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GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.[1. CALL TO ORDER]
TO THE CITY OF SEDONA COUNCIL MEETING.I'D LIKE TO OFFICIALLY CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 1:00 PM I'M GOING TO ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE SILENCE THEIR PHONES FOR THE MEETING.
MADAM CLERK, PLEASE PROCEED WITH THE ROLL CALL.
[3.a. Discussion/consideration and possible action regarding the employment, assignment, and appointment of a City Council applicant including interview of the following applicants. I. Allan Affeldt, 1:00 p.m. II. Charlotte Hosseini, 2:00 p.m. III. Jean Buillet, (Virtual) 3:00 p.m. IV. Ernest (Ernie) Strauch, Jr., 4:00 p.m. (Part 1 of 2)]
OKAY.TODAY WE ARE GONNA DISCUSS, CONSIDER, AND POSSIBLY SELECT, UH, THE EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT AND APPOINTMENT OF A CITY COUNCIL APPLICANT, INCLUDING INTERVIEW OF THE FOLLOWING APPLICANTS, ALAN ETT, CHARLOTTE HUSSEINI, SEAN BOWER, ERNEST STRAU.
IT IS OUR INTENTION TO APPOINT SOMEONE TODAY.
WE ARE GOING TO BE DELIBERATING AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
IF YOU WANNA COME BACK FOR THAT DELIBERATION, YOU'RE WELCOME TO.
AND IF YOU ARE SELECTED, WE WOULD BE PREPARED TO SWEAR YOU IN TODAY, ASSUMING WE ARRIVE AT A DECISION, WHICH IS OUR INTENTION TO DO SO.
WE'RE GOING TO, UH, ASK YOU QUESTIONS AND WE'RE GONNA ROTATE, UH, THE QUESTIONER.
KATHY, YOU WANNA START? HI, WELCOME.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOUR INTEREST.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHY YOU WANT TO SERVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL? AND THEN ALSO, PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU INTEND TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL IN 2026.
I CAN ANSWER THAT WITH SOME BRIEF REMARKS THAT I PREPARED, 'CAUSE I FIGURED THAT'D BE THE FIRST QUESTION.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNSELORS FOR INVITING ME TO MEET WITH YOU TODAY.
IF YOU SO CHOOSE, I WOULD BE HONORED TO JOIN YOU AS AN INTERIM SEDONA COUNCIL MEMBER AND WOULD RUN FOR OFFICE IF APPOINTED.
SEDONA IS A WONDERFUL CITY AND A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK, AND I WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER.
I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
I WAS TWICE ELECTED MAYOR OF WINSLOW, ARIZONA, A CITY OF ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS SEDONA.
SO I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF MUNICIPAL EXPERIENCE.
I OWN SEVERAL HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS, SO I UNDERSTAND THE OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS AND CHALLENGES OF THE BUSINESS SECTOR THAT DRIVES THE SEDONA ECONOMY.
I'VE ALSO SERVED ON MANY PUBLIC BENEFIT BOARDS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHWEST.
THE SERVICE INCLUDES STATE GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENTS, COMMUNITY APPOINTMENTS, AND THE BOARDS OF MANY ARTS AND CULTURE AND SCIENCE ORGANIZATIONS.
THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME BEST HAVE REPEATEDLY ASKED ME TO WORK WITH THEM OR ELECTED ME OR INVITED ME TO BE ON THEIR BOARDS.
I'M VERY HARDWORKING, CREATIVE, AND COLLABORATIVE.
I KNOW HOW TO GET DIFFICULT THINGS DONE IN A SPIRIT OF GOODWILL, COMPROMISE, CREATIVITY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
I'M RESPECTFUL AND I'M ALSO FUN TO WORK WITH.
MY WIFE TINA MEOW, AND I BOUGHT OUR HOME IN SEDONA 20 YEARS AGO.
WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGES, SOME FOR THE BETTER AND SOME NOT SO MUCH.
WE LOVE THE DOG PARK, THE NEW PICKLEBALL COURTS, THE HISTORY MUSEUM, THE LIBRARY.
THE SEDONA FILM FESTIVAL IS WORLD CLASS.
THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER IS FIRST RATE, BUT SOMEHOW SEDONA WITH ITS EXTRAORDINARY ART HISTORY, DOES NOT HAVE AN ART MUSEUM OR A RECREATION CENTER.
THE EXTRAORDINARY AMPHITHEATER HAS BEEN ABANDONED FOR 20 YEARS, NOT FROM A LACK OF VIABILITY, BUT FROM A LACK OF VISION AND ATTENTION.
WE LIVE IN RED ROCK HEIGHTS, A COMMUNITY OF AROUND 20 HOMES 20 YEARS AGO.
THESE WERE ALL SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
THERE WAS ONE LONG-TERM RENTAL, AND THEY WERE ALMOST ALL PRIMARY RESIDENCES.
TODAY, MOST OF THE HOMES IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD ARE EMPTY.
