Sedona Fire District residents who voted for Governing Board Chairman Don Harr in November, based on promises of transparency and cutting costs, may not be getting what they voted for.

The newly-elected chairman had some explaining to do after he and two fellow board members returned from a recent out-of-state trip.

SFD typically pays for board members’ work-related travel, lodging and conferences, but it is against district policy to pay for personal pleasures.

After turning in receipts from an Arizona Firefighters District Association conference in Laughlin, Nev., Jan. 15 to 17, the district’s finance specialist discovered charges to Harr’s room for liquor and pornography.

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Harr told the Sedona Red Rock News that on Jan. 16, he “stupidly” gave his room key to a group of men at the conference and told them he’d meet them in his room when he got back from dinner. When he got back around 11 p.m., no one was there, he said, and he didn’t think much more about it.

He couldn’t remember the names of the men, how many there were or where they live.

The $21.99 charge for an adult film and $28 for the bar tab were charged to his room by the unidentified men, Harr said,  except for two of the six drinks, which were consumed by him and fellow board member Charles Christensen before going to dinner Jan. 16.

Receipts show the charge for the film was registered at 11:01 p.m. on Jan. 16, about the time Harr said he returned from dinner. The bar tab was rung up the previous day, Jan. 15, at 4:44 p.m. and signed by Harr, according to SFD records.

Having done nothing wrong to his knowledge, Harr said he checked out, took his billing statement and headed back to Sedona.

“If I had something to hide, I would have paid for it there,” Harr said.

When SFD received the bill charged to the district’s credit card with vague charges, it called the hotel to request an itemized receipt, required by all governmental entities. That’s when the bar receipt and movie information was revealed.

The district will ask Harr to reimburse it for the charges, Business Director Karen Daines said.

“We do not buy people liquor and porn,” she said. “That’s a clear misuse of public funds.”

“It was an honest mistake on my part,” Harr said. “That’s all I can say.”

Open Meeting Laws: Part I

Board members Harr, Christensen and Ralph Graves attended the conference, but Harr denies violating Open Meeting Laws, even though he confirmed the trio met up at the buffet breakfast and attended some of the classes together.

Arizona’s open meeting laws prohibit a quorum, or majority, of board members from meeting without posting a public notice 24 hours in advance. Three makes a quorum on the SFD board.

According to Harr, the board’s attorney, Bill Whittington, knew a quorum of board members attended the conference.

Whittington didn’t return phone calls by press time.

Harr also confirmed he and Christensen were approached by fire chiefs interested in working in Sedona, but denies ever approaching them himself.

At the Jan. 28 board meeting, Harr asked if the application process for a chief could be reopened to allow men he met at the conference to apply.

Harr denies ever discussing the chief position with possible candidates when all three board members were present.

The board will meet in executive session with Whittington to discuss open meeting law issues Friday, Feb. 6, at 10 a.m.

Open Meeting Laws: Part II

Complaints of Open Meeting Law violations are currently being filed with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, following the board’s Jan. 28 meeting.

Support Sedona Firefighters Chairwoman Lisa Bravo and her father are filing complaints with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Bravo said, after suspicions arose at the meeting.

Interest was spurred when Christensen moved on Jan. 28 to begin negotiations with former Assistant Chief Jim Elmer to fill in as interim chief. The motion passed 3-1, with little discussion. Liza Vernet was the lone dissenting vote. Graves was absent.

At the meeting, Christensen mentioned he had spoken with Elmer about the position and Elmer seemed willing to help. According to Bravo, Harr mentioned at that time that although he didn’t know Elmer as well as Christensen did, he had met with him once.

On Feb. 4, Harr confirmed he knew about Christensen’s selection before the meeting and that he, Christensen and Graves discussed Elmer as a possible interim candidate at some point outside a public meeting, but he said he doesn’t remember when.

Christensen and Graves didn’t return telephone calls as of press time.