Recently, the City of Frisco announced the retirement of Fire Chief Lee Glover, bringing an end to a 35-year career with the Frisco Fire Department.
According to the City, Glover joined the department in 1991, when Frisco had just seven paid firefighters. He worked his way through the ranks before becoming Interim Fire Chief in September 2022 and being appointed Fire Chief on June 19, 2023. The City of Frisco announced his retirement on April 7, 2026, with his final day scheduled for August 3, 2026.
On the surface, it is the familiar story of a longtime public servant riding off into retirement. But there is considerably more history here. And after more than three decades inside one of Frisco’s most important public-safety departments, there are questions that deserve answers.
Lee Glover Timeline
1991: Joined the Frisco Fire Department.
2011: Frisco conducted an Employee Climate Survey examining conditions within the Fire Department and its leadership.
January 2012: The climate report documented serious concerns regarding morale, trust, intimidation, retaliation and fear within the department. The report also identified concerns involving senior leadership, including then-Assistant Chief Lee Glover.
September 2022: Glover became Interim Fire Chief.
June 19, 2023: City Manager Wes Pierson appointed Glover Fire Chief after a selection process involving five finalists.
April 7, 2026: The City announced Glover’s retirement.
August 3, 2026: Glover’s final day with the City of Frisco
Turn Back Time: The 2011 Climate Report
We have written extensively about the history of the Frisco Fire Department and the concerns raised about its leadership. The 2011 Employee Climate Survey remains particularly important because it was not simply a disgruntled employee complaining about a supervisor. It was a formal examination of the department’s workplace environment.
The report described serious problems involving trust, respect, morale and the relationship between firefighters and department leadership. It characterized the culture as one involving intimidation, retaliation and fear. It also reported that a significant percentage of respondents said they would leave the department if they could.
Our previous reporting noted the report identified Lee Glover as part of the senior leadership structure under then-Chief Mack Borchardt. The question that naturally follows is simple: What changed between 2011 and 2023 that convinced city management that Lee Glover was the right person to lead the department?
That question became particularly relevant when Glover was named Interim Fire Chief in 2022.
The 92.5% Question
When Glover became a finalist for the permanent Fire Chief position in 2023, the Frisco Fire Fighters Association conducted a survey of its membership.
According to the survey previously reported by Frisco Chronicles, 220 of 233 firefighters responded, and 92.5% said they did not want Glover to become the next Fire Chief. The survey also reported that 91.4% did not believe Glover had improved morale or restored trust during his time as Interim Chief.
Despite those numbers, City Manager Wes Pierson selected Glover. At the time, Pierson said Glover’s experience, knowledge and leadership made him the best fit for the department. That decision deserves scrutiny, not because an employee association should automatically determine who runs a municipal department, but because a 92.5% vote against a leadership candidate is an extraordinary number.
So the questions remain:
What did City Manager Wes Pierson know about the survey before selecting Glover?
Why did City Manager Wes Pierson believe the concerns expressed by the firefighters were not sufficient to disqualify Glover?
Did the City conduct any independent investigation into the concerns raised by the firefighters before making the appointment?
Did City Council members know about the survey results before Glover was appointed?
And perhaps most importantly: What did the City of Frisco do to determine whether the problems identified in the 2011 climate report had actually been resolved before putting Glover into the leadership role as Fire Chief?
Fast Forward: May 18, 2026
The City announced Glover’s retirement on April 7, 2026. Approximately six weeks later, on May 18, Frisco Police responded to Glover’s residence following a 911 call. We filed a Public Information Request seeking the police records associated with that call and incident.
The records we received were heavily redacted. The Case Report Summary identifies Alvin Glover Jr. as a subject and Jamie Glover as the reporting person.
The report states that Frisco police responded to Glover’s residence at approximately 7:41 p.m. on May 18, 2026. According to the report, Jamie Glover identified herself as Alvin Glover Jr.’s wife and told officers that he had recently become increasingly aggressive following a change that is redacted from the report.
The report also states that Jamie reported that Alvin had been displaying certain signs since “recently retiring,” although the specific information is redacted. Officers subsequently made contact with Alvin Glover inside the residence. The remainder of the report contains additional redactions.
A supplemental report was also included in the records provided to us. There is an important distinction here.
We know a police response occurred. We know the City’s records identify the individuals involved. We know portions of the report describe concerns involving Glover’s behavior.
We do not know everything that happened because significant portions of the records were withheld or redacted. That leaves questions.
What Happened After the 911 Call?
According to sources familiar with the incident, Glover was experiencing a serious personal crisis and was transported to a hospital following the police response.
Sources have also alleged that the incident involved suicidal behavior and that Glover may have had a weapon in his possession before officers arrived. Those allegations have not been independently verified by Frisco Chronicles and should not be treated as established fact without supporting documentation.
We are also told that Glover did not return to his normal duties following the May 18 incident and that his next public appearance connected to the department was associated with his retirement in August.
If that account is accurate, it raises some obvious questions:
What happened between May 18 and August 3? Was Glover placed on leave?
Was he using accrued sick leave, vacation, administrative leave or another form of paid leave?
Was he still designated as Fire Chief during that period? Was he performing any official duties? Was he receiving his regular salary? Who was running the Fire Department during Glover’s absence?
