By John Roberts, Sedona Resident
(March 4, 2019)
That subject tells us all so Justin Clifton, Sedona City Manager, doesn’t have to make excuses for the 49 cars he allowed to be parked alongside Soldiers Pass roadway this past Sunday, March 3 at 2:30 pm. These cars were sitting in the shoulder areas which for them included parking over the do not cross white marker lines at the roadside edge.” Just Lucky” that no one was struck by any oncoming traffic unable to see passengers exiting from these parked cars. Can you imagine the uproar if it had been some 4 or 5 year old child lurching out onto the road and being hit and maybe severely injured or even killed. Or the multi million dollar lawsuit against the city which would follow.
That “Just Lucky” is Justin’s traffic control policy for allowing the reckless kind of parking he permits by not posting no parking signage all along Soldiers Pass like I had warned him to do about a year ago. That no one has been hurt as yet is “Just Lucky”. His lame excuse was that they would park somewhere else anyway. As a highway educated engineer with 28 years of association in the road building business and past professional engineer registration in Arizona I would never allow such a poorly conceived policy to exist in any road under my jurisdiction. Nor would the late highly respected Si Burch, past early Sedona city councilman and former supervisor of the Los Angeles County construction department. Soldiers Pass road is anything but a safe roadway with all the abrupt curves and elevation changes precluding safe and normal line of sighting for drivers. Otherwise why the “watch for animal” warnings.
How about it Justin. Get those no parking signs up right away. You are not the kind of person who would easily swallow the hurt for killing some child because of this really reckless traffic policy.
Being “Just Lucky” is not an option.
This is an advertisement
31 Comments
On 3/9/2019 , a week later, my parked car count on Soldiers Pass stopped at 86 at 1:30 pm.
As far as the city is concerned tourists rule and the residents just need to suck it up.
Yes the bike festival should be banned,,,
Unfortunately Mr. Clifton is way over his head. But he didn’t hire himself.
Mr. Schroeder:
That’s a bit harsh don’t you think?
After all, you knew nothing about a municipal fire district and yet you thought you should be on the Board of Directors. You blew your own horn saying how it would be savings to the community during high traffic times (like this upcoming month) to park the fire trucks and ambulances along the road waiting for a fire was a good eye-opening to us, voters. Just a stupid statement like that alone showed that you had no clue what you were saying.
For you to criticize a professional in his field is also stupid.
Just because you and that Kardar guy ran big corporations doesn’t make you an expert in everything.
Mike S is not gonna answer your very simple questions. You see that’s what the Mike and the other TeacParty clown Kadar do… As seen at past Fire Board meetings….they just throw up misguided questions and misinformed statements(often outright lies) for they sake of “throwing it out there” but they don’t stick around for the simple answers to thier questions.. It’s a game they play…always with ulterior motives..
They voters are much smarter then that and saw right thru(thier BS). Especially that Kadar Tea Party Clown. That’s why all 3 came in dead last after spreading 50 grand on Mikes and Kadar the clowns campaign.. Btw I’m sure Mike paid the monitory fee for Kadar(hes not that successful).
Another great article Mr Roberts exposing the fact that the Sedona City Manager is Far below the tasks at hand.
He appears to avoid common sense decisions that assist the local community on many issues.
Perhaps its time for the City Council to hire a seasoned replacement that will help avoid yet another Sedona embarrassment.
I frequently see cars parked in from of No Parking signs. Is the city prepared to start ticketing?
Next, ticket cyclists on sidewalks. Very dangerous at ingress/egress points!
Michael Schroeder says:
March 11, 2019 at 9:45 am
Unfortunately Mr. Clifton is way over his head. But he didn’t hire himself.
Every one is dumb in Mikes’ eyes. City manager, Our last Fire chief ,Chamber, city council, and all goverment.Remember Mike was one of the founders of the “T” party in Sedona and hates and attacks all government.