ONE THIRD OF THE HOMES ARE SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
A THIRD ARE INVESTMENTS, MAY BE USED A COUPLE WEEKS A YEAR.
I HAVE FRIENDS OF BUSINESSES IN SEDONA WITH BUSINESSES IN SEDONA, AND WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THEY WORRY ABOUT THE LACK OF WORKFORCE HOUSING, AND IT'S NOT GETTING BETTER.
THERE ARE NO CHILDREN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WORKING AGE.
PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD TO LIVE HERE.
IT'S EASY TO SEE WHY OUR SCHOOLS ARE IN DISTRESS FROM LACK OF STUDENTS, AND WHY OUR POPULATION IS SHRINKING FROM THE CONVERSION OF HOUSING TO SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
SEDONA IS JUSTLY FAMOUS AND BELOVED FOR ITS BEAUTY, WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE.
AND I'M SURE WHY ALL OF YOU ARE HERE.
OUR MILLIONS OF VISITORS IS BOTH AN ECONOMIC ENGINE AND A CHALLENGE TO OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
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THE TASK OF CITY GOVERNMENT, AS I SEE IT, IS NOT TO STOP PEOPLE FROM COMING HERE, BUT TO DEVELOP AND MANAGE OUR CIVIC IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO CREATE THE BEST POSSIBLE EXPERIENCE FOR OUR GUESTS, THE BEST ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR BUSINESSES, THE BEST QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR RESIDENCES, AND A FINE PLACE TO WORK FOR OUR STAFF.MY LONG AND VARIED PROFESSIONAL LIFE MAKES ME HIGHLY QUALIFIED TO HELP WITH ALL OF THAT.
I'D BE HONORED TO WORK WITH YOU AND FOR THE CITY THAT I LOVE.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
YES, THAT ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
PETE, COULD I FOLLOW UP ON THAT? ARE WE DOING YEAH, SURE.
THANK YOU, ALAN, FOR BEING HERE.
AND YOU SPOKE TO, UH, THE LACK OF HOUSING.
WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT WE MIGHT DO TO ADDRESS THAT? I'M NOT GONNA SAY SOLVE IT, BUT I'LL SAY ADDRESS IT.
THIS IS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT A LOCAL PROBLEM.
HOUSING IN AMERICA HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY UNAFFORDABLE IN SEDONA.
IT'S EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT WE HAVE LIMITED LAND RESOURCES AND LIMITED LABOR POOL AND VERY HIGH DEMAND, WHICH MEANS THAT THE GENERAL COST OF HOUSING HERE IS HIGHER THAN IN MOST OTHER PLACES.
IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM, I BELIEVE THE CITY WILL HAVE TO COMMIT SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO BUILD MORE MARKET RATE HOUSING THAT WILL NOT ADDRESS THE LACK OF WORKFORCE HOUSING.
IT WILL NOT, IN ORDER TO BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE CITY WILL HAVE TO SUBSIDIZE IT.
AND OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE THIS IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
THEY'VE DONE IT WITH LAND BANKS, THEY'VE DONE IT WITH COMMUNITY OWNED HOUSING.
THEY'VE DONE IT WITH SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOR THINGS LIKE LOW INCOME HOUSING, TAX CREDIT PROJECTS, WHICH I KNOW THE CITY HAS WORKED ON WITH THE SUNSET L.
SO THERE ARE WAYS TO DO THIS, BUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT AND REQUIRES A SUSTAINED EFFORT AND A REAL COMMITMENT BY THE CITY IN THE CITY BUDGET.
AND I NOTICED THAT THE CITY BUDGET FOR HOUSING WENT DOWN LAST YEAR.
AND I THINK AS THE COMMUNITY IS WELL AWARE, THERE HAVE BEEN NO AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS BUILT IN SEDONA IN OVER A DECADE.
AND THE 30 UNITS THAT ARE BEING BUILT WILL COST MORE THAN A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER MONTH.
AND OF COURSE, THERE WOULD BE AN ENORMOUS WAITING LIST.
SO WE HAVE TO DO MORE IF WE'RE GOING TO SERIOUSLY ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.
WHAT'S HAPPENING, OF COURSE, IS THAT A LOT OF EMPLOYERS IN THE CITY OF SEDONA, THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE HAVING TO LIVE ELSEWHERE, WHICH ADDS TO THEIR BURDEN, BOTH IN COST AND TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO COMMUTE FROM COTTONWOOD OR CORNFIELD OR SOME SURROUNDING COMMUNITY THAT DOES NOT MAKE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE BETTER.
AND WHAT I HEAR FROM EMPLOYER FRIENDS OF MINE IS THAT IF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE A CHOICE OF MAKING A SIMILAR WAGE IN THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THEY LIVE, THEY'RE GOING TO LIVE THERE.
SO THE TURNOVER FOR HOUSING AND FOR THE WORKFORCE IN SEDONA IS HIGH AND VERY STRESSFUL FOR THE ECONOMY OF OUR CITY.
