CONSENT AGENDA A. Consent Agenda Discussion/Possible Action. 1. September 25, 2013 Regular Business Meeting Minutes. 2. September 25, 2013 Executive Session Minutes. Mr. Montgomery entertained a motion to approve the Consent Agenda, as presented; Mrs. Cooperman so moved, Board Member Scott Jablow seconded, and the motion was unanimously approved. Page 1

2 V. PUBLIC FORUM A. Public Comments. There were no requests from the public to speak. B. Executive Staff Response to Public Comments. There was no Executive Staff response. VI. BUSINESS A. Discussion/Possible Action: Review and Approval of September 2013 Financial Report. Fire Chief Kris Kazian said staff removed actual copies of checks from the Report in the interests of confidentiality and is working with auditors at Station #1 this week; he met with the auditor to discuss best practices and explore better formats in compliance with the new Arizona law. Finance Manager Sandi Schmidt commented we will get the auditors and other districts suggestions to make sure we are meeting the law, and to improve the whole process. Mr. Montgomery noted a statewide practice could evolve from this. Mr. Montgomery then entertained a motion to approve the September 2013 Financial Report; Board Member Diane Schoen so moved, Mr. Jablow seconded, and the motion unanimously passed. B. 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. Donations to SFD. 8. Correspondence/Thank You Letters to SFD. Chief Kazian noted the month of September was busy with 34 additional calls over Year to Date from He said there were a few fire calls one was reported as smell of smoke in a residence, at which the crews found a malfunctioning HVAC unit, but no structural damage occurred; another was a microwave fire extinguished by the occupant; and on September 28 th, there was smoke in a spa building at Enchantment Resort which necessitated evacuation until the source was determined to be a transformer. Chief Kazian commented on the amazing job the SFD crews did on a plane crash about 10 days ago at the same time as a rescue call to an injured hiker in Oak Creek Canyon; the plane crash involved three occupants and required extrication of two entrapped patients, taking about two plus hours; Chief Kazian will have more specific details about the plane crash in next month s Report. Chief Kazian noted that donations to the district are now included in the Fire Chief Report. One of the thank you letters correlates to a donation. In the Training section of the Report, he noted one key item of significance is that Firefighters Hanna, Yingling, and Woo successfully completed their one-year probation and are now full-fledged firefighters; there are other Firefighters still in the probationary year and a new Firefighter starting on Monday, which means SFD is now back to the budgeted number of Firefighters. Mrs. Cooperman commented emergency response times are, again, improved compared to last year s averages, although she understands there are fluctuations from month to month. Chief Kazian said Division Chief Lechowski is spending a large amount of time trying to raise awareness of response times, and working on technology to ensure accuracy of the data set. Mr. Jablow asked about the spike in motor vehicle accidents and if SFD is talking to Police Chief Ray Cota to see if there is any correlation between the number and location of those accidents; Chief Kazian replied he has not spent that much time on those statistics, but said it certainly is up from last year, and they can look into it. Chief Lechowski said it is possible to plot those accidents on the map to determine if there is a trend in location, and then talk to Chief Cota about the data. Mr. Jablow said last year, a former Sedona Police officer identified key spots on Highway 89A with more frequent accidents, but after he left the department, it was not followed up on. Page 2

3 Chief Kazian noted the letters of appreciation and shared an October 2 nd letter thanking a Station #1 crew that saved my life. Chief Kazian said that is why we keep doing great paramedic work and why it is important to maintain that service. In conclusion, SFD is collecting applications for Firefighter Reserves until tomorrow at 4:00 PM, and have about 28 applicants so far. C. Items from Staff. 1. Station #6 Construction: a. Update: Construction. Chief Kazian said when driving by the work site, it is easy to see the roofline forming; although we had some rain days last month, there are no major delays right now, and the construction company plans to have the building dried in by Thanksgiving to begin interior work. b. Update: Station #6 Projected Costs Summary. Chief Kazian referred to change orders and said last month, he talked to the Board about issues relating to concrete and soil; in the interest of transparency, they were on our radar and on a budget worksheet given to the Board, and are still unresolved. He said we are in design/bid/build versus construction manager at risk model, so the construction documents were designed to meet such criteria to make bidding fair; however, the contract language also talks about unforeseen items being the owner s responsibility, such as not knowing location of bedrock. LEA as the construction manager is working with Danson Construction and the subcontractor to determine exactly what that means; a geo-technical engineer was on site to determine when we reached bedrock and involves a continuous footing around the building designed to