By Tommy Acosta —
Sedona, AZ — It appears like the soul of Sedona is on trial as forces behind an effort to create safe parking for homeless Sedona workers who sleep in their cars clash with those who don’t want them there.
On March 12, the Sedona City Council voted 6 – 1 to dedicate a section of the Cultural Park for homeless workers and install temporary showers and toilets.
A number of Sedonans have taken issue with that and do not want the city to go ahead with the plan.
They are circulating a petition to bring the decision to do so or not, to the public through a referendum that would be part of the ballot in the city’s next election.
Organizers claim the reason for opposing the plan is they want the Cultural Park to be used for concerts rather than overnight parking for homeless Sedona workers.
But let’s not kid ourselves. The truth is that there is a solid contingent of Sedonans who do not want the Cultural park turned into a homeless encampment, one that could create fertile ground for drug addicts, transients, criminals and undesirables.
Where the idea of using the Cultural Park as a safe place for the homeless workers to sleep in their cars was driven more so by compassion and as a temporary fix to the lack of affordable housing in Sedona, the impetus for the opponents is mainly cemented in fear, as noted by the testimonies of the public at the March 12 City Council meeting.
True, the bugs have not yet been worked out with the plan. Like what happens on the days off of the homeless workers? Or what happens on school holidays. What are they do with their children? Are they banned from the park until the time they are allowed back in?
Lots of questions. Yet, the effort is solidly grounded in good intention for their fellow humans.
Sedona prides itself in being forward thinking, its spiritualism, art, creativity, hope, love, kindness; ascending to our higher self and all that jazz.
But think how our reputation would be sullied when it gets out that a majority of Sedonans through referendum would not want the working homeless to have a safe place to sleep, shower and relieve themselves?
There is a disconnect here.
Sure, a state-of-the-arts concert venue would be perfect for Sedona and would draw tons of visitors and increase lodging and business for the city.
But is there any reason the Safe Place to Park effort could not operate simultaneously with the Save the Cultural Park effort, in that the city at any time can end its program should enough investors could be convinced to bring new life into the once failed concert enterprise?
And during the two-year stint of the project, while the concert people look for funds, perhaps the city could find a way of creating affordable housing within the city confines, somewhere else?
The petitioning process also raises eyebrows.
There is the way the question is asked when mining for signatures.
“Do you want to have homeless people in Sedona.” Vs. “Would you allow using the Cultural Park to provide a safe place to park for workers in Sedona who have to sleep in their cars,” the petition gatherers may ask. “Or would you rather see the park used as a concert venue,” they might add? “Sign this!”
So, if I say no to the petition, am I saying yes to the Safe Place to Park project?
And, if I say yes to the petition, am I saying no to the project?
Hmm…
And the way the petition is worded, might not be clear enough for citizens to know what they are actually signing.
It reads “This petition seeks to refer Ordinance No. 2024-01 as approved by the Sedona City Council on March 12, 2024, to the City’s voters for their rejection or approval. The Ordinance approves a change to the current ‘Planned Development’ zoning of Yavapai County Assessor’s parcel 408-47-009A by adding the City’s ‘Safe Place to Park’ program as a permitted use of the parcel through June 30, 2026.”
Huh?
If Sedona voters reject the Safe Place to Park program, non-local major media will have a field day with it.
Think of the headlines. “Sedona Throws Homeless Workers Under a Bus. “Enlightened Sedona Residents Force Homeless Workers to Sleep on the Streets.” “Sedona Voters Deny Showers and Bathroom Facilities to Homeless Workers.”
Get the picture?
Regardless, stripping it down to bone, boiling it to its essence, the referendum will reveal what Sedonans are really like.
Are we a city of compassion and love? Inclusive? Enlightened?
Or not?
Guess we will have to wait for the referendum to find out.
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38 Comments
It’d be great if every single petitioner were banned from all Sedona businesses that have un housed employees. Perhaps then they’d realize the necessity of these PEOPLE upon which they depend upon Bigly! Who’s gonna play the Sedona Cultural Center that isn’t already playing at Sound Bites? Talk about WASTE of $! Plus you’d likely have un housed personnel working the venue if it were used as a concert venue so you still have your problem- the un housed full time employees of Sedona!
NO to homeless camps in Sedona.
Look at the empty hotels in San Francisco. NOBODY wants to be a tourist with a city full of homeless. Let the business pay a living wage or close down. How do the people living in their cars cook? Just let them eat fast food? How about they just not eat, business are not paying them enough for housing, why pay them enough to eat? Slaves on the plantation had better conditions.