SO I, I DON'T HAVE A MAGIC BULLET, BUT I I MYSELF HAVE LIVED IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I LIVED IN A RECREATIONAL VEHICLE FOR YEARS, AS DO MILLIONS OF OTHER AMERICANS BY CHOICE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR CODES TO ALLOW, FOR EXAMPLE, SMALLER HOUSING, YOU'D HAVE TO ADDRESS THINGS LIKE MANUFACTURED HOUSING.
YOU HAVE TO GET AGGRESSIVE ABOUT ALLOWING MORE ADU IN MORE CREATIVE WAYS.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE LOT LINE ADJUSTMENTS IN PLACES WHERE THAT'S POSSIBLE.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF APPROACHES TO THIS.
YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO BUILD HUNDREDS OF UNITS IN A SINGLE SITE, BUT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM INCREMENTALLY IF YOU'RE REALLY DEDICATED TO IT.
ANY OTHER FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? OKAY, PETE, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
QUESTION TWO, ALAN, AN ISSUE HAS COME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL THAT YOU SUPPORT VERY STRONGLY, HOWEVER, YOU RECEIVE NUMEROUS EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS FROM CITIZENS WHO ARE AGAINST THE ISSUE.
WHAT DO YOU DO? OH, I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT A SPECIFIC THING.
UM, SO AS, AS I SAID, UM, I'VE, I'VE BEEN ON THE CITY COUNCIL, I'VE BEEN A MAYOR.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU DO AND HOW WELL INTENTIONED YOU ARE, AND I KNOW WE'RE ALL VERY WELL INTENTIONED, WE WANNA DO THE BEST WE CAN FOR THE CITY.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT BE HAPPY ABOUT IT.
SO YOUR JOB, MY JOB IF YOU APPOINT ME, IS TO DO THE BEST I CAN USING THE SKILLS AND TALENTS THAT I HAVE, LISTENING CAREFULLY TO THE RESIDENTS.
AND IF PEOPLE DISAGREE, TO SPEND THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THEM AND TO REASON WITH THEM AS WELL AS I CAN SO THAT THEY AT LEAST UNDERSTAND THE POSITION THAT I TAKE OR THAT
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WE TAKE AS A BODY AND THAT IT IS REASONED AND REASONABLE AND THAT WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.BUT I UNDERSTAND, WE, WE CANNOT MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY WITH EVERY DECISION.
DO YOU HAVE, UH, ANY EXAMPLES FROM YOUR WINSLOW TIME AS MAYOR WHERE THIS PARTICULARLY PLAYED OUT? UH, SURE.
UM, WHEN I WAS ELECTED MAYOR, WE HAD, UH, A MAYOR WHO HAD BEEN IN OFFICE, I BELIEVE, FOR EIGHT TERMS AND WAS NEVER GOING TO LEAVE.
AND THAT WAS PARTLY THE REASON THAT I WAS ELECTED, UM, BECAUSE WE HAD NO TERM LIMITS IN THE CITY.
AND SO, UH, WE HAD TO REWRITE A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE CITY'S BYLAWS TO ENABLE TERM LIMITS.
AND THAT WAS SOMEWHAT CONTROVERSIAL IN THE COMMUNITY AS IT IS EVERY PLACE THAT DISCUSSION TAKES PLACE.
THEIR ADVANTAGES TO NOT HAVING TERM LIMITS AND ADVANTAGES TO HAVING TERM LIMITS.
WE DID, IN FACT HAVE TERM LIMITS, BUT IT WAS A, A SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT DECISION.
UH, WE TALKED ABOUT THINGS LIKE, UH, DOWNTOWN WINSLOW HAD ONE WAY STREETS IN DOWNTOWN, WHICH MADE SENSE, UM, WHEN THERE WAS NO INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, BUT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE IN THE CURRENT CONTEXT WHERE THERE'S AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, NOW YOU HAVE ONE WAY STREETS WITH NOT MUCH TRAFFIC, AND IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
IT WAS A CONTROVERSIAL CONVERSATION IN THE CITY, AND WE DID NOT CHANGE THAT.
THERE'S STILL ONE WAY STREETS IN DOWNTOWN WINSLOW TO THIS DAY.
SO THESE ISSUES COME UP ALL THE TIME.
WE ADDRESS THEM AS WELL AS WE CAN IN THE TIME THAT WE HAVE.
SOMETIMES WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS AND SOMETIMES WE CAN'T.
SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS, I THINK FOR A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IS TO REALIZE THERE ARE SOME ISSUES WHERE YOU MAYBE DON'T HAVE THE POLITICAL WILL OR THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO MAKE PROGRESS.
SO YOU SHOULD INSTEAD FOCUS ON THE THINGS WHERE YOU CAN MAKE PROGRESS.
I'D LIKE TO DO A FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
SO YOU'RE UP ON THE DAAS, THE ROOM IS PACKED, OVERFLOWING INTO THE LOBBY, AND EVERYBODY'S HERE TO SPEAK ON THE SINGLE ISSUE, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A FULL AGENDA AND YOU'RE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT ISSUE, BUT THE PEOPLE HERE ARE ALL SPEAKING AGAINST IT.