He is the guy that said Sedona Fire dept. doesn’t need a hook and ladder truck, until the fire chief pointed out to him that most of the hotels up town are three to five story high.
Mike is all about attack, he attacks “Justine our city manager over parking, not the parking issue itself. Did he even call the city department that handles parking issues? Mike just goes on the personal attack.
Question? Was Soldiers Pass trail there before the homes in the area were built? Just asking.
I was at the Dog Park for the weekend of Festival. Bikers left us no place to park. There were No Parking Signage on Soldiers Pass but when I drove by Saturday/Sunday they were all knocked over except 2……it was a free for all. I also observed cyclist riding 3 abreast on Soldiers Pass, 1 is too many as there is no shoulder! Also observed cyclist driving in the middle TURN LANE on 89A!!! Guess (per Chambers email) because Festival donated 45 bikes to 1st graders it was ok?!?!? From posting on Sedona Bulletin Board on Facebook, the parents from school were none to happy with the road closing/Posse Grounds, as there was only one way in and one way out to drop off/pick up kids.
I miss My Sedona….been here 18 years and it’s losing some of it’s charm due to issues like this!
I find Steve Segner’s comments ugly and not additive to solving the problems of hazardous parking along Soldiers Pass road.
First off they were not directed at the subject. Rather only as a foul tirade about Mike. Secondly, Steve, what is it that provokes your nastiness about Mike ?
We all know Mike to be an upright Sedona resident who tells it as it is without any hanging garbage. He is a major asset in our community and never hesitates to lend a hand in any good cause.
It would really help you be persuasive if you were to emulate Mike’s behavior instead of always criticizing him. How about some better manners and decency. It is not evident what-so-ever.
I find Steve Segner’s comments ugly and not additive to solving the problems of hazardous parking along Soldiers Pass road.
Really, John I asked a simple question? Was Soldiers Pass trail there before the homes in the area were built? Yes or no and you came back with the comments “ugly and not additive”?
When people move next to a trail head or under an airport and then demand change it is relevant to the conversation.
The hikers have every right to hike and use city streets just as much as locals.
John Roberts says:
Steve, what is it that provokes your nastiness about Mike ?
Well what about his personal attack ,”Mr Clifton is way over his head. But he didn’t hire himself”
So John it’s OK with you? Mikes personal attack on Clifton our city manager ?
Dale asked me,”My question to you is, do you believe that Socialism would be good for America”? Yes, and only Socialism will fix the parking problem, by all of us working together and paying for a city transportation system to take visitors to trail all over Sedona, something our city council city manager are looking at. But then mike would not know that because he never goes to meetings.
Steve, I hate to have to break the news to you but Mike Shroeder cares greatly about the community that is Sedona and doesn’t hesitate to bring up a subject that needs to be addressed.
That is why he was willing to step forward to run for the Sedona Fire Board. Do you like paying the highest taxes in the state for our Fire District? You may have mega-bucks so paying your property taxes is just pocket change for you but for most of us living in Sedona don’t have that luxury.
Mike is an upstanding citizen of Sedona, Arizona and America so your personal attack of his integrety is uncalled for.
By the way Steve, the Tea Party movement was/is a grass roots movement by patriotic Americans who were/are alarmed that America was going down the road to Socialism. My question to you is, do you believe that Socialism would be good for America?
I was at the Dog Park for the weekend of Festival. Bikers left us no place to park. There were No Parking Signage on Soldiers Pass but when I drove by Saturday/Sunday they were all knocked over except 2……it was a free for all. I also observed cyclist riding 3 abreast on Soldiers Pass, 1 is too many as there is no shoulder! Also observed cyclist driving in the middle TURN LANE on 89A!!! Guess (per Chambers email) because Festival donated 45 bikes to 1st graders it was ok?!?!? From posting on Sedona Bulletin Board on Facebook, the parents from school were none to happy with the road closing/Posse Grounds, as there was only one way in and one way out to drop off/pick up kids.
