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    Home » Sedona City Talk: Vice Mayor Mark DiNunzio
    City of Sedona

    Sedona City Talk: Vice Mayor Mark DiNunzio

    June 26, 20134 Comments5 Mins Read
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    City of Sedona ArizonaSedona AZ (June 26, 2013) – We, Council and staff, have heard directly and otherwise that there is confusion and concern among some in our community about the recent decision by City Council to eliminate some standing commissions and thereby reorganize how our citizens are directly involved with their government. Our motives and our commitment to citizen participation in our government process has been questioned because of our decision.

    I am writing to assure you, neighbors, and fellow Sedonans, that our intent is the exact opposite of what is being charged and deduced. We have made this bold decision, and it is bold, in order to improve and increase citizen involvement!

    We intend to raise the level, the quality of time spent and the value to the community of citizen involvement as working participants and advisors to Council and staff. I assure you that I have not heard any comments or conversations within city government in favor of reducing interaction with you.

    How did we arrive at the conclusion that we needed bold, sweeping change so we could be more effective and accomplish more?

    In 2012, City Council directed staff to review the roles, responsibilities, effectiveness, and cost of operation of our commissions and to present their findings to Council together with recommendations on how we might improve our process and output to better serve you.

    As with any analysis, a number of problems surfaced within the commission system that impeded its quality of work, its efficiency, its productivity and its cost to operate. Please know, we are not talking here about the individual commissioners, we are talking about the fixed system within which volunteer commissioners were confined as they went about their work. It became evident that the effort far exceeded the output and the dollar cost to the city had grown significantly and was continuing to grow.

    Staff began to explore alternatives with the objective of continuing active citizen participation through a new model that would be more productive, efficient and effective as a resource to staff, to council and to you.

    Critical to any recommended change was that the change provide more citizen participation, improve output and reduce cost as efficiency improvements became apparent.

    The results of staff’s study are well documented and available for review at www.SedonaAZ.gov under Council documents for the meetings held on April 23 and April 30.

    After much discussion in two open council meetings, a majority of council approved on May 29, a staff created Action Plan that will result in a new model for citizen involvement. That model is available for your review in Council documents for the May 29 meeting.

    We did not summarily dismiss the commissions. An orderly transition of commissions to the new model will occur over the coming months.

    The Transition Action Plan includes several work-sessions with council for guidance and direction to staff on key components of the new model. Council will remain involved.

    Between now and November 2013, Council, staff and members of current commissions will work together on transition steps to the new citizen engagement model. Those meetings, which have already begun, will identify key priorities for 2013-2014, opportunities for future staff-facilitated citizen entities and ideas for a successful Citizens Engagement Program (CEP) moving forward.

    We anticipate the new model will create staff-facilitated groups in the areas of Arts,

    Culture and Historic Preservation; Budget and Financial Practices; Parks and Recreation; Housing; and Sustainability.

    This new model will also provide flexibility to address future issues in other areas when they occur.

    Accompanying the change, Council approved two new part time staff positions, one to assist citizen volunteers and staff by coordinating and administering citizen activities and the second to assist in the coordination of Arts and Culture activities. The additional employees will free up the time of Department Managers who were filling those roles when interacting with Commissions.

    More information will be coming your way in the weeks and months ahead as we move forward with this new initiative.

    Please know that our intent is to manage the city’s affairs in an effective, prudent manner. That includes making improvements that save money and are more productive.

    We know that change always breeds confusion, then conflict before it matures to cooperation and synergy. We ask that you trust our direction and that you ask open questions when they arise. We look forward to the success that will result from your cooperation and the joy of the synergy we will experience from your involvement.

    We are blessed with a staff of people who have integrity, dedication, professional performance and a commitment to results as they serve us. I am pleased to serve with them. I thank them, and I tip my hat (ball cap though it may be) to them.

    Please join us as we work, daily, to create our beautiful community.

    These thoughts are mine alone and may not reflect the thinking of City Council or staff.

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    4 Comments

    1. mike on July 1, 2013 10:44 am

      Better Planning And Communication Fixes Misconception. It Sounds Like Staff Is Running The Show. Maybe We Should Elect Them Next Time.

    2. Art Supporter on July 1, 2013 1:03 pm

      I think Paul Chevalier pre- rebutted Vice Mayor DiNunzio’s article.

      We don’t work for the staff; they work for us. And if the City Manager is the problem, that can be fixed by a 4-3 Council vote too.

    3. Jean on July 1, 2013 1:06 pm

      I’m all for “making improvements that save money!” When is the public going to see some real ones?

      It’s outrageous and unethical (my opinion) that the City is raiding $2,170,221 in restricted Wastewater ENTERPRISE Fund Reserves to pay for non-WW projects such a streets, drainage, arts and public works. WOW, so great the Mayor and Council are DISCRIMINATING against the 60% of us on the sewer.

      Fiscal restraint, equity and economic justice be damned. The Council is balancing next fiscal year’s budget on the backs of wastewater ratepayers.

    4. Jean on July 2, 2013 6:05 am

      PLEASE NOTE: The City Manager informs me “it isn’t the City’s intent to spend wastewater reserves on non-wastewater projects and expenses.” Terrific news, and I greatly regret my confusion.

      Given declining revenues, the City Council continues to spend more and save less. This leaves a city with a small population of 10,031 little or no capacity to withstand a crisis.

      BTW, on the Budget Oversight Commission’s Dec 12, 2012 and Jan 16, 2013 agendas: Possible action on potential funding sources for future capital improvement projects. The most regressive and financially hurtful revenue generation ideas the BOC presented to the Council during the April Budget Workshops were a 1% City sales tax increase and a City property tax.

      Spending less and saving more so as to avoid tax and fee increases on locals is not in sight.

    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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