| CDO REQUESTS
ASSISTANCE FROM AZ. OMBUDSMAN'S OFFICE TO REVIEW FIRE DISTRICT PUBLIC
RECORDS
After three emails to the
Fire District, J-6/Mescal CDO has requested assistance from the
Arizona Ombudsman's to obtain an opportunity to review public records
requested on January 24th. CDO has requested to see documents related
to a new parcel of land on which the Fire District is considering
to possibly build a fire station and communication tower. The Ombudsman
has the statutory authority to educate and investigate matters relating
to public access laws.
As reported in our last issue, the CDO requested to review documents
that led to an appraisal of 5 parcels of commercial land just west
of the Quick Pic. According to Fire District Chair Terri Jo Neff,
the asking price is $150,000 for approximately 1.6 acres. CDO also
requested documents referenced in a F.D. work session relating to
construction on one of these parcels of a 150'-190' tower to allow
firefighters to better communicate when in some areas of Happy Valley,
Marsh Station, etc.
F.D. Chair Terri Jo Neff's response to our initial request for any
emails, records of communication between members-advisors-consultants-others
related to any District strategy that indicates an appraisal should
be step one of this planning process was, " ...please note
no such records exist as there is no plan or strategy in place as
described by your email".
CDO resubmitted the request with greater detail to which Chair Neff
responded that the F.D. Board would review their correspondence
and get back on several items, but that ".... the Board has
not discussed or undertaken any review or suitability study of other
properties, so there is no such records to provide you."
CDO clarified once again and provided Chair Neff and Board Members
Bill Dupee and Rhonda Toledo-Buchs, and F.D. Advisors Doug Stickler,
Dan Simmons, and Mike Gherardini with a recording of the F.D. Work
Session and time marks indicating conversations about the documents
requested.
Liz Hill, attorney with the Ombudsman's Office, has since called
Chair Neff to facilitate moving the CDO request forward. On Feb.
lst, the Fire District voted to ask the County Attorney's office
for guidance in releasing the requested public records. The release
of these documents will be a topic at the March lst F. D. Board
Meeting.
The Ombudsman is also facilitating a request from a resident who
wishes to review grant applications submitted by the F. D. since
the 2009 budget incorporates approximately $350,000 of grant revenue
if awarded and the subsequent expenditures.
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