Did the City conduct any internal review? These are not questions about someone’s private medical history. They are questions about the administration of a taxpayer-funded public agency and the use of taxpayer-funded compensation.
Was Glover Treated Differently?
This may be the most important question of all. Firefighters work in an extraordinarily stressful profession. Mental health, trauma, substance abuse, family crises and other personal struggles can affect first responders just as they can affect anyone else.
The City should have policies governing how employees, including department leadership, are treated when they experience a personal or medical crisis.
So we have to ask: Are those policies applied equally to everyone? No. The proof is in the previous pudding.
Are rank-and-file firefighters given the same flexibility, leave options and confidentiality that are available to department leadership? No. The proof is in the previous pudding.
Has the City ever placed another firefighter or senior officer in a similar situation on paid leave while maintaining their position?
What are the City’s policies when a department head is unable to perform the duties of the position? Well history shows they terminated the Assistant Fire Chief Cameron Kraemer who was out on medical leave for PTSD and mental health issues.
Who had authority to designate an acting chief and did they formally appoint an acting Chief after May 18, 2026?
If not, why not? Those questions can and should be answered without disclosing someone’s private medical information.
The Mack Borchardt Connection
There is another piece of this history that cannot simply be ignored. Mack Borchardt served as Frisco’s Fire Chief for decades and later became Special Assistant to the City Manager. The City’s current staff directory still lists Borchardt as Special Assistant to the City Manager and states that he served as Fire Chief from 1981 to 2012.
Borchardt’s transition out of the Fire Chief position has been discussed extensively in connection with the 2011 climate report. He was terminated by the city then rehired by then City Manager George Purefoy (long time good ole boy friendship) who made him a “Fire Consultant Liaison within the City Manager’s office. He received a hefty salary and city vehicle. The 2011 report raised significant concerns about the department’s leadership culture at the time. It also identified concerns regarding the senior leadership structure surrounding Borchardt.
Glover was part of that senior leadership structure. Yet years later, Glover ultimately became the Fire Chief. That creates a legitimate question about whether the City actually addressed the problems identified in 2011 or simply changed the name on the office door.
City Management’s Role
There is another issue that deserves examination. The City knew about the 2011 climate report, knew about the concerns surrounding the department’s previous leadership structure, and knew that 92.5% of responding firefighters surveyed did not want Glover to become Fire Chief. With all that knowledge and information what led City Manager Wes Pierson to reach the opposite conclusion?
The City has said Glover was the best fit for the job. Fine. Then show taxpayers the work. What criteria were used? Who conducted the interviews? Who evaluated the finalists? What were the scoring criteria? What concerns were raised about each finalist?
Who recommended Glover? Were references checked? Were prior complaints or investigations reviewed? Was the Fire Fighters Association survey discussed during the selection process? And did Pierson or anyone else in city management conduct an independent assessment of the concerns raised by members of the department?
These are reasonable questions when the person being selected is going to oversee one of the City’s largest and most important public-safety organizations.
Retirement or Something More?
Now we come back to the original question. Why did Lee Glover retire?
The city announced his retirement on April 7, 2026, nearly four months before his final day. The official announcement described it as the conclusion of a 35-year career and praised the department’s accomplishments during his tenure.
That may be exactly what happened. But the timing of the May 18 police response, followed by questions about Glover’s absence from the department, makes it reasonable for taxpayers to ask whether there was more to the story.
Was the retirement entirely voluntary? Was Glover ever asked to retire?
Was he facing an internal investigation? Was he placed on leave?
Was he medically unable to return to duty? Did he decide that retirement was the best option?
Did city management encourage or negotiate his departure? And were any agreements, benefits, payouts, leave balances or other financial arrangements associated with his retirement?
The Bigger Issue
This story is not really about whether Lee Glover had a personal crisis. If the allegations about the May 18 incident are true, that is a deeply personal matter, and nobody should use another person’s crisis as entertainment. The issue is whether the City of Frisco has one set of rules for ordinary firefighters and another for those occupying the corner office.
That is the issue taxpayers should care about. The Frisco Fire Department has grown enormously since Lee Glover joined in 1991. The city now describes the department as having 265 sworn personnel and 34 civilian employees. That is a massive public-safety operation.
The person sitting in the Fire Chief’s office has enormous responsibility. The public therefore has a legitimate interest in how that position is filled, how leadership problems are handled, how employee complaints are investigated, how leave policies are applied and how taxpayer dollars are spent.
The questions surrounding Lee Glover do not begin with the May 18, 2026 police call. They go back more than a decade. The 2011 climate report raised questions about culture and leadership.
The 2022 appointment of Glover as Interim Chief raised questions about whether those problems had really been resolved. The 2023 appointment of Glover as permanent Chief raised even more questions after the Fire Fighters Association survey reportedly showed overwhelming opposition. And now the circumstances surrounding his final months with the City raise another set of questions.
Maybe there are perfectly reasonable answers to all of them. If there are, the City should provide them. Because transparency should not depend on whether the person involved is a firefighter, a department head, a city manager or anyone else on the public payroll.
Frisco taxpayers deserve to know whether the rules are actually applied equally. And after years of controversy surrounding the Fire Department’s leadership culture, that is not an unreasonable thing to ask. It is the minimum.