WHEN DO YOU, HOW DO YOU EITHER STICK TO YOUR GUNS OR LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAY, MAYBE I'VE GOT IT WRONG? YEAH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO SERVE WITH HUMILITY BECAUSE ALL OF US MAKE MISTAKES, AND ALL OF US NEED TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE ROLE OF A COUNCIL MEMBER IS NOT TO TELL THE COMMUNITY WHAT TO THINK OR DO, BUT TO USE YOUR BEST POWERS OR PERSUASION AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION.
AND ALSO TO LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY.
AND WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT OR THE VOTES, YOU NEED TO AS GRACIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE, JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND MOVE ON.
ANY OTHER FOLLOW UP? BRIAN, YOU WANNA DO THE NEXT ONE? SURE.
ALAN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
THE THIRD QUESTION IS, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT PREPARING TO MAKE A DECISION ON AN ITEM YOU KNOW, VERY LITTLE ABOUT? UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE INFORMED SINCE WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING ON THINGS THAT ARE SUBSTANTIVE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, FIRST, THE CITY HAS GREAT RESOURCES IN THE STAFF.
THE CITY HAS A LARGE AND VARIED STAFF, AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO MEET WITH THE STAFF AND GET AS WELL INFORMED AND BRIEFED AS POSSIBLE.
I ALSO DO A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH ON A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ONLINE RESEARCH, BUT IT'S TALKING TO OTHER EXPERTS.
I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND THAT ALL THE ISSUES THAT WE FACE HERE IN SEDONA ARE NOT UNIQUE TO SEDONA.
THERE ARE BEAUTIFUL PLACES EVERYWHERE AND THAT ALL THESE ISSUES FROM AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO TRAFFIC HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
SO IF IT'S AN ISSUE WHERE WE CAN FIND AN ANALOG, WE SHOULD TALK TO PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY AND SEE, WELL, HOW WAS THIS ADDRESSED, FOR EXAMPLE, IN LAGUNA BEACH OR IN ASPEN OR SOME OTHER COMPARABLY BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY WITH SIMILAR STRESS, BECAUSE WE SHOULD LEARN FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES AND KEEP AN OPEN MIND TO IDEAS THAT MAY NOT HAVE COME FROM OUR PLACE.
FOLLOW UP, UM, WITH THE PROCESS THAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED FOR LOOKING INTO, UM, ISSUES THAT YOU NEED TO LEARN ABOUT, HOW, HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE TO DEDICATE TO THAT KIND OF RESEARCH AND BACKGROUND? IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
SO, UM, I, I AM LIKE MANY PEOPLE IN SEDONA, FORTUNATE ECONOMICALLY, I'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, IN MY BUSINESS LIFE.
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AND I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME NOW ON PUBLIC AND PHILANTHROPIC VENTURES.SO SEDONA IS MY PRIMARY RESIDENCE, AND IT IS MY DESIRE TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN MY COMMUNITY, AND I HAVE THE TIME AND THE INTEREST TO DO THAT.
I REALIZE IT'S A SIGNIFICANT COMMITMENT.
I MEAN, Y'ALL ARE HERE TODAY FOR
I'M WELL AWARE OF THE COMMITMENT OF TIME INVOLVED, UM, BECAUSE I'VE LIVED THAT EXPERIENCE FOR MANY YEARS.
IT'S NOT EXACTLY A RELATED FOLLOW UP, BUT I'LL THROW IT IN THERE.
WHAT'S A, WHAT'S A RECORD LENGTH MEETING THAT YOU HAD IN WINSLOW? WE, WE HAD MEETINGS THAT EXTENDED OVER MULTIPLE DAYS.
SO SOMETIMES YOU, YOU JUST CAN'T GET RESOLUTION AND THE COUNCIL IS STILL DIVIDED AFTER HOURS OF DISCUSSION, AND THE BEST THING TO DO SOMETIMES IS TO TABLE THE MATTER AND GO THINK ABOUT IT AGAIN, AND THEN COME BACK AGAIN, MAYBE REFRESHED WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT OR THE TIME FOR YOU TO TALK AMONG YOURSELVES AND TO GET SOME MORE RESEARCH.
BUT SOMETIMES MEETINGS EXTEND FOR MULTIPLE DAYS.
COUNSELOR, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? MM-HMM
'CAUSE I, I KNOW WHEN WE'RE ON THE DAES, YOU CAN'T ALWAYS HEAR THE PEOPLE OVER HERE.
UM, IT'S NICE OF YOU TO BE IN THIS MORE INTIMATE SETTING THAN UP THERE, THE INTERROGATORS.
UM, SO YOU BELIEVE A CITY COUNSELOR HAS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON AN ITEM ON WHICH THEY ARE VOTING? WHAT DO YOU DO? WELL, BEST PRACTICE IS THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MUST RECUSE THEMSELVES.
AND IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE IT AS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, UH, THEN I THINK YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO POINT OUT THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND ASK THEM TO RECUSE THEMSELVES.
HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT? YOU WOULD DO THAT DIRECTLY? YES.
I THINK IT'S NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE.
YOU'D HAVE TO SAY, I SEE THAT THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST HERE, AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO RECUSE YOURSELF.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S CHOICE TO RECUSE THEMSELVES OR NOT, BUT THE COUNCIL MEMBER FACES SOME PERSONAL PERIL IN NOT RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM A MATTER IN WHICH THEY'RE DIRECTLY INVOLVED.
IT'S, IT'S JUST INAPPROPRIATE.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE ALL MATURE ENOUGH AND SELF-AWARE ENOUGH TO REALIZE SOMETIMES
HE, THANK YOU, MAYOR ALAN, HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE STRICTLY LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST, WHICH IS TYPICALLY FINANCIAL OR SOME ETHICAL OBLIGATION MM-HMM
BECAUSE OF A MEMBERSHIP SOMEWHERE VERSUS WHAT YOU FEEL MIGHT BE A CONTR CONFLICT OF INTEREST? UH, WELL, YOU HAVE COUNSEL WHO ATTENDS THE MEETINGS, NOT COUNSEL LIKE A COUNCILOR, BUT LEGAL COUNSEL WHO ATTENDS THE MEETINGS.
AND I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO ASK LEGAL COUNSEL THEIR OPINION, AND THAT HAS TO BE YOUR GUIDE.
AND SO IF IT'S NOT A LEGAL DECISION THEN, OR IS THAT AS DEEP AS YOU'LL GO? DO YOU THINK? YES.
THAT, THAT'S AS DEEP AS YOU'LL GO.
IF THE, IF THE LEGAL OPINION WAS THAT IT'S AMBIGUOUS, THEN I DON'T THINK IT'S MY POSITION OR ANYONE'S POSITION AS A COUNCIL MEMBER TO TELL ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER WHAT TO DO OR THINK.
BUT IF THE LEGAL OPINION SAYS THIS IS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST, THEN I THINK YOU NEED TO HOLD TO THAT.
SO DEREK, BRIAN, AND KATHY, ARE THERE ANY MATTERS THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE EITHER IN FRONT OF US OR COMING BEFORE US THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO RECUSE YOURSELF? OH, VERY INTERESTING QUESTION.
UH, I THINK SOME OF YOU'RE AWARE THAT I'M VERY INTERESTED IN, UM, THE CULTURE PARK AND HOW THAT GETS DEVELOPED, BUT NOT AS AN OWNER, BUT AS A INTERESTED CITIZEN, I'M VERY INTERESTED IN WORKFORCE HOUSING AS OPPOSED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AGAIN, NOT AS AN OWNER, BUT AS AN INTERESTED CITIZEN.
IF I WAS TAKING AN OWNERSHIP OR EQUITY POSITION IN ANY PROJECT, I WOULD CERTAINLY RECUSE MYSELF, BUT I REALLY DON'T SEE THAT AT THIS POINT IN MY CAREER.
I'M NOT INTERESTED IN OWNING MORE THINGS OR HAVING MORE STAFF.
I'M INTERESTED IN MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE PLACE THAT I LIVE.
YOU JUST ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, I'LL GO NEXT.
THE CITY IS ENTERING THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
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GO AHEAD,THE CITY IS ENTERING THE BUDGET PROS BUDGETING PROCESS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
MUNICIPAL BUDGETING DIFFERS GREATLY FROM THAT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE MUNICIPAL BUDGETING PROCESS.
I HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL BUDGETING PROCESS SEVERAL TIMES MYSELF.
UM, SO I'M INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH IT.
IN GENERAL, I, I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICS OF SEDONAS BUDGETING PROCESS, BUT I ASSUME IT'S SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID IN WINSLOW.
UM, THE CITY MANAGER, UH, WOULD PRESENT THE BUDGET TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, THEY WOULD HAVE HEARINGS OR DISCUSSION WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO JUSTIFY THEIR REQUESTS OR POSITIONS, AND WE WOULD WEIGH THOSE AS A BODY.
SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS.
CAN YOU TALK AT ALL ABOUT YOUR, UH, POSITION ON, UH, DEBT, DEBT, DEBT FINANCING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE EFFECTIVENESS OR LACK THEREOF OF, OF USING DEBT TO FINANCE PROJECTS? AND JUST ANY PERSPECTIVE YOU HAVE ABOUT SEDONAS CURRENT LEVEL OF DEBT? YES.
UM, DEBT CAN BE YOUR FRIEND AND IT CAN ALSO BE APPAREL FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, AS WE SEE ON A NATIONAL LEVEL.
UM, DEBT SHOULD NOT BE USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR TAKING HARD DECISIONS.
IT SHOULD NOT BE USED AS AN EXCUSE FOR, UM, PUTTING A TAX BURDEN ON FUTURE TAXPAYERS.
SO DEBT SHOULD ONLY BE USED WHEN IT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT AND RESPONSIBLE MEANS OF FINANCING A PROJECT.
