SedonaEye.com columnist Eddie Maddock
Sedona AZ (May 8, 2015) – It’s that time of year for budget review and planning. Work sessions are presently taking place.
In two years, the Capital Improvement Fund will be depleted. Just last week a “professional service contract” was signed by the City to pay out over $2,000 a month ($25,000 annually) to Red Earth Theater for it to provide performing arts. Of course Sedona has been promoted as an art center, but since when haven’t artists been able to promote themselves? Where is the pride and confidence in their ability if they are unable to do so? Since when was that a financial responsibility of public tax funds? Why wasn’t that facility, the Teen Center, leased out for profit to the City instead of the other way around?
How much more will be “given” to non-profits? All worthy causes, but again not the responsibility of a municipality when creature comforts become neglected and there’s no funding in sight to make things right.
The primary responsibility of our elected officials is to provide for the Health, Safety, & Welfare of those living within the confines of the designated area – City Limits. They were not elected to continually over-use the words “I think” and base their decisions on their own wants, needs, personal agendas, and opinions that don’t reflect the will of the general population, those that elected them for the purpose of representing them and not themselves.
And, of course, in Sedona the same considerations must be extended to our visiting tourists since, yes, they are huge contributors to the tax base and also deserve, among other creature conveniences, decent roads and adequate parking while spending time in Sedona.
Spending millions to encourage more traffic when Sedona cannot accommodate what is already here is nonsense.
Giving away money to the line-up of many who should be self sufficient is out of control. What about the Sedona Film Festival? Has anyone bothered to request an audit in order to determine just how badly that very popular offering to Sedona is in need of enhanced funding?
Enough has already been reported on the absurdity of the outrageous and unaccountable amount of money allocated to the “regional” Chamber of Commerce to advertise themselves, increase their own membership, enhance their own web site, and operate a City financed Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center to promote only their members as they continue to shun in-city businesses that do not acquiesce to their demands: Be a Chamber member or else you do not get referrals from the Visitors Center. And at the same time they promote members that do not contribute to the City tax base!
As a Chamber of Commerce that is its responsibility – to serve its members. It is not the responsibility of the City of Sedona to use tax revenue to advertise the Chamber and their members – period.
Priorities appear to be skewed, and unless they are intensely reviewed and scrutinized current sources of revenue will dry up and, of course, then comes the question: What will be the “new” source(s) of money?
We all know what proposals have been on the drawing board and it’s highly unlikely they will be favorably received by the voting citizens of Sedona as long as the frivolous spending continues.
Heads-up! The process is under way – so now more than ever is the time to pay attention.
How many residents are in the position of grasping “new” sources of funds when we feel it’s a good idea? That notion, of course, is very unlikely as we must realistically alter our wish list to accommodate living within our budgets.
Why does the City of Sedona feel that rule doesn’t apply to them? Isn’t it time we insist they do?
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@steve
Thx for the news. Into every town a little traffic must roll. Now we know the Council can get on to other more important business. We’re #1. Sedona rocks! Again now that the road issue is resolved — which most of us knew all the time — let’s move on. There are bigger issues to deal with.
Patrick , i knew it too. Ticks me off when these pseudo elected politician wannabes kings and queens try to tinker with local MASS transit ideas to solve problems we don’t have in the village or the city. They love to create answers for questions we don’t ask. Pay attention you stupid ego maniacs in the VOC and Sedona. NO MASS TRANSIT FIX IS NEEDED OR WANTED.
You’d think they’d been clued in by all their past failures. Duh. Appreciate Steve doing some research.
Thanks @steve Segner for setting the record straight: no traffic problem in Sedona. Complainers take note.
In the meantime, city approves and budgets $200k for a parking lot on Back O’Beyond Rd to accommodate Cathderal Rock trail head. This commitment prior to even knowing how much more revenue they can choke out of residents after they spend another $100k for some sort of feasibility study on garbage pick-up to justify another franchise arrangement (plus sales tax that none of us pay under our current privately arranged services). Can’t wait to hear what our monthly bills will be in order to cover these very nonchalant decisions made regarding the budget – which I believe this article was about?
Can it get any better than this?
Come on folks No one in Sedona works your mostly retirees, the town isn’t even 10,000 people. No1 best commeter city? Your not really a city, Is this the best you can come up with? The residents would vote you in as the most abusive out of control spending city. Aren’t you 7th with the most debt? Come on Cowboys and Indians = Chamber and lodging. Egos of small minded people run the town.