keep water from permeating into the foundation, and noted Station #1 s building was not done this way and allowed moisture to intrude; this is good business practice for a long term building such as a fire station. LEA is calculating the actual need for concrete and making sure the contractor/sub-contractor are correct, and if inaccuracies, LEA will work with the construction company. Chief Kazian said on the budget worksheet before the Board, a placeholder the worst case estimated cost for concrete is included; likewise, there are questions regarding if the dirt/excavation job was underbid or if there was an error in the survey, which would mean either the sub-contractor or surveyor would be responsible for payment. He said LEA is diligent in making sure everything is correct. Chief Kazian stated at the last public session, a concerned citizen requested information about operational expenses of Station #6, and at a recent lunch meeting with that citizen and others, he had the opportunity to get better feedback for their concerns; Chief Kazian said after looking at and estimating operational expenses of the future station including fuel and utilities, the difference between what we currently spend, and will spend after the station opens was figured to be about $23,000 in new annual costs; however, in addition, we will have to promote three Captains for the station, which are not new positions, they are ones that through attrition have not been replaced over time, resulting in a net $44,000 to operate Station 6. Fuel and utility costs were estimated by considering the costs at other existing SFD stations. Mrs. Cooperman asked if this took into consideration the possibility of solar power at Station #6; Chief Kazian said that was not considered in this estimate. Mr. Montgomery commented $44,000 is only 0.36% of SFD total annual operating costs for a new station to enhance service to the district. Chief Kazian pointed out the costs of the Captain promotions were figured using mid-steps of the salary scale. Mr. Jablow said he appreciated hearing the facts and figures. Chief Kazian distributed an updated budget worksheet for Station #6 to the Board with the $26,000 for possible solar, and adding high efficiency, a $25,000 placeholder for potential project revisions, as well as a $10,000 owner revision, resulting in a balance of $11,000 to come in under budget based on additive alternates. c. Discussion/Possible Action: Photo-Voltaic Additive Alternate Option. Chief Kazian stated the decision for the photo-voltaic (PV) system for the new station is up to the Board. There is a $26,000 additive alternate for an eight kilowatt PV system; Chief Kazian said there are certainly many positives as to why we should install PV, and for each of those, there is a neutralizing factor because of costs and the length of time to recoup the investment. He said Arizona is highly suitable for solar, and the initiative from APS is to move to solar over the years; SFD has this opportunity now, and his recommendation is in support of the PV system, as it is in the budget, and will probably improve future costs in the bigger picture. Page 3

4 Mr. Montgomery said this decision is a 50/50 with its return projected at 10 to 12 years with a 20 year life span, not taking into account future changes in solar power, and the movement to take away rebates and incentives; he commented general utilities do not like losing money to solar energy. Mr. Montgomery wondered if the system with its multiple year pay back would be obsolete in a few years. Chief Kazian said although there would be degradation over time, a 20-year-old solar panel would still collect sunlight and produce energy, and even though there will be higher efficiency future units, SFD would still reap the benefit; he agreed rebates and incentives are not as advantageous as in the past. He also said this particular system is extremely small. Mr. Montgomery pointed out a previous design of the station was a much more sustainable green building, but was then scaled back from a cost containment standpoint. Mr. Hazime s reservations are the unknown maintenance of the system in future years, and the benefit of investing now in the system. Chief Kazian added the PV converter certainly has the potential for future problems, but is hard to predict. Mrs. Cooperman said electricity rates go up, which could balance out the maintenance costs in savings utilizing solar energy. Chief Kazian commented PV proponent and local citizen, Ernie Strauch, charted all those factors over the 10 to 12 year payout, showing electricity will be more precious and alternate ways to provide it more advantageous; Chief Kazian said his recommendation considers that we will benefit from the system in the long term. Mrs. Cooperman expressed concern at the last meeting about the breakeven point projected so far out, and grasps the fact the worst case scenario is we break even with the solar option, but she is swaying towards that choice, which will mean SFD putting less carbon in the air. Mrs. Schoen asked if this is also the recommendation from LEA Architects; Chief Kazian said LEA supports this option, but he is not sure their rationale has anything to do with SFD s. Mr. Montgomery asked if $26,000 is for equipment or preparation; Chief Kazian said it is for the complete package; steel framing must be put into the wall, which the construction crew is ready to inlay and that is why this decision must be made today. Chief Kazian