UM, THAT SAID, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CITY OF SEDONA BUDGET IS THAT IT'S, UM, SOMEWHAT ANOMALOUS FOR A CITY OF THIS SIZE.
SO, UH, WINSLOW FOR EXAMPLE, OUR CITY BUDGET, UM, LAST YEAR WAS ABOUT $35 MILLION.
AND IN SEDONA IT WAS NEARLY THREE TIMES THAT FOR A CITY OF ABOUT THE SAME SIZE.
AND IT'S NOT ALL FROM CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
UH, CITY STAFF HERE IN SEDONA IS TWO AND A HALF TIMES WHAT IT IS FOR COMPARABLE CITIES, NOT JUST WINSLOW, BUT COMPARABLE CITIES.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, UM, AS A TAXPAYER AND AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THAT WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET VERY CRITICALLY.
AND I DON'T MEAN IN THE WAY OF ARGUMENTATIVE, BUT I MEAN CAREFULLY AND JUSTIFYING EVERYTHING THAT'S SPENT AND EVERY POSITION THAT IS HIRED SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS FOR THAT.
BECAUSE TAXES ARE INVESTMENT BY OUR CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO YOU SHOULD AVOID DEBT FINANCING UNLESS IT'S THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR ALAN, UH, SEDONA IS DRIVEN BY SALES, TAXES, BED TAX, OTHER SORTS OF THAT, NO PROPERTY TAX RECEIVED BY THE CITY.
HOW IS WINSLOW, WHAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE IN WINSLOW? DID IT HAVE PROPERTY TAX? AND IF IT DID, WHAT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT MIGHT CHANGE IN YOUR THINKING OF HOW YOU THINK ABOUT A CITY LIKE SEDONA AND IF IT DIDN'T HAVE A PROPERTY TAX, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW THAT DRIVES HOW YOU THINK ABOUT BUDGETING? WINSLOW AND SEDONA ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN, IN MANY WAYS, INCLUDING TAXATION.
WE DID PARTICIPATE IN A PROPERTY TAX, BUT PARTICIPANT, UM, BUT WINSLOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WHEN I BECAME THE MAYOR, UM, WAS VERY FISCALLY CONSTRAINED.
AND WE DID NOT AT THE TIME HAVE A BAR AND RESTAURANT TAX.
AND SO AS, AS THE MAYOR, WHEN I LOOKED AT HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY RAISE REVENUE, 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE TO DO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CITY, VERY DIFFERENT FROM SEDONA.
AND ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT WAYS TO DO THAT IN MANY COMMUNITIES IS A BAR AND RESTAURANT TAX, BECAUSE THE TAX BURDEN IS SHARED BY PEOPLE VISITING YOUR CITY.
IT'S NOT JUST LOCAL RATE PAYERS.
SO IT'S AN EFFICIENT WAY TO RAISE REVENUE.
SO THIS WAS ANOTHER PROCESS WE WENT THROUGH WHILE I WAS THE MAYOR WAS ARGUING FOR AND PASSING A BAR AND RESTAURANT TAX THAT WAS DEDICATED TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
SO, UM, TAXATION IS A VERY COMPLICATED SUBJECT.
AND OUR JOB AS COUNCILORS, YOUR JOB, MY JOB IF YOU ASK ME, WOULD BE TO THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT OUR TAX STRUCTURE AND TO FIND THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO RAISE MONEY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, I, I NOTICED ONE THING RECENTLY.
UH, I, I PAY PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE I LIVE IN RED ROCK HEIGHTS IN COCONINO, COCONINO COUNTY, WHICH PAYS FOR COCONINO COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
FOR EXAMPLE, OUR, OUR PROPERTY TAXES HERE
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ARE SPREAD BETWEEN TWO COUNTIES, WHICH MEANS OUR POLITICAL INFLUENCE IS DILUTED, OUR ECONOMIC BENEFIT IS DILUTED.UM, I MEAN, THESE ARE, THESE ARE LONG RANGE QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION.
UH, WAS WINSLOW UNDER THE SPENDING LIMIT OR DID YOU HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE SPENDING LIMIT OR A-P-B-A-I, I HONESTLY DON'T REMEMBER.
UM, WE DID A NORMAL PUBLIC BUDGETING PROCESS.
I BELIEVE IT WAS JUST, WE DID NOT HAVE A FOUR YEAR RECURRING PROCESS LIKE I THINK YOU GUYS DO HERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, GOOD.
SO WHAT FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN DECISION MAKING FOR SEDONA? UM, MAYBE A WAY TO ADDRESS THAT IS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENED TO HER RECENTLY WITH THE UNFORTUNATE EXIT OF THE MAYOR.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE COUNCIL IS COLLABORATIVE AND RESPECTFUL, THAT NO ONE ON THE COUNCIL ACTS INDEPENDENTLY OR SPEAKS FOR THE COUNCIL.
THE MAYOR SPEAKS FOR THE COUNCIL, BUT THE MAYOR ONLY SPEAKS WITH THE DIRECTION AND THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COUNCIL.
AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AS, AND SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AT ALL TIMES, TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
WHEN THEY DO, THEY HAVE TO SAY, MY OPINION MAY BE X, BUT THE COUNCIL'S OPINION MAY BE OTHERWISE, AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE COUNCIL.
SO THE PROCESS IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT AS A PUBLIC BODY TO UNDERSTAND.
IT'S VERY DIFFERENT FROM BEING IN PRIVATE BUSINESS.
AS A BUSINESS PERSON, I CAN MAKE A DECISION AND I'M SOLELY ACCOUNTABLE.
CERTAINLY NOT THE WAY WITH THE COUNCIL.
YOU HAVE TO ACT AS A BODY AND SPEAK AS A BODY, AND YOUR OPINIONS MAY DIFFER FROM THAT, AND IT MUST BE VERY CLEAR WHEN THAT'S THE CASE.
SO I, I HAVE A FOLLOW UP TO THAT.
SO YOU TALKED ABOUT WORKING COLLABORATIVELY AND RESPECTFULLY, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, THE MAJORITY OF THE DECISIONS THAT COME OUT OF COUNCIL, THIS COUNCIL PAST COUNCILS, UM, ARE UNANIMOUS.
UM, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? AND DO YOU FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE SHOULD BE, WELL, LET ME LEAVE IT THAT, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? I, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING, AND IT'S GOOD TO KEEP IN MIND BECAUSE THE COUNCIL IS NOT A POLITICAL BODY.
WHEN I WAS THE MAYOR IN WINSLOW, IT DIDN'T MATTER WHETHER SOMEONE WAS A DEMOCRAT OR A REPUBLICAN OR AN INDEPENDENT, THEIR PERSONAL POLITICS WERE COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT BECAUSE THE JOB OF THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY, WHICH IS THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE CITY.
IT'S THINGS LIKE POLICE AND FIRE.
AND MOST OF THOSE DECISIONS WILL BE UNANIMOUS BECAUSE THEY'RE SENSIBLE DECISIONS BACKED UP BY THE JUDGMENT OF THE CITY MANAGER AND THE STAFF.
SO IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME THAT MOST OF THOSE DECISIONS ARE UNANIMOUS.
SOMETIMES YOU'LL DISAGREE ON THINGS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, UM, IT'S A NONPOLITICAL DECISION.
IT'S A PRACTICAL, PRAGMATIC DECISION.
AND, AND, AND SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES THERE'S ONE COUNSELOR, YOU KNOW, AND YOU HAVE SIX ONE VOTE.
IS THAT A COMFORTABLE POSITION FOR YOU? UM, WELL, HOPEFULLY WE'RE ALL MATURE ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYONE WON'T AGREE WITH US ALL THE TIME, AND THAT'S OKAY.
IT'S IMPORTANT, AS I SAID EARLIER, TO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU CAN MAKE PROGRESS AND WHERE YOU CAN'T, AND TO HAVE ENOUGH HUMILITY TO JUST WALK AWAY FROM MISSIONS WHERE YOU CAN'T MAKE PROGRESS AND FOCUS ON THINGS WHERE YOU CAN.
I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP ON WHAT YOU SAID.
UH, YOU STARTED TO TALK ABOUT REFERENCING TO THE PREVIOUS MAYOR AND THE SITUATION WE ALL FOUND OURSELVES HAVING TO DEAL WITH, BUT YOU ALSO SPOKE IN THE PAST ABOUT YOUR ABILITY AND, AND, UH, DESIRE, THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT WORD, TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.
LET ME JUST ASK APPOINTED QUESTION.
IF THERE WAS, UH, FEEDBACK YOU GOT FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT SAYS A MEMBER OF STAFF WHO WASN'T ONE OF THE APPOINTEES, UH, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THAT? UH, I'M WONDERING IF YOU WOULD DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH ON THAT OR EXACTLY WHAT THE, YOUR RESPONSE WOULD BE.
I, IF I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, YOU'RE ASKING IF THERE WAS A MEMBER OF STAFF WITH WHOM THERE WAS AN ISSUE YES.
SO A MEMBER OF STAFF THAT DID NOT REPORT IT TO YOU.
SO NONE OF THE STAFF REPORTS TO COUNCIL EXCEPT FOR THE CITY MANAGER.
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IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT WE DON'T HIRE OR FIRE OR MANAGE ANYONE WHO WORKS FOR THE CITY OF SEDONA EXCEPT FOR THE CITY MANAGER.NO, WE ACTUALLY HAVE BOTH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND THE MAGISTRATE.
SO, UM, BUT WITH THAT EXCEPTION, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE CITY DO NOT FALL UNDER MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO I, I THINK A COUNCIL MEMBER'S POSITION IS TO SPEAK TO THE CITY MANAGER, NOT TO THAT EMPLOYEE.
YOU MAY HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THAT EMPLOYEE, BUT IT HAS TO BE CLEAR.
