Sedona resident Craig Dible will fill the vacant fifth seat on the Sedona Fire District Governing Board following a Tuesday, Jan. 11, work session.

Nine applicants expressed their desire to be on the board. Board members Ty Montgomery and Phyllis Erick, Clerk Charles Christensen and Chairman Dave Blauert met prior to the public portion of the work session for an executive session to interview the candidates for the open seat. Blauert spoke about the interviews briefly before the board members appointed the new member.

“We had a good chance to meet and talk things through,” Blauert said. Eight of the candidates were interviewed in person, with another interviewed via telephone.

Board members made their nominations using a single-name “secret” ballot.

Three votes were cast for Dible, with one vote cast for resident and former candidate for the board Doug Fitzpatrick.

“Mr. Dible cannot proceed or work in this session. He has 24 hours before he can participate in the duties that he’s going to take. He’s got to be sworn in,” Blauert said.

Carolyn Fischer, a resident of the Village of Oak Creek, spoke to board members during their work session about choosing a fifth member to complete the board. She called the November election a “contentious” one.

“I’d like to remind this board they are representing all taxpayers, not just the people who voted for them. I’m hoping your selection of the fifth board member recognizes the need for diversity and stability, and I do believe the voters made it pretty clear they did not vote for a specific slate, which tells me the voters wanted diversity on the board, so I hope the board recognizes that,” Fischer said.

Fitzpatrick, who ran on the same slate as Montgomery, lost his bid for a seat on the board following the release of the official election results Nov. 15. He lost to Blauert by six votes and was discussed as a possible choice to fill the vacant seat due to the narrow vote margin. The board seat opened up following the resignation of member Don Harr prior to the election.

Board members originally met to discuss filling the fifth seat Dec. 15. A motion to fill it by the end of January passed by a 3-1 margin. Erick, Blauert and Christensen voted in favor of the January timeline. Montgomery voted against the motion during the December meeting.