Joshua,
you pay the city sales tax, (not on food) OMG.
The parking AtBack O’Beyond will be free ,and the land was given to the city by a neighbor, this will keep people from parking on the street and blocking the road for residents.
Not a bad idea!
The city has monies is special fund just for service like this.
Patrick, I agree,
ss
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I know, @Steve… what IS reality, anyway? And what good is it? I’d certainly believe the evaluation of a Salt Lake insurance company before I’d believe the actual Sedona commuters. I’m choking on your “great news”—with laughter. You are one funny dude. A warm toast to Obrella is in order.
@ steve Segner.
Sedona has the lowest commute times, excellent hurrah!!!
Um, wait a minute, I am retired. I have a O time commute. If they take that into the average you and the city may not want to get rid of us retired folks.
Steve, please enlighten us, beside the minimum wage tourist jobs, and the highly paid city employees, who commutes to Sedona for a good high paying job?
Also where can I apply for that job, as I am being taxed out of Sedona?
@In the Dark – if you want to know about Steve Segner and the gang check out the Chamber of Commerce Face Book, complete with photos, the grand slam attendance at the recent council meeting and the comments such as (referring to Jennifer Wesselhoff) “eloquent” (speech, presentation, whatever translated to “conning the council.”)
No doubt who it is in control here. So who cares about the outsiders “flatlanders” except those who actually voted for this pathetic group of seven that are running and ruining the lives of those not in the loop.
Your tax dollars at work – promoting a regional chamber of commerce that raises their legs or squats on the peasants that don’t laud and applaud what appears to be legalized fraud. Join Chamber of Commerce or else should rightfully be the revised version of Sedona’s vision statement.
@S. Segner
“Joshua, you pay the city sales tax, (not on food) OMG.”
Is that the best you can come up with? If so your BS appeal has taken a nose dive.
Segner, aren’t you working overtime? You must be tired. Why not take a vacation back to your old stomping ground in California and lounge on the beach. Understand the sharks are hungry and it would be a change of pace for you because there the sharks probably won’t be on your team. However, it may be well to understand they aren’t only circling Sedona. Have fun! Enjoy your wealth because the fruits of your questionable ethics are finally paying off. Oh, yes, and by all means take Jennifer with you on a truly celebratory R & R.
Are “Day Trippers” considered “Commuters?” Surely the “regional” Chamber of Commerce has an answer for that since it’s generally during the seasonal tourist months when the traffic becomes backed up for hours, especially on weekends when city staff and others who have jobs in Sedona aren’t necessarily making the daily jaunt.
All the workers in the tourist industry live outside the city limits. All the business managers do also. That way we can tell the city what to do and we don’t have to pay to play. We all get invited to council meetings to raise hell and show support. We like that they pay for our advertising. They owe us. We don’t get paid enough here.
@s. Segner
“Americans commute on average 25 minutes both to and from work, however Obrella, an insurance company based out of Salt Lake City, Utah, found Sedona’s commuter average to be 15.3 minutes, ranking it No. 1 Best Commuter City in Arizona.…”
Excellent and positive information since this surely reflects there is absolutely no justification for the ongoing alleged need for affordable housing. Cool info and I thank you so much for setting the record straight!
@steve Segner – since you can’t even spell – how are we ever to take you and your posts and concepts seriously? Just because some unknown insurance company decided our commuter rate ranked #1 – So What??? and just WHO is that company?…. oh and who paid into their rankings? tee-hee.
@steve Segner wrote: time to step up and pay for what we get ,, I would love to see a tax on each lot or home. steve”
Are you loosing your mind or just flippin Crazy steve s.?
@Red Rock Fever : your comments are spot on! – I applaud you!
Steve S. is just a Taker! He has never given back to our town out of his own pocket cuz he figured out how to make the City pay for his wants! Nor, as I’ve learned, did he Ever give the entire Lodging Membership the opportunity to vote on the upping of the B&B .5% increase. and that little unknown fact is the most egregious misstep that guy has done.
Steve Segner is just a want-to-be and his wants are to just redirect our city moneys to his and the chamber’s pockets.
Milly says, Steve S. is just a Taker! He has never given back to our town out of his own pocket cuz he figured out how to make the City pay for his wants,
Really, you should do you home work , ask around.
By the way, I know I am a bad speller, but why don’t you work on your grammar!