I miss My Sedona….been here 18 years and it’s losing some of it’s charm due to issues like this!
RE: “I miss My Sedona….been here 18 years and it’s losing some of its charm due to issues like this!”
When I moved here 38 years ago there was no dog park. As a matter of fact, Soldier Pass Road was a one and one-half lane dirt road with maybe a dozen homes on it. Same for Jordan Road where the shooting range used to be. There was one stoplight in town at the Y intersection. You could make a u-turn in the middle of SR89A in West Sedona with your eyes closed and probably wouldn’t hit anything.
Everyone I knew and worked with lived in town. Our kids played with each other. Most owned a home or could rent one for about $600 a month. For a variety of reasons most all of them have now moved to Cottonwood or Cornville.
Despite the tourist and traffic congestion that comes with growth in ANY popular tourist community, I have still not found a better place to live.
I miss “My Sedona” …before you and 10,000 other people moved here…but I refuse to put useless energy into bemoaning that things aren’t the way they used to be.
I still live in one of the most beautiful places in Arizona and consider myself fortunate for that.
Max you’re right….that was then and this is now.
I still have the right to express that I miss the days when I first moved here when there was more of a community, a respect of land and locals, and much less traffic.
I can appreciate where I live and still not like the Big Changes/Influx of people.
How much did the city get for allowing the Byke Festival to take over Posse Grounds this year…??
How much did the city get for letting the bike festival take over the whole of Posse Grounds……??
Would folks be interested in having a community conversation about this issue? I think that it might be helpful to get everyone together to lay out the concerns clearly and then talk about citizen-proposed solutions. There is a lot of research to show that communities are healthier when citizens are given the opportunity to “name” and “frame” their own challenges and propose their own solutions.
John Roberts, Tyler Barrett, Michael Schroeder, RJ Wachal, Lin Ennis, Steve Segner, Deb Lovejoy, Dale Casey, what do you say?
If your interested, send me your email to: andrea@SedonaPhilosophy.com — I’ll set up a poll, and find a time when we can come together as citizens and see, despite all our differences, if it is possible for us to find some common ground. Anyone in the community who wanted to participate would be invited. We could report back our findings right here on Sedona.Biz.
I’m in…..As long as it’s Constructive/Productive and not a gripe session.
I think a discussion is always good, but first I think you need to understand the rules the parking operate under. Talk to the engineer at the city in charge of parking on street there is an assigned person. Then if you don’t like the answer move up the chain understanding the changing parking regulations in the city is not arbitrary or one persons decision
The numerous worthwhile comments to the letter about the traffic hazard on Soldiers Pass road speaks volumes to the need for Justin Clifton to wake up and take action.
One contributor, however, was only interested in being argumentative so those remarks are appropriately ignored and discarded as not in the interests of our community.
John first off parking signs and parking regulations are set and voted on by the city Council not the city manager, if you have a plan that you think is workable and i suggest you go to the city Council take three minutes tell them why and what you want done and just don’t blame the city manager or city employees the policy is set by the city Council long-term the answer is some type a shuttle system to trailheads
I live on Soldiers Pass Rd. and have borne witness to this increasingly untenable parking arrangement. First, I would point out that whether the tires of the parked car are on the “legal” side of the white line or over, when their car doors are open to unload the vehicle the door is obstructing traffic, forcing cars to drive in the oncoming traffic lane. Lucky so far — to be sure! Two Saturdays ago I was driving down Soldiers Pass when I saw, up ahead, a car parked on the shoulder with the drivers door open, while the car and a dog were being unloaded. I slowed down and as I approached, the back door of the car opened and a young child got out,
unattended, and stood in the road while waiting for a parent — needless to say, it could have been catastrophic. Then this past Sunday, I passed at least 4 cars actually parked half on the road, on a curve, underneath a pedestrian warning sign. See http://PriUPS.com/spr-1omar19.jpg for photo.