I have no problem not patronizing a business that will not pay their employees enough to live with some dignity.
Ben, we are not talking homeless people. The Safe Place to Park can only be used by employees of Sedona. No if’s and or buts! Most will just be between housing options or seasonal workers. Capitalism is Darwinian in that it makes everybody fight for everything they have. Some people are better at fighting than others. Not everybody is lucky. Not everybody is White. Not everybody has $1 million to buy a house. Governor Ducey signed in a short term, rental regulation 1350 that caused severe damage to Sedona and sedona employees. Lets show a little compassion and quit watching so much negative news on TV about homeless people in other cities. Maybe we should help them instead of just making them pariahs.
“But let’s not kid ourselves. The truth is that there is a solid contingent of Sedonans who do not want the Cultural park turned into a homeless encampment, one that could create fertile ground for drug addicts, transients, criminals and undesirables”
BULLSHIT! DOG WHISTLE! ALL of the LAWS which we have to abide by apply to the un Housed and more so because they are constantly being watched and videotaped by Sedona’s KAREN Community! The City is planning to have controlled access to the park, security guards, security cameras and volunteers from within the un Housed EMPLOYEES of Sedona who choose to reside in the park to be park managers and staff to ensure the camp is run in a safe, law abiding manner without infringing on any of the rights YOU or I have as HOUSED residents of Sedona. I’m more than certain SEDONA’s KAREN COMMUNITY will watch the park and it’s occupants and report every sneeze and fart of every occupant to Law Enforcement just as they do when any “strange vehicle” turns around in someones driveway!
And again, I Sincerely hope that everyone who petitions against helping out Sedona’s un Housed EMPLOYEES should be banned from utilizing any and all Sedona businesses and facilities that employ the un Housed. That would only be logical and fair especially to those who desire to spend money on concerts rather than lending a helping hand on those who keep the community operational!
Steve,
Maybe you should make one of your rooms in your $500 a night hotel workforce housing. Even if it was for one of your not homeless employees, shame on you if one of your employees is living in their car, it would free up housing for someone living in their car.
Ya see, they live and work on site, they can save commuting expenses, and improve their quality of life.
No, you want all the profit and taxpayers to support your slaves.
YOU can afford it, you have your mansion up in the canyon. How about also putting up a couple of people in your spare bedrooms?
Ben,
sounds like you are hoping Steve will invite you to live with him despite your attacks upon him?
You keep saying how nobody should be living in their cars but the REALITY is people do and are and it is somehow all Steve’s and the Mayors faults even though the problem existed long before them!
So let’s hear your detailed solution to the problem of un available housing for HUMANS and CITIZENS who are working FULL TIME but are forced to live on the streets or if fortunate enough in a vehicle or tent of some sort.
I do agree with you that Sedona’s Uber Wealthy DOZEN plus DOZEN restaurant and business monopoly owners, many of which do NOT reside here should be the ones financing a significant portion of the expense to build affordable housing for Sedona’s work force rather than allowing them to deflect and re model an existing City Owned property into a rarely used vacant music venue over a viable temporary safe housing project for THEIR EMPLOYEES. Since they are inhumane and ignorant the City Government has had to step in to provide a solution that would keep Sedona’s HIGH PROFIT businesses from having to shutter and fold like a Dump Casino, College or Hotel!
All my employees own their own home and make 50.000 t0 100,00 a year as do most hotel employees. It is not about pay . It is about inventory and wait time for an apartments or home to come up for rent. The state caused this problem, this is not a fix , the fix will be to use the Western Gateway land for apartments and housin the reason the city bought it.
. We need a well thought out design plan with input from all citizens of Sedona this will take3 to 5 years.. You can not put an event venue near housing. 20 years ago people in west Sedona were complaining about traffic and nose. Is Sedona were to close and tnot are away the trailers at Windsong, the workers their make Sedona work. We need workers. Not something that will only be used part time. People knew Sedona was a tourist town when they moved hear, with no night life. People can all way move if the find Sedona to boring By the way. City council job is to give the citizens what they need not necessarily what they want. Representative form of government , managed by the city manager, not by the number of people that show up at a meeting. .
Ben, Steve does take care of his employees —- Before raking someone over the coals on a public forum, please do the research.
