Another One Bites The Dust

Shout, Shout, let it all out. These are things I can do without

Come on, I’m talking to you …. Come on

Shout, Shout, Let it all out

If the words sound familiar but you have not yet figured it out yet, then let me help you.  In 1984, Tears for Fears released their second album.  Shout was a song on the album, but it did not hit the Billboard Top 100 until August of 1985.  Today it remains one of their most recognizable songs.  It was rumored the song was about pain, but the truth is it was a call to action, a rebellion against the established norms of the times, a call to be different.   

Frisco has always prided itself on doing things better “than other cities” along with being different and being ground breakers.   Being different is “The Frisco Way!”  In Frisco our leaders believe we must build the best, develop the best, and offer the best services to our citizens as a standout community.  With development and construction in full gear over the last 10 years you can imagine things happened along the way that helped carve out better practices and procedures for the city. 

An example of that is back in February of 2018 when Francisco Palmas pant leg was caught in a trencher causing him to be dangled upside down at a local commercial construction site.  The result was it nearly severed his leg and you might think he died.  Frisco Firefighters reached the victim in just under five minutes, but they couldn’t free him which meant his leg would need to be amputated right there amid the dust, dirt and rocks.  (Photo from Frisco Lifestyle – The Edge of Chaos)

According to a Dallas Morning News article, Frisco Deputy Fire Chief, Scott Vetterick said that the department had already started putting a plan in place for this under then Fire Chief, Mark Piland.  Vetterick knew with all the development and construction, it was not about if something would happen but rather when it would happen and that made it a priority to have a plan in place.  On the way to the scene, Frisco FD reached out to Dr. Gamber, an emergency room doctor at Medical City Plano.  Gamber summoned trauma surgeon Al West who would arrive via a helicopter 41 minutes later with his small black medical kit and blood.      

While Dr. West performed the amputation just above the right knee, Frisco Firefighters had to hold Palma’s body so he would not fall and proceeded to give him blood replacement.  Along with the blood replacement they administered medications, fluids and monitored Palmas’ vital signs along with watching his airway.  At the same time other teams worked to disassemble the machine.  Palma survived because of the fast actions of the Frisco FD, Trauma Surgeon Al West and the replacement blood brought in that day.  At the time there was a 75% chance that with a prosthetic he would walk again one day.  Most importantly this man lived to see his kids grow up.  In a Frisco Lifestyle article, Vetterick shares, “We had a lot of people working backchannels in order to make it happen that day. I was calling Medical City Plano’s radio room, Assistant Chief Kramer was calling Dr. Gamber, the battalion chief was coordinating the actual rescue and the disassembly of the machine, and then our medics were immediately tending to the patient.” 

Deputy Chief Vetterick said at the time he believed  that the response protocol put in place is the perfect example of collaborative efforts that help save lives.   His hope was it would benefit more people and save more lives as Frisco continued to grow.

The official announcement of the blood replacement being carried on board with the Squad teams came in December of 2018 in a Frisco Fire Department press release.  Frisco Fire Chief Mark Piland  said, “Frisco Firefighters are committed to providing the highest level of care possible. This program is definitely a team effort, and I would like to thank Dr. Gamber and Medical City Plano for the hard work and assistance to get this program started.”   

Dr. Mark Gamber, Frisco Fire Departments Medical Director said, “Prior to today, patients who needed blood were completely dependent on how fast we could get them to a hospital.  Now, with early transfusion for severe blood loss, Frisco Fire will give critically ill patients a better chance of survival.”   

The news of the new program went far and wide across the state and it was believed that it showed innovation and how Frisco was to lead the way  with cutting edge services that help serve the citizens of Frisco.

What is Squad?  Generally, the Squad responds to all high acuity EMS calls, and it also responds to all structure fires in a city.  It is a 2-person group whose capabilities are like no other unit in the department.  If you have a need for the most advanced or technical medical procedures in the field they are the team you want at your front door.  For example, Squad assisted doctors with Palma’s amputation, they can give blood transfusions to trapped victims, and they perform out of the box lifesaving methods during emergency medical  situations.  It is the definition of the city’s motto Progress In Motion.

Safety, education, and training were a big push by Piland who lead the department at the time.  It probably came from his experience serving with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a Task Force Leader with Virginia Task Force 2 a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team whose job was to provide search and rescue for victims of disaster.  Shortly after Piland became Chief in 2013 he implemented the Safety Officer Program that focused on the health and wellness of the fire fighters.  The Captain of Safety oversaw all fire fighter injuries, the safety on scene at calls, structural concerns during fires, identified concerns such as pools that could affect how they fight a fire and more.  In 2016, a request was made for two Fire Safety Incident Officers in the city’s annual budget.  The goal was to implement two full-time shift personnel to staff the positions around the clock. The program made overall safety a top priority.