YOU DON'T HIRE THEM, YOU DON'T FIRE THEM, YOU DON'T MANAGE THEM.
AND THE COUNCIL CAN SPEAK TO THE CITY MANAGER AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY MANAGER.
BUT THAT'S, I BELIEVE, AS FAR AS THAT GOES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AND THIS HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY, YOU MAY, FOR EXAMPLE, SORRY TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
YOU'LL HAVE, UH, A RESIDENT WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT A CITY EMPLOYEE AND, AND IT'S A COMMON OCCURRENCE.
AND SO THE POSITION I THINK OF A COUNCIL MEMBER IS TO SAY, THE WAY THE CITY WORKS IS THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER.
AND TO LISTEN TO THAT CAREFULLY AND TO CONVEY THOSE CONCERNS TO THE CITY MANAGER.
AND OF COURSE HOLD THE CITY MANAGER ACCOUNTABLE FOR FOLLOWING UP ON THAT.
I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION, IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, ALAN, WHEN I READ THIS QUESTION, I READ THIS QUESTION AS, WHAT FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN DECISION MAKING FOR SEDONA? AND WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY IS COLLABORATION.
WELL, THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE COUNCIL TO MAKE A DECISION, BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU'RE THINKING THROUGH A PROBLEM THAT'S FACING US, WHAT, WHAT FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU CONSIDER IMPORTANT TO HAVE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS OR TO DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO WITH IT? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU TO MAKE A DECISION FOR SEDONA? WELL, YOU WANNA GET IT RIGHT, WHATEVER THE QUESTION IS, IN ORDER TO GET IT RIGHT, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE IN A SOMEWHAT DEEP WAY.
SO FIRST, YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR RESEARCH DONE CAREFULLY.
YOU SHOULD SPEAK TO PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AS WELL AS YOU CAN.
UM, IN TERMS OF PROCESS, COLLABORATION IS IMPORTANT TO ME, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO SPEAK YOUR TRUTH AS WELL AS YOU UNDERSTAND IT.
BUT ALSO TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE ONE OF A BODY AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY OR AUTHORITY TO MAKE A DECISION.
SO YOUR JOB, MY JOB IS TO ARGUE FOR A POSITION AS WELL AS YOU CAN, AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE A MEMBER OF A BODY THAT MAKES A DECISION COLLABORATIVELY.
ANY FOLLOW UP, MELISSA? JUST, JUST ONE.
THIS IS JUST FOR MY OWN, MY OWN CLARIFICATION, SO FORGIVE ME AND PLEASE INDULGE ME SEVERAL TIMES.
NOW, YOU'VE SAID THAT YOU BELIEVE YOU NEED TO GO TO OUTSIDE EXPERTS AND DO RESEARCH.
IS THAT THE JOB OF COUNCIL MEMBERS OR THE JOB OF STAFF? SHOULD WE BE GIVING DIRECTION TO STAFF OR SHOULD WE BE DOING ALL OF OUR OWN RESEARCH? JUST IN YOUR OPINION? I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU HAVE TO DO BOTH.
UM, OF COURSE, WE HIRE STAFF AND WE EXPECT STAFF TO USE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE IN THE FIELD IN WHICH THEY'RE HIRED.
BUT I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR, FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF AN ISSUE.
THERE ARE BEST PRACTICES FOR VIRTUALLY EVERY QUESTION THAT WILL COME BEFORE THIS BODY.
AND IT'S ONE THING TO SIMPLY RELY ON A STAFF, BUT I THINK THAT'S INADEQUATE IN MANY CASES.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH JUST TO TAKE WHAT THE STAFF TELLS YOU FOR GRANTED.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ALSO TO HAVE SOME INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION OF THAT.
SO IF, IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE AND YOU HEARD THE SAME THING FROM THE STAFF MEMBER THAT YOU HEARD FROM A THIRD PARTY, THEN THAT MAY BE A SUFFICIENT FOR YOU TO MAKE A DECISION.
BUT IF THEY'RE IN CONFLICT, THEN I THINK YOU NEED TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS AND MAYBE GO DEEPER BEFORE YOU MAKE A DECISION.
NEXT QUESTION, ALAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE IN CONTRIBUTING FULLY TO COUNCIL DECISIONS? UH, I, I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE, UM, AND NOT JUST THROUGH THIS, BUT FROM MANY ORGANIZATIONS AND MANY BOARDS ACTUALLY DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING FOR ME TO PARTICIPATE IN A BODY LIKE
[00:35:01]
THIS.I MEAN, SOME, SOMETIMES WE'LL DISAGREE ON THINGS.
I MEAN THAT OBVIOUSLY IT'S THE BIGGEST
SOMETIMES WE'LL DISAGREE ON THINGS.
UM, BUT I'VE, YOU KNOW, I'M AT A STAGE IN MY LIFE WHERE I, I UNDERSTAND IT'S OKAY TO DISAGREE.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK, WHAT DO YOU THINK MIGHT FRUSTRATE YOU MOST AS A SITTING MEