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    Home » Sedona City Talk: Community Development Department
    City of Sedona

    Sedona City Talk: Community Development Department

    July 10, 20192 Comments4 Mins Read
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    By Steve Mertes, Chief Building Official

    City of Sedona ArizonaSedona AZ (July 10, 2019) – On June 11 of this year, I presented a draft of updated city building codes to the Sedona City Council for discussion and possible direction. The draft code is the culmination of many months of work, research, cross-referencing of old and new codes and code amendments, and discussions with staff, other municipalities, counties, members of the sustainability community, contractors, architects and designers.  A primary goal of the effort is to create codes that are current, provide the latest in safety requirements, address new products and procedures, and keep Sedona consistent with other cities and counties. The draft presented to city council proposes adoption of the 2018 I-codes — International Building Code, International Residential Code, International Plumbing Code, etc. — and the 2017 National Electrical Code.  If adopted, this draft code will replace the city’s current 2006 I-codes and 2005 National Electrical Code, which are now four update cycles behind the proposed codes.

    Another goal is to adopt or create requirements that provide green and sustainable building initiatives and allowances, one of the council’s priorities and part of the Environmental Action Plan included Sedona’s Community Plan.  This makes sense. According to the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP) “Buildings account for more than 40 percent of energy used in the United States (and even more in urban areas). Building energy codes offer a cost-effective way to achieve energy savings in residential and commercial buildings, both for new construction and major renovations. They are also an established tool for states and municipalities to reduce energy bills, reduce emissions, increase durability and resiliency, and improve the health and safety of buildings. Energy codes set the minimum construction standards for the area and offer several different flexible pathways meeting the requirements.”   

    Sedona’s proposed new codes include the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, which addresses, in part, the amount of required insulation within walls, attics/roofs and perimeters of concrete slabs and foundations in habitable and commercial or public buildings.  It also regulates the efficiencies of doors and windows, air barriers, mechanical systems and lighting systems. The applications of these codes not only benefit our environment and slow depletion of natural resources, but save consumers, homeowners and building owners money.  SWEEP also says “In recent years, newer energy codes and standards have reduced new and renovated building energy use by over 30 percent from the mid-2000s. This translates into economic benefits staying local, utilities seeing less impact on the grid from new construction, lower foreclosure in the residential market because of more efficient houses, and lower operating costs for businesses.”  This is reinforced by the U.S. Department of Energy, which tapped the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to perform a study in 2015 identifying the amount of money saved when applying the requirements of the 2015 International Energy Code as opposed to the 2009 version. The study found that the 2015 code generated a savings of $8,088 per residence for residences located in Climate Zone 4, the zone of Yavapai County, when compared to homes built under the 2009 IECC.  An SWEEP document, “Energy Codes are Life Safety Codes”, says “…the energy code is the only code that literally pays for itself, saving homeowners and building owners money year after year. The energy code as a whole, and the provisions within it, are tested for their cost-effectiveness.”  

    The cost savings and energy efficiencies generated by Sedona’s proposed new codes does not stop there.  The new codes have provisions for gray water systems, geothermal systems, battery storage for photo-voltaic systems, electric vehicle wireless power transfer equipment, light straw-clay construction, strawbale construction, tiny homes, and requirements for solar-ready and electrical vehicle-ready construction in new residential and commercial buildings which will save money for future retrofits of photovoltaic systems and electric vehicle charging systems. The latter led to a savings of $2,630 per commercial electric vehicle parking space in a city and county of San Francisco case study conducted in 2016.

    In the long run, Sedona’s proposed new energy codes will help not only our planet, but our pocket books as well.

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    2 Comments

    1. Anthony on July 10, 2019 4:43 pm

      Kudos to Sedona! It’s about time the city set the bar for energy efficiency like so many other communities have done around the state and country. Sedona should also adopt plumbing requirements for high-efficiency plumbing fixtures (water closets/toilets, lavatory faucets and showerheads) that meet WaterSense water-efficiency standards. WaterSense fixtures reduces water use by 20% over typical low-flow fixtures and are readily available in home improvement and building supply stores at no additional costs. The plumbing industry has embraced water efficient fixtures and communities around the country have adopted high-efficiency plumbing fixture requirements including cities like Scottsdale, AZ, Santa Fee, NM, Miami-Dade, FL and all the communities within the states of California, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, Texas, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.

    2. John Roberts on July 11, 2019 10:54 am

      Since reading John Martinez’s 6/28 letter about conserving and protecting our water resources we have been treated to opinions from many residents with their thinking about an array of sidebar issues many of which which had nothing to do with what John told us. Some made sense but many did not.

      In today’s explanation of what’s going on in the code world by Steve Mertes we get a picture of activity which most residents have no concept about. Suffice it to say this report by Steve tells the insider we are making good progress ‘ slow but sure, in doing essentially what John Martinez was urging.

      It is through the trade associations which exist that good new products are introduced and find their way into codes. That is how through the Steve Mertes type of activities that we get to use the new products which save money and conserve the environment in which we exist.

