Kandace French

From: Mike Farrar <mikefarrar@carefree.org>

Sent: Sunday, July 07, 2013 8:33 PM

To: arthurgimson@msn.com

Cc: kandace@carefree.org

Subject: RE: Observing a moment of silence at Town Council Meeting - 7.2.13

“The fundamental cause of trouble in the world is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt.”

― Bertrand Russell

Your comments are without merit nor worthy of a response.. And I have never written anything without putting my name on it.

Arrogance is trying to convince others you're more than who they know you are, and ignorance is when you start to believe yourself.

Mike Farrar

Councilman, Town of Carefree, Arizona

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On Fri, Jul 5, 2013 at 10:47 AM, Arthur Gimson wrote:

Mike:

Thank you for your e-mail message. Below, please find my thoughts on your comments.

Also, please be advised that any future correspondence on this subject will be ignored,

except as stated below.

You made your comments at the Budget Workshop/Council Meeting on May 21, 2013. I

made mine at the Council Meeting on July 2, 2013, and you responded.

You have now elected to continue the dialogue, to which I will respond. I doubt that

either one of us will change our positions.

Arthur

From: Mike Farrar [mailto:mikefarrar@carefree.org]

Sent: Wednesday, 03 July, 2013 1:10 PM

To: arthurgimson@msn.com

Cc: Kandace French

Subject: FW: Observing a moment of silence at Town Council Meeting - 7.2.13

Arthur,

Please see my request below to the Mayor sent on July 1, 2013 to take time at our

upcoming Town Council meeting for a moment of silence to honor the brave Firefighters

that lost their lives in the Yarnell fire tragedy.

[Response/Comment from Arthur] I fail to understand what your request to the

Mayor has to do with my belief that you uttered disparaging remarks and a slur to

Council Member Glenn Miller. While it is commendable that you should request a

moment of silence, past experience tells me that the Mayor has always been sensitive to

tragedies and has included appropriate tributes whenever the situation called for it.

I am deeply disappointed by your cheap, under-handed attempt to mis-characterize my

statement to Glen Miller, and your attempt to capitalize on the Yarnell tragedy for your

own agenda. As you very know, I was referencing Mr. Miller's qualifications and past

experience in being, in any way, applicable to crafting an Economic Development Plan

for our town, or any municipality for that matter. I feel the same way about your past

experience and everyone on the council, including myself.

[Response/Comment from Arthur] I think that “cheap” and “underhanded” would be more suitable for those who write letters to local newspapers followed by “name and

address withheld” and not written to a constituent.

I stand behind my beliefs, and I stand behind my preparedness to state them openly. I

have no agenda, so cannot use the Yarnell event for any capitalization.

I recall vividly what you said to Council Member Miller and I disagree with your

assessment of his abilities. I believe his years as a firefighter, as a contractor, as a

husband and father, as a Council Member, as a friend, and having common sense, have

prepared him to participate in Economic Development for the Town of Carefree. While

he may not have the professional experience to deliver on a multi-faceted presentation,

he, in my opinion, can engage on meaningful exchanges with Town staff and others to

develop and implement ideas that will benefit the Town and its future. While you may

not think so, I believe that my skills and experiences could also provide meaningful

contributions as I believe that all members of Council have similar abilities, some more

than others.

By the way, Council Member Miller’s first name is spelled “Glenn”, something that I

would have thought that you would have noticed after being on the same Council for the

past two years.

That is why most responsible towns and cities utilize the services of either their own

internal Economic Development Director (Carefree does not have such an individual), or

contract out to third-parties that have the necessary expertise, training, experience and

skill-set to do the same. It is simply arrogant, ignorant and highly irresponsible for an

elected official to presume that by their shear election to a governmental office, that

they have somehow been endowed with new and special knowledge and skills that

allows them to draft a such a highly important document that has such long-term

material significance and great cost…such as an Economic Development Plan, for their

community.

[Response/Comment from Arthur] You are diverting attention away from the subject of our disagreement.

I felt you made disparaging remarks about the “collective” experiences of the thencurrent

Council and that you issued a slur against Council Member Glenn Miller when you

stated “You’re a firefighter your whole life…”.