“ we are not talking homeless people. The Safe Place to Park can only be used by employees of Sedona”
This statement is not correct. The program is also open to retired and disabled people who are unable to work and have ties to Sedona.
Actually it is for Sedona’s un housed but full time employees and their families if they have one and their children are enrolled in school.
If it is also open to Sedona’s Disabled who are unable to work due to severe disability that’s great so long so long as measures are taken to prevent them from being used or abused! Safeway and some other Sedona businesses DO employ a number un housed and disabled people who can work in limited capacities and those employees are some of Safeway’s best! If I am unable to find an item in the store I ask one of them and they always have directed me to the exact location of the item I was searching for.
I believe Basha’s also has a program for hiring disabled and or un housed workers for their stores and I say Good on Them!
https://www.emerald.tv/p/could-the-clot-shots-unleash-prion
Scariest, most depressing thing I have EVER read.
Soon housing won’t be a problem.
Nothin like pure PROPAGANDA to rot one’s mind, family and one’s country! Again, please DO NOT get any vaccines please do not use MEDICAL SCIENCE or any SCIENCE whatsoever to include electricity and combustion engines! Please remain in the STONE AGES!
JB,
According to you:
The Government has never lied to you
Big Pharma as never sold a dangerous drug.
What I love is ” The science”, two weeks to flatten the curve. Get the “Safe and effective ” jab and Corona will be finished. Whoops, you need a booster, whoops, you need another booster, whoops , you need another booster.
“Some people you just can’t reach”
Woops Mary….Another lie? The jab was to hope to keep you out of a hospital or 6 feet under. Its the brain trust just like you who helped make a bad situation worse. (thanks for nothing). Do you even know the flu shot changes every year?
No the world isnt perfect, but I do know never trying to fix something, never fixes anything!
Its a shame we have to live on the same surface with ignorance who thinks they know more about everything over any expert!
Whoops morons refused to be civically responsible and mask up then vax up and so COVID variants were spawn and spread which requires boosters. Too bad we have a culture ignorant to disease control and prevent who instead prefer disease that is un controlled and ultimately becomes un preventable.
Some folks just prefer fear mongers who spread lies, propaganda and conspiracy over science and logic!
But that’s how ignorance works or actually fails to work!
Whether people are working or not Sedona needs to serve all unhoused people. Every city has the same issue with NIMBYs. City councils just have decide and do it. . The one I am in, churches host us. You can hire a security guard for peats sake. I agree with JB.
It costs a lot to live anywhere in Arizona, not just Sedona. Look at prices in metro Phoenix. If you are in a service based job, you have to budget carefully to pay all your bills. I’m curious how many of the workers in Sedona who are having housing issues are working full time?
Doesn’t matter because they have to provide proof of full time employment in order to stay in the safe park
Many people who say they love democracy are now trying to undermine it by stopping a vote of the people of Sedona on this important question about the future of the Cultural Park. The homeless car park was not motivated by compassion. It is a thinly disguised effort by the city to tie up that property for two years so they can move forward with foolishly building high density apartment buildings on expensive rocky uneven terrain. The car park is a poison pill to stymie alternative proposals to use that last great open space in the city for higher and greater purposes that serve everyone. The language of the ballot measure is what is required by law and if someone has trouble understanding it they should not be writing editorials. The comments about the petition gathers is simply defamatory, but perfectly represents the underhanded tactics of the opponents of democracy want to undermine a ballot referendum. And don’t be concerned about the press because Sedona has already been skewered in the international press for making their workers sleep in their cars.
Again YOU criticize and Rubber/Glue the Democracy issues at hand without providing a single solution that is of merit. You accuse the City of somehow nefariously using Sedona’s un housed Employees by providing them with a safe place to reside in their vehicles or tents while a more permanent solution is being pursued by claiming the more permanent solution is really a secretive mission to build much needed affordable housing for Sedona’s un housed employees, and also apparently emergency housing for Sedona residents who fall through the cracks financially or lose their homes to disaster.
Where is your physical proof that the City is only helping the un housed in order to build secret lucrative properties that financially benefit its government employees? If you have proof present it otherwise all you have is a slanderous and false accusation! And that like the MAGA movement are completely contrary to Democracy by creating lies, conspiracies and misinformation in order to advance their greed and hate filled racist agendas!
Since I did not say the things you said I said, I have no need to provide proof of things I neither said nor believe.
bM,
Wow short bus that makes loads of sense!
Before deciding on whether to support or oppose the city’s position on this homeless car parking it is worthwhile to understand the details.
1.It cannot be limited to people who have jobs in the city. To do so would violate state and federal laws. Our state has made it clear to our city government that it must also be open to retirees and disabled homeless car owners even if they have no jobs.
2. The program could cause harm to the people it accepts, For example the people living in each car are prohibited from keeping their engine on to keep warm or cool while they sleep thus leaving them with two bad choices – either don’t sleep the whole night when it is freezing out or boiling hot OR go to sleep in those kinds of weather and risk you or your family, possibly including very your children, getting seriously ill.
Also all seven days of the week every car must exit the park before 8 AM regardless of whether or not the driver is physically or mentally fit to drive thus rising an accident entering 89A with a law suit against the city (us) to follow. And where will these people go at 8 AM every day. Most will not have an early morning job that day (and frankly practically no one has a job 7 day s a week)? They likely will go to illegal parking places just as they do now. So at night when we are in our homes they have the cultural park to go but during the day when we are awake they will be illegally parked. That is not much of a solution for the community.
3.I note that this is called ” a safe place to park” program. The inference is that where these people are now parking is not safe at night. Have you heard anything about these people being mugged in their car at night? Perhaps some have been but I’m not aware of it.
4.Then there is the issue the city refuses to face and the is that numerous studies throughout the country have concluded that many homeless people, perhaps most, have serious mental, drug or alcohol issues, including those who live in their cars. Making it easier for them to live in their cars at the culture park
will not fit that. Moreover our city staff have no expertise to sort these out from the applicants and exclude them.
While I understand that the city staff and Council’s intent is good the plan put forth is a disaster and I hope it will not be approved by the residents.
Yes Massa, thank you SIR for giving me an outhouse and a cold shower so I can sleep in my car. Massa, I be tired of grits and collard greens. Massa I sure would like a taste of that fried chicken or some chitlins. You say if I work the kitchen I can take some of the leftovers that come on the plates your customers didn’t eat?? Thank you Massa, you’re too good to a boy like me !!
NO Massa, I wouldn’t dream of asking you to pay me enough money so I could afford a room. All a poor boy could ask is a car and an outhouse. Please Massa, I be good. Don’t whip me Massa !!
You’re spare parts for certain!
This City Government (First One To Do So) decided to help those in need and someone they’re slave owners/drivers?
Makes about as much sense as MAGGOTS willingly destroying our Democracy for Rusher!
Still haven’t seen any alternatives from you BN?
Don’t say it couldn’t happen here. Here’s an interesting article …
https://www.ksby.com/san-luis-obispo/slo-county-announces-parking-site-closure-homeless-group-to-file-restraining-order
Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), which has gone from mere neurosis to full psychosis.
Do you know why Sedona was the first city government to provide parking and toilets for workers living in their cars?
Because no other city was dumb enough to do it and get the bad publicity.
Paul, excellent comments. The city doesn’t have the expertise to think beyond its nose and continually gets smacked with unintended consequences.
The big picture is that the city had summarily rejected high density housing at the Cultural Park and the Dells. And now inexperienced “do gooders” are throwing millions at problems with inexperienced city employees.
You know what will be the result? Since you can’t discriminate against illegal aliens, and they work cheaper than citizens, in no time it will be full of illegals. Talk about neighborhood improvement ! As probably half of them use fake names, your burglary and crime will go up also.
That will make Sedona a high end tourist destination !
Migrants illegal or not are heavily discriminated against just based upon appearance!
Migrants will NOT be able to use the Safe Park because they cannot be legally employed so that prohibits them from being eligible to stay there or legally work in Sedona!
Talk about PARANOIA! You actually think that providing a safe place for SEDONA’s un housed EMPLOYEES will result in increased crime rates? Please elaborate on how exactly you came to this PARANOID conclusion when the park is consolidating these folks into one monitored living space rather than them having to seek shelter anywhere and everywhere they can throughout town? Those not employed and residing randomly on the streets will stand out as not being employed and not being residents of the park making them easily identifiable to law enforcement. Those not meeting the City requirements to stay in the park should be directed to stay in one of the locations in the area designated as legal places for the un employed and in housed to stay.
As for “illegals” coming to Sedona especially en mass is pure hysterical bullshit! There is NO places for them to LIVE or WORK here so what would be the attraction? Migrants legal and illegal gravitate to places where there are people like them working under the radar under paid jobs such as crop harvesting and meat packing! Jobs you would never do especially for the low pay and long physically demanding hours!
