My day with Marana's Bravest

On Friday, I spent the day with the Northwest Fire District. This was the first time that the Town had sent an intern to the Fire District, and I was happy to go.

You might be asking yourself, "Why does she keep saying district? It's the Fire Department." Northwest Fire District is a distinct entity and operates under separate guidelines and Arizona statutes. They are funded primarily through a property tax imposed on those buildings that are within its boundaries. NERD ALERT! It is $2.47 per $100 of assessed value of the property. This is on the higher side. However, because they are ranked as a class 3 with the Insurance company it makes your homeowners insurance less expensive. Learning this was just the first way I found that they protect and service the homes and businesses within the district. It is the largest district in the state, and encompasses 148 square miles. There are 250 employees and 10 fire stations distributed based on quickest response time.

I met with Chief Piechura and Financial Director Dave Gephart in the morning to talk about the history, structure and budget. The rest of the day I traveled around with Battalion Chief Mike Duncan. There are 10 stations within the district, and we visited 8 of them. Each station has a fire truck and some have a rescue vehicle. I was able to go up in the bucket at the top of a 100 ft ladder. This is used for helping those that are not able to climb down the ladder. I thought I would have been more terrified, but it was fine. They strapped me in and I wore a helmet so was safe as could be.

Of course they would not let me drive an fire truck, they are specially trained for that, but I did get to go on a ride with the guys at Station 39. All the fire fighters are consummate professionals. While they were taking me out they got a call from the dispatch and immediately changed gears from jocular friendly conversation to serious business. It made me feel that if ever anything should happen there would be a pro there to help. And also that they have been very well trained.

The final thing that I was able to see was a training session for how to find a lost fire fighter. When they are in a fire they are crawling around rather than walking, and the training center had set up a course where the testee had to find their way to the hose and then work their way out of the simulation. It was really awesome to see how they would actually have acted if it was a real situation. The main point of the training was to have non-management workers experience the decision making process of the leadership during a Mayday situation.

Northwest Fire has two apparatus that are unique to any disaster situation. They were both utilized during the January 8 tragedy. One is the Rapid Response vehicle, which is used during things like swift water rescues, it even has a zodiac on the roof of the vehicle. The other is a Metropolitan Medical Response System, which is meant to act like a mobile hospital should something similar to the tornado in Missouri. These both are amazing pieces of equipment and it was really amazing to see all the supplies that are incorporated in the apparatus.

I had a great time with these guys and they showed me the best hospitality. They are brave men and women who put their lives on the line to give people the help they need. Just a quick thank you to all the guys that were there to answer all my ridiculous and sometimes silly questions. Thanks to all at Northwest Fire!

Money, Money, Money, Money......... MONEY!

Today I spent the day with the Finance Department. Erik Montague is the Director and Dot Caton is a Management and Budget Analyst. They both are CPA's and prepare the budget documents, many of which have won awards. The 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, won the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the third consecutive year! Nicely done! It is an amazingly detailed document, which includes all the financial statements for the Town. This CAFR includes the Management's Discussion and Analysis (or MD&A in budget speak) which highlights the major financial achievements of the Town. Things like where large portions of the funds went to and what projects were completed. It is a great document that can be compared to the other document I saw today the Budget Plan. This document puts together all the different department's budgets and projects what the next fiscal year budget will be. The CAFR is used to compare the Plan to reality and the Town Finance Department did a great job! Both of these documents can be found on the website here Finance.

Finance is one of the areas that I am particularly interested in, and being able to see the actual financial documents used to fund the Town was a really great experience. The thing that has always attracted me to finance is the ability to see priorities based on where the funds are allocated. Depending on what percentage of the budget a specific department gets, you can see how valuable that is to the citizens. Police and Public Safety are high priorities for the Town which is reflected in the fact that these departments take up a large portion of the budget.  It was really great seeing the theory turned into practice.

I had my first project assigned today, researching various brands for purchase in the next fiscal year. I was able to compare the operating costs across the board, and do a cost benefit analysis for the new purchase. Cost-benefit analysis is something that we do in everyday life. Is that cookie worth the extra weight, should I stay up and watch my favorite show and be tired for work tomorrow, or be well rested... I know that the decision will not be made today, but I do hope that the information I provided will give a better understanding of the details for the purchase and the right fiscal decision will be made for the Town.

Tomorrow I am going to Northwest Fire District and I am excited/nervous! Maybe they will let me drive the Fire Truck.......

The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth

I have spent the past two days with the town Legal Department. They are a terrific group of lawyers who work each day protecting the town from criminals or shady business deals. I began on Tuesday in the Civil department.