Fast forward to today, Frisco is a city of 225,000+ people and we have a New Fire Chief, Lee Glover.  Programs like those mentioned above have major implications in saving lives.   On October 27, 2023, the Frisco Fire Department released a video about the history of the program in a series called Frisco Fire Facts which was also share to the city Facebook page yesterday.  It starts with Deputy Fire Chief Jake Owen of the Frisco Fire Department talking about how the program got started in 2018.  It discusses the highlights of the Squad Program and the onboarding of blood replacement.

Ready for the WHOPPER of TEA?  It was confirmed to us last week in an off-the-record conversation with a city employee at city hall, that FIRE CHIEF GROGGY LEE GLOVER announced the END OF THE SQUAD PROGRAM!  Wait…What?  It was also announced that the Safety Program was ending.  People are being reassigned to drive Battalion Chiefs! Firefighters will be reassigned most likely depending on staff levels.  What will be the result of losing the Squad Program, it will create the loss of two functioning paramedics for high priority EMS calls and a loss of two tactical level firefighters on structure fires. As for the Safety Program what does that mean for the safety of our firefighters? Should we be surprised, I mean the decision to name Groggy Glover the new Fire Chief was not supported by the ranks within the department.

Glover was not kidding when he said in June of 2023, “We’re going to continue to do what we’ve been doing since the day I WALKED INTO THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT.”  He DISMANTLED a CRITICAL LIFE SAVING program that was highly regarded, and we are curious why?   Is it because that is how modern-day fire departments operate which he probably does not understand since it doesn’t fit the antiquated days of his upbringing in the department.  Did he not like the programs simply because they were instituted under the previous Fire Chief, Mark Piland?  

According to yesforfrisco.org in the recent MAY 2023 BOND ELECTION – Proposition A, the city asked citizens to approve the following equipment & apparatus items: Vehicles to replace with proposed bond package: 2 Squads, 4 Engines, 8 Medics, 1 Truck, and 1 Hazmat.  WHY DID THE CITY ASK CITIZENS TO PAY FOR 2 SQUAD REPLACEMENTS?   With all the development of the PGA which will bring golf celebrities from around the world and a new theme park for kids would you end lifesaving programs that protect citizens, visitors, and firefighters?   What about citizens of Frisco Lakes?  Did the council who rely on their votes to get elected ask Frisco Lakes residents how they feel about getting rid of a blood replacement program that could save their lives?  With the traffic getting worse and horrific car accidents happening more often, did anyone think about how the blood replacement program could save the lives of those in the accidents.  I mean those are citizens or visitors who spend tax dollars in our city?  No – they just want to build and build and claim to be about exceptional service.

On the front page, of the Frisco Fire Department the Mission Statement reads: Committed to your Health and Safety through Exceptional Service.    Right under that it reads, “Public safety is among the highest priorities for city leaders, past and present.”  Yeah we have heard that repeated over from city leaders.  Now act like it!

We just keep asking why, why would Glover think these are good decisions?  Based on the 2011/12 Climate Survey it said in order for the issues in the department to be resolved some SIGNIFICANT changes must occur.  The culture of the department needs to change from a negative, hostile, retaliatory environment to one that is positive.  Guess what, it was trending in the right direction but now Groggy Glover is dismantling the department bit by bit and they hope no one is paying attention.   Well, maybe it is just his way of being retaliatory to those speaking out against him as that is how it has worked since he walked into the department all those years ago.   

Slowly but surely our Fire Department turns back time and honestly it should scare the hell of citizens!  We have heard it scares the hell out of those who put on the FD uniform on the front line every day.  It leads us to our last question, the most important question, who is the “King Ding A Ling” of bad decisions?  Well, that might be a tie between Groggy Lee Glover and City Manager, Pungent Wes Pierson.

John Redmond – Frisco Place 3

Well we love a good boxing match and now we have one! Today we came across an announcement that John Redmond is running for City of Frisco – Place 3 against Angelia Pelham! He was once quoted as saying he wants to be a good civil steward here in the City of Frisco. We can’t wait to learn more about what issue or hot buttons he believes the city is facing. For now we at Frisco Chronicles can’t wait to learn more about this candidate!