To show how out of date and schizophrenic local leaders are in Sedona, one day we’re reading how Coconino county has approved short-term rentals. The next day we read that Sedona is cracking down on short-term rentals.
Unless you’re living under a rock, you might have noticed the prime-time commercials promoting Airbnb, a peer-to-peer rental agency that has facilitated transactions (tourist spending dollars) in northern Arizona since 2008. Hosts can now legally rent out spare bedrooms or entire apartments for extra income in Coconino County (covers uptown Sedona – where short-term rental crack-downs are the harshest).
In Sedona, however, it is regrettable to report that the opposite is true – a special task force has been formed with it’s soul purpose to bust those homeowners who think it’s nobody else’s business what they do in their own home – and hosting a short-term stay is an easy way to make extra money.
Given the rising usage in Airbnb and other vacation rental sites, Sedona is missing out on a great deal of tax dollars. While these rental services may take away business from “traditional lodging properties,” they may also bring in visitors who would otherwise not have access to the city. Sedona ranks as America’s #1 most scenic city and peer-to-peer stays allows the city to accommodate guests who otherwise might have no-where to stay — especially when hotels are filled.
Tourist who stay in short-term rentals bring business to the city – they eat in restaurants, shop, and experience the community by staying with a local. At the end of the day, their impact is still very important to the livelihoods of many locals. It’d be nice to be able to level the playing field between local residents, timeshares, and hotels. (Please explain the difference between a homeowner’s short term rental and the practice of timeshares selling “points” to allow short term stays.)
There’s a great need for public transit in Sedona. Many tourist arrive in Sedona on the shuttle and are shocked to find that there’s no bus or tram — and taxi service is slow and spotty. Peer-to-peer car rentals and private auto taxi-type rides like Uber are also becoming increasingly more popular. Automobile manufacturer, Ford, has now rolled out a new program that allows car owners to rent out their cars on a short-term basis through GM financing – a forward-thinking way to avoid future repossessions. Perhaps someday a mortgage company might help a homeowner – imagine Chase bank setting up short-term stays for that spare room to help make ends meet.
The future is now. Otherwise, Sedona is just a waste of a perfectly good penny.
If it’s a fact that Coconino County approved short-term rentals, it still won’t apply to the portion of incorporated City of Sedona within that county. We are regulated by the City code.
Residential zoning is not appropriate for short-term rentals. Those who purchase property zoned for “Single Family Residential” expect that representation to be honored. If we intended to live in a motel/hotel short-term vacation rental area we would purchase property zoned for that purpose and accept it.
Who’s to say if legalized short-term rental proprietors would in fact report their activities, collect taxes, and operate within the law? There are so many violators already that why would they share their “take” by becoming legal if given the opportunity? What is needed here is a severe crackdown on the violators so they know this city means business. That would also put an end to unscrupulous realtors who continue to break the law by encouraging the illegal solicitation.
It’s highly likely that if Sedona changes the code to allow such invasion of single-family residential areas they could be faced with individual or class action law suits under the justification of State Law. That would be a logical course of action under the provisions outlined in Arizona Law Review Vol. 51:211. http://www.arizonalawreview.org/pdf/51-1/51arizlrev211.pdf
We deserve to know who are neighbors are, who is wandering our streets, and be assured our property purchases will maintain the original protection under zoning laws that existed when we made our investments.
careful what you wish for :
Manhattan Beach council cracks down on short-term rentals
Other residents such as Holly Arnesen complained that guests staying in short-term rentals near their homes have been rowdy and disrespectful. She lives across the street from several units.
“There’s constantly people coming in and out every single week,” Arnesen said. “They’re very loud. They’re just there to party. They leave cigarettes butts. They leave beer bottles.”
GARDEN HOME, Ore. – Airbnb-type short term rentals are now regulated in Portland, but not in unincorporated areas of Washington County. That’s caused a big problem for at least one woman in the Garden Home community, who says her neighbor’s rental home is a nuisance.
Rental rules: ‘This is a neighborhood. They’re running a hotel’
Denise Brem says early one morning she woke to a voice shouting, “OK, now breathe!”
She says she looked outside her second story bedroom window to see someone teaching a yoga class in the yard next door. Brem says on other occasions she’s seen tents in the yard, along with several cars in the driveway and late night bonfires and parties.
You can rent the house, which sleeps eight people, through VRBO.com, a site that operates much like Airbnb.
Brem says the vacation rental is quiet right now but it gets a lot of business in the summer and she doesn’t want to have any more sleepless nights.
