City of Sedona Mayor Rob Adams
Sedona AZ (March 1, 2011) – After over three years of contentious debate, the decision regarding the fate of SR 89A has been made. By a vote of 4 to 3, the Sedona City Council has chosen to take ownership of 4.95 miles of a State highway, SR 89A.
Some citizens are celebrating this choice, others are vowing to initiate recalls, referendums and injunctions. I say it is time to move on and work together toward a positive outcome. As William Pollard once said, “It is not always what we know or analyzed before we make a decision that makes it a great decision, it is what we do after we make the decision to implement and execute it that makes it a good decision.”
We, as a community have a choice to make. Do we want to spend our time and energy working together to create financial strategies for the maintenance and operation of the roadway along with a visionary plan for the future development of the SR 89A corridor? Or, do we want to use our resources and energy to fight the ownership of the roadway and punish those that made that decision?
During the five years that I have served on City Council, I have experienced many instances where I disagreed with a decision that has been made. Some of the decisions that I have disagreed with have proven to be good decisions, others have not. One thing is certain…implementation and execution are critical to any decision. A controversial decision can result in a positive outcome and visa versa.
I encourage the citizens of this community to put the controversy, ill will and negativity that have been generated for so long behind us. We need to focus on assuring that the funding that ADOT will be providing will be secured for the sole purpose of planning, maintaining and operating the roadway. We need to create a financial plan for future operations and maintenance costs. And, we need to initiate a process that will create a visionary plan for providing a high level of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety along with traffic mobility.
A quote from Flora Whittemore might be appropriate to contemplate at this point, “The doors we open and close each day decide the lives that we and others live.” We have a choice…. Let’s make it a good one for the sake of our community.
This SedonaEye.com article was written by the City of Sedona Mayor Rob Adams and submitted by the City of Sedona with the following disclaimer: The ideas and opinions that I have expressed are mine and do not necessarily reflect the ideas, opinions or policies of the City Council or the City of Sedona.
For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!
I totally agree with Mayor Adams! A decision on an extremely controversial issue has been made. It’s not exactly what we wanted and were hoping for. At this point, it’s time to put it all behind us and work together towards making sure that the transfer from ADOT goes smoothly and that we set the money in a restricted fund to be utilized solely for the purposes that it is intended for. Let’s also combine our efforts towards coming up with a solid long-range financial plan that will insure the maintenance of 4.95 miles of SR 89A for perpetuity. In Sedona we are fortunate enough to have many very talented individuals who have the expertise to make it happen.
This is not the first time, nor will it be the last time that a local governing group has not followed the wishes of the majority of the local taxpayers. In the past November election for the Sedona Fire District Governing Board, the voters clearly stated who their top four winners were going to be. Nonetheless, the new majority on the Board decided otherwise. For those of us, me being one of them, who felt that the democratic process was short changed, were frustrated and hurt. Nonetheless, a decision has been made and we need to go forward with it, put it behind us and work together towards making sure that Ty Montgomery and the SFD majority on the Board will work together in harmony among themselves and staff towards a common goal: making sure that we have the best fire district in AZ and provide the best services for the residents of the District.
In both of these instances as Mayor Adams clearly pointed out in this article, “Some citizens are celebrating this choice, others are vowing to initiate recalls, referendums and injunctions. I say it is time to move on and work together toward a positive outcome” Amen to that!
Abe Koniarsky
Sedona, AZ
Please be advised: Beginning May 22, 2011 through September 10, 2011 City Offices will be open Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. City offices will be CLOSED on Fridays during that time.
Hooray. Hooray. Abe you hit it on the nose and mayor too. My guess is that most of these bellyachers are over 65 years old and like me, just plain onery and cantakerous and puffed up with our sense of importance. I’m turning off my hearing aids for the next few weeks around town. Like most old folks, we lose interest quickly when there’s nobody around to listen to us.
Eli, old gent, our office thanks you for the laugh! Dan thinks most of Sedona is over 70 like him and he points out that in 15 years most of the oldsters griping and jiving won’t be here to pay for the road anyway!
What a ridiculous LITTLE man emotionally! Headlined in the other newspaper was that Jerry Frey is initiating a recall. First he loses in the mayor election. Then Jerry and crew appeared to have a hissy fit all over town not liking the outcome of the city elections, voicing his and their low opinion of voters and winners, all not worthy of repeating. Constant talk about what he and Pud and Nancy and Mark and Dan tried to do. Wasn’t he APPOINTED? How many times was he defeated in elections? Is this posturing on Frey’s behalf part of his campaign for the NEXT election by a newspaper that asked voters to SUPPORT him? The man appears to have no sense of dignity or decorum or good sense or ability to govern. We gave you a try, Frey! Now take a ferry, Jerry.
EDITOR! TO CLARIFY PLEASE WITH APOLOGIES: MY INITIAL OPENING COMMENT WAS NOT ABOUT THE MAYOR. I THOUGHT THIS WAS SENT AS A COMMENT TO THE EDITOR ABOUT THE INABILITY OF A LOCAL MAN WHO IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL TO ACCEPT REALITY BUT WHEN I EDITED OUT TWO SENTENCES PRIOR TO THE ONE OPENING THE COMMENT ABOVE, IT READS AS THOUGH I AM TAKING THE MAYOR TO TASK FOR HIS WRITING—WHEN IN TRUTH, I SUPPORT THE MAYOR’S COMMENTS 100%. Thank you for letting me clarify this point as soon as I noticed and my apologies for any misunderstanding by readers. Paul
Move on!?? Well,Mr. Mayor I believe that this issue of the City of Sedona taking back 89A is far too HUGE an issue to let the voice of 4 people cast the deciding vote. I am not necessarily in favor of a recall, but the referendum to let we the people vote on this issue suits me just fine.
Mayor Adams, you are correct that this is controversial. Why don’t we appreciate the hard work that went into this decision by seven well meaning individuals? The sky didn’t and won’t fall because Sedona has a few miles of road.
Sedona Times, it’s a pleasure to read a balanced presentation of news. Your publisher and editor replacements and a wide range of writers are developing a good brand. It’s a positive difference.
sometimes this place gives me chills with its unSedona-ist beings
stop all the negativity and find the light
if we are unable to manage a tiny bit of roadway then we need to reexamine the city departments and personnel for ineptness and provide
training and guidance
we are better than this negativity we are spirit beings and need to live abundantly
“Unable to manage a tiny bit of roadway?” The city is unable to “manage” the dedicated city roads it inherited from both counties after incorporation. Pray tell how they will manage six miles of a State Highway let alone pay for it!
It cost close to five million dollars for the mis-improvements and poor design the city did to the less than one mile of Uptown 89A accepted as a turn-back from ADOT just a few short years ago. And you’re asking us to buy into the crap that fifteen million dollars will pay for their pie-in-the-sky plans for West Sedona PLUS keeping that State Route in proper repair for the next 30 to 40 years?
What kind of flowers are you sniffing? Really, take time to trip the light, not fantastic, but of reality. Quite frankly and with all due respect, Michelle, YOU give me the chills.
Mayor, are you now supporting continuous lighting on 89A? Count me as confused by the “new” language being tossed around when this turnback issue began as a “protect Sedona and its geography and keeping continuous lighting off our streets” to now an “angst over funding” issue? DiNunzio was always a pro lights so I understand his vote. Sign me as Living in Spin City.
Steve