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    Home » Sedona City Talk: John Martinez, Vice Mayor
    City of Sedona

    Sedona City Talk: John Martinez, Vice Mayor

    June 28, 201917 Comments4 Mins Read
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    City of Sedona ArizonaSedona AZ (June 28, 2019) – By the time you read this City Talk article the summer season will be upon us. I want to emphasis the fact that we should do our best to conserve water around our homes by implementing water-wise landscaping and irrigation techniques. 

    One of the biggest sources of water in the Verde Valley is the Verde River. Its watershed covers 4.2 million acres in central Arizona, which includes about 500 miles of perennial streams. A river flowing year-round in an arid environment is a marvel. The Verde River is such a river, one of the few remaining in Arizona. It flows nearly uninterrupted all year long from its source near Paulden for about 170 river miles before reaching Horseshoe Reservoir.  The Verde River flows approximately 46 miles through the Verde Valley cities and towns of Clarkdale, Cottonwood and Camp Verde. Oak Creek is a major tributary to the Verde River and must be treated equally with regards to care. 

    As individuals and as a community, we take responsibility for our region’s water. We value water for its economic, social, culture and environmental roles. We have an ethical obligation to manage water and use it in a purposeful manner, recognize our choices and their consequences. We take responsibility for future generations by using this ethic to guide our management and use of water today.

    Here are six reasons we should protect the Verde River:

    Economy: The Verde River sustains over 700 jobs and over $100 million in economic value in the Verde Valley, plus 40 percent of the Phoenix area’s surface water supply. 

    Recreation: As our population grows, we require more recreational areas. The Verde provides an abundance of choices for outdoor activities.

    Quality of Life: Clear air, unfettered open spaces and bodies of water, and opportunities to view wildlife enhance our daily living. 

    Cultural and historic values: The entire river corridor is laced with ancient rock art, structures and artifacts revealing the historical lifestyle of Native Americans. The river and its springs are an essential spiritual and culture foundation for the Yavapai-Apache Nation.

    Wildlife: Although the Verde River watershed comprises only 5.8 percent of the land area in Arizona, it contains the best remaining riparian areas — lush, green ribbons full of life. The Verde supports a surprisingly large fraction of Arizona’s vertebrate species: 78 percent of breeding bird species, 89 percent of bat and carnivore species, 83 percent of native ungulate species and 76 percent of reptiles and amphibian genera – an impressive concentration of wildlife. Many bald eagles overwinter on the Verde. Seven eagle chicks have fledged at Del Rio Springs in the last five years. 

    Native fish: Of Arizona’s original 33 native fish, three are extinct, 19 are protected by the Endangered Species Act, and the Verde supports ten. The upper Verde River sustains four ESA-listed native fish. 

    Uniqueness: Of Arizona’s six major perennial rivers, the Gila, Salt, and Santa Cruz rivers have been consumed by dams and groundwater pumping, the Colorado has many diversions that provides minimal flows to the Gulf of California, and the San Pedro is struggling for life. The Verde River is the longest surviving river in Arizona. 

    Once again, the Verde River and surrounding tributaries provide a healthy environment for the following life forms.

    Riparian vegetation: The Verde Valley watershed contains some of the most extensive acreage of Fremont Cottonwood-Goodding willow forest and mixed broadleaf riparian forest in Arizona is home to the endangered yellow-billed cuckoo and endangered southwestern willow flycatcher and more. Wildlife managers monitor an additional 16 sensitive species of concern. 

    Aquatic: Insects such as mayflies and caddisflies play a crucial role in the food web of stream ecosystem, and their abundance and diversity is an indicator of stream health.

    Native fish: The desert sucker, roundtail chub, longfin dace and speckled dace along with non-native fish as black bullhead, yellow bullhead, largemouth bass, and rainbow trout can be found in many sections of the Verde River, and depend on a healthy river.

    So the next time you turn the faucet on for any type of use of water, remember all that you directly affect. 

