Sedona City Talk: Sandy Moriarty, Mayor

Sedona AZ (October 24, 2019) – I’d like to talk about an important effort the city is making to engage in sustainable practices, and to help you do the same. We all appreciate our beautiful environment and recognize that in order to have healthy communities and to protect our environment, we need clean air and water.  As Sedona continues to change, and as the world changes, we require more resources such as energy, water, and space; sustainability seeks to use our resources responsibly and  efficiently. We have all come to understand that sustainability is directly related to our own wellbeing. 

The city council is following through on our commitment to promote sustainability in Sedona, and to practice it ourselves. In the past year … 

• The city hired it’s first Sustainability Coordinator.
• In partnership with Yavapai County, we hosted a household hazardous waste and electronics collection event, diverting 8,770 pounds of hazardous waste and 17,237 pounds of electronics from the landfill. This event will occur annually each spring going forward.
• We conducted extensive energy and water conservation upgrades throughout city facilities through a partnership with Midstate Energy. In July 2019 we used 19 percent less electricity and 16 percent less water at city facilities compared to July 2018. 
• To support community members in preventing plastic waste, we installed water bottle refill stations at Sunset Park, Posse Grounds Park, and the Sedona Community Pool. 
• We purchased our first electric vehicle for the city fleet and secured a grant from APS to install four ChargePoint public electric vehicle charging stations at City Hall. These charging stations will be used to charge city fleet vehicles and will be available for public use.
• We hosted our first community Fix-it Clinic, where volunteers helped community members repair broken household items. 
• We adopted revised building codes that improve health and safety, and include provisions for tiny homes and solar and electric vehicle readiness. 
• We eliminated the use of the herbicide glyphosate in city maintenance operations. 

Other activities and initiatives on the horizon include Sedona’s first municipal and community-wide greenhouse gas inventories, an evaluation of opportunities for carport solar installations at city hall, and the finalization of Sedona’s Municipal Sustainability Plan. We are also working to reduce waste at city events such as the Pumpkin Splash and Food Truck Festival, where you’ll soon be able to recycle, compost, and refill water bottles at these events. On Nov. 5, Sedona will host its first Pumpkin Drop in partnership with Compost Crowd; bring your squishy jack-o-lanterns to Posse Grounds Park between 2 and 6 p.m. and we will compost them for free. 

Sometimes people ask whether our small efforts can make a difference. Yes!  Many are beginning to see and feel the consequences of global climate change, mass extinctions, environmental degradation and other impacts of unsustainable living. Sometimes it seems overwhelming, but I want to assure you that what you do can help us achieve a more sustainable future.  Small actions, such as using a few less gallons of water per household per day, when multiplied by millions of people, can have a profound effect. Repeat many small steps over and over, and the effect can be enormous. That is why what the city of Sedona does matters. 

Interested in learning more about city sustainability efforts? Sign up for our newsletter at sedonaaz.gov/sustainability or send an email to Sustainability Coordinator McKenzie Jones at mjones@sedonaaz.gov.