Thank you, Sir.

For the record, the referenced item on the agenda for the meeting on 2/25 states:

“AB 1747 Discussion/possible action regarding the purchase of real property located at 250 Brewer Road by the City”

This comment submitted to Sedona Eye on 02/21/14 by:
Eddie S. Maddock

——-Original Message——-

From: Mike Ward
Date: 2/20/2014 12:23:04 PM
To: City Council City Council; Karen Daines; Tim Ernster
Cc: Eddie Maddock
Subject: Brewer Rd discussion

If there is to be a vote regarding the Brewer Rd property on 2/25, my preference is against the purchase. Given that sellers, including ADOT, perceive that the city has deep pockets allowing them to name any inflated price and that the city has not identified funding sources for developing the property, it makes little sense to continue pursuing the property.

I do not believe that the “vision” for the future argument is valid considering my logic for not buying the property.

Mike Ward

Sent from my iPad

A million dollars (at least) from the City is on the table for Destination Marketing (over and above the additional funding for Holiday Central, the Marathon, and blah, blah, blah who knows what else). And they are now seeking control of property not yet even purchased by the City of Sedona? Or is this just another done deal with secretive Sweetheart Valentine messages being sent to special recipients including but not limited to the Lodging Council and OAK CREEK (aka REGIONAL) Chamber of Commerce?

Oh yes, allegedly another offer has been made on that “Y” (good question) property. My, my . . . takes me back to the day when the City frantically decided to purchase City Hall because of another supposed pending offer . . . on a property specifically designed for a police department, holding cells, council chambers, municipal court, and other facilities to accommodate specific governmental functions? Right!

Sedona Registered Voters: PAY ATTENTION.

The City is bound by law to provide everything you as an Arizona Citizen in regards to Public records. First document everyone should have is the contract between the City of Sedona and the Chamber of Commerce.

According to the City of Sedona COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT (CAFR) for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2013, the “Excess of Revenues Over Expenditures” is in the red at ($1,470,182).

Also on the taxpayer’s backs: The Arizona Department of Revenue’s FY 2013 BONDING REPORT reveals the City of Sedona has a bonded indebtedness of $5,096.68 per capita. This is the 7th highest of AZ’s 91 cities.

At some point of time (hope it is within my life time) we will be privileged enough to get full disclosure on the above……..and I’m thinking we are deserving full disclosure on many more issues…but at this point I’d be happy with the above……as well as getting Jeans questions answered.

To: mayoradams@sedonaaz.gov; mdinunzio@sedonaaz.gov; mward@sedonaaz.gov; dmcilroy@sedonaaz.gov; jmartinez@sedonaaz.gov

Subject: FY 2015 Service Contract with the Chamber of Commerce
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 06:34:47 -0700

Hello Mayor Adams and Councilors,

I believe the City Council still needs to perform due diligence is this matter. Inquiring minds want to know: What is the estimated increase in tourism spending within the City limits of Sedona IF 55% of bed tax collections are allocated to the Chamber of Commerce? Likewise, what is the estimated increase in tourism spending in areas outside the Sedona city limits if the City Council goes with the Chamber and this percentage?

It seems the Council has yet to identify and define the tourism area and specify boundaries. The City must restrict the DMO’s spending of the FY 2015 bed tax allocation it receives from the City to marketing Sedona proper and establishments within Sedona’s city limits only. This means the Enchantment Resort, the Hilton, and the establishments in Oak Creek Canyon, the Village of Oak Creek, etc., that are not within the city limits and don’t pay Sedona bed and/or sales taxes–that already have a financial advantage–would be completely out of the picture.

In that the Chamber is a special interest, member-driven organization that operates regionally, it is unsound economics for the City to allocate 55% of City of Sedona bed tax collections to the Chamber for destination marketing, product development and the Visitor Center. This represents an estimated $711,000 more and greater than a 50% increase for FY 2015 to an organization that would have conflicting marketing goals and purposes.

The Council must authorize RFPs and allow competitive bidding. Unlike the Chamber of Commerce, there are many competent, professionally qualified marketing sources that would not go regional, but would restrict their marketing activities to Sedona proper, having no need to promote, advertise, and favor members.

Better qualified, more experienced marketing sources also would be more knowledgeable and charge less than the estimated $1,200,000 annually the Chamber speciously claims is it’s entitlement.

Please look around you. Sedona’s tourism has engendered very bad traffic congestion, and the City’s livability is on the decline. Not only is the town overbuilt, but it’s on its way to becoming an over-priced tourist trap. The cost of food, housing and entertainment are too high. No surprise that Sperling’s BEST PLACES TO LIVE states “Compared to the rest of the country, Sedona’s cost of living is 26.30% higher than the U.S. average.” Nor that according to Frommer’s world-famous travel guide series’ INTRODUTION TO SEDONA “….if you lower your eyes from the red rocks, you’ll see the flip side of Sedona–a sprawl of housing developments lined with unattractive strip malls, and highways lined with bumper-to-bumper traffic.”

As is known, the Sedona of today has yet to recover from the Great Recession, and commercial vacancies still abound. Many non-Chamber small businesses that do not benefit from the tourist trade are struggling to make ends meet and stay afloat. Only last fall the Sedona Art Supply closed its doors after approximately 30 years doing business in our City “animated by the arts.” Although Amazon now charges taxes on purchase orders, small internet outfits with extensive supplies and materials, such as Jerry’s Artarama and Blick’s Art Supplies in the case of the Sedona Art Supply, do not. And internet buying and competitiveness are on the increase. Meanwhile seniors, the elderly and retirees living on fixed incomes are watching the purchasing power of their money decline and their savings deteriorate. Why does not the City Council do right and represent all groups in this town?

At its October 8, 2013 Regular City Council Meeting the Council voted to increase the allocation of its total FY 2015 bed tax collections to a DMO for destination marketing, product development and operation of the Visitor’s Center from 50% to 55%. This percentage needs to be reduced down to that of the present fiscal year–approximately 37%. More funds for tourism are not the answer to City Hall’s overspending.

Sincerely,

Jean Jenks
Sedona Resident

Due diligence, competitive bidding and Requests for Proposals don’t appear to be a City Council priority.