Sedona City Council
Sedona AZ-Last night the Sedona City Council approved the 89A Route Transfer agreement between the City of Sedona & ADOT (Arizona Department of Transportation) with a 4-3 vote; Vice Mayor Cliff Hamilton, Councilors Dennis Rayner, Barbara Litrell and Mike Ward voting for and Mayor Rob Adams, Councilors Mark DiNunzio and Dan McIlroy voting against.
Thank you for printing my last few articles promptly and quickly posting related comments. The Council vote last night demonstrated that (SedonaEye.com) made a difference. I know that, because it was mentioned to me several times last night. I was sitting in the front row and was one of the first speakers, wherein my speech was based on a shortened version of my most recent article that you posted yesterday on a moments notice. When the article was mentioned to me last night, 100% had seen in on your site. Your reaction time is serving you well.
Just where is the facebook like button ? I want to post this for friends.
(SedonaEye.com Editor: All social networking tools are directly below each article. Enjoy and share!)
The approved Route Transfer agreement, which results in ultimate ownership and responsibility, includes that portion of SR 89A between approximately the “Y” roundabout and the Sedona Red Rock High School including a small portion of SR 179 from the “Y” to Ranger Road.
For more information, please contact the City Manager’s office at 204-7127 or visit the City’s website at http://www.SedonaAZ.gov/Council and view SR 89A Route Transfer Meetings and Information.
As a regular contributor to the Sedona Eye, this comment is being made keeping that in mind and, at the same time, as a voting resident and concerned citizen of Sedona.
All sides have now been heard and especially it’s a pleasure to know that the Sedona Eye has been fair and willing to post every view and remain informative by objectively presenting diverse perspectives. It was always my intention for my own contributions to reflect that image as well, and I did my best to remain constant in clearly defining what represented my own opinions as well as posing numerous questions relating to this complex issue. I’m appreciative of having been given the opportunity to be part of a high-road production.
The decision has now been made. Let us keep in mind, however, that it was done so by only four people. The reaction of the population of Sedona is yet to come forth. It will be interesting to learn how the interpretation of the numerous polls will be reflected by the majority of the people who obviously were dismissed from consideration by four City Council members. The four who opted to ignore the results of the only survey qualifying to be deemed “official” by the professional Phoenix firm, Behavior Research Center, Inc. That firm was retained by the City of Sedona for the alleged purpose of obtaining the services of experts to avoid controversy of local polls which had previously been considered invalid. Could it be that the results the professionals produced didn’t turn out to be what certain members of the Sedona City Council had hoped? Would that justify their choice to ignore the will of the majority of the people?
The people spoke and so did the members of the Sedona City Council. Yep, my prediction is now reality. The goose is cooked and the bones ready for picking.
Eddie S. Maddock
Let’s clear this up now so that we can move on with getting everyone involved in our community plan process without any more rancor or even entertaining notions of failure. Anyone wishing to do this can just turn on their TV’s.
At the February 22nd Sedona City Council meeting, the results of the Behavioral Research Center survey were not fignored by four city councilors. In fact, the results were reviewed in comparison with all of the other surveys and polls. Also, the sensitive element of timing regarding when a survey or poll took place in the public information process was discussed. This discussion was necessary because the results of those subsequent polls and surveys contradicted the first ones and indicated that the majority of respondents favored the city having local control of their roadway.
How convenient it is to rationalize situations to suit one’s needs. Hmmm, seems there’s a description for that type of thinking. Maybe smoke, mirrors, and spin the bottle?
hardly anyone gives a hoot about this road except the politicians and those that fund them to line their pockets like chamber members and 89a business LAND owners because there’s no credibility left that sedona is a beautiful wonder but rather a metropolis in the making – bring your tired, hungry, homeless, drug addicted, nonproductive, and illegals so that we can create social services to remove & support them and burden our town and taxes with useless extra costs that for generations have proven socially unproductive except to assuage guilt and provide jobs for the untalented and mediocre
Tuesday, Feb. 22, the Sedona City Council approved the transfer of ownership of 4.9 miles of Hwy. 89A in West Sedona to city ownership from ADOT. This transfer will not take place until ADOT has deposited $10.65 million in the city’s restricted 89A account. That should happen within the next 30 to 45 days.
The Council had only two choices to vote on. One was to accept the transfer package city staff had negotiated with ADOT or to affirmatively vote to instruct ADOT to install the proposed streetlights and leave full control of the road to ADOT. The state Transportation Board had also made it clear that to do anything different from the above two choices would have resulted in the Board immediately starting a unilateral transfer of the road to the city without the kind of funding package offered in the transfer and installing the streetlights as well.
Conditions in the agreement with ADOT will restrict use of the funds to the maintenance, operation, design and improvement of the transfer segment which extends from the “Y” to just west of the high school. The funds cannot be used for any other purpose.
ADOT will repave this transfer section of the road, do sidewalk upgrades and repairs and install a signal light at Andante within the next two years and will not install their proposed 108 streetlights. ADOT will pay for all costs associated with this work as the final part of the total transfer financial package.
The road surface will remain the same 5-lane street for now with the addition of bike lanes along each side after ADOT completes the repaving. Vehicle lanes will be narrowed slightly to accommodate the bike lanes.
The city will soon begin the process of seeking a design firm to work through a public involvement process to create a draft design for safety improvements on the road based on what the community wants, safety considerations and budget restrictions within the funds provided by ADOT. A variety of safety improvements will all be options to be discussed as part of this process, including various lighting options, crosswalk and lighted crossing options, strategic medians, safety islands and various forms of pedestrian barriers in some areas.
The city may also begin preparing a ballot measure to secure a public vote to also restrict the use of the highway transfer funds as described in the agreement with ADOT, to further eliminate the possibility of a future Council not abiding by this agreement.
BULL!!! BULL!!! BULL!!!
all of it Gerald or what? appreciate the brevity but don’t get the message