This Eye on City of Sedona column is authored by Vice Mayor Mark DiNunzio and submitted by the City of Sedona.
Sedona 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.
This Eye on City of Sedona column authored by Vice Mayor Mark DiNunzio was submitted by the City of Sedona staff with the following disclaimer: These thoughts are mine alone and may not reflect the thinking of City Council or staff.
For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!
Community Connection Newsletter Available
The City of Sedona recently published its Community Connection newsletter, a communications initiative of City Council. Included in this publication is an update from Mayor Rob Adams as well as information from various City departments.
The report was mailed to residents in the City limits. If you did not receive one and would like one mailed to you, please contact the City Manager’s office at 928-204-7127. It is also available on the City’s website at http://www.SedonaAZ.gov under Community tab, Residents, Community Connection Newsletter.
So let’s see. The change was all about efficiency, “and the dollar cost to the city had grown significantly and was continuing to grow.” So the solution is to hire 2 new people. That makes total sense.
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Mark, Good try to explain the worst votes any council has made, to date, – yet no golden ring! only reason the commissions were taking so much staff time is cuz your council never had an after thought of responsibility or communication level to them….better stated – your council never thought they should or needed to interact with them as you continued to do your dream land and wish list projects your city manager told you there was no money for.
I gained this information by doing a too long review of too many council meeting videos.
don’t remember that any of you gave direction to your commissions and then deep sixed them cuz they …..they had minds of their own????? . and now you decide to turn over the public active opportunities to staff? OMG. staff, via assistant city manager, Dame Karen, simply wants to rule! thanks for your wisdom and explanation …. and as someone else said: hiring 2 new people to fix the issues you and your fellow council members never wanted to address, caused and never fixed until you killed the commissions? …OMG.
Nancy E. has nailed it.
I suspect the nonsense qualifies for the ‘most laughable article from the City Council’ award.
Hmm, always good to get around the state’s Open Meeting Laws.
Well there’s one commission I’m happy to see go but of course it’s after the fact. All the jokers on that Housing Commission did was spend tons of money for false propaganda, tasteless cookies for the multiple “public” meetings and served as a clear example of wasting staff time.
The worst thing is that PUBLIC OPINION MEANT NOTHING because ADU’s were approved in spite of overwhelming disapproval.
The only thing now is that if special committees commence to huddle in private what will they pull off without public knowledge. Our subdivisions have already been invaded with unenforceable circumstances.
The best thing for Sedona would be to see a FOR SALE sign on City Hall announcing they are GOING OUT OF BUSINESS.
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 as streets, drainage, arts, and public works. WOW, so great the Mayor and City 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.
Both Jean and Laughing 1 bring up excellent thoughts/points that relate to what is really legal – or not.
How does council continue to just slink below the radar in order to raid the Wastewater Enterprise Fund (reserved, supposedly, for only wastewater treatment plant needs)? Thought this was a simple concept…guess all of us were duped.
Then, how does Council continue to slink around the Open Meeting Laws regarding Commissions they got rid of and what those groups were charged with doing?
Now it seems council thinks their new idea of Staff pulling a quickly found group of citizens together to discuss an important issue having impact on all of us, will promote more “balanced views by citizens ready to serve”. OMG
Council wants staff to deal with the public’s ability to have a say (on a balanced basis?) instead it does look like everything is going to be Staff driven and a group of hand picked citizens who will parrot staffs wisdom?
To Jeans point – where have there been any improvements that have ever saved us a penny?
And, lastly to Good Riddance – well, you just found an improvement that will save us not just a penny, but mega bucks! Getting rid of the Housing Commission. Good Job! Guess I need to do some more research on what an ADU is.
since the housing commission is gone does that mean the AUD’s are gone?
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. I read the tea leaves wrong and 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.