Sedona AZ (April 28, 2016) – I receive a lot of emails from Sedona residents. Most of the emails comment about community issues or offer suggestions for improving our town, and many of them oppose decisions the council has made or is considering. Most of the emails are civil and thoughtful. I like hearing from residents and am often intrigued by peoples’ unique perspectives on issues or by the skill with which they make their arguments.
Seems like we live in a very angry time, however, and a number of emails I receive are not nice. Some people start their emails by telling me how stupid the council is, often following up by questioning our motives and ethics. We are accused of being in the pockets of so many organizations that I should be able to quit my day job. It’s not unusual for me to open an email to face a screen of capitalized sentences followed by numerous exclamation points. One unhappy woman directed us to “bugger off.”
We on council are sometimes accused of not hearing or listening to the people. Nothing could be further from the truth. I read my email and letters addressed to me. I attend outreach meetings and input sessions. I meet with anyone who wants to meet with me. I do hear what people say. Having heard and listened, however, I may simply have come to a different conclusion.
People who write me often tell me they represent the “will of the people.” I wonder how they know that. Perhaps it’s because everyone they talk to agrees with them, or because most of the people who spoke at a public meeting or a council session expressed the same point of view. Ten thousand people live in this city. Only a small percentage of residents show up at council meetings or public meetings, mostly when they vehemently oppose an idea or initiative.
As far as I’m concerned, my job on the council is to represent all people in the community, not only those people we know or those who show up in opposition to something. I also represent the people who don’t vote, who don’t speak out, who are busy with their families and earning a living, who don’t participate. They are my constituents, too. My focus is on doing what is best for Sedona as a whole.
One of the issues I hear about the most is traffic. The council is regularly exhorted to solve the traffic issue. I don’t believe that traffic issues can be entirely solved, but they certainly can be managed better, and in an effort to identify how better to manage traffic, Sedona is contracting for a citywide multimodal transportation/traffic study that includes public transit and highway safety. That study will result in a series of recommendations. I am certain that every recommendation will be vehemently opposed by some group of people who perceive – either rightly or wrongly – that their interests are being hurt. It will be up to the council to decide whether or not to implement any of the recommendations because all of them will likely be opposed by some group. I am hopeful that the council will act despite some vehement objections, and that the study will not join so many others on a shelf, gathering dust.
The opinions expressed are mine alone and do not reflect the opinions of the Sedona City Council.
7 Comments
Jessica,
Regarding traffic, I think it would be prudent for the council to temporarily CEASE funding the Chamber of Commerce until a traffic study of our TWO roads can be completed.
It seems like day trippers which are being promoted by ads are a big part of the problem. Unless the expensive traffic study talks to the people in the cars we will never know why these folks are here and what prompted them to come up…Or drive through on the way to the Grand Canyon.
I respect that in the position of council member, you can’t please all the people and usually you can only please some of them some of the time. On the other hand, it’s my understanding that there’s an overwhelming majority of residents who do not want the city to be involved with determining a single trash company, yet I’ve heard the council wants to go forward with the idea anyway.
Why try to fix something that isn’t broken? Free enterprise! Individual Choice!
Another example of wrong headed thinking is the idea that we need to promote Sedona through tax dollars when our town clearly doesn’t need the publicity nor all the burdens the tourists bring with them.
It’s time the council begins to wake up and become more responsible.
Mike Schroeder says:
Mike
the chamber marketing starts NEXT MONTH, the traffic at 179 will never be fixed the state told us that going in I am sorry it is a pain in the ass,
Sedona is a tourists town like it to not, Mike it takes me over an hr to get to Sedona some week ends and has been that way for years.
I just change my travel times.
The real problems come when we have swimmers up the canyon, and people returning to Phoenix from Flagstaff and it hits up town all at once.
Mike the hotels are full today and there is no traffic.
The chamber only advertises in June, July And August, and a small amount in January, so cutting funding will only hurt the local merchants and there employees this summer.
steve
Not true Steve. The Chamber does not helps the merchants or “there” employees
Steve and chamber folks:
Did you note the April 30th edition of the AZ Republic that listed truths that become self evident and only Arizonans know. One stated, “We know better than to go anywhere near Sedona on a summer weekend.”
The writer only erred in not including Spring and Fall in that statement.
Ron
” “will of the people” how do they know that…….”
Well, they know that because you provided the survey information/results.
-the majority of people do not want a single hauler.
-the hauler that has the bulk of the service does not want the entire city (they share, plays well with others)
” “will of the people” how do they know that…….”
uptown parking meters
-the players asked again and again not to install them, the council apprd it anyway
” “will of the people” how do they know that…….”
traffic – numerous studies have been done, not understood and/or not followed by council, but again you are going to spend 250K (Nov 6 Red Rock News will tell you all you need to know for 75 cents)
A former Pima County Attorney living in Sedona wrote of emailing the Mayor and City Council concerning opting for a single trash hauler in his April 27th Letter to the Editor of the Red Rock News. He indicated the City Council answered by addressing their power and intention to opt for a single provider–no reason given.
Before now didn’t Councilmember Williamson state she doesn’t care what Sedonans think and that residents here are too old?