OCTOBER 27, 2023 – John Redmond is announcing his candidacy for Frisco City Council. Service does not come without sacrifice. And service to others is what those that run for office are called to do. 6 years ago Redmond ran for City Council in the most contested field in Frisco history. Taking the lessons of that election while remaining engaged and active, Redmond brings deep commitment to the betterment of our community and a wealth of experience and passion for positive change. Redmond stated, “I am announcing my intent to run for Frisco City Council. As a vibrant, diverse and ever-evolving community, we will run a clean and dignified race to serve the people of Frisco. We will remind elected officials that they work for their constituents and should govern as they campaign. Together through teamwork, innovation and community engagement, we will address whatever challenges remain before us while we embrace the opportunities that lie ahead”. Redmond4Frisco will be grounded in fiscal responsibility and accountability, free enterprise and support for small businesses, law and order and the true support of public safety personnel. With a long list of potential platforms, Redmond said that a ‘listening campaign’ would begin immediately to understand all of the issues that Frisco citizens actually hold dear. “From traffic, to infrastructure, to apartments and density, the overall development (and/or re-development) of Frisco, public safety, city staff and its’ leadership, art venues, animal shelters and more…while some things change, many political topics here in Frisco remain the same”. Frisco residents are encouraged to get involved, ask questions and share ideas with Redmond as he embarks on this journey to serve the community. To learn more about John and the campaign, visit www.Redmond4Frisco.com

For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact: Chris Fields campaign@redmond4frisco.com About John Redmond: John Redmond is the Co-Founder and President of InspectIR Systems. A Frisco-based company, for the last 6 years, InspectIR has been focused on innovation and research, delivering breath-based devices and solutions to provide more equitable diagnostics and screening at or near the point of care. With more than 25 years of experience in Fortune 500 companies, John is a human capital expert in the technology and consulting industries with leadership positions in talent acquisition and diversity and inclusion. John has a BS in Business Administration/Marketing from the Gies School of Business at the University of Illinois. Married with two (2) adult children, John has been a Frisco resident for over 18 years.

Redmond For Frisco

No Business Like Show Business

As a kid I always heard about my dad’s iconic work trips to the Big Apple.  Every time he came home I hit him with a ton of questions, and he would always say son, New York is a state of mind.  Now I had no idea at the time what any of those phrases meant but I dreamed constantly of the day I would finally get to go to New York, the city that never sleeps.  So as a young teen when I overheard my parents talking about my dad’s upcoming business trip to New York City, I begged and pleaded with him to take me across the pond.  To my shock and chagrin, he said yes and the next thing I knew I was in New York City.  Walking down the sidewalk was overwhelming, so I held tightly onto my dad’s hand, and I stared up, looking at all the big buildings thinking this was nothing like the vineyards back home. You are probably wondering why I wanted to go so badly?  Well in 1956, across the pond all we kept hearing about was a tv show that epitomized the ever-evolving aspects of American popular culture. It focused on popular music, youth, dance, fashion trends and relationships. Now sitting in a New York City hotel, I parked myself in front of a little tv and there it was…American Bandstand with host Dick Clark.  It changed my life!  On the way home all I could think to myself was New York was the art epic center of the world.  It offered Broadway, Literature, Architecture, Film and Music and one day I would live there.

In February of 2022 Tammy Meinershagen entered the race against Shona Huffman for Frisco City Council seat for Place 2.  Shortly thereafter Huffman announced she was resigning her seat and withdrawing from her campaign due to a breast cancer diagnosis.  We all know someone who has had breast cancer, and we completely understand her need to refocus on health and family over politics.  Since Place 2 and Place 4 were both uncontested the city council chose to cancel the May 7th general election. It was announced that Meinershagen would be sworn in at the May council meeting. 

In March of 2022, the Frisco Chamber of Commerce held a Leadership Exchange in Cary, North Carolina.   The website for the Frisco Chamber states, “on this trip, a diverse group of leaders will come together with one focus – to keep Frisco the best place to live and work.”  According to an article written by Audrey Henvey for the Frisco Enterprise on March 31, 2022, the goal was to allow leaders to hear from the experiences of city and business leaders from a similar city that continues to grow and evolve like Frisco.  We watched a recap video of the trip and what we found interesting was that Tammy Meinershagen went on the trip.  Why is that interesting?  While she was uncontested for her council position she had not yet been sworn in as a city council member yet, so we figured she went on the trip as a citizen, but a chain of emails stated otherwise.