What Is Next Next we will address the issues with hiring the new Chief of the Frisco Fire Department. We will examine some relationships and ask why the city is using a new company to do the search. Is Wes Pierson looking for the best candidate or the best candidate who agrees with him on the operations of the department.
This is Pierson’s first time working in a major city. He previously worked in Addison, which is 4 square miles and before that Corpus Christi before their growth boom. The leads us to ask does he have the background to make such a large decision. Sources inside say there is a lot of doubt when it comes to his decision-making process with the Fire Department. Stay Tuned for part two!
Disclaimer: This article is intended to report on matters of public record and public interest. If additional information becomes available this article may be updated accordingly.
This article is written as opinion, commentary, and personal interpretation based on publicly available records, meeting observations, agenda materials, and information we received from community sources. Nothing in this article should be interpreted as a final statement of fact about any person’s legal conduct, criminal behavior, or ethical violations.
Tomorrow is election day! If you have not voted in the special election, tomorrow is the last day for you to get out and vote but there are some things you should know before you go!
On September 23, 2025 Ann Anderson announced on Facebook she was going to run for the next open City Council seat. She continued she was ready to be a strong, thoughtful, and collaborative voice for our city. Her campaign would be about unity, progress and shared purpose. Her slogan is One City, One Community, One Frisco!
The next post came on October 27, 2025, where Ann Anderson posted her intention to run for Frisco City Council Place 1, since it was being vacated by John Keating. While campaigning, Anderson made several statements or claims that do not sit right with Frisco Chronicles. Let’s dive into them:
Claim:Former Corporate Executive and successful Small Business Owner
Forgot to follow the law and file her campaign finance report updates for June 2024, July 2024, January 2025, and July 2025. It was not until Frisco Chronicles pointed it out in one of blogs that she was out of compliance that Ann noticed. The next day she filed updated campaign finance reports. View them here.
Funny thing, her most current campaign finance report does not show how she paid for her hit piece postcard. How much did it cost? Who paid for it? Why is it not listed on her campaign finance report?
A corporate executive and successful business owner would understand the importance of filing legal paperwork on time (not two years later). If you can’t file your campaign finance reports on time then how do you plan to help run a city of 250,000 plus people.
Claim: Public Safety is a top priority
On January 9th, Ann posted a National Law Enforcement Appreciate Day Image and then a few hours later made a second post attacking our former Fire Chief over a biased report from 3+ years ago. Anderson is not endorsed by any public safety entity or official.
Her opponent Mark Piland is endorsed by the Frisco Fire Fighters Association, Frisco Police Officers Association, and Denton County Sherrif Tracy Murphree.
Claim: Anderson claimed she was against the Fire Fighters propositions for civil service and collective bargaining.
According to the Frisco Police Officers Association in her interview (for their endorsement), she told them she supported Civil Service and voted for it. If that is the case, then why did she tell residents at forums she was against it?
Claim: Anderson said she is glad we lost the AT&T Corporate Relocation and glad they went to Plano.
Ann Anderson spoke in favor of Universal Kids Theme Resort which brought low paying job to Frisco. Yet NO to AT&T which is ranked 32nd on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations, with revenues of $122.4 billion at the end of fiscal year December 31, 2024.
Why would someone on our city council be against high paying jobs and a Fortune 500 company coming to Frisco?
Claim: Anderson claims she is ACCOUNTABLE only to Frisco Residents – not special interest group.
A Facebook post on 2/10/2020 reads, “It was with great pleasure that Thor & Ann Anderson endorse Jeff Cheney for his re-election!”
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Ann is endorsed by many Cheney loyalists such as Donna Schmittler, Renee Sample, Dick Peasley, Laxmi Tummala, Mike Simpson and many more. The “Cheney Club” is a special interest group so to speak and those in it are loyal to the establishment!
Claim: Anderson claims she is a Republican and she is proud to support Democrats.
Ann has stated multiple times she is a Republican. She claims both the Collin County GOP and Denton County GOP were rigged for her opponent.
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The endorsement by the Collin County GOP and Denton GOP were not rigged. Both groups were aware of Ann Anderson’s multiple endorsements for Democrat candidates for both city council and FISD school board.
While Denton went ahead and endorsed without interviewing the candidates they did so because they previously supported Mark Piland, because he is involved in the Denton GOP and attends meetings and events, and because they were fully aware of Ann Andersons endorsements for Cheney, Gopal Ponangi, Renee Sample and many others who are not in line with the Republican party principals.
Collin County interviewed both candidates and they both were at the same meeting when the vote was taken. Her opponent won it fair and square.
While claiming it was rigged suits her narrative, Anderson has provided no proof of any such “rigging” going on.
Claim: Vote 4 Ann Facebook Page “Likes” a Facebook page maintained and written by Bill Woodard (Establishment).
Bill Woodard has always been good at telling Frisco Residents how stupid they are and how they don’t understand how local city government is run. His election page was turned into a watch dog page where he tells us how to think and how to support the establishment candidates.
This is the same man who orchestrated the Vote No campaign against the Frisco Firefighters yet took endorsements and money from them when he ran for election.
Woodard always supports the establishment and Cheney line so who would expect anything other than that from his site.
Claim: Anderson supports the Frisco Rail District businesses
In a post about Brooklyn Cutz and his business revenue being down 50% since construction began Anderson writes in the comments, “My guys usually go to the shop in our neighborhood. I would have thought Brooklyn’s regulars would have continued to go and he wouldn’t feel the pinch of the construction as much as other businesses.”
Ann’s comments don’t support small business. Assuming construction would not hurt a barber shop? How did she expect the regulars to get there when he had no sidewalk and no nearby parking? To say she “thought” his business would not feel the pinch of the construction shows how deaf she is to real world problems, residents and businesses.
Election Day
So here we are, on the eve of Election Day, standing at the ballot box equivalent of the final scene in a courtroom drama—lights low, jury restless, closing arguments echoing in the room. Ann Anderson’s campaign branding promises One City, One Community, One Frisco, but as we’ve walked through the record, the claims, and the contradictions, what Frisco residents are left with is less unity and more confusion. Accountability isn’t a slogan; it’s a paper trail. Public safety isn’t a hashtag; it’s who stands with the people who run toward danger when the rest of us run away. And transparency isn’t yelling “rigged” when you lose—it’s proving it when you say it.
Ask yourself, why does the city, its leadership and their followers hate one candidate so much? Maybe it is because Piland knows how the city operates and wants to change it for the better and that terrifies them!
Tomorrow, you don’t just vote for a name—you vote for credibility, consistency, and whether Frisco continues down the well-worn path of establishment politics with Ann Anderson or demands something better and a change with Mark Piland. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Read the fine print. Follow the money. And most importantly, show up. Because if history has taught us anything, it’s this: the people who complain the loudest after an election are often the ones who stayed home or had the most to lose. Don’t be that voter. Frisco’s future deserves better than blind loyalty and bumper-sticker politics. See you at the polls.
Frisco Lakes held their candidate meet and greet on January 8th for residents who lived in the community. The day after we received an email from an anonymous Frisco Lakes Resident giving us a summary of the recent Candidate Forum featuring Ann Anderson and Mark Piland, both of whom are running for Place 1. According to our insider, Ann Anderson came out of the gate attacking her opponent at the Forum. Did we expect anything different? No. Why? Because those running the Forum were Frisco Insiders aligned with the Mayor and Frisco Elite!
Our Frisco Lakes insider sent us a transcript of her voice recording, and a few things stood out to us. Ann Anderson starts out “We have been tricked in this city to believe everything is peachy keen and everything is great.” She continues, But Mark I read that report and it makes me angry that we had a hostile work environment in our Fire Service. I don’t think they want you there! I don’t think they want you leading them. I don’t think it is right for you to stand here and say you want to help them. I have the report on my table for anyone who wants to see it. It makes me angry and as a corporate executive if I see a hostile work environment on an email it is my job to do something about it.
Ann, who has given you approval to speak on behalf of the leadership and staff of the Fire Department? Mark Piland has been endorsed in this election by both Public Safety Department Associations: Frisco Police Officer’s Association and the Frisco Firefighters Association. Their choice is clear, and you Ann … are not it!
Based on the transcript we received, Mark Piland chose to use his rebuttal and said page 20 of the report states that he did nothing wrong. Best part was when Ann rebutted him again and said you are right Mark (wait, what?) Ann Anderson admitted at the Frisco Lakes Forum that page 20 said he did nothing wrong, yet she still had concerns about other issues within the report – okay fine!
I am curious if Ann is so upset and angry over this report then how would she have felt if she read the 2011 Climate Report based on Mack Borchardt’s leadership and his Assistant Fire Chief Lee Glover. It was done by a third party that reads “After reading the surveys and conducting over 140 hours of meetings with firefighters and officers, it is clear there is a SIGNIFICANT EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ISSUE in the department. The report continues “it appears there is a lack of trust, respect, and dignity” within the department. “The CULTURE is VERY NEGATIVE and one of INTIMNDATION, RETALIATION AND FEAR.” At the time the survey showed 76.3% of the respondents indicated they would LEAVE THE DEPARTMENT if they could. The report summary notes that this is the “fourth study done in the past ten years” and the management style will need to change moving forward DRAMATICALLY. Can you guess the outcome of that report?
Mack Borchardt was terminated as the Fire Chief and then George Purefoy hired him to work in the City Manager’s office reporting directly to his best friend – George, the City Manager! The hunt for a new Fire Chief began and that is when Mark Piland was offered the job and came to Frisco. In essence Piland’s job was to right a wrong ship!
Ann, where was your outrage and anger in 2011? Let’s give Ann the benefit of the doubt she didn’t know in 2011 about this report. However, Frisco Chronicles reported it in our blog The Valve Report in December 2023. We also reported about it again and provided a full link to the 50+ page report in March 2025 in our blog Weasel Wes & The Letter. Where was Ann Anderson’s anger then? What was her outrage then? Fact is she didn’t have any anger or outrage until she decided to run for office and needed a talking point to help boost her up.
Ann also lists Public Safety as her #1 priority on her new mailer, which is funny when her whole mailer attacks those who have served or currently serve in public safety positions. She didn’t get any endorsement from a public safety official in any capacity.
Other interesting points from the Frisco Lakes debate include Ann Anderson saying she was in support of the Frisco Performing Arts Center, then she said she made a mistake, and then she learned she shouldn’t have been? I am curious, how did you learn that you shouldn’t have been in support of it? Clearly voters spoke when 65% said no at the ballot box. She continued, do we need a Performing Arts Center? The citizens voted on it, and there is money set aside in a bond. Frisco Chronicles would like to know how much of that bond money is left after the city has done 5 to 7 studies for a PAC?
Anderson also said she is not for autonomous vehicles and does not like drones to help with traffic flow. Yet her mailer I got today says under her “Priorities” was that she is for smart mobility and infrastructure that keeps Frisco moving. What type of smart mobility is she referring to then? That is interesting comment considering many state and federal programs are leaning towards that technology to help mobility. Just look at that number of grant programs available to help fund smart mobility technology that she said she was against.
And with that, we’ll put a pin in it—for now. But don’t get too comfortable.
Next up: a closer look at Ann Anderson’s political mailer—where facts appear to have taken a scenic detour—and a breakdown of the Frisco Chamber Candidate Debate Monday night.
Keep your reading glasses handy and your skepticism well-fed. As always, Frisco Chronicles will be here asking uncomfortable questions, double-checking the receipts, and shining a flashlight where others prefer mood lighting.
In a city that prides itself on transparency, Frisco sure has a funny way of showing it. The departure of city employees should be a straightforward matter. But nothing says, “honest government at work” quite like a settlement agreement wrapped in an NDA and buried beneath layers of off-limits files that are shadow labeled “confidential” and will only magically appear if someone knows exactly what to ask for.
It’s almost poetic, really. City Hall bangs the drum of accountability every election season, even though they know the city turns around and stashes public records like they’re safeguarding state secrets. One might expect this sort of maneuvering from Washington, where the filing system seems to be a combination of smoke, mirrors, and selective memory—but from Frisco? The city that can’t even agree on a dog shelter without a special called meeting.
It is amazing what buried treasures you will find when reading through these settlement agreements the city has with ex-employees. It is also interesting to see who is getting paid and how much! For example, Elise Back, who worked for the Frisco Economic Development Corporation, agreed to accept a gross payment of $125,000 and Frank Morehouse accepted $112,500. What and why are we paying this kind of money in secret NDA’s?
After months of whispers about “HR “mishaps,” and a public records chase that felt more like spelunking through a city-funded labyrinth, we now have a Settlement Agreement for the newly minted EX HR Director, Lauren “Sassy” Safranek. Let me tell you finding this and getting our hands on this was tough and the city thought they had sealed it tighter than a Prohibition-era wine cellar. And just when we thought we’d finally uncork the truth, out pop second files, “confidential” folders, and documents shuffled around like a crooked card dealer at a back-alley poker table. But the saga of Lauren “Sassy” Safrenak takes the cake, the bakery, and the delivery truck.
Frisco’s leadership keeps insisting to the public this is all perfectly normal, nothing to see here, folks, but is it normal? Is this just a standard, everyday NDA? We decided to peal it back and unwrap the taxpayer-funded mystery treasure chest (I mean document). Frisco, where transparency is optional, NDAs are fashionable, and the truth is apparently stored somewhere in File Cabinet B—the one nobody is allowed to open.
BACKSTORY
Lauren Safranek has had reputation in the city for years. Management loved her! Employees had great disdain for her! Back in June 2023 I questioned why Lauren Safranek wanted to change the Nepotism Policy and revise the Employee Code of Conduct policy that had been in place since 2006. We wrote about it in our blog All in The Family. Then we wrote about the Workers Comp Policy Changes in our blog Sassy Safranek and the mean-spirited memo written by our Professional HR Director Sassy Safranek. In December 2023 we did our 12 Days of Malfeasance blogs. Day 3 was about the HR MALFEASANCE which was about good ole Lauren Safranek forging the signature of then Fire Chief Mark Piland to a document that would change the pay scale for an entire department. Did she really think this would not raise any eyebrows and her forgery would be unearthed? Yep, she really thought she was that smart!
When she realized, she had gotten caught she kicked into overdrive to find a fake reason to investigate then Fire Chief Mark Piland and his staff. We presented all the receipts in our Day 12: Tangled Web of Lies blog!
If you forgot about all this drama you should go back and read it because this is the heart of why the city, the mayor and the cabal are trying to destroy one man who has a 40+ exemplary career years, plus positive job reviews in the city of Frisco year after year until Lauren uncovered some “malfeasance” in order to cover her own forgery of legal HR documents
SASSY SAFRANEKS LITTLE CONFIDENTIAL SECRET WRAPPED UP IN AN NDA
Remember transparency is supposed to be the heart of good government here in Frisco. Truthfully it is more of a suggestion, something politically ignored much like turn signals on the Tollway side roads. The Lauren Safranek NDA reads like a political thriller written by a board attorney on a Friday afternoon. It has pages of legal yapping designed to make sure the public learns absolutely nothing about why the City’s top HR official suddenly needed to be paid nearly a year’s salary just to walk out the door quietly.
Is this a general release? No, it is so sweeping it could double as a Tornado Warning. Safranek isn’t just leaving her job, she’s legally erasing every single gripe, claim, concern, complaint, or whisper she ever uttered about the City. Ethics Complaints filed against her? Gone. Any HR violations she witnessed? Gone. Any retaliation she alleged? Gone. Potential whistleblower issues? Vaporized.
The Payout: A Golden Parachute Stuffed with Taxpayer Cash
40 weeks of salary. 40 weeks of COBRA medical, dental, vision coverage. A lump-sum payout for her accrued leave that has not been used. Payment by city for $1,716.65 for a conference she attended. Payment by city for employees attorneys fee’s in the amount of $7,600.
City will compensate Safranek for time spent assisting with the defense in pending lawsuits at a rate of $100.00 per hour, such payment to be made in 30 days of submission.
ASK YOURSELF: An at-will HR director being handed nearly a year’s pay to quietly resign is not “normal.” It’s not even “Frisco normal,” and this city has normalized some Olympic-level gymnastics around accountability.
The Most Alarming Part: The Secret Second File
Buried deep inside the NDA is the crown jewel of municipal opacity: The City agrees to take all negative documents—complaints, investigations, findings, her ethics complaint, and more—and remove them from her public personnel file and place them in a separate, hidden, confidential file.
Transparency Hidden In – A literal second file.
According to the NDA “these documents will be agreed upon by Safranek and will include, at a minimum, the following: Shank’s complaint, Coulthurst’s complaint, investigation findings, employee’s ethics complaints,” the letter from the Deputy City Manager dated June 16, 2025 and this agreement.
It also notes that basically the second file the public will not see, that is kept “to the extent permitted by law,” which is lawyer-speak for “we’ll hide it unless someone catches us!” WE CAUGHT YOU!
This is the Frisco leadership and government equivalent of cleaning your house by shoving everything into the garage and padlocking the door. Frisco taxpayers deserve better than a filing system borrowed from Watergate.
The City Also Requires Her to Help Defend Them in Lawsuits
Safranek must cooperate in two ongoing lawsuits involving Cameron Kraemer and Jesse Zito, paid at $100/hour — and she gets to keep her notes connected to those cases.
A city that insists it did nothing wrong is apparently very eager to keep its former HR Director close at hand… just not on staff, not in the building, and not talking.
A “Neutral Reference” to Keep the Story Contained
If a future employer calls? HR will give a bland, robotic response confirming her dates of employment. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing truthful.
Because when you’ve spent thousands of taxpayer dollars hiding the mess, the last thing you want is someone in HR accidentally telling the truth.
City Admits Nothing, Explains Nothing, Accepts Nothing
As expected, the NDA contains the standard “we did nothing wrong” boilerplate. The City denies all wrongdoing, says they’re settling merely to avoid “cost” and “distraction.” Right — because nothing says “totally innocent” like hiding negative documents in a secret secondary file and giving your fired HR director 40 weeks of hush money.
Council Approval: Your Elected Officials Signed Off
Don’t miss this detail: The NDA was contingent on City Council approval at a public meeting which happened on July 1, 2025. This was the meeting that Burt Thakur and Jared Elad were installed as new council members. How much did they know about this agreement is to be seen. We are curious how much knowledge Jeff Cheney, John Keating (mayoral candidate), Brian Livingston, Angelia Pelham, and Laura Rummel had.
Fact remains, every elected official who voted “yes” signed off on lying to the public, a year’s salary and cobra benefits, withholding information from the public in a secret file, hiding negative or truthful reviews to a future employer and more. Keating made the motion to approve, and it was seconded by Angelia Pelham.
Crazy part is if you go to that agenda on the city website and click on Item 24 it has not documents attached to it. Why because the city PLAYED HIDE AND HOPEFULLY, THEY WON’T SEEK!
The Bottom Line
You could hide a small nation’s war crimes under a release this wide. The Safranek NDA isn’t a routine HR separation. It’s not a miscommunication. It’s not an exit interview gone wrong. It is a coordinated legal shutdown, executed at the highest levels, designed to hide information from the public and neutralize the City’s own HR Director.
The City didn’t just settle a dispute. It purchased silence. It buried documents. It built a second file. It erased complaints. It sealed the story.
And they used your tax dollars to do it.
Frisco deserves transparency — not confidentiality closets, political NDAs, and under-the-table golden parachutes.
More to come.
Disclaimer: This blog includes satire, parody, and comic relief. It contains summarized accounts created solely for humor and commentary. Any resemblance to real events is either coincidental or intentionally satirical. Reader discretion — and a sense of humor — are advised.
Angela Mathew over at the Dallas Morning News just dropped her article on Frisco’s special election — and folks, it reads like someone jogging behind the Cheney Cabal holding an umbrella. The headline tries to throw one candidate under the bus, but it’s so weak it couldn’t dent a cardboard cutout. Creativity? Original thought? Not today, apparently.
And where is the performance art outrage from Dana Cheney and her loyal Cabal Squad? Why are they not calling foul that the DMN like they did the Denton GOP? These are the people who usually set Facebook on fire for far less. Yet DMN posts a pre-filing article — before the deadline even closes, shutting out anyone who might file by Dec. 1 — and suddenly the theatrics vanish. No outrage from the peanut gallery instead you can hear a pin drop, in a pillow factory.
Mathew starts by polishing up John Keating, mentioning his mayoral announcement… but she avoids the messy parts like a teenager hiding report cards. Not a word about the cheating scandal while he was a public figure. Not a peep about the cringe-worthy social media pics he’s been serving up for years. Not calling out that he was lying about running in order to delay his time on the council. Nope — she airbrushes him into the role of Frisco’s next provincial mayor.
She addresses Mark Piland as the “former Frisco fire chief accused of malfeasance.” Cute. Very cute.
Especially when you compare it with the mountain of context she chose not to include:
🔥 40+ years in local government 🔥 18+ years in executive leadership 🔥 10 years of stellar performance reviews as Frisco’s Fire Chief 🔥 16 years with FEMA Urban Search & Rescue, deployed to: – The Pentagon on 9/11 – Hurricane Katrina – The 2010 Haiti earthquake
🔥and much more Mathew could say.
Mathew doesn’t focus on questions related to current city issues such as Save Main, aging infrastructure issues, Animal Facility or a Performing Arts Center (that Cheney is secretly trying to push right now). Instead, she spends her time trying to question Piland about the past. Piland responds, “That’s in the past, we’re moving on, and I’m committed to being accountable to the public.” No questions about the HR Director recently released from her position after an investigation, the same HR Director who falsified Mark Piland’s signature and started the so-called investigation into him to cover her tracks. Funny how Keating’s past gets a velvet rope while Mathew’s tries to slap Piland like a rollercoaster of negativity.
But sure — let’s pretend none of that exists. Wouldn’t fit the vibe, right Angela?
Meanwhile, Ann Anderson — proudly backed by the Cheney faction — gets the marshmallow-soft treatment. She’s introduced as a financial services professional, PTA volunteer, Hobby Lobby shopper, and all-around everyday gal. The article practically ties a bow on her. She talks about helping place underemployed adults in Frisco, inspired by her son — noble mission, genuinely. But the way Mathew frames it? To readers it appears as pure campaign brochure energy.
Let’s call it what it is: The DMN has a long, proud tradition of circling the wagons around the Cheney faction, and this article was so slanted it could’ve doubled as a ski slope. This wasn’t journalism — it was an endorsement wearing a trench coat.
And if this is the best hit job DMN can produce, the Cabal should ask for a refund.
Frisco sees through it. We’re not buying it. And we’re not afraid to say it louder than the DMN’s whisper campaign.
Stay tuned, Frisco. The truth has a longer shelf life than DMN spin — and we’re just getting started.
Disclaimer: This blog includes satire, parody, and comic relief. It contains summarized accounts created solely for humor and commentary. Any resemblance to real events is either coincidental or intentionally satirical. Reader discretion — and a sense of humor — are advised.
Tammy Meinershagen speaks of how she loves “governance” and that is her favorite part of the job as a councilwoman. One “best practice” and vital component of good governance is transparency. Why is transparency so important? It boosts public trust, confidence, and citizen participation. Transparency has become a virtue in public management and public policymaking. It is an important democratic value that a trustworthy, high-performing, and responsible government pursues.
WHY IS FRISCO NOT TRANSPARENT?
We have to assume everyone reading our blog is new and may not have read previous blogs. In 2023, when Mayor Cheney was running for re-election against Retired Former Fire Chief, Mark Piland we wrote the blog Tangled Web of Lies (click on the title to read it) which detailed out how acting HR Director Sassy Lauren Safranek set in motion a calculated witch hunt to protect her job and wrongdoing against then Fire Chief, Mark Piland.
Why is that blog so important? In it, we mentioned that on April 4, 2024, the Frisco City Council, after emerging from an executive session, voted on one item from its executive agenda. “In connection with item No. 2A, ii on tonight’s agenda, Bill Woodward made a motion, “I move to authorize the city manager to release the second investigative report, dated Sept. 1, 2022, concerning Mark Piland.” That night, the Frisco City Council, with a 5-0 vote, moved to pass the motion. Mayor Cheney conveniently recused himself. It is important to note that Bill Woodard, Angelia Pelham, John Keating, and Tammy Meinershagen had already endorsed and been helping with Mayor Cheney’s re-election campaign. That night, it was clear the release of this document was designed to be a political hit job. Since that night, Woodard also ran a PAC against our Firefighters and started the Vote Yes for Broadway PAC with Tammy Meinershagen.
CLEARLY, THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE COMPROMISED AND SHOULD HAVE ALSO ALL RECUSED THEMSELVES ALONG WITH JEFF CHENEY! BETTER YET, IT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN VOTED ON BY THE COUNCIL MEMBERS – WHY NOT SEND IT TO THE AG INSTEAD?
They didn’t want to wait 45 to 60 days because that would have been “after the election,” and they were worried Mark Piland might win. So, shaking in their boots, they took it upon themselves to vote at the council. The same council that determines ethical complaints against each other!
Fast forward to 2025 and we write our blog City Hall’s Troubled Seas last week that questions why “TOP BRASS” HR Director, Sassy Lauren Safranek and Assistant HR Director, Jacinta Shanks just vanished into the dark night. Missing for weeks, internal sources telling us that they both had been suspended, investigations were ongoing, and their return dates to the office were unknown made us file some PIR’s for more information.
FIRST PIR REQUEST: JACINTA SHANKS
4/1/2025: FWB Filed the Public Information Request
“We would like all documents and information regarding the investigation into, administrative leave of, and outcome of Jacinta Shanks – HR. We would like any and all investigative records, including emails, screenshots, and messages regarding Jacinta Shanks and fellow employees that refer to them making racist remarks/comments to other black subordinates, disparaging employees, and making fun of other employees. We would like to know if Jacinta Shanks received a promotion after this investigation.”
4/16/2025: City of Frisco responds and asks us to “CLAIRFY” our request to the city
4/22/2025: FWB replied to the request
5/7/2025: We assumed in the eye of “GOOD GOVERNANCE” they city would be transparent just like they have been with previous employees, right? No. Absolutely Not!
We received the response that reads, “The City of Frisco has reviewed its files, and has located documents responsive to your request. However, due to issues of confidentiality, the City has chosen to seek a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General regarding the release of the responsive documents. Please see attached for a letter from Abernathy, Roeder, Boyd & Hullett, PC, attorneys for the City of Frisco, informing you of the City’s decision to seek a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General. The Office of the Attorney General has up to 45 business days in which to make a ruling regarding your request.”
SECOND PIR REQUEST INTO JACINTA SHANKS AND JIREH SHOE
4/1/2025: FWB filed a PIR Request
We also filed a second PIR that reads, “Related to the Jacinta Shanks and Jireh Shoe Investigations or any other HR employees. We would like a copy of any NDA signed by a new employee related to their failure during the probation period. We would like to know if any female employee received a payout or payment related to this investigation, was asked to sign an NDA, who was released, terminated, removed, etc for failing their probation period.”
4/11/2025: City of Frisco responds and asks us to “CLAIRFY” our request to the city (sound familiar)
4/22/2025: FWB replied to the request
1. Jacinta Shanks and Jireh Shoe Investigations: We are specifically requesting any investigative reports, findings, HR communications, termination notices, or disciplinary actions related to Jacinta Shanks and Jireh Shoe. If these individuals were involved in internal investigations conducted by HR or Legal, we request all documents reflecting: • The nature of the investigation • Dates of the investigation • Parties interviewed or named • Final outcomes or recommendations • Settlement agreements, if applicable
2. NDAs Signed by New Employees Who Did Not Complete Probation We are requesting copies of any Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) signed between January 1, 2021, and April 1, 2025, by employees of the HR Department who were released, terminated, or resigned before completing their probationary period. If a list of names is required to narrow this down, we ask the City to identify individuals who meet the criteria during that time frame so we can refine accordingly.
3. Female Employees—Payments or NDAs Related to HR Investigations We are seeking records that show whether any female employee involved in an HR investigations between January 1, 2021, and April 1, 2025: • Received a financial payout or settlement (voluntary or involuntary separation) • Was asked or required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement • Was terminated, released, or otherwise separated during or at the end of probation These may include settlement agreements, NDAs, HR exit memos, or other documents reflecting these outcomes.
We are not asking the City to answer legal questions—only to provide existing documents that meet the above clarified criteria. If there is a more efficient way to identify the documents—such as a keyword search (e.g., “probation,” “settlement,” “NDA,” “termination”) or a specific custodian of records—please advise. We are happy to work with you to facilitate this.
5/7/2025: Guess what, we assumed for a second time that in the eye of “GOOD GOVERNANCE” they city would be transparent. I bet you can guess their response; it was identical to our other PIR. Literally, identical!
We received the exact same response as the first PIR which reads, “The City of Frisco has reviewed its files, and has located documents responsive to your request. However, due to issues of confidentiality, the City has chosen to seek a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General regarding the release of the responsive documents. Please see attached for a letter from Abernathy, Roeder, Boyd & Hullett, PC, attorneys for the City of Frisco, informing you of the City’s decision to seek a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General. The Office of the Attorney General has up to 45 business days in which to make a ruling regarding your request.”
THIRD PIR WE ARE FILING NOW: Lauren Safranek HR
Now we are going to file a PIR for everything related to Sassy Lauren Safranek and what do you want to bet, we are going to get the same response. Using delay tactics to push it out, then send it to the AG to further delay it. Why? What do they not want to come out before you and I vote at the polls? The delay is purposeful and if they truly wanted to show “GOOD GOVERNANCE” – Tammy Meinershagen couldn’t you vote to release the files? Lead the charge for transparency!
GOOD GOVERNANCE: JUST VOTE ON IT!
In our opinion, the city set a precedent with Mark Piland on what is or is not confidential in an employee’s HR file when they went to the council and voted to release his record, especially when that vote was by four members of the council who endorsed and were working on Mayor Cheney’s campaign against that employee. So why can’t they vote again to release the HR file for Safranek, Shanks, and anyone else in the HR investigation? Show the voters you have nothing to hide and that it is consistency of GOOD GOVERNANCE.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We think all the citizens of Frisco who want transparent communication should email the city attorney’s office, the entire city council, and the City Manager’s office, demanding the release of all documents from the HR Department investigation, just like they did with Former Fire Chief, Mark Piland. If there is an issue, they should be able to vote on it at a city council meeting. We would expect the same transparency in a 5-0 vote to release it. Because good governance is transparent, right?
To Whom It May Concern:
I am writing as a citizen of Frisco to request full transparency on behalf of the city, to release all HR documents related to the HR investigation into Jacinta Shanks, Lauren Safranek, and any other employee. For us to trust our city government, we need to see transparency, even if that means it has to go to a vote at the city council meeting to be released.
What are they hiding? It should alarm citizens that the city will vote to release one employee’s or a former employee’s records and not release others. One was running against the mayor for office, while the others were not. If you didn’t believe us in 2023 when we called it a political hatchet job, then you should believe us now! Why else would they fight the release of HR records for other employees under investigation?
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