Firstly, his life isn’t over, “whole” is inapplicable. Second, this has nothing to do with

whether the Town of Carefree should, or should not, have a Director of Economic

Development, or whether the Town should contract with a third party for economic

development planning. Obviously, the Town of Carefree cannot be compared with other

major cities with multi-million dollar budgets. In my two-year term as a Member of the

Town Council I came across many plans, by several committees, all referencing

economic development. If I recall correctly, you were part of one plan, issued in 2011,

with Vice-Mayor Melissa Price.

By the way, I think that you may have meant “…sheer election to government office,…”,

not “…shear election…”.

Unlike you, I have taken my position and fiduciary responsibility to our citizens seriously

and will always scrutinize and carefully analyze how our town spends its public funds,

and its future impact on our community.

[Response/Comment from Arthur] I would sincerely appreciate some factual

information to support your accusation that I did not undertake my position and

fiduciary responsibilities seriously. I am very surprised that an elected Town official

would engage in libelous remarks.

As I stated in my June 6, 2013, letter to you, I believe that you owe an apology to

Council Member Glenn Miller. While I am not asking for an apology, I am asking that

you withdraw that allegation, or provide me with facts to substantiate your words. This

is the one exception to my comment that future correspondence will be ignored.

Moreover, Mr. Elliot Pollack, a highly respected Economist in Arizona stated personally to

me that our council would be foolish to attempt to craft an Economic Development Plan that was not vetted or analyzed and/or created by a third-party that has the specialized

background, expertise and skill-set to do so.

[Response/Comment from Arthur] I have no qualms about Mr. Pollack having

opinions. Not being privy to hearsay comments made to you by Mr. Pollack, I was

surprised to read what he said to you. I did not read, in his May 16, 2013, letter to the

Town, where he suggested that the Town would be foolish if it should craft an Economic

Development Plan not vetted by skilled third parties. On the contrary, it appears to me

that he seemed to approve of the direction the Town was taking.

To illustrate my point, "a person should not use an attorney, hairdresser, hotel manager,

commercial broker, etc.., for their dental work.. and while you might, and maybe you

do,...a prudent, responsible person would use a "dentist" for their dental work."

[Response/Comment from Arthur] You have used quotation marks to illustrate your

point. Please identify the source, or from whom that quotation originated, thank you.

In addition, I am continually confused by your position, as you have publically stated

that you are opposed to any town funding of all the proposed capital projects within the

currently drafted Economic Development Plan put forth by Councilperson Melissa Price.

[Response/Comment from Arthur] My position, often stated and often written, has

not changed. I repeat, I am fully supportive of the Capital Improvements in the 2013-

14 Budget for the Town of Carefree, namely amphitheater shade treatment and splash

pool…BUT…I am opposed to any use of the Town’s cash reserves to pay for these capital

improvements.

In my June 6, 2013, letter, I relayed a thought that your remarks may be reflective of a

narcissistic individual. Nothing in your recent e-mail does anything to change my

mind. The fact that you stated that you are “continually confused” by my position is

further indicative that you focus your thoughts on what you want to say, rather than

what another person is saying. During your response, on July 2, 2013, at the Council

meeting, you continually incorrectly pronounced my surname, despite my being called to

the podium by the Mayor, who correctly pronounced my name. I know that I did, when

I gave my name and address for the record. For two years at Council meetings we sat

side-by-side, and I could not count the number of times my name was correctly used,

but obviously, you may have heard, did you did not listen. Another symptom of the

disorder.

Mike Farrar

Councilman, Town of Carefree, Arizona

-------- Begin forwarded message --------

Subject: Observing a moment of silence at Town Council Meeting - 7.2.13

Date: 7/1/13 9:38:36 PM

From: "Mike Farrar"

To: "David Schwan"

Cc: "Kandace French"

David,

May we observe a moment of silence tomorrow at our Town Council Meeting for the 19

firefighter hero's families who died battling the Yarnell Hill Fire, and remember the many

sacrifices of our Community Hero's (i.e. firefighters, police officers, medical personnel,

etc..).

Thank you,

Mike Farrar

Councilman, Town of Carefree, Arizona