    Technical data for this article was gathered from research papers by the Verde River Basin Partnership Primer; Edward Wolfe, Ph.D.; and Gary Beverly. 

    The opinions expressed above are mine alone and do not necessarily represent the views of the Sedona City Council or any other organization.

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    17 Comments

    1. Paul Boyce on July 1, 2019 9:45 am

      John, thank you for this well written and informative article about the Verde River. It is an excellent reminder how important this natural resource is for the entire Verde Valley.

      You mentioned that Oak Creek is a major tributary to the Verde River. Does the city have any plans to provide public access to Oak Creek? Right now, there are no public access points within city limits. To the north, the nearest public access is Grasshopper Point. To the south, it would Red Rock Crossing state park. I always lament that I have to leave city limits in order to enjoy recreation opportunities along the creek. It seems like a natural expenditure for the city to perhaps buy some private land along the creek and convert into a public park.

    2. Joan Shanno on July 1, 2019 11:06 am

      John: Wonderful information, loved reading it. HOWEVER, you are telling us residents we should conserve our water use, be careful how we are using it but, at the same time vote to give the Chamber once again millions of dollars of which much is used to attract an excess of tourists. Those who waste water every day in their hotel rooms, vacation rentals etc. Our lodging industry is not being asked to conserve, not change sheets etc. EVERY day, to install water saving showed heads etc. Oh no, we the residents once again are called upon to suffer for the tourists. It is not enough we have longer lines at gas stations, stores etc. and be subjected to extra cell phone towers because of the heavy use of cell phones and internet by tourists. Plus now the City has blessed a 5G tower in the Chapel area which many scientists have said puts out a much heavier volume of radiation and gives the Chinese, our enemy complete control of date collection on all Americans who use a cell phone which goes directly to the Chinese military. The City blessed it in return for $3500 per month. While several cities in California have banned the towers for health reasons. So due to excessive numbers of tourists us residents have to suffer more radiation into the electric magnetic field. ALSO, citizens who go to the library to use a computer are forced to wait longer times due to tourists who are using them FREE on the County taxes paid by residents. Now John you want residents to conserve water not the tourists who are using up our ground water at an alarming rate and more so in the future. John, Bless Your Heart, you are concerned about water conservation and I do very much appreciate that but, please direct your requests to the lodging industry and ask restaurants to serve glasses of water only on request (that also cuts down on water used washing the glasses). After all we are 10,000 up against millions of tourists. Joan Shannon faithfuljoan@earthlink.net

    3. Tyler Barrett on July 1, 2019 11:36 am

      John,

      Please tie sewer rates to water usage. If the city does this, timeshares, hotels, restaurants and residents will have to pay attention to their water usage. California cities pay more attention to water usage than Sedona!

      Many thanks,
      Tyler Barrett

    4. Joan Shannon on July 1, 2019 11:59 am

      That is the formula our City is now considering. However, even with that the 60% of residents will STILL carry the biggest burden for the cost of the sewer as we have been doing from day one when it all started. According to our City one person living alone connected to the sewer now pays more than two or more tourists in a hotel room and WHY: Because they say residents are here 24/7, 365 days a year while tourists stay just one or two or even more nights. Does not make sense to me that we are paying higher rates than the tourists and will continue to do so with the new formula being proposed and seriously considered. Once again our City favors the tourists against residents. This will never end.
      Joan Shannon faithfuljoan@earthlink.net

    5. Steve segner on July 3, 2019 3:53 pm

      JoanGet over it the sewer thing, one of the major expense was running lines up to all the homes And side streets and many people chose not to hook up.the city study showed that commercial tenants are paying more than their fair share it’s not that much money go out and hike they didn’t even raise the sewer fees for the last two years . In any other city the total cost of the sewer project would be born by the users or is it still subsidized with tax dollars and that’s wrong

    6. john roberts on July 3, 2019 9:33 pm

      Well Steve Segner has offered us his opinion and also challenged Joan Shannon in the process. If he wrote anything on target and correct I wouldn’t say a thing about his letter. However, his commentary was wrong in many ways. Here are a few examples to alert and straighten out the reader.

