City Council Recap

Here’s a recap of recent City Council meetings and some decisions you might want to know about:

• On June 13^th, 2023, City Council approved the purchase of the almost two acre property at 1294 and 1406 SR 179, currently being leased for the park and ride for the Sedona Shuttle, for $1,700,000 plus closing costs. The closing date is June 30^th.
• On June 13^th, 2023, City Council approved six, three-year term Community Service Provider contracts with the Sedona Humane Society of Sedona ($93,090), the Sedona Community Center ($236,000), the Sedona Historical Society ($150,000), the Sedona Public Library ($865,200), Sedona Recycles ($250,000), and Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition ($80,000).
• On June 13^th, 2023, City Council approved a $385,040 professional services contract with Kimley Horn, Inc. for the design of a new Forest/Ranger/89A Roundabout. It’s intended to improve the operation of the new Forest Road that will flow into this roundabout, connect to a new Ranger Connection that will extend to 179, and potentially eliminate the need for the Brewer Road Roundabout.
• On June 13^th, 2023, City Council approved funding the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau for fiscal year 2024 for $424,000 to go towards operations of the Visitor Center.
• On June 14^th and 15^th, 2023, City Council conducted work sessions for their annual Budget Retreat for the fiscal year 2023-2024 budget. The Council heard an overview of the upcoming fiscal year’s budget, Citizen’s Budget Work Group recommendations, department budgets, strategic budget issues, capital improvement projects, decision packages, and more. Council will vote to approve the tentative budget July 11^th with the final adoption scheduled for August 8^th.
• On June 27^th, 2023, City Council approved a five-year agreement to fund the U.S. Forest Service $60,000 per year – an increase from prior agreements – to go towards the long-standing trail maintenance partnership the City has had with the Forest Service.
• On June 28^th, 2023, City Council heard an update on the Climate Action Plan including summaries on the 2022 Green House Gas Municipal and Community Inventories, the Home Energy Retrofit Project and anticipated projects for fiscal year 2024.

Did You Know?

… that the Sedona Police Department recently created an Evacuation and Re-Entry Plan that includes a 12-zone evacuation map? The Plan builds upon the READY, SET, GO! protocol of pre-evacuation and evacuation messaging we use during an emergency. 

 All Sedona residents live within one of 12 evacuation zones and we encourage you to know your zone by visiting SedonaAZ.gov/Evacuation.

You are also invited to the first of two public meetings where you can talk with us in person about your zone and receive more details about emergency operations. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 12^th  from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall at 102 Roadrunner Dr. The second meeting will be held in the Fall.

Other News

Don’t miss these other announcements:

• The last two months, we’ve been busy setting up a tourism program and starting July 1^st, the City will be the official Destination Marketing Organization for Sedona’s city limits. If you’re a tourism businesses inside City limits, please fill out the Tourism Business Form so your information can be used in referrals and leads, and in future visitors guides and marketing efforts. Additionally, to solicit a range of community perspectives around the topic of tourism in Sedona, we are seeking applicants for a new Tourism Advisory Board (TAB). Learn more and apply before July 10^th.
• Have you noticed work along 89A north of Uptown? ADOT has been working on rockfall mitigation as part of their ongoing 89A improvements project.
• The City and their contractor, J. Banicki Construction, began construction of the SR179 Pedestrian Crossing at Oak Creek on June 19^th. The project consists of a shared-use pathway under the existing 179 Oak Creek bridge, and is expected to be complete in early 2024. There are no major road closures or traffic disruptions anticipated for this project.
• A project to improve the low-water crossing along Back O’ Beyond Road began in early June. This project consists of installing a new concrete box culvert system at the low-water crossing and is anticipated to be complete this summer.

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