“These people don’t care about their neighborhood. They’re on vacation!” Brem said. “This is a neighborhood. It’s zoned residential. They’re running a hotel.”
Complaints about short-term apartment-rental services such as Airbnb soared in the past year — but there were only 12 inspectors to act on them, a city official said Tuesday.
Neighbors’ complaints to 311 over Airbnb are on the rise
There were 1,150 complaints about “illegal hotels” to the city’s 311 hot line in 2014 — a 62 percent jump over the 712 calls operators fielded in 2013, said Elizabeth Glazer, who heads the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement.
Time for another city and county watch article by ESM!
@Mike – Why push my luck when people just keep on commenting here?:-)
However, how can I resist saying something kind and positive about our former City Attorney, Mike Goimarac. He was a champion at aggressively enforcing the short-term rental code/regulation/ordinance and did a stellar job as evidenced when he prevailed during the legal challenge in court. May his replacement be as dedicated.
OK, by having written that, I’m toast and may not survive long enough to even consider another article.
ESM
Oh sure, there will be the exception to the rules, but let’s not forget that years ago it was illegal to even have a roommate in Sedona – too many transients, the city said back then. Too many homes that will be nothing more than flop houses in our nice residential areas, they said. It was due to the homeowners continuing the practice that sharing your home became legal. Just because it’s not legal doesn’t mean there’s no short term housing in Sedona. Those maudlin stories of bad neighbors are the exception and not the rule, as millions of people everyday are booking stays with private parties around the world. There have been few complaints because people staying in other people’s homes are, by and large, respectful. Did you NOT read the list of rules for Coconino county in the newspaper? My friend came to visit me and stayed with an airbnb host – otherwise she could not afford the trip. The only reason Airbnb complaints are on the rise is due to the sheer numbers of people signing up. It’s still less than 1%. Not making it legal means Sedona is forgoing tax dollars and deciding that the corporations and real estate agents booking short term stays are OK but your average private citizen, it’s not OK.
FYI – do people interested in buying a home in your neighborhood have to fill out some sort of application or something? And when you stay in a hotel or resort, do you go around and introduce yourself so you know your neighbors? Have a little faith in humanity ! And a property owner can and should be able to do as he pleases in his own home without prying eyes and nosy neighbors.
Steve Segner – rah rah man for timeshares and hotel, I just want you to know that there’s plenty of business for everyone. The more you try to manipulate the outcome, the more you will fail.
Mike = right on.
I’m sorry but we all like to bitch about something on this site for one reason or another but I’m hoping that one thing that we can all agree on is that Sedona is a city of volunteers. Bringing in more “visitors” or short term renters to houses in residential sections will drastically reduce those volunteers. The only folks that benefit from the short term rental is the property owner with un or non reported income. The whole idea of offering a short term rental is very selfish.
I will reserve any further comments until I read an opinion from someone with more time living here like Mrs Maddock.
@WasteOfPrettyPenny
In Sedona, a short term stay to make ends meet is termed “Housemate Wanted”.
“The future is now” mentality caused the housing bubble of the 2000s.
If you think—even vaguely—that Sedona is a waste of (or rather, wasting) your pretty penny, you would be correct. If you lived here.
If you’re visiting, suck it up. And don’t be criticizing all the little inadequacies that are “so inconvenient” because you want to bring Sedona “into the future”. It’s different here!
Deal with it.
(Note to Eddie: I’ll probably catch hell for this one! A)
I’m a bit exasperated with the one or two griping about contrary opinions here calling it the b word. Take some time to read the comments and find the majority are always positive and always offering viewpoints to be considered. It’s called a conversation. It’s an art.
Personally I like this site. It’s a good read. It’s chock full of news and ideas and opinions. It’s art!
This not about business this is a zoning issue , I have a home in sedona and our neighbor rented by the night, it was hell.
I called the city and the city took the agent to court, thousand of dollars later the city is still fighting the case.
I have another property on View, the neighbor brings in vans of Japanese
Visitors 6 to 12 and they sleep on the floor.
You want to rent by the night, pay all the fees that hotels pay ,have all the inspections hotels have and pay the higher property tax that hotels pay.
This is about greed pure and simple you get the money you neighbors get the grief.
I know the outcome $1,000.00 fine ,
Ss
1K fine? I’m not worried any longer! That’s more than worth the return! Bring me renters preferably by the busloads who sleep on floors and think they’re getting a good deal.
