Article submitted by City of Sedona AZ
Sedona AZ (February 11, 2015) – It is hard to believe the Citizen Engagement Program already has a year under its belt… and what a year it has been. For starters, we had nine work groups start and complete their work. In addition, fifteen other work groups are still in progress and meeting. These groups work through a variety of issues such as land use planning for the Western Gateway area and land surrounding the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the city’s budget, and arts and culture initiatives the City could pursue. The interest areas stretch far and wide and can be straightforward or more strategic and long-range.
While the work groups are the keystone to the Citizen Engagement Program, the suggestions brought forth by citizens is another key component. These are collected, organized, and presented to Council as part of their yearly priority-setting process.
In January 2015, City Council finalized their priority list for Fiscal Year 2016, and thus some of the priorities may need work groups. A sampling of the Council’s priorities include the development of a citywide cultural and arts plan, improvement of aesthetics of city street signs, completion of a citywide multimodal transportation study, and the development of a human rights ordinance.
Next, Engage Sedona, the online polling website the City uses to get more broad-based input, has new topics posted asking residents for their opinions on issues including event banners over roadways, the property planning at 250 N. Brewer Road, and alcohol being served on City property for a special event. If you are interested, visit and sign up at http://EngageSedona.Mindmixer.com.
Lauren Browne
Similarly, for the soon-to-be bike park there is a polling site at http://PosseGroundsBikePark.Mindmixer.com . The design team for the project wants your input to help decide which of the three designs is best.
If the Citizen Engagement Program sounds interesting to you, and you want to volunteer in an upcoming work group, visit www.SedonaAZ.gov and click on the Citizen Engagement icon. Scroll down the page to the “Sign Up Now” section and fill out the questionnaire. Your information will go into the volunteer registry.
Additionally, I encourage you to submit ideas, ask questions, or raise issues that you may have by calling me at (928) 203-5068, texting me at (928) 821-6958, emailing me at LBrowne@SedonaAZ.gov, or connecting with me through the program’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. You can access these social media sites via the icons at the bottom of the Citizen Engagement webpage. Ideas may also be submitted through the comment box on the Citizen Engagement webpage.
As you can see, there is much to look forward to in 2015. To the 170 people who have signed up for the Citizen Engagement Program, thank you so much for your time, expertise, and volunteerism. Here’s to 170 more in year two!
Written by Lauren Browne, City of Sedona Arizona Citizen Engagement Coordinator
For the best Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!
Shared this article on my social networks.
Citizen Engagement does not achieve better government. It is basically a way to legitimately get around the AZ Open Meeting Law requiring open and transparent government and ensuring public access to information they have a right to see.
Unfortunately, Citizen Engagement allows government functions to be discussed and secretly worked on in a back room without allowing public input or review. Additionally, citizens have no idea who is pulling the lever. The need for public input at public meetings only arises when the deal is done and the City Council is ready to vote.
In his or her Sedona Eye comments of December 30, 2014, Anonomous Contributor wrote: “I wish to share that to me both the committee and the site ‘feel’ very controlled. I felt the committee I participated on was more for the purpose of saying ‘citizens were involved’ than it was for the citizens to actually be involved. The city ran the meeting……The write ups and recos that followed appeared to me to be ‘pre-scripted’ as in an outcome already privately defined. I could say the process felt hollow…..Look at the citizen engagement site carefully. There are NO conversations. Discussions are absent and the framework is not to allow that. The agenda is 100% that of the city or the coordinator Lauren Browne…..I am just saying I feel a vehicle for our voices, for our discussions, for our education are seriously lacking and the City appears not interested in empowering us citizens more than they have to in order to maintain perhaps an image…..Where and how can we get to discussing ways to alter this/these situations?”
I, personally, understand why the commenter wished to remain anonymous. When I submitted a comment to Lauren Browne that was in agreement with another citizen’s, I received an unfair, inaccurate and uncalled for email from the City Manager himself.
Citizens deserve to have an open and transparent City government.
I found it the same @ JeanJ. The city employees don’t really want us to contribute, they only want us to go along with the agenda. Sedona is distorted. I sat there and barely said a word. They are using us. I really wish they go back to commissions.
Jean J
Your so full of it….
Why don’t you get on one of those citizen engagement groups and see for yourself instead of lying and relying on hearsay
Oops, I guess that means you would have to get out from your computor and actually do something besides Hate Sedona government, which seems to be your hobby if not your full time job
I’m going to agree with “West sedona resident” on this one.
Jean J and her ilk, of which there are MANY in Sedona, are just bored haters, never wanting to actually help.
@ west sedona resisdent you’re the one full of it. I signed up and never got to participate. You pick and choose who is allowed. call it City favs – hand selected by city employees. no one else is allowed. labeling those you don’t want included.