In a March 3, 2022, email from Jeff Cheney to Holly McCall, he says Tammy has expressed an interest in going on the LEX trip.  He thinks it would be good for her to join to get a head start on her development and start building relationships.  He specifically notes, I know she will still be a council member elect as the time so not sure what hoops we need to jump through.  McCall, Sr. Administrative Asst. to the Mayor & Council responds, “I’m sure it will be fine to pay for Tammy.  We’re just waiting on confirmation/advisement from the attorney’s office before proceeding.” 

Then on March 7, 2022, in an email from Tammy Meinershagen to Tony Felker, President/CEO for the Frisco Chamber she states it looks like she will be able to join “representing the city council” so can you let me know what you need from me.  She also notes she has cc’d Mayor Jeff Cheney.  Tony responded with an email asking Jeff Cheney what the best way for her is to register and then Jeff responds Holly McCall, the Sr. Administrative Assistant to the Mayor & Council, can book it.  McCall responds again that she believes it will be fine to pay for her to go but she is waiting for the official city approval.  Then on March 15 in an email from Brian Davis, Director of Marketing and Event Sponsorships to Henry Hill, Deputy City Manager it states Tony asked me to send over a copy of this invoice for Meinershagens registration for the LEX Trip later this month. 

Fast forward to the April 19th, council meeting, Item #20 under the Consent Agenda (remember that is where they hide things) there is an action to consider and act upon approval of the attached reimbursement request presented to the Mayor and Council.   The memo reads that the $3000 request was the cost for Tammy Meinershagen to travel to Cary, North Carolina for the LEX trip hosted by the Frisco Chamber.  It states she is a ‘CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL RUNNING UNOPPOSED.”  It further reads she will begin her term in May, but members of the council believe the trip provided knowledge and experience that serves the public purpose of the city and was beneficial to the duties of a city council member.  Upon approval a payment of $3000 will be remitted to the Chamber for Invoice 94534 on behalf of Tammy Meinershagen.   The cost was approved!

SO WHY IS THIS ALARMING?  First these trips are paid for by tax dollars.  Tammy, while running unopposed WAS NOT YET SWORN IN UNDER OFFICIAL OATH and she was NOT AN OFFICIAL COUNCIL MEMBER.  Meinershagens own email stated she was going to attend and represent the city council.  Let’s say the city paid for her to go and at the end of April she dropped dead, got a job transfer, or got struck by a meteorite – are you going to say then it was a good use of tax dollars.  We don’t know what tomorrow brings but what I do know is that if Tammy wanted to attend she should have paid for it herself.  Council members have to take an oath and sign and notarize the oath which Tammy had not done at the time of the trip.  When the council approved the expense in April she WAS NOT A SITTING COUNCIL MEMBER.  Runing unopposed or not should not matter – what should matter is she was not sworn in to uphold her official duties as a city council woman.  Post after post we continue to show that the city and some members of the council live by rules for thee (ha, ha) don’t apply to me.  It’s wrong! 

PIR Gate

After reading our blogs you have probably figured out that movies and music are two of my biggest passions. Little Lies by Fleetwood Mac had a catchy chorus that you could sing over and over that went tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies, oh-no-no, you can’t disguise. I often find myself singing that song in my head when the time comes to write another blog. We have talked about PIRs (Public Information Requests) in our previous blog but nothing wrong with a reminder. What is the Public Information Act and what is a Public Information Request?  Well, the Texas Public Information Act assures that government entities give citizens access to information about what the public servants are doing on their behalf.  It is a way for citizens to hold their public officials accountable.   The Public Information Act Handbook can be found on the Texas Attorney General’s website and lays out the “how-to” to do open record requests. 

Several months ago during the election a mayday report was talked about and the DMN did a long article smearing a candidate running for mayor. We were curious about the report and had a friend put in a PIR request that reads: Full copy of 500 to 600-page report for Mayday Report DMN quoted Adams Lynch and Loftin found evidence – would like a copy of the evidence. DMN quotes Adams Lynch and Loftin interviewed 42 people – would like the list of the names of those interviewed? Would like a copy of the documents, photographs, audio, and video files analyzed by Adams Lynch and Loftin Based on the DMN article it is clear that the reporter received more than the 12-page report released to the public. I would like a copy of everything provided to the reporter. We received several items back from the city except the full report mayday report.

On May 25th, we received a letter stating that one of the files contains personal health information and the city would prefer to keep it confidential. They asked if we agreed to the redaction request however we did not see the response. Then on June 5th we received another letter asking us to clarify if we agreed to the redaction and to clarify which documents we were seeking. We wrote back on June 9th we would not agree to any redactions and they could send the request to the AG and for the second questions we responded with several items on the evidence list plus the following:

1. Full Final Mayday Report
2. During the investigation of the individuals involved in the Circa / Mayday the attorneys meet and interviewed city staff. There should be audio files/recordings, notes, or video footage of the individual interviews to document the investigation. We want the audio files/recordings/notes or video recordings of the individuals interviewed by Adams, Lynch, and Loftin PC
3. Docs from Gillette listed on the evidence list
4. Hinkel Emails listed on the evidence list

On July 3, we received another email that read “After further review of the requested information to ensure the City has located all the records responsive to your request, please note that one file responsive is considered to be a proprietary record and will be available in the City Secretary’s Office for viewing only.” In the items we were provided there is NO FULL MAYDAY REPORT so is that the proprietary record they want us to come view?

Summer happened and we were waiting on the AG response in regards to the request and still to this day (4 MONTHS LATER) the request status reads sent to AG for a ruling. We were curious why it was taking the AG office so long to review a request so we called them. Imagine our surprise when they said a ruling was issued on August 30th and lead us to a link on the website where we could read the ruling. It is now September 28th almost a month later and we have no response from the city that a ruling was even made yet and we still don’t have the FULL MAYDAY REPORT.

The city argued some information was considered to be confidential by law. Section 552.101 encompasses the doctrine of common-law privacy, which protects information that is (1) highly intimate or embarrassing, the publication of which would be highly objectionable to a reasonable person, and (2) not of legitimate concern to the public. The finding by the AG’s office read “Accordingly, the city must withhold the public citizen’s date of birth and the information we marked under section 552.101 of the Government Code in conjunction with common-law privacy. However, we find you have failed to demonstrate the remaining information is highly intimate or embarrassing and not of legitimate public interest. Thus, the city may not withhold the remaining information under section 552.101 in conjunction with common-law privacy.

What we find ironic is that the city council voted to release some of these documents or related documents at a city council meeting that benefited the mayor and his cronies during an election in order to smear a candidates reputation but now they are arguing something is intimate or highly embarrassing? The citizens date of birth or an insurance policy number is confidential? What would be really humorous is if the person they are referring to has their birthday on their Facebook page. If so, they can’t be to worried about their privacy.

SO WHERE IS IT? Where is the redacted file? Where is the complete MAYDAY report (500 to 600 pages)? Asking a senior citizen to come to city hall to review a document is ridiculous and it is there way of keeping us from the information that can simply be uploaded to the portal. Why is the city with holding the information after a ruling on August 30th? We are also waiting on the AG to tell us where they are on a ruling for the Universal document request which is now 8 months old.

We also had a friend submit a PIR inquiring about to to payments in the city expenditure list which is online. Two payments, to New Reunion Title for $555,706.44 and $817,956.83. What are the payments for, and what type of services would a city pay a title company that much for? It reads they sent it to the attorney. We are guessing they mean the city attorney but he may have a conflict of interest since the title company is located in his law office. My guess they will fight us on this one too.

We filed PIRs with multiple other city’s in the last month and had them all back in under 20 days, so WHAT IS FRISCO HIDING? RELEASE THE DOCUMENTS!

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave…when first we practice to deceive.”

― Walter Scott, Marmion

Sassy Safranek

If you are a fan of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and Clark Griswold then you know the scene where Clark is holding the envelope sent by his company that he thinks is holding his  “Big Bonus” check.  He starts to talk about how he is going to use the check to put in an inground pool as soon as the earth thaws out.  After a few more words he opens the envelope to find a big shock.  It’s not money, it’s an annual membership to the Jelly Club.  Clark is shocked and dismayed and in the silence Cousin Eddie bursts out “Clark, it’s the gift that keeps on giving all year.”   That is how we feel about the consent agenda in the Tuesday City Council meetings.  In our last blog All In The Family, we said if you want to know what is happening in the city just look at the consent agenda.  For us, it is the gift that keeps on giving for those who are curious.

Watching last night’s city council meeting we noticed Keating called to remove items 25 and 32 and that was seconded by Brian Livingston.  We noticed item 25 which was a Human Resources item several days ago when the agenda was posted.  It reads consider and act upon adoption of an Ordinance to approve the new Public Safety Workers Compensation policy and updated Information Security Policy.   Many are probably wondering what is so important about it, well we are going to tell you!  If you keep up with what is going on in the city the Fire Fighters have been advocating for a better WC policy for several years.  They took their fight to the state this year in Austin and with the help of local State Rep Jared Patterson they brought a bill that would give public safety workers true workers compensation coverage.  This bill passed both the house and senate with overwhelming support.   

We were a little shocked by the cattiness and mean spirit of the memo submitted by Ms. Sassy Lauren Safranek, Director of Human Resources to the city council.  She talks about the new public safety workers compensation policy that had to be changed to align with Chapter 177A of the Texas Local Government Code that was recently amended by HB 471.   Remember our council likes to tote they support our public safety workers, yet they fought and opposed HB 471 the entire time.  In this memo Sassy Safranek states the city will be FORCED to develop a different WC policy – one policy for public safety personnel and the other (the current policy) for all other employees.   

Sassy Safranek goes on to call out The Fire Association President, Matt Sapp and his public comments before the city council supporting the city’s policy back in April of 2021.  She notes he supported the changes to the policy at the time and that he was active in the process to develop the policy.  She said the goal was to develop one policy for all employees.   Well, we went back and while he did support the changes he also stated several times in the last two years that it was a step in the right direction but not the total solution.   A step in the right direction does not mean he agrees and is content with the 2021 policy, it simply means it is better than what they had before.  The city was not happy about the FAA lobbying in Austin for a more comprehensive plan and they have made that clear many times.   Does Lauren Safranek honestly think that one policy can cover all employees?   Does she honestly believe the WC policy should cover the park guys who have a much less dangerous job mowing parks, and the same policy should cover a police office or fire fighter whose job inherently has more risk and danger? 

Sassy Safranek is upset with the new policy.  She writes in addition to at least one (1) year of paid leave for an on-the-job injury, HB 471 requires at least one (1) year of light duty while recovering from a temporary disability. One (1) year of paid leave (paid by the City 100%) and one (1) year of light duty, during which the employee will receive their regular wages, provides little incentive for the employee to return to full duty promptly.  She notes the 2 significant differences between the new policy and the city’s current policy are 1) one year of paid leave and 2) one year of light duty.  She notes that up to another year of paid light duty provides little incentive for the employee to get better and return to full duty promptly. 

Ms. Safranek your note about “LITTLE INCENTIVE” is offensive and ridiculous and it is obvious you have no clue what kind of attributes a person has if they choose to go into the profession of being a police officer or a fire fighter.   Most of these men and woman have a keen sense of duty and service.   Other traits include courage, physical fitness, they like structure and routine, they work well under pressure, they are adaptable to unpredictable environments, they have a compassionate nature, and they thrive off teamwork and collaboration. Those are just a few of the natural instincts these men and woman have.  Your comment implies they have no incentive to go back to work, and they are going to milk the system.  These are not people who want to sit at home and eat bon bons like you, they don’t achieve a thrill by laying on the couch and binging all the seasons of Suits on Netflix.

Safranek mentions the city has benefited from modified duty work by injured police officers valued at over $300,000 and injured firefighters at over $1.3 million.  She says if the city assumes that 10% of the time police officers will decline modified duty and if they assume 25% of the time firefighters will decline modified duty it would cost the city over a $120,000 a year in salary paid while someone is off work.   Again, the statement is offensive and ridiculous at its core.  It’s not like the City of Frisco doesn’t have the money.  We sent numerous people within the city over the last 2 years to Cary, North Carolina, PGA golf events in Tulsa and just last week they galivanted off to Fort Collins, Colorado.  Thousands of dollars of taxpayer money used for some to travel all over but we can’t find enough to pay officers or fire fighters hurt on the job.  Really?    As a taxpayer, I will happily pay for someone’s salary who is injured on the job.  If you ask me, based on a conversation Keating had last night at the council meeting I think we can cut back on the unnecessary trips where a planning and zoning board member gets drunk and belligerent and Council Woman Tammy Meinershagen doesn’t need to fly to different cities to play piano and see art, then and post it on her Instagram like she is having a great vacation on the city’s dime.

Ms. Safranek, your bias is showing and how you feel about city employees is starting to show simply by how you wrote this memo.  Screw the peasants who risk theirs! Your venom and disdain for public safety workers are more than clear in this memo. So are the cities.  As we said at the top of the blog the item was pulled from consent and Councilman Livingston asked for it to be held for further discussion.  Maybe in that time, you might want to reconsider the “oh bless your heart” southern slam slightly written into the memo. 

Read The Full Memo Click Here

Redline of City Workers Comp Policy Click Here