Council do your job instead of creating another stupid ass idea like garbage. The conflict of interest is so shovel deep on that plan, you should be prepared for lawsuits by the dozen. Don’t care what the city attorney tells you cities can and cannot do, you’ve got councilors with fingers licking green in that pie. Your attorney is too new to know that or their history, and they won’t cough it up probably even under oath.
Lots of lawyers in your town do know where to turn over rocks.
Raise the fine to 10K minimum or 5K per head when a ticket is issued on the site of a disturbance by these renters. Create a system that begins and ends in a timeline of less than 90 days from ticket issue to the end decision before the city magistrate. Provide an appeals process that begins after the original fine is satisfied and placed in a escrow account, and allow that escrow fund to be the subject of argument.
And go after the individual renters, the homeowner and the rental company. You start ending everybody’s good time and there won’t be a party. Pass an ordinance with teeth and stop gumming folks to death in that town of old folks.
@Wasteofaperfectlygood Penny asked: “Please explain the difference between a homeowner’s short term rental and the practice of timeshares selling “points” to allow short term stays.” The answer is that the timeshare owners, by State ARS and definition, OWN their week where the short term renters don’t own anything – only the home owner does. Also, it has never been illegal to have A roommate in Sedona. Sedona is not forgoing money by outlawing short term rentals – it is those homeowners who go out of their way to cheat on paying appropriate taxes as they pocket unreported income! .
Then you state: “And a property owner can and should be able to do as he pleases in his own home without prying eyes and nosy neighbors.eat the system”. You are 100% correct in concept but the big and forgotten concept is that we are a nation and state and city of laws and we simply must adhere to them or pay the price.
@Andrea: If you really believe that the city council and all its attachments or affinity groups are wasting your money than why don’t you step up to rally your friends to tell council – NO MORE!? The only way to change the city/chamber mentality is to start opposing them on a grass roots level that elevates to a loud enough sound of displeasure they will hear.
@Long Time Resident: How I wish I could agree that Sedona is a town of volunteers but alas those days have passed. For the most part, (take into consideration the Fire District and all the groups reaching out to council for money to promote their wants and, Hum, Chamber of commerce comes to mind as the second biggest bad boy of having the citizens pay for what they don’t want to spend the time on to raise funds) Sedona still can take itself back and regain it’s integrity.
And you are correct that the “The only folks that benefit from the short term rental is the property owner with un or non reported income. The whole idea of offering a short term rental is very selfish.” Awhile back I was told that several city council members (on previous and possibly current council) own short term rentals. And also that some of the mucky mucks of the chamber do as well. Hum???
IMO a Residential neighborhood is just that and the city codes do not include any sort of definition relating to Short Term Rentals. There, again is the point of law. So Coconino is doing something doesn’t even relate to Sedona. Think Segner’s words prove how bad – bad can be.
Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts and lets keep the conversation going so we can all understands facts over fiction..
Housemate Wanted is a legitimate way to share a house! It costs more for the house people share but its more economical on internet & deposits & having a washer and dryer and bigger size rooms and an outside with deck and porch and yard when you share. I get more nice house when sharing and not some overpriced roach motel or skanky apt. I’ve lived that way for many years in quite a few places & its always a nice situation for me. You don’t know what your talking about.
@Ben – sorry but your comment is not on point at all. You seem to not be a short term renter and instead a long term housemate. Apples to onions comparison
@ F. G. – You’ve got it – now run with it!!!
A minor fine of $1000 is just chump change! Question to you – how many past and current council members and staff own homes they rent on the fly?
@Ben, “Housemate Wanted” for less than 30 days in Sedona is NOT a legitimate way to share a house. It’s against the city code!
@FG, spot on you are about the $1k slap on the wrist. Chump change to those who stand to make $5k per week or $20k monthy. It makes one wonder who made the suggestion for this “drastic” enforcement measure. As someone else suggested, could it be someone on council has a secret mission? Just asking. If not then get serious and raise the penalty as FG suggests to $5k or $10k, first offense. If you plan to nail ’em, do it right.
Sharlett, I can’t believe that I’m typing this but I think that we both agree on this topic. I do have one question; when you wrote “take into consideration the Fire District and all the groups reaching out to council” are you saying that the Fire District reaches out to the city council for funding?????
Exclusive locations don’t permit vacation rentals. It brings the neighborhood to everyday. Lowers the property values and rooms rates. The name Sedona is used for all those outside the city district. Red Rock Crossing, past the bridge in Oak Creek canyon, out by Enchantment and the village of Oak creek. Go there to buy your vacation rental homes. Join the regional chamber so then the city will pay for your advertising. You can play without paying the city. The in city hotels don’t mind collecting more taxes from the visitors to pay your way.
It’s all about the dollar.
Sharlett says @Andrea — If you really believe that the city council and all its attachments or affinity groups are wasting your money than why don’t you step up to rally your friends to tell council – NO MORE!? The only way to change the city/chamber mentality is to start opposing them on a grass roots level that elevates to a loud enough sound of displeasure they will hear.
Nice idea but this council has no tolerance for outsiders (maybe called flatlanders) except if they jumped on the Segner Campaign to get them elected. Then of course they are members of the elite.
Very interesting that at the last council there were NO speakers at the Public Forum. Little wonder. It’s a hostile place except for the Chamber of Commerce & Associates. Sedona is controlled by gang rule and opposition is NOT welcome.
Frequently comments made drift from the original subject. I don’t see that happening here which seems all topics relating to Sedona have to do with money. Subject of article “Eye on Sedona Budget Review & Planning.”
And that is easily broken down to Chamber of Commerce, non-profits, and other giveaways like the numerous programs and excessive activities offered by the Parks & Recreation, available to Verde-Valley and the world if you include day trippers and the questionable number of destination tourists. None on the list are subject to responsible verification of return on investment which in Sedona is an alien concept. (Bring on the UFO’S and prepare to land at Bell Rock – oops, out of City Limits but why should that matter?)
So much for the inter-workings of a normal city, like roads, infrastructure, drainage master plan (flood control), and traffic management. Solutions to those trivial and bothersome nuisances remain in the “Sources of New Funding” category.
How about reviving the Harmonic Convergence to maybe inspire down to earth thinking?
@ Interesting Observation? — They do have a drainage master plan. Didn’t you see it in the “Community Connection” the City sent out? They are providing free sandbags to people. DIY, peons!
The Harmonic Convergence did come down to earth but it became the Moronic Convergence.
@Warren
“Ach So” “C’est la Vie” and “Touche” on both points.
(1) Drainage Master Plan = free sandbags.
(2) Reinvention of the Harmonic Convergence = Moronic Convergence
And a good time was had by all? Only if you’re among the Silk Stocking Group.
Warren, why don’t you go back to your Smart Meters or have they fried your brains.
And so, Patrick Ryan, who are you to be so critical of Warren? His dedication to researching Smart Meters, along with others, has exposed what you are willing to admit. They fry brains.
Warren is accurate when he reports that instead of fixing the problem the city is offering free sand bags for potential flooding. The historic Hummingbird House is already supplied with sandbags. A pity too since it was the inefficiency of this city’s competence that created the flooding problems at Brewer Road in the first place. Forever the system worked well until inadequate engineering fouled up the works – really.
You, Sir Patrick Ryan, indeed sound exactly like one of the elitists who doesn’t want to be bothered with facts because they don’t apply to you. Suck up on the silver spoon you evidently enjoy stuffing in your mouth. Are you, by chance, using one or both feet?
Responding to Wasteofaperfectlygood Penny “– do people interested in buying a home in your neighborhood have to fill out some sort of application or something? And when you stay in a hotel or resort, do you go around and introduce yourself so you know your neighbors? Have a little faith in humanity ! And a property owner can and should be able to do as he pleases in his own home without prying eyes and nosy neighbors.”
Your first question is childish and doesn’t merit a response as is your second factious remark about staying at legitimate hotels or resorts. Property owners are entitled to do as they please with their property as long as it’s lawful. Renting short term/vacation rentals in Sedona is not. Simple as that.
My faith in humanity might be restored with considerate neighbors who refrain from breaking the law by renting to total strangers for short periods of time, abiding by the principals of effective “neighborhood watch” and sparing us from intrusive activities such as “prying eyes and nosy strangers,” inappropriate for single-family residential zoning. There is a state law on our side which I provided the link in my original comment.
Areas are zoned for a reason. For example horse property. Commercially zoned areas for hotels. Family raising kids do not want to have them living next to a hotel. It invades on their safety by increasing the traffic and bringing in strangers. Crime is the highest in these areas. This is why most cities prohibited hotels by schools.
The city council has become a “Tourist Whore” in everything they do. They have an schema, money. By over taxing taxpayers to turn around and give more money to the regional chamber to bring more tourists in is a perfect example. You owe them.
Discredit the locals by manipulating the numbers. Call them names, make them feel unwelcome, tell them they don’t contribute, disgrace them. They have taken away your civil rights by their behavior. Enabling maltreatment. We misplace transparency by funding groups. It is a kick back. The city funds groups that will support their schema. This is why they are the only ones speaking at city council meetings. It doesn’t matter where they live, enable those outside the city district to play. Just agree with the agenda. Those that do get paid. Look at Segner his primary residence is outside the city limits. Watch the council meetings, hostel except for those getting a kick back or paycheck.
Slander, politic bullying, and discrediting local contributions is all part of the game. Tourist whores, no one else is welcome. If you think city staff is unaware, you’re wrong. They are the highest paid city employees in the state, if not the nation for a town of 9,000.
It’s only a matter of time before all locals are driven out of the city. It will become one big vacation rental. Look at every group or persons getting money from the city, those are the ones enabling and endorsing the “Tourist Whore” through control and manipulation.
You do have some rights but only if everyone stops this insane concept of the lodging council -chamber. If you play with the chamber you are enabling and endorsing bad behavior and are part of the “Tourist Whore” Club. Unwilling to step up to the plate, your part of the problem.
Congratulations “Tourist Whores” and city employees only your rights count in the city of Sedona. Sedona’s red rock dirty little secret.
N*R*
Many questions remain unanswered. Why does the city continue to enter into service contracts (most recent with Red Earth Theater) for service they don’t need? How important is it for the city to contract for acting when they have their own stage, City Hall? There were no requests for competitive bids?
The same is true for the Chamber of Commerce which has been said time and time again. While the city claims they cannot afford a respectable City of Sedona Visitors Center, they throw away cash to promote the chamber and non-city businesses. It just goes on and on.
In the meantime they will continue to persecute legitimate residents, bully them into thinking they don’t deserve to live here since they do not pay their way and yet will continue to figure out more ways to make our quality of life miserable.
Watch out those on the sewer. Your monthly bills will continue to soar with this big city thinking. The vision statement has become a mockery as was represented by the past council and continues to plague residents at an even faster pace.
But silence will fuel the process. As Jon Thompson correctly made reference at some point, the vocal minority spouts off and without being counted by voting the next election things will only get worse.
Silence is approval.
Thanks @ Mary S. I am the grassrootiest of the grass roots. No kidding! I stopped going to council meetings long ago because they felt so cold and elitist. A person could have their three minutes and be very well-spoken. You could feel the wave of concurring. But the setup is too formal.
The chill of a City Council meeting with no visible “city” present would be great theater, wouldn’t it?
I live out of the spotlight. But I care deeply, and I think this forum allows a great airing of many, many issues.
. Question Norma.
Please give us an example, of “over taxing taxpayers”
Remembering there is no city tax except sales tax. Did it go up ?
Norma, said.
“Look at Segner his primary residence is outside the city limits”
Sorry not true 95 portal lane is my primary residence. I follow all the state laws.
Norm said “except for those getting a kick back or paycheck.
Norma. All the hate, slander and bullying seems to be coming from you.
So Norma who was in Sedona first you are the Tourists? Just asking
Steve
Tourist whores? Got to give it to Norma for a reality check.
Yes it does appear that the city has lost its way @norma. Good points!
@Steve we all know you sleep on Thompson road up the canyon outside the city. I enjoyed an event at your property on Thompson. We’re all not stupid. Either are the tourists. Chamber members are advertising how to save money. It’s by staying outside the city limits.
Who was in Sedona first? Cowboys or Indians?
Is there a point, doctor? Who was on the planet first? Who was in China first? Who was in Malawi first? Who was the first one on an island? A continent? A mountain top? Bloomingdale’s when it opened in NYC? Do the Curie lineage get to retain rights to their discoveries? Tesla? von Braun? To the conquerors go the spoils and the responsibilities. It is the same for sharks, it is the same for humans.
Ask Steve Segner. He knows everything about everything.
I asked the question because, the above comments “Tourist whores”, make it sound
like you all were first to arrive in Sedona, NIMBY comes to mind.
still no answer from
Question Norma.
Please give us an example, of “over taxing taxpayers”
Remembering there is no city tax except sales tax. Did it go up ?
lets all stick to facts
ss