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Public Works and the Neighborly Spirit

oak creek watershed logoSedona AZ (December 13, 2013) – When contemplating what to do as a community member, the old quote “Love your neighbor as yourself” seems apt. This requires some understanding of how what you do affects those around you, and answering the question, “How would I want to be treated in the same circumstance?” Neighborliness is about doing the considerate thing for your fellow residents. It is an attitude arising out of respect for our fellow citizens. From a Public Works perspective, there are a number of neighborly things that can occur in our community.

In Sedona, “Pick up after your pet” is companion to the phrase, “It flows to the river.” This is because Oak Creek‘s major pollution issue is contamination by bacteria called E. coli. E. coli is short for Escherichia coli, a bacterium commonly found in the intestines of warm-blooded bodies. It is able to survive outside of the body and is, therefore, a good indicator of fecal contamination.

City of Sedona article submitted by staff

City of Sedona article submitted by staff

It may interest many people to know that stormwater in Sedona flows to Oak Creek. The Oak Creek Watershed Council in its Oak Creek Watershed Improvement Plan, released earlier this year, noted that the level of E. coli rises dramatically in Oak Creek in the vicinity of Sedona during rain storms. This may lead to warnings regarding the use of Oak Creek in the Sedona area during certain times of the year. Citizens and visitors in Sedona can help reduce this contamination by picking up after their pets. You may take a plastic bag with you to pick up after your pet when you take your pet for a walk, or if there is a pet waste station along the walk route, you can make use of one of the gloves provided for this purpose. Please keep Oak Creek, our river, clean.

Another neighborly thing to do is consider how you park along some of Sedona’s narrow streets. Many narrow streets in Sedona do not have the width to allow cars to park across from one another. The City ordinance requires that a 20-foot wide travel way be left on streets. Doing this helps avoid cars having to face each other head on. It is neighborly to consider leaving enough room for two cars to pass when you park.

Each year, the City of Sedona conducts a pre-monsoon check of storm drain facilities throughout the City. This is done in order to clear waterways of debris, which might plug up culverts or pollute our waterways. Helping to reduce flooding, even when it is not on your property, is a neighborly thing to do. This includes not throwing trash and landscape clipping into ditches. Reducing erosion on your property by covering dirt and debris piles, and by preventing gullying on your property, are ways to reduce the impact of storms on your neighbors. You should also move debris and chemicals away from washes so that overland flow does not wash them into a waterway during a storm.

Traffic safety is another area in which we can demonstrate that we are good neighbors. Cutting back vegetation planted on your property that obscures signs, the view of motorists, or impedes pedestrians, besides improving neighborhood safety, is another neighborly deed. Not speeding through a neighborhood is appreciated by the residents who live along the street. Respecting the rights of others in a shared roadway is being a good neighbor. The use of many roads around the community is shared by both the bicyclist and motor vehicle, and by pedestrians where no sidewalk exists.

lady bird johnsonLady Bird Johnson, First Lady of the United States (1963-1969), once said, “While the spirit of neighborliness was important on the frontier because neighbors were so few, it is even more important now because our neighbors are so many.”

This SedonaEye.com article authored by Charles Mosley, Public Works Director/City Engineer.
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12 Comments

  1. N. Baer says:

    And last, but certainly not least, in order to protect your family, your neighbor’s family and every biologically based being in your neighborhood AND in your community at large, remember to call APS and opt out today 800 253-9405. NO FEE HAS BEEN APPROVED to do so. If someone tells you otherwise, FILE A COMPLAINT see http://www.sedonasmartmeterawareness.com/WHAT-CAN-I-DO-.html for instructions.

  2. Sharlett says:

    Excuse me while I pick myself up off the floor because I fell out of my chair as I was laughing so damn hard after reading the above article!!!

    Seems to me our city engineer, Mosley, should be spending more time getting some of the many broken issues in this town that are his responsibility fixed instead of writing this. Wouldn’t that make better neighborhoods?

    Instead we are learning from him “It may interest many people to know that stormwater in Sedona flows to Oak Creek. The Oak Creek Watershed Council in its Oak Creek Watershed Improvement Plan, released earlier this year, noted that the level of E. Coli rises dramatically in Oak Creek IN THE VICINITY Of Sedona during rain storms. This may lead to warnings regarding the use of Oak Creek in the Sedona area during certain times of the year. Citizens and visitors in Sedona can help reduce this contamination by picking up after their pets.” Huh?

    From what I’ve read, it is the area around Slide Rock State Park that battles E Coli and that while there is human contamination there, the majority is wildlife, and not pets, causing the problem.

    Would really like to know how Mosley defines “IN THE VICINTY of Sedona during rain storms”. If I understanding the meaning of the word VICINTY – hey folks – that’s NOT Sedona! Definition of Vicinity: “A NEARBY, SURRONDING, or ADJOINING REGION.”

    And, I’d thought I’d learned that storm water on our major hiways was actually running into our major drainage/sewer lines. Guess I’m wrong and that this city has never done poop to get control over that dirty situation.

    Wow. So much for thinking ADOT and the City can’t allow dirty storm runoff to enter our Arizona State (and Federal?) designated Unique Waterway called Oak Creek.

    Maybe city police should be ticketing people who improperly park on residential roads instead of the visitors who pay our bills. Maybe the new Code Enforcement person should be warning private property owners to clean up their weeds……and maybe the new Financial Director can figure out how to pay for that instead of all the “other” follies and study’s this city Council pays for?

    I certainly agree with Charles Mosley on “what you do affects those around you” and only wish the Council and certain Staff understood that as well.

  3. Ben says:

    Sharlett, I agree with You. No one should be going in the water at oak creek during the monsoons below slide rock. Everybody knows that. Think about it. Solid people along the creek there and no out houses in sight.

    A question for Mr Mosley is, why did the city stop cleaning out the culverts along the streets 2 or 3 years ago? It used to be done every year before the monsoons and then it was stopped? Now if you go down to public works and fill out a form they will do it for that house only. Why did it stop? Why?

    By the way N. Baer, what does APS and opt out have to do with public works?

  4. Steve says:

    Ben you read N. Baer comment! Think that makes his point and answers your question? What have you done to opt out?

    The question about the culverts needs answering! This city is getting out of control for not performing its maintenance mandate. What are you who sit on council and city hall chairs doing? Stop wasting staff time preparing agendas on issues that you don’t have any sway over and get down to work. I know the Mayor is out of office until New Year and how about the rest of you? Close city hall down and reopen the first week of January if you can’t get stuff done. Save us the cost of heating and lighting. I’m disgusted frankly.

  5. let’s hear it for the sedona neighborly spirit

  6. Pam says:

    @Steve. It makes me wonder if the only reason they keep up these meetings this time of year is to squeak by secret agendas while hardly anyone is paying attention. Also with staff, like the meetings with Karen Daines and that Chamber of Commerce Jennifer person. Just a thought.

  7. N. Baer says:

    @Ben -“Opting out” aka refusing “smart” meters is all about ‘neighborly spirit.

  8. D.M. says:

    Hey is this Charles Mosly who didn’t respond to the street failure brought to his attention by that Mike Shroeder? Guess saying he’s sorry took second place to writing a column for you that glorifies his efforts at city hall. Right. That’s what we call Biz As Usual. Don’t respond to the people paying your salary but deflect. He’s got the “guvmint clintonian principle” down to an art form. Tell me again why I live and have a business here? Neighborly spirit? Lost it.

  9. Jack says:

    Sedona friendly………….. they don’t know the word friendly unless its padding their agendas. Just look at the actions of city council. Me, I, me. They don’t represent those that elected them. Citizens and businesses are getting pooped all over, unless your friends with city council they stick it to you. Just like they making the in town businesses pay for the chamber and enchantment promotion. Raising the bed tax to give the money to the regional chamber should be recalled. All of them, criminal, in my opinion. So lets standup! I say lets unincorporated as Richard Saunders stated. I see the website is going up in January. I vote to unincorporated, We all be better off with the county services.

  10. E. Maddock says:

    @N.Baer. Oh how I wish at least one neighbor over here would heed your message. Either that or move to Canada permanently. :-)

  11. Sharlett says:

    Hey all above. Sure hope Mr. Mosley will read all your comments since he posted his feel good article on this site. Also glad to know I’m not the only one taking issue with the article. And N Baer is correct for us to Opt Out. I’ve done it and hope all will.

  12. Ted says:

    Mosley speaks of pollution in Oak Creek while our leaders remain determined to encourage the problem with plans to provide a creek walk and park within City Limits. How utterly stupid can that be? Of course the up side might be all the folks will save gas by stopping at the new slop plop in Sedona and bypass Slide Rock. And Mosley thinks pollution is a problem now? Better time would be spent fixing pot holes in roads.

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