By Dena Greenwood
(November 7, 2014)
I (Dena Greenwood) just spoke with Charles Mosley, Sewage Treatment Plant Manager, regarding a fence he is proposing to build around the perimeter of the six evaporation ponds at the Sedona Wetlands Preserve. The fence will be 6′ high and 2200′ length (See attached). This will effectively cut off all wildlife access. The only other access would be for wildlife to cross Hwy. 89A which could be disastrous for motorists and wildlife. No accidents, nor near accidents have occurred at the Wetlands with pedestrians, service vehicles or police dept. vehicles. They simply want to control people from going out of the designated “City Park” area. Charles continues to claim it is a safety issue for pedestrians.
It also cuts off all possibilities to the back ponds which we hope in the future would be accessible to birders. Not only will the fence eliminate wildlife’s ability to obtain water it gives the public the sense that this is not a welcoming place. It would be likened to birding in prison. The expense is excessive and an example of another wasteful use of taxpayer’s money. No other sewage treatment facility open to the public and wildlife is fenced off in this manor. The sewage treatment facility’s operations are already fenced off. The large holding pond is already fenced off. We do not need another fence at this City Park.
Time is of the essence because the project bid has already been awarded and construction on the fence is proposed to start this month.
The Sedona City Council meeting is Nov. 12, 4:30 pm in the council chambers. We are not on the agenda because of this late information. However, if we could get as many local citizens as possible who believe this fence is unnecessary, and a waste of taxpayer dollars to attend this council meeting we might still be effective in stopping this project. The more people who show up and are willing to speak during the public comment period the more effective it will be.
Thank you for your attention to this matter,
8 Comments
With all due respect to Mr. Mosley, whom I have never met, his attention to details in his previous position with the city were dismal and un responsive to blatant problems even when documentation was presented to him.
Now he apparently is “in charge” of the waste system down on 89A. I do not understand why he still is on the city payroll. I know that seems a little harsh, but isn’t it time that the city start getting rid of incompetence instead of just moving it around?
Not the first time Mosely has dreamed up a way to waste money and gum things up at the same time.
I was at a City Council meeting when he wanted to stop people from parking on the road near the Cathedral Rock trail head for host of imaginary problems he listed. I blew his argument out of the water when I asked if he had obtained any accident reports from SPD.
Thank you Dena for bringing this to our attention. Definitely a waste of tax payers money. Water fowl swoop in low before landing and would crash into the fence. We have walked the Wetlands many times and have found birders to be very respectful of their surroundings. We have never had to pick up trash, we have never stepped in dog poop. The area is spotless and a credit to the people who love walking there. What happened to the “encourage visitors” scenario that Council proposed while planning to build a viewing platform?? And why build an expensive outhouse and parking lot if visitors are to be banned? And what happened to Government by the People FOR the people. This decision appears to have been made by one man who has no regard for what the public voted for and no understanding of those who love to watch and identify water fowl and birds. The variety is amazing.. This is a special place. Sedona has no lakes and has few water features. These Wetlands are a bird haven and fulfil a need for many creatures, including humans.
We can only hope that this fence proposal is aborted and the citizens opinions are respected.
Dena, your efforts are sincerely appreciated.
Annette
Thank you Dena for caring about the rapidly dwindling wildlife population in Sedona.
Wildlife depend on us to make compassionate, intelligent, and informed decisions on their behalf to protect them. They are innocent victims of our actions and don’t have a voice in the process. There is no bill of animal rights.
Unfortunately there are government employees who have become institutionalized into the bureaucracy and outlive their usefulness. Also there are certain individuals in government who lack impartiality, applying dogmatic religious beliefs to their decision making process—such as their belief that mankind is empowered by God to establish dominion (i.e. domination) over animals and plants on the earth.
In a related matter, the Sedona area has become a tourist theme park where virtually any recreational activity that the Forest Service, the City of Sedona, and the Chamber of Commerce can promote is becoming reality. They are succeeding in attracting and empowering droves of mountain bikers, ATV’s, base jumpers, tight rope walkers, helicopter tours, aircraft tours, jeep tours, rock climbers, hikers, new age seances, and more. If it makes money for the FS, the City, and the Chamber, you can bet it will be coming to Sedona soon. In the process, Sedona is becoming a sterile ecosystem.
Damn, where did I ever get the idea that the wetlands were supposed to be for the people to enjoy?
I remember when Mayor Adams first proposed them the water collected was to be used even possibly for public gardens. For us.
There are a whole slew of things that money could be better used for, for starters the drainage ditches up around Sugarloaf, which will probably go again (this time possibly taking some houses with them) next time we have a 100 year flood. Which will most likely happen in the next few years, thanks to climate change.
Who is this Mr Mosely and why does he have so much power when he is so obviously ineffective?
Still trying to understand any plausible rationale for this misguided decision. Is the City attempting to keep a). visitors in the “park”? b). visitors out of the “park”? c). wildlife in or out of a wetlands refuge (they don’t know it’s a “people park”).
Most of us residents are totally unaware of the vast dangers awaiting us upon a visit to this birding sanctuary. Apparently our local media has failed to cover these numerous calamities from which “we the people” need protection.
In an adaptation of a line from the movie, “Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, I say, “Fences? We don’t need no stinkin’ Fences!!”
A ‘fence’ really….? What’s next security cameras, monitors, barbed wire….Just another example of how those ‘in charge’ have lost the common sense ability to lead, but instead think up way to build castles in the sand with taxpayers dollars. No fence needed to further torment wildlife and people who respect and protect natures wild areas.
Of all of the wastes of taxpayer money requested by Charles Mosley and fervently funded by City Council, my favorite is the $250,000 camera he ‘needed’ to go into the City’s sewer system to “anticipate problems.” …Above, Warren points out that Charles ‘anticipated’ imaginary problems near the Cathedral Rock trail head… Now Charles Mosley wants an expensive fence around the Wetlands in “anticipation” of a disoriented birdwatcher taking a dunk…. It’s all making sense to me now… Guess it’s easier for Charles Mosley to “anticipate problems” than to “solve the problems” the City already has.