      The house sewers do not represent that big a cost in the overall city’s project costs because for one thing the home owner pays for that portion of it which lies behind the property line. As anyone active in the sewer business knows these house sewer costs never amount to a hill of beans.

      In our case what jacked costs up so badly was the trench rock excavation and the pumping stations needed to get the sewage to the plant west of town. Ask any of the bidders and that is what they’ll tell you.

      Steve, best you retract yourself from this discussion. You are very badly over matched by Joan. She knows what she’s writing about. It’ll save you from being embarrassed.

    7. john roberts on July 3, 2019 10:15 pm

      Well Steve Segner has offered us his opinion and also challenged Joan Shannon in the process. However , his commentary was wrongly based in several ways and here are a few examples to alert and correct the reader’s impression.

      The house sewers do not represent that big a cost in the overall of the city’s costs for our sewer construction. For one thing the home owner pays that portion of the house sewer cost for the portion inside the property line. Nor does this item amount to a hill of beans in almost all cases.

      In the Sedona case what jacked up costs so badly was the trench rock excavation and the pumping stations lifting the sewage to the treatment facility out west of town. You’ll get confirmation for this from the bidders on the projects to build our sewer system.

      Steve, Joan is a very well informed and intelligent lady in town. Best you back your point of view with a stronger set of data and reasons or you will fail to be persuasive.

    8. john roberts on July 4, 2019 6:03 am

      How did this topic get diverted from John Martinez’s excellent well founded suggestion to conserve water and his plea for the continued preservation of the streams and river in the Sedona area ?

      Joan Shannon offered her usual intelligent additional comments and in combination with the contents in John’s letter they both constitute worthwhile information and are thought provoking for the reader to consider.

      Let’s not stray into the realm of confusion and loose context.

    9. steve Segner on July 5, 2019 10:53 am

      Why should the sewage treatment facility be subsidized by sales tax?

      The city paid for an out side study that showed commercial properties (business and hotels) pay
      more then their fair share.
      If commercial businesses, Hotels /Visitors, are paying their fair share then it seem the balance should be made up by the other users.
      Taking money from sales tax is subsidizing local rates of a service that should be self supporting.
      Visitors already supply 70% of city tax income. I know Im not to say this but Locals should pay for what locals use.

    10. John Roberts on July 5, 2019 12:56 pm

      Steve , your 7/5 comments have no relation to saving our water resources and assets which John Martinez wrote so completely about so why diverge and interfere. Wouldn’t it be proper to submit your thinking in a letter to the Sedona.biz editor and let the reader receive a complete picture instead of snippets in a confused and disorganized format.

    11. steve Segner on July 5, 2019 1:38 pm

      Steve , your 7/5 comments have no relation to saving our water resources and assets which John Martinez wrote so completely about so why diverge and interfere. W
      john roberts says:
      July 3, 2019 at 10:15 pm
      Well Steve Segner has offered us his opinion and also challenged Joan Shannon in the process. However , his commentary was wrongly based in several ways and here are a few examples to alert and correct the reader’s impression.

      No, I am just responding to Joan Shannon comments RE: waste water and the cost of operation allocations, MY view is the rates are too low for residents and should go up.

    12. Joan Shannon on July 6, 2019 5:36 pm

      Since the subject got onto sewer rates here is the truth directly from Sheri Wright our Financial Director re sewer rates. The City compares a single home in Sedona to a single hotel room. That means as she explained to me that as a person living alone in the world and paying $63 per month for the sewer rate I am in affect paying a higher rate than two or more persons in a hotel room for one night.The absurd reasoning is that I am here 24/7, 365 days a year and they were staying just one or two nights so my rate should be higher. If that isn’t giving tourist and the lodging history a lower rate than 60% of Sedona residents please explain to me why not. Steve Segner has an arrogant attitude towards residents and has always stated that we should pay a higher rate. He pays $500 per month for twelve hotel rooms, far less than I pay and his guests would be using a much higher rate of water each day. Is it any wonder residents feel City Hall does not listen to them and ignores their concerns when they listen to people like Steve Segner which being head of the Lodging Association they do.

    13. John Daniels on July 6, 2019 10:13 pm

      Ms Shannon:

      I don’t get how a person who uses a hotel room for one night can be compared to you? My Mom and Dad have stayed at El Portal on several occasions. They stayed 2 2 nights, took showers, brushed their teeth and went downstairs for a hearty breakfast perhaps having a glass of water and then drove to my house in West Sedona. El Portal does not have pool facilities. As you say, you live in your house 24/7/365 I’m sure that you also shower and brush your teeth each day but instead of coming over to visit me you stay home and do your wash, do your dishes and use the bathroom a few times each day. Day after day after day. Maybe you wash your car once in a while? So explain to me how you think hotel guests use more water than locals????

      Other than my parents staying at El Portal once a year I don’t know Mr. Segner, never met him but I read a lot about him on this blog and that nasty one. In my opinion, you don’t seem to like people that know their business and know how to share that knowledge with the right people. You, on the other hand, have an opinion about everything and every topic concerning everything “Sedona”. In my opinion, City Hall doesn’t listen to Mr. Segner any more than anyone else, as they seem to listen to EVERYONE but then take that knowledge and make the best choices that will help the City which in my opinion, is GOOD GOVERNANCE. It seems to me that you are frustrated that no one listens to you and I feel bad about that. Perhaps you should stop offering your opinion to people who don’t really care what you have to say.

    14. steve Segner on July 7, 2019 7:59 am

      What ever formula the city come up with is OK by me ,I just think the waste water system should be paid for by users and not subsidized by sales or bed tax.
      Homes in Sedona would not be going for $600,000 to millions of dollars if it were not in part for our waste water system.

      Yes, my hotels pay around $500.00 p.m.for 12 rooms what does a home renting 3 or 4 or 12 rooms as an Air B&B pay $48.00 $70.00 some Air B&B in Sedona on Hart rd. sleep up to 12 people and they pay $48 to $70 and that is thanks to our governor and his SB 1350 bill. It is what it is.

      It is not arrogant to want people to pay their fair share, I trust the cities “out side” study more than a self serving rant by Joan. Over $69.00
      I think it is arrogant to ask for a free ride and not want to pay the real cost for city services,
      ……… Seem just more NIMBY talk and city hate,

    15. Joan Shannon on July 7, 2019 6:19 pm

      TO JOHN DANIELS:[Please keep your comments relative to the topic of the article. Thank you. ~Sedona.biz Staff] When only 60% of residents are on the sewer and are paying a higher rate than the hotel industry and has been since day one and the lodging industry knows and brags about it does not make for a cordial lifestyle in Sedona. As for homes worth a million or more would not be able to be built if it were not for the sewer then someone needs to do the math. We have a huge number of high priced homes not on sewer including ones directly behind where I live selling in the millions. Many subdivisions have their own sewer systems. [Remainder of comment removed.]

    16. steve Segner on July 7, 2019 6:55 pm

      Joan Shannon says:
      July 7, 2019 at 6:19 pm
      [Please keep your comments relative to the topic of the article. Thank you. ~Sedona.biz Staff]

      Joan, all I am saying is I trust an out side firm to look at waste water rates better then someone using a made up name.

      [Remainder of comment removed.]

    17. John Daniels on July 7, 2019 7:14 pm

      Mrs Shannon:

      [Please keep your comments relative to the topic of the article. Thank you. ~Sedona.biz Staff]

    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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