I live on Soldiers Pass Rd. and have borne witness to this increasingly untenable parking arrangement. First, I would point out that whether the tires of the parked car are on the “legal” side of the white line or over, when their car doors are open to unload the vehicle the door is obstructing traffic, forcing cars to drive in the oncoming traffic lane. Lucky so far — to be sure! Two Saturdays ago I was driving down Soldiers Pass when I saw, up ahead, a car parked on the shoulder with the drivers door open, while the car and a dog were being unloaded. I slowed down and as I approached, the back door of the car opened and a young child got out,
unattended, and stood in the road while waiting for a parent — needless to say, it could have been catastrophic. Then this past Sunday, I passed at least 4 cars actually parked half on the road, on a curve, underneath a pedestrian warning sign. See http://PriUPS.com/spr-10mar19.jpg for photo.
I agree with Mike. Mr. Clifton is way over his head. As I see it, talking is our City Manager’s forte.
Thanks to Karen Rosen’s 3/12 letter above, we have the real life confirmation of the danger to youngsters or anyone else for the reckless and potential deadly parking policy of the city along Soldiers Pass road. One death as a disaster event being far more important and pertinent to anything written in this series which persuades any kind of delay to getting city manager Clifton and city council off their duffs. It is now that we get no parking signage along this city roadway and police issuing tickets and fines to discourage the wrong way city policy. What Karen writes about that can happen then doesn’t find its way front page in our media news.
So just a fact check, how many accidents have there been on soldiers Pass Road near this intersection, have there been any accidents with children. The reason I ask I think this would be the first question that any city Council person would ask . If you want the city to change your long-standing policy you need to have all your ducks on a row .
That unsigned comment headlined by -“@ Michael Schroeder says:” posted 3/14 at 6:44pm sure deserves the town dilly award for the month. Especially if you know Mike or Dwight Kadar. Both gentlemen who were criticised in the comment fully understand and have practiced the profession of good management. As an officer in the U S Air Force where a large fire department reported to me good managing was obviously just as important as it is in private practice.
From the contents of the referenced comments made by some resident person I can only conclude the confused and grumbling person must never have seen the inside of any book or classroom about managing or spent time in an office where good managing was practiced. As have Mike and Dwight.
It is very easy to earn dilly awards by blabbing instead of knowing anything about management techniques.
Here are the National Citizen Survey “Sedona AZ Community Livability Report 2017” survey results in re “what makes a community livable, attractive and a place where people want to be.”
5 out of the 9 NCS ratings for City government lagged behind the national average. Some apply to the City Manager IMO. Ratings lagging behind the national benchmark were:
Overall direction
Confidence in City government
Acting in the best interest of Sedona
Being honest
Treating all residents fairly
NCS reported that the three concerns rated highest by the highest proportion of respondents were traffic congestion, too much growth and taxes. Is City Hall doing anything?
Currently, 50% of the City’s traffic doesn’t stop in Sedona according to the January 2018 Sedona Transportation Master Plan prepared by Kimley-Horn. Apparently, Visit Sedona flat-screen TVs at Sky Harbor Airport and brochures advertising Sedona in Phoenix hotels have slews of travelers headed for the Grand Canyon going through Sedona vs. driving the I-17, undoubtedly thanks to the Chamber of Commerce’s annual public taxpayer bed tax subsidy from the City of Sedona.
Regarding too much growth: During the February 13th special meeting Council gave City staff administrative authority to allow up to four stories concerning the revised Sunset Live/Work Community Focus Area (CFA), with approval from City Council required for anything beyond four stories. Councilor Currivan noted his opposition for the record. The Mayor said any number of stories were okay with her. Traffic generation be damned?
On March 1, 2018 City sales taxes were increased by one-half percent, Councilor Currivan opposed. Vice Mayor Martinez had advocated for a one percent increase.
In addition, there was an NCS Trends over Time-Sedona 2017 report. “This report discusses trends over time, comparing the 2017 ratings for the City of Sedona to its previous survey results in 2002, 2004, and 2007.