Or EXISTING LAWS apply to EVERYONE So making a PARANOID FANTASTICAL FEAR MONGERING scenario up about the park inciting LAWLESSNESS and ILLEGAL MIGRANTs swarming Sedona because SAFE parking is being provided to it’s EMPLOYEES is pure FOX PARODY (not) News FICTION!
JB,
You’re delusional, no illegals working in Sedona???? I’d bet at LEAST 30% , probably 50% of the workers in hotels and kitchens in Sedona are illegal with false or no documentation.
Are the borders closed on your planet?
On my Planet we wouldn’t do shit to other people that pisses them off so we wouldn’t have a need to hide behind border walls that blow like their Orange creator down with the wind!
Perhaps if M’erica, Great Britain, France, Spain, Italy and Germany didn’t invade, conquer and colonize lands that did not and do not belong to us in the first place, like this very previously civilized country was prior to Anglo Saxon Aryan’s land grabbing it through protracted genocide.Oh and this region was previously owned and occupied by Mexico once upon a time! Then perhaps we wouldn’t have Delta Force killed attempting to rescue our embassy hostages, Marine’s blown to smithereens in Beirut,
Army Air Force and Marines taken hostage in Iraq,
Delta Force Ambushed in Panama, Rangers Ambushed in Somalia, Army troops taken hostage in Serbia/Kosovo
SF Ambushed in Sudan, SEALs Ambushed in Yemen, Marine and Army Paratroopers Ambushed in Afghanistan.
I’ve seen closed borders, real closed borders and people and products still made it through them! And the police/military environment on both sides were prone to corruption, conflict and general incompetence due to stagnation in between bouts of kaos when breaches were discovered.
I never said I was against Border control and heck I’d love for the Democrats to give you morons every dime you need to finish building the wall Draft Dodger Dump stole money from the military to build but never did and never returned the money! Wonder where it went?
But yeah, build that Wall so you will all not have Jack Shite to say about the migrants and drugs still flowing into the US at a steady rate to fill the M’erican need fer cheap uninsured laborers and good drugs to keep em stoned out of their drug lusting M’erican minds!
(from a former resident from 1997 to 2021, living now in Phoenix)
If only Sedona could have set in place an ordinance limiting the number of businesses (by 1/2 of today?) operating years ago, and the resulting razor thin profit margins and seasonal fluctuations wouldn’t dictate the current problem? Any communities like that serving as role models?
Blair is it due to too many businesses or is it due to too many like businesses such as the literal dozens of Gem and Minerals stores or the monopoly companies that own 4-8 different restaurants here? Or possibly the dozens of Jeep Tour and RV Rental companies?
Sure would be nice to have more variety of places to shop and eat for residents and tourists alike and this would open up some space for new ideas and new business opportunity.
Someone mentioned other tourist towns like Vail, Telluride, Tahoe etc, flourishing. Well they have something Sedona does NOT! Skiing! And that is a BIG money maker so long as Mother Nature is cooperative!
Cool Idea, what if as a city we could of regulated 1/2 of the Air B&Bs?….Living resident of Sedona for 16 + years!
Thats right, thats not what the governor wanted, so he blew the whole state up!………..Yep, it worked!
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/experts-warn-mass-migration-threatens-us-food-security
Turberculosis, screwworm, all manner to third world diseases in your food and food server.
Bidenomics at work ! Thanks Joe Biden !!
Bidenville in Sedona
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/apr/2/bidenvilles-where-parking-lots-are-all-americans-c/
Sedona made famous as the new Hooverville.
Great move City Council.
Imagine if the City had started building permanent low income housing first! You’d probably had started an INSURRECTION of ignorance against the Mayor and Council.
No wait you already have with the ludicrous re-calling of the Mayor for doing the exact right thing right now!
And to those Morons who think un housed employees should not be working nor residing in Sedona, my hope is they all walk and force dozens of businesses to fold because that’s what you want is it not?
Biden’s economic plan has shown record gains in job growth and record consumer spending so Bidenville definitely has far more tangible benefits to it than the “I won’t have time for Goolf ”Draft Dodging Twice Impeached Communist Grifting Racist Misogynist Insurrectionist Traitors who played Goolf 99.9% of his time in office and Swampily charged Secret Service US Military and State Department triple his normal over priced rates to stay in his lane gold leafed over rated migrant worker run resorts to provide his security at taxpayer expense.