Sedona AZ (June 15, 2013) – Since 2011, City of Sedona staff and members of the Citizens Steering Committee for the Community Plan Update have been working with the citizens of Sedona to gather thoughts, opinions, ideas, and opportunities for the update of the City’s Community Plan. This process called “Imagine Sedona: 2020 and Beyond” enters a new phase beginning June 17, 2013. On this date, the Citizens Steering Committee will begin its review of a draft updated Community Plan. This document is available on the City’s Community Plan web page at www.SedonaAZ.gov. On the City’s home page, click on the Community Plan link.
“The Community Plan process is entering a new phase,” said Kevin Snyder, Sedona Community Development Director. “For almost 3 years, the Citizens Steering Committee and City staff have worked extremely hard to gather extensive community input, ideas, and concerns for the update of the Community Plan. For the last several months, staff has taken this extensive input and distilled it into a draft Plan that reflects and represents the ideas and aspirations of Sedona citizens for the next ten years and beyond.”
During the week of June 17, Citizen Steering Committee members and City staff will be meeting over a four-day period. The meetings will be held at the Sedona Fire District, 2860 Southwest Drive in Sedona. The format of the meetings will be a drop-in session where Committee members can meet with staff any time between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. followed by a wrap-up meeting at 5:30 p.m. The daily wrap-up meeting will be a chance for staff to review the comments and issues heard and discussed during each day and anticipate how to address them. This format was chosen to provide Committee members flexibility in their schedules rather than having a defined meeting time. These meetings will be open to the public so that they may come by and view and discuss the draft Plan with City staff and Committee members.
Following the meetings during the week of June 17, the Citizens Steering Committee and City staff will hold one to two meetings to discuss any outstanding issues or concerns and take action to formalize the Committee’s recommendation on the draft Plan to the City of Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission. This Commission is expected to start its review of the Citizens Steering Committee’s recommended draft Plan in late July or early August. During August and early September, staff will be holding several public meetings on the draft Plan to gather public feedback. The Planning Commission, after holding public hearings, is expected to forward its recommendations on the draft Plan to the Sedona City Council in September 2013. The City Council will review the draft Plan during September and October before making a decision to adopt the new Community Plan in early November 2013. A public vote on the new Community Plan is currently planned for March 2014.
For more information on the Community Plan Update and the current and future planning and public involvement efforts, please contact Mike Raber, Senior Planner, City of Sedona at (928) 204-7106 or mraber@SedonaAZ.gov.