How Sedona Might Change for the Better

Sedona, AZ (September 9, 2011) – Asking citizens to “Imagine Sedona 2020 and Beyond,” the Citizen Steering Committee for the Community Plan and the Long-Range Planning staff have scheduled a series of smaller topic-focused public meetings in September and October.

The series will study seven specific topics in detail. They are: Growth and Region, Building Community, Transportation, Economy and Prosperity, Sustainability, Parks and Recreation, and Housing. The programs will break the audience out into facilitated groups with discussion guides to stimulate thinking and open discussion.

“Rather than meet with the usual ‘interest groups’ the Citizen Steering Committee has developed these public meetings to analyze specific topics in more depth,” said Steering Committee Chair Jim Eaton. “We’ve had help from staff and the commissions to develop the discussion guides. We hope people with a wide variety of interests will attend one or more of these workshops,” he added.

The workshops follow two programs in May when the public was introduced to the planning process and challenged to envision how Sedona might change for the better. These meetings presented videos and slide talks by members, as well as giving attendees opportunities to air their thoughts.

A June 30 meeting drew more than 100 citizens, who broke into facilitated groups to develop ideas and “think outside the box” on what can be done to assure a good future for people here in the next decades.

The Topical Workshops are scheduled as follows:

1. Wed. Sept. 14, Growth and Region; 6:00 pm, Jewish Community Center: regional land uses, transportation, and other matters that involve cooperation among all Verde Valley communities, Yavapai County and the U.S. Forest Service.

2. Wed. Sept. 21, Building Community; 6:00 pm, West Sedona School, Multi-Purpose Room: Social interactions, community gathering places, cultural heritage and history, visual and performing arts.

3. Wed. Sept. 28, Transportation; 6:00 pm, St. Andrews Episcopal Church: Safe, efficient flow of traffic, bicycle paths, sidewalks, pedestrian paths and trails, and subdivision connections.

4. Wed. Oct. 5, Economy & Prosperity; 6:00 pm, Jewish Community Center: Business conditions, shopping, locations, job opportunities for high school and college graduates, alternatives to tourist business and economic diversification.

5. Wed. Oct. 12, Sustainability; 6:00 pm, West Sedona School, Multi-Purpose Room: Conservation practices, preservation of clean air and dark skies, green building and energy codes, recycling and waste reduction, local and regional water issues.

6. Tues. Oct. 18, Parks and Recreation; 4:00 pm, Sedona Community Center: Park uses, locations, and recreational ideas for the new Parks Master Plan.

7. Wed. Oct. 26, Housing; 6:00 pm, St. Andrews Episcopal Church: Housing choice and affordability; full and part-time residents, commuter needs.

The public is advised to check the website, www.SedonaAZ.gov/planUpdate, 48 hours in advance to confirm times and places.

The Citizen Steering Committee meets twice monthly – first and third Tuesdays at 3:00 pm in the Vultee Room at City Hall. The agenda always includes times for public comment, as well as details of future public involvement. Sedonans can also stay abreast of developments in news media, the City website, and on Facebook.

This is the fourth update of Sedona’s Community Plan since 1990. In the previous updates the City won two state awards for public involvement, and is determined to do it again and more so. “This time we want it to be an all-new people’s Plan — easier to use and more accurately reflecting how the public wants to see Sedona in 2020 and beyond. The Council formed our all-volunteer Steering Committee to gain more public input, rather than spend tax money on outside consultants,” Eaton advised.

For more information, contact Kathy Levin, Associate Planner at 203-5035 or Klevin@SedonaAz.gov