By Lauren Browne, Citizen Engagement Coordinator
Sedona AZ (October 12, 2017) – It’s now been four years since the inception of the Citizen Engagement Program. With the program running smoothly, my role as Citizen Engagement Coordinator has been diversified to provide more value to not only city staff, but also to residents.
First, I’ve been assisting with the surveys the city conducted during our Transportation Master Plan. If you didn’t hear about them, we conducted two surveys: the first to gauge the community’s tolerance on traffic issues in Sedona and the second to see which potential transportation strategies were supported. In the second survey we heard from 1,800 residents that the most supported strategies were electronic message boards on I-17 that display travel time information, visitor transit from the Village of Oak Creek to Oak Creek Canyon, commuter transit to the Village of Oak Creek, and Uptown road improvements. City Council used the data from these surveys to help give direction on if there are any strategies that should not be included in the final version of the Transportation Master Plan. In future meetings, City Council will discuss prioritization and implementation timelines of the strategies included in the plan.
Another survey I’m currently working on is the community survey that began in September. A random sample of about 1,500 households will receive the survey that will ask questions about quality of life and services in Sedona, to help inform decisions at not only the city staff level but the city council level as well. Starting October 25, the survey will be available for anyone to take online at sedonaaz.gov/survey2017 and we encourage everyone to give us their input. The more people who share their input, the better decisions that can made here at City Hall.
Third, the last project I’ve been working on is City Council priorities document that is updated every month. Each year, City Council decides what items make their priority list, which is a compilation of all the special projects that city staff will work on throughout the year, in addition to staff’s normal job duties. These priority items are often big concepts like: traffic issues, major land planning processes and policy changes. Because these projects affect residents, this document lists out each priority and among other information, gives the background and status update on each project so residents can easily track their progress.
It is important that everyone have access to current information on projects that will affect this city for years to come. For this reason, you’re invited to look at our website for more information on the Transportation Master Plan and the City Council priorities document by going to SedonaAZ.gov, clicking on the Projects button, and navigating to either the Transportation Master Plan or City Council Priorities link.
In addition to all the work groups we have at City Hall as part of the Citizen Engagement Program, there are a variety of different ways residents can engage with the city. And now I’ll ask you: is there a way that residents should be engaged with what’s happening at City Hall, and if so, what would that look like? We’re always open to suggestions. Don’t hesitate to let us know by emailing me at lbrowne@sedonaaz.gov.
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