      It’s a complicated and tedious circle but it does work and we get to enjoy the results. What is so very important is the city government environment in which both John Martinez and Steve Mertes operate to bring us the codes , new products and the results Martinez urged us to pay our attention to.

    Paid Political Ad Paid For by Samaire for Mayor
    Paid Political Ad for Samaire Armstrong
    Paid Political Announcement by Samaire For Mayor

     THE MOMENT IS UPON US

    Dear Sedona,

    The moment is upon us. The time for a united effort to shift the focus back to our community is now.

    The ability to thrive in our community, our environment, our workforce, and the tourist industry, is entirely possible because we have all the resources needed for success.

    Still, we need a council that isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions, that makes decisions based on data and facts, and through discussion, rather than moving and voting in group unison as they so regularly do.

    This is my home. I have been a part of the Sedona community for 28 years. I witnessed the road debacle, the lack of planning, the city circumventing the local businesses ability to thrive, while making choices to expand the local government and be in direct competition with private industry.

    I am a unique candidate because unlike the incumbents, I don’t believe the government should expand in size, nor in operations, nor would I attempt to micromanage every aspect of our community.

    City government should stay in its lane and allow the competitive market of local private industry to prosper. And it should defend our community from corporate takeover and infiltration of our town.

    I do not agree that we should sign onto International Building Codes and regulations by signing Sedona up to the ICC. It is imperative that we remain a sweet, rural community.

    Where are the arts? Where is this organic thriving element that we allege to be animated by. Where is our culture? Where is our community?

    The discord between the decision making process and the desires of the community have never been more clear. It has been nearly a decade in the making.

    It is time for a new era of energy to take charge. An energy that is reflective in the ability to succeed rather than be trapped in out of date consciousness.

    It has been a great honor meeting with each of you. I hear your concerns over the insane and out of control spending and I echo them. A budget of $105,000,000 in a town of 9700 residents is completely unacceptable. A parking structure (that looks like a shoe box) originally slated to cost 11 million, now projected to cost 18 million, is incomprehensible. Especially, considering there is no intention of charging for parking.

    For those who are concerned that I lack the political experience within our established system- that is precisely what Sedona needs… Not another politician, but instead a person who understands people, who listens to the voices within the community, and who will act in service on their behalf with accountability, for the highest good of Sedona. What I am not, will prove to be an asset as I navigate the entrenched bureaucracy with a fresh perspective. Business as usual, is over.

    Creative solutions require new energy.

    Every decision that is made by our local government, must contemplate Sedona first.

    • Does this decision benefit the residents?
    • Does this decision benefit the local businesses?
    • Does this decision actually help the environment?
    • Will this decision sustain benefit in the future, or will it bring more problems?

    What we have now is a city government that expands to 165 employees for 9700 residents. Palm Desert has 53,000 residents and 119 city employees. Majority of our city department heads are not even in town. I find this problematic.

    Efforts towards championing in and courting new solutions for our medical needs are imperative. We are losing our doctors. We must encourage competition with other facilities rather than be held hostage by NAH, who clearly have their own set of dysfunctions.

    We must remember that so many move to Sedona for its beauty, hiking, and small town charm. Bigger, faster, and more concrete does not, in broad strokes, fit the ethos of Sedona.

    The old world must remain strong here in balance, as that is what visitors want to experience. Too many have noted that Sedona has lost its edge and charm.

    As Mayor I will preserve the rural charm of our community, and push back against the urbanization that is planned for Sedona.

    As mayor I will make it a priority to create opportunities to support our youth.  After school healthy, enriching programs should be created for our kids, and available to the Sedona workforce regardless of residency and regardless of school they belong to.

    As Mayor, I will create an agenda to deliberately embody the consciousness of our collective needs here, allowing private industry to meet the needs of our community rather than bigger government.

    I hope to have your vote on Aug 2nd. I am excited and have the energy to take on this leadership role with new eyes, community perspective, and the thoughtful consciousness that reflects all ages of the human spectrum.

    Thank you deeply for your consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Samaire Armstrong

    Sedona elections
    Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    Ready to Rumble

    By Tommy Acosta
    In the Blue Corner stands Scott Jablow and in the Red Corner of the ring stands Samaire Armstrong, ready to rumble to the bitter end in their fight to become the next Sedona mayor. Jablow weighs in with 1,137 primary election votes (36.13%) under his belt, having wielded his advantage as sitting Sedona City Council vice-mayor to his favor. He brings his years of serving in that capacity into the fray and waged a solid fight in his campaign to make it to the run-off. Armstrong, however withstood a blistering smear campaign from the other opposing candidates and their supporters to make it to the final bout with 967 votes under her belt (30.73%), an amazing feat for a political newcomer. Unfortunately, for the other two candidates, Kurt Gehlbach and sitting mayor Sandy Moriarty, neither put up enough of a fight to make it to the championship bout. Read more→
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