stated it is a 20 year life system, but some technology in the future may enhance the life span. Mr. Hazime said we are seeing these additional expenses for infrastructure, and he is considering if he would rather see the money go for something else. Chief Kazian understands, and said if we install after the fact, the $26,000 will not cover a solar option, and it would be a much more expensive proposition in the future. Mr. Montgomery agreed if it is not installed now, it will cost more to retrofit, and is a small percentage component of the total. Mrs. Schoen said we need to look at lessons learned from the past of this project; by postponing building, we now have a smaller building, and had to finance it rather than pay in full. She agrees with Mrs. Cooperman about the environmental approach and as a public institution, we need to stand up for these issues and if it is a wash in terms of funding, we should do it; she believes people look to public institutions to care about the environment. Chief Kazian said sustainability is important and especially in Arizona, solar is prevalent and effective and to build a new building without it does not make sense. Mrs. Schoen agrees there have been unexpected expenses, but installing solar tells the community of our concern about the environment. Mrs. Cooperman moved to approve installation of Station #6 additive alternative #8 for photo voltaic in the amount of $26,000; Mrs. Schoen seconded, and the motion passed 5 to 0. d. Discussion/Possible Action: P.O. #8641 in the amount of $24, to Tessco Technologies for Microwave Connection into the Network for Station #6. Chief Kazian said this is a planned item in the SFD budget, which is for Telecommunication needs for internet, phone lines, etc., for the new station. The purchase order is government contracting pricing and he recommends approval for this critical infrastructure. As it is above Chief Kazian s signing authority, it will require Board approval. He noted positives will be to reduce upfront and monthly costs, improve connectivity, redundancy, and for system back-up. Mr. Montgomery then moved to approve this budgeted item of $24, to Tessco Technologies for microwave connection into the network for Station #6; Mr. Jablow seconded, and the motion was unanimously approved at 5 to 0. e. Discussion/Possible Action: Change Order #3 Water Service/Private Fire Hydrant. Chief Kazian commented there was good news/bad news ; right after last month s meeting, the previous budget worksheet had a $10,000 placeholder for APS which was thought to be in the connection fee, and APS said there would be no fee, which resulted in a $10,000 savings; staff recently received the cost estimate from Page 4

5 Unisource gas which showed a savings of about $1,000. For the bad news, apparently, Arizona Water Company (AWC) and the Arizona Corporation Commission made changes to their fees, and so, the cost of now installing the water system is a $9,900 increase strictly because it was not done before October 1 st ; he stated our application was in process for months waiting for approval; staff is following up and trying to mitigate this with AWC. Mr. Montgomery commented it might be worth having Attorney Whittington look into it; Chief Kazian said we will do that retroactively because the building must have the water connection installed and this is another example of unanticipated costs to the project. Chief Kazian said there are two components of water issues fire suppression and domestic water; it is important to have a fire hydrant on the property for filling up fire trucks and training purposes; the only new cost is to add the fire hydrant. He pointed out we have saved money by utilizing Danson and LEA doing the work, rather than AWC. This change order was projected at $27,000, but is actually $26,785, and funding is part of contingency items approved last month; again, due to the price being over his signing authority, it requires Board approval. He said for a 2 domestic water system, AWC charges $8,800 in the new tariff and the 6 line, which supplies the fire sprinkler system, is only $1,100, which is somewhat perplexing in the decision for the new fee system, as many people need the 2 line and fewer require the 6 line. Chief Kazian said these two items are listed on the budget worksheet. He is recommending approval with the knowledge staff will continue to try to mitigate the new fee imposed; this is the first experience with the new tariff for LEA and Danson and they are both working towards reducing it as well. Mrs. Cooperman clarified that our application was on file before the effective date; Chief Kazian agreed, but AWC maintains the actual work must have been started before October 1 st. Mrs. Cooperman asked if the water company kept the application longer than normal; Chief Kazian does not know, but SFD is actually ahead of some other individuals and organizations who applied; he said if Danson or LEA call AWC, they get voice mail, but if an individual who has a business relationship with them, such as Fire Marshal Johnson, calls, they get more immediate response. Mrs. Schoen commented APS waived the fees for SFD and asked if there was any history of waiving water connection fees to fire stations; Chief Kazian replied he does not believe so, but they will continue to try to reduce the new tariff. Chief Kazian said the Board must authorize him to sign the Change Order, as presented, and the next item is an actual purchase order. Mr. Jablow moved to approve to authorize the Chief to sign Change Order #1 in the amount of $26,785; Mrs. Cooperman seconded. Chief Kazian pointed out the Change Order says #1 on the front, but the next page indicates Change Order Request #3; Mr. Jablow withdrew his motion and restated his motion to authorize Chief Kazian to sign Change Order #3 for domestic water and fire line revisions and additions in the amount of $26,785; Mrs. Cooperman maintained her second, and the motion was unanimously approved at 5 to 0. f. Discussion/Possible Action: P.O. #8385 in the amount of $22,820 to Arizona Water Company for Water Hook-Ups for Station #6. Mr. Jablow moved to approve P.O. #8385 in the amount of $22,820 to Arizona Water Company for the Station #6 water hook-up; Mr. Montgomery seconded, and the motion unanimously passed. 