Civil law deals with things that center around private companies or businesses and their dealings with the town. During my visit it was dealing primarily with development and the building of a new subdivision in North Marana. I spent the day with Frank Cassidy, the Town Attorney, while he worked on a development agreement with the new developer of that plot of land. They have been sending this document back and forth changing details and points that were in the best interest of each side. While it may seem simple since it was two entities that are trying to agree, it was much more complicated. The developer wanted specific claims and leeway that are not always in the best interest of the town. Marana is committed to growth and development, and is very business friendly, but it does not mean they are going to give up any rights to public land or facilities.

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION LESSON: (skip if not a total government nerd, like myself)

Some of the new developments in the town are on what are called Community Facilities Districts, which are monitored by the Mayor and Council acting as a Board of Directors. These districts are separately taxed and those funds go back into maintenance of public land like roads, sidewalks and parks. The residents of these neighborhoods are paying for their own upkeep through property taxes. Accountability and responsibility built into the system, just what a I like to see!

While these districts are great, they do complicate the development agreements just a little bit. Since they are technically a distinct entity from the town, there has to be an intergovernmental agreement in addition to the development agreement, which is all included in one document. PHEW!! As you can see there is a ton that goes into just one agreement on one subdivision.

Yesterday I spent the day in Marana Municipal Court with Laine Sklar, the Assistant Town Attorney, prosecuting misdemeanors. Well, Laine prosecuted. I observed. Vickie was on rotation with the Judge Charles Davies, so we both were in the same division of the town. While I saw how the pleas are created and agreed to, Vickie saw how the judge makes his decisions and when he makes a change.

The town does not prosecute felonies, so yesterday was primarily shoplifting, DUIs, domestic violence, and driving with a suspended license. I saw arraignments, probation hearings/updates, and plea bargains. Laine was fair and gave each defendant the chance to take her deal or take the case to trial. There were only two incidences where a defense attorney was present, which seemed to be the norm.

The probation officer was also present in the courtroom and had updates on community service, diversion course completion and other requirements defendants had to meet in order to avoid a warrant. Lesson: don’t commit a crime…

I really enjoyed these rotations. These are areas that I did not study when I was in school, and being exposed to the criminal and civil proceedings was a great experience. Learning how the laws and procedures work gave me much more insight into how the town has developed. The development agreements dealing with growth and prosecution protecting the town and keeping with stable community values. 

Welcome to Marana!

I had a wonderful and warm welcome from all the people at the Town of Marana. Today was the first day of my Management Internship and it was a whirlwind. Let's begin with a short introduction...

My name is Amanda Jones and I just graduated with my Master's in Public Administration (MPA) last week! I am excited to be finished with school, and to begin my new adventure at this internship. During my graduate career I studied local government and public finance, and I am excited to use these skills in my time at Marana. I was lucky enough to be born and raised in the Tucson area and am thrilled to be able to remain in Southern Arizona and work with such a thriving municipality.

There was so much on the scheduled today it is hard to choose a starting point. This morning myself and the other wonderful management intern, Vickie, began with a meeting with the Town Manager, Gilbert Davidson, and the Deputy Town Manager, Del Post. They were friendly, open and very community driven. It was very reassuring to know that my supervisor was accessible to all levels, including the interns. We had a nice discussion about expectations and goals for my internship as well as for the Town, and what exciting new projects are coming up during the summer.

I was also able to attend a department meeting with the Directors from various service areas. There is a lot of camaraderie between these staff members, and they made me feel very welcome. This meeting included process for rolling out some new initiatives and how to tackle a potential issue with in house materials. Both of these issues were handled with sensitivity and a plan of action was decided upon the end of the meeting for a way to move forward.

The final undertaking today was a tour of the whole Town. I was taken by the Director of Strategic Initiatives, Josh Wright, around to see almost the entire 120 square miles that are within the boundaries of Marana. From San Lucas to the intersection of Orange Grove and Thornydale, I was able to see all that Marana has to offer. I had not been up to the Dove Mountain and Ritz-Carlton area, and it is beautiful! The homes as well as the landscape are brilliant, being able to live up there and wake up to that view everyday would be amazing. There is even a tunnel that leads to McClintock’s restaurant that was put in by the developer! There were cool things around every corner.

Marana incorporates so much, I had no idea. There is an airport, incredible industry infrastructure, retail and beautiful homes and developments. I am looking forward to learning more about each of these areas and departments as I complete my rotations. Tomorrow I am going to the Civil Legal Department!