Article submitted by the City of Sedona
Sedona AZ (October 6, 2013) – The Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission voted 7-0 on October 3, 2013, to forward its recommended version of the New Draft Community Plan to City of Sedona Council. The Commission’s action caps three scheduled days of public hearings on October 1, 2, and 3, 2013.
Prior to the Commission’s public hearings, the Commission held five public work-sessions in August and September to review and discuss the Draft Plan. The Commission also co-sponsored two public meetings and three public open houses on the Draft Plan in August and September with the Citizens Steering Committee for the Community Plan Update. The City’s current Community Plan was approved by voters in 2003.
The Sedona City Council is scheduled to hold two work-sessions on October 9 and October 23 on the Planning Commission’s recommended Draft New Plan. The City Council will hold four days of public hearings on the recommended Draft New Plan on October 29, October 30, November 6, and November 7, 2013.
The City Council is currently scheduled to consider possible adoption of the Draft New Plan including any possible changes made by the Council at the conclusion of the public hearing on November 7. Arizona state law requires that two-thirds of the City Council members must vote to adopt the Plan. Arizona state law also requires that a minimum of 50 percent of eligible voters in Sedona must vote to approve the Plan. The City is required to wait four months between the City Council’s adoption of the Plan and the public vote.
The public vote on the new Community Plan is currently scheduled for March 2014.
The City has been working on the update of the Community Plan since 2010. This effort has been guided by the efforts of a Council appointed eleven-member Citizens Steering Committee that to date has met over 70 times. Through newspaper articles, citywide meetings, topical meetings, citywide mailers, tabloids and other efforts, the Committee and City staff have gathered ideas and input from approximately 2,300 participants.
The Sedona Community Plan is the expression of the community’s goals and policies for future growth and development. The State of Arizona requires communities to have a long-range general plan that is updated every 10 years. The Community Plan is an expression of the community’s vision and priorities and a policy guide for future growth and development. The Community Plan is not a budget or commitment to spend money or a list of City projects to build or zoning or other regulations.
For more information on the City of Sedona Community Plan Update, contact Mike Raber, Senior Planner, 928-204-7106 , mraber@SedonaAZ.gov.
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October 2013 is designated as National Community Planning Month throughout the United States of America and its territories. The American Planning Association and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, endorse National Community Planning Month as an opportunity to highlight the contributions sound planning and plan implementation make to the quality of our settlements and environment.
The celebration of National Community Planning Month in Sedona gives Sedona residents the opportunity to publicly recognize the participation and dedication of the members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, other citizen planners and the City’s professional planning staff who have contributed their time and expertise to the growth, development and improvement of the City of Sedona. In particular, Community Planning Month in Sedona recognizes the invaluable efforts during the last 3 years of citizens, the Citizens Steering Committee for the Community Plan Update, the Planning and Zoning Commission, City Council and City staff for the update of the City’s Community Plan.
For more information on Community Planning Month in Sedona, contact Kevin Snyder, AICP, Community Development Director, 928-203-5075.
On September 24, 2013, Mayor Rob Adams issued a proclamation declaring October 2013 as Community Planning Month in the City of Sedona.
The City of Sedona is seeking community input on the proposed Six-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The City will be holding several public meetings and will publish the draft document on the City’s website so citizens may review the proposed projects and project timing, and provide feedback to City staff.
The Capital Improvement Program is a comprehensive multi-year plan of proposed capital projects. It represents the City’s plan for physical development, and is intended to identify and balance capital needs within the fiscal capabilities and limitations of the City. The plan is reviewed each year to reflect changing priorities and provides an ongoing framework for identifying capital requirements, scheduling projects over a period of years, coordinating related projects, and identifying future fiscal impacts. Included in the CIP are projects in the areas of drainage, police, parks and recreation, wastewater, information technology, community development, arts, and public works.
“We plan to have public comment opportunities at two Planning and Zoning Commission meetings and hold at least one general public meeting on the CIP. We will also be sending the draft document to a group of citizen volunteers for their review and comments and have posted the document on the City’s website for all citizens to access,” indicated Karen Daines, Assistant City Manager. The proposed Six-Year CIP can be found at http://www.SedonaAZ.gov/Finance under the Budget & Audit tab for Fiscal Year 2014-2015. The public is invited to provide input by contacting City staff or submitting their comments through the Citizen Engagement page on the City’s website.
The City Council is expected to review and approve the CIP in May of 2014. The following public meetings have been scheduled at Sedona City Hall:
February 27, 2014 – 3:30 p.m. – Planning and Zoning Commission
March 5, 2014 – 3:00 p.m. – General Public Meeting on the CIP
March 27, 2014 – 3:30 p.m. – Planning and Zoning Commission
May 2, 2014 – 9:30 a.m. – City Council Work Session
For questions regarding the proposed CIP, please contact Karen Daines at 928-203-5067 or at kdaines@SedonaAZ.gov.