2. Discussion/Possible Action: Approval of P.O. #8639 in the amount of $63, to Merit Technology Partners for Replacement Microwave Equipment and Warranty. Chief Kazian said this is part of last year s lightning strike mitigation, and SFD received payment from the insurance company and is now in the process of fixing the damaged system and using the money to minimize future risks. Mrs. Cooperman moved to approve P.O. #8639 for Merit Technology for $63, for telecommunication expenses; Mr. Montgomery seconded, and the motion was unanimously approved. 3. Discussion/Possible Action: Adopt 2014 SFD Fire Board Meeting Calendar. Chief Kazian stated staff looked for potential scheduling conflicts for the 2014 Board calendar; he noted the Arizona Fire Chief Association conference was moved to March from July, and Arizona Fire District Association conference starts June 26 th. Chief Kazian also recommended moving the November Board meeting to the week before Thanksgiving and for December to the week before Christmas; there was a brief discussion Page 5

6 of the uncertainty if Hanukkah was for the evening before the listed date; through consensus, the Board then agreed on December 10 th for the 2014 meeting, and accept the rest of the 2014 meeting calendar, as presented. 4. Update: SFD Engineer Testing Results Chief Kazian distributed the engineer result list which was completed yesterday. He said 13 internal candidates applied with 12 eligible to take the test; eight passed the written test and participated in the assessment center in actual fireground procedures, as well as oral boards; after scoring, Chiefs Kazian, Lechowski, and Schwisow held a Chief s review yesterday. Additionally, the process included a Peer review by Captains, in which ten dimensions were scored. Chief Lechowski said this group raised the bar for future personnel going through this test. Except for a third party written test, the process was handled internally, and seven great personnel are now on the promotional Engineer list, effective for three years; staff will soon be conducting a Captain s promotional testing, as there are only two names left on that list. 5. Discussion/Possible Action/Update: Governor s Office of Highway Safety Grant Award; Other Grants submitted by SFD including the Arizona Wildland Fire Hazardous Fuels. Fire Marshal Gary Johnson said this grant is to purchase 90 infant car seats for those that cannot afford them. Fire Inspector Kevin Sullivan applied for this grant; SFD needs Chairman Montgomery s signature on the documents; even though it is through the State, these are Federal dollars, and SFD has been told we will receive the grant. Fire Marshal Johnson stated it can make a difference in our community, and help infants to be properly protected; as most emergency workers, he has been to auto accidents when children were not properly restrained which can be a sad situation. Chief Kazian said staff is constantly trying to do the best for our citizens and minimize costs to taxpayers; he will update the Board of other grant possibilities at next month s meeting, including a $500,000 grant. D. Item from Board Member Scott Jablow. 1. Presentation: Issues brought up by Concerned Citizens at the September Board meeting. Mr. Jablow decided to withdraw this item from the Agenda. E. Items from Board Chairman Ty Montgomery. 1. Monthly Update: Fees for Legal Services Provided to SFD. Mr. Montgomery commented the Board continues to keep legal services well within the budget for the year. 2. Reminder: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the November 2013 Fire Board Meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 20, Mr. Montgomery reminded all that due to Thanksgiving, the November meeting will be on November 20 th. VII. FIRE MARSHAL S SAFETY MESSAGE Fire Marshal Johnson stated last month, he talked about heating and furnace safety, and reminded all to please take a look at your furnace and have it checked out, which could result in saving dollars because of potentially higher efficiency, as well as to protect your home from fire damage. Additionally, in preparation for upcoming holidays, he reminded everyone to make sure to have a blanket and water in your car for emergency road situations, and recommended gas tanks be at least half full all the time when traveling. VIII. ADJOURNMENT Ms. Schoen is excited to watch the Station #6 construction next to the synagogue she attends, and recently, discussed the importance of safety and firefighters being in the neighborhood with synagogue children. The meeting then adjourned at 5:50 PM. Original signed by Corrie Cooperman Corrie Cooperman, Clerk of the Board :tg Page 6