SedonaEye.com columnist Eddie Maddock pens an opinion that the Sedona City Council failed its voters on the smart meter issue. The February 20 city hall council chambers meeting room was standing room only with concerned Sedona voters. Residents complained of parking 1/2 mile away only to discover overflow crowds outside the building prevented attending or hearing the proceedings inside.

Sedona AZ (February 21, 2014) – SedonaEye.com columnist Eddie Maddock discusses the February 20 Sedona City Council Special Meeting on Smart Meters:

Date: 2/20/2014 5:30:48 PM

To: radams@ci.sedona.az.us; MDinunzio@ci.sedona.az.us; MWard@ci.sedona.az.us; DMcIlroy@ci.sedona.az.us; JMartinez@ci.sedona.az.us; JWilliamson@ci.sedona.az.us; BLitrell@ci.sedona.az.us

Cc: ternster@ci.sedona.az.us; Mike Goimarac; Nancy Baer; Warren Woodward; monnie@ramsell.net

Subject: SMART METERS

Mayor Adams and Members of the Sedona City Council:

First of all, thank you very much for having today’s Special City Council Meeting (02/20/14) and especially to the organizers of Sedona Smart Meter Awareness and Council Members Barbara Litrell and Dan McIlroy. Without the concerted efforts of these dedicated people it would not have happened.

Two things, however, were disturbing:  First the matter of a potential $100,000 (estimated high end) for outside legal assistance. Viewing this meeting in the comfort of my own home I could react without being chastised by Mayor Adams and his gavel. (Interesting that at the victory Council Meeting for the Chamber of Commerce, the rallying troops were not scolded for their rounds of applause throughout the meeting. Wasn’t that in July of last year? Maybe October? Perhaps both.)

Acknowledging Councilman Mike Ward was excused from this meeting, consistently this same body of seven people (Sedona City Council) over and over again approve additional funding to you-know-who. The Chamber of Commerce to begin with, not to mention how much for Barb’s Park? One million plus or minus? And what about the $13,000 to rent the ice skating rink? How much is constantly being spent for other outside consultants of various natures? Surely amounts to well over $100,000.

Sedona City Council Smart Meter meeting is attended by unexpectedly large crowd overwhelmingly expressing opposition to APS citywide installation of meters. Photo credit Donna Solomon – SedonaEye.com

The $100,000 contingency fund line item added to the budget last year of course primarily went to the C of C ($80,000) in addition to the $25,000 cash + $5,000 in-kind for Holiday Central. Then the recent $9,000 cash + $5,000 in-kind for the Sedona Marathon. And of course the ongoing controversial million plus funding to C & C for the Destination Marketing Contract. All of this in addition to their more than half-million allocation from the City’s current fiscal budget. To my knowledge none of the rather sizable large amounts have ever been held accountable for even close to anything resembling substantial evidence to indicate return on the dollar, if any indeed does exist.

We aren’t even through the month of February and the Chamber and Lodging Council is soliciting the City to purchase the ADOT property at the “Y” to facilitate THEIR needs. And, yes, they are begging for future funding for the next Holiday Central event before the next Mayor and City Council election, August and November.

But now you have an opportunity to represent very concerned citizens for a very real reason that stands to truly represent an effort to show you do care about health, safety, and welfare not only for the incorporated population but, as you agree, this is a concern for surrounding communities as well.

Interestingly enough you suggest soliciting funding to assist with legal counsel from those other concerned localities, and yet you have no problem in allowing City revenue to be spent for regional marketing via the Chamber of Commerce without even attempting to seek shared funding from those communities who will also benefit from Destination Marketing but do not contribute to City of Sedona tax base. Of course, if the City is actually endorsing the Chamber to work behind the scenes at City expense to attain legitimate regional status, then that’s even worse.

Bottom line. Stop discriminating. Stand up to the mission at hand and cut “wasted” spending for other wish-list items to benefit special interests. The fact is, “Smart Meter Free Sedona, Arizona” at the moment is your best marketing tool and no way will the Chamber of Commerce be able to claim fame to that achievement. And don’t think they won’t try to do so if by some miracle Sedona is able to attain the Arizona Gold Medal for winning this one-of-a-kind prize, possibly coveted worldwide.

The OPINIONS expressed herein are my own.

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