Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    • Home
    • Sedona News
    • Business Profiles
    • Opinion
    • Mind & Body
    • Arts
    • Elections
    • Contact
    • Cart
    Sedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde ValleySedona.Biz – The Voice of Sedona and The Verde Valley
    Home » Sedona City Talk: Sedona in Motion update
    City of Sedona

    Sedona City Talk: Sedona in Motion update

    November 29, 2018No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Reddit WhatsApp
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Reddit WhatsApp
    samaireformayor
    Place ads on Sedona.biz

    City of Sedona ArizonaBy Sandy Moriarty, Mayor

    Sedona AZ (November 30, 2018) – I hope everyone is having a fabulous fall in Sedona, one of my favorite times of the year. This is the ideal time for outdoor activities, and fall colors in Sedona usually peak in the first part of November. Now that election season is over and Home Rule was approved by a 2-1 margin, the city is moving forward with a strong mandate to implement the Transportation Master Plan, a first in the nearly 47 years I have lived in Sedona. The need for traffic improvements – the projects collectively known as Sedona in Motion (SIM) – is something that most residents agree is important.

    No one project will fix everything, but the combination of all SIM projects will make a significant difference in improving traffic flow both during both congested periods and other times.

    Traffic projects are complex undertakings and involve coordination with multiple governmental entities as well as residents and businesses. We who live and work in the most beautiful place on earth will need to have patience as the projects are rolled out over a period of perhaps 10 years or more. Some of you have heard me say that government moves at the pace of a narcoleptic snail. These projects will be a good example of the snail in its full glory. Please remember that nothing happens fast, and in many instances, that is a good thing.

    One example is the drainage improvement project underway on Little Elf drive and the city-owned property just to the north. Things were moving nicely but had to be paused when the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality needed to approve the use of a relocated water line, delaying completion.

    I expect our SIM projects to follow a similar path at times. We are now in the design phase on several, evaluating the effects on both public and private properties, and it is in the design phase that we can mitigate and negotiate to keep harmful consequences to a minimum. At present we have only conceptual designs, which are very different from final designs. I ask that all of us, as neighbors who share a desire for improved traffic flow, remain open, positive and willing to work together and compromise to develop the final designs.

    Recently a citizen representing a group of Sedona’s Generation X, Y and Z-age residents came to a city council meeting to declare that their group was YIMBY – Yes, in my backyard – for SIM bicycle and pedestrian transportation improvement projects in their neighborhoods. They are excited for these changes, and so am I.

    Some of the SIM projects in motion now are:

    Uptown roadway improvements. We continue to seek stakeholder and public input, with final design expected to be complete by February 2019. I hope you took the opportunity to submit your median design ideas on our public survey. The city expects to break ground in Uptown after the spring tourist season.

    Y bypass lanes. Because the intersection is within ADOT right-of-way ADOT is the managing agency for the project and will share costs with the city. The city is working with adjacent business and property owners to maximize parking space retention and ensure access needs are met. Assuming design and right-of-way acquisition proceed as planned, construction is expected to begin in fiscal year 2021. 

    Pedestrian crossing near Tlaquepaque. This project proposes construction of a pedestrian bridge, tunnel, or other crossing of SR 179 near the shopping area. The city plans a feasibility study as a first step; factors that will influence the preferred alternative include existing infrastructure, utility conflicts, existing trees and vegetation, floodplain, and potential future SR 179 widening. The management of the shopping village is a fully committed partner in this project and will contribute funding for the feasibility study.

    The city is committed to supporting the health of our businesses during construction and we will continue to keep everyone informed about all Sedona in Motion projects. It’s up to you to show up and stand up to keep our improvement projects moving forward, and to offer your very important input during the design process. Sign up for SIM news emails at sedonaaz.gov/simnews, read our SIM new releases, and call or email the city with comments and questions.

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

    Place ads on Sedona.biz

    Scott mayor
    samaireformayor
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email Reddit WhatsApp
    Sedona.biz Staff

    Related Posts

    Fill sandbags at these sites

    August 5, 2022

    Apply now for the Sedona Police Department Citizens Academy

    August 4, 2022

    Overnight full closures of State Route 89A near Pumphouse Wash Bridge in Oak Creek Canyon Aug. 15-19 and Aug. 22-26

    August 3, 2022

    Comments are closed.

    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→
    Recent Comments
    • Rob Adams on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    • Mudguts on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    • Rob Adams on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    • Rob Adams on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    • Jess L on Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    Categories
    © 2022 All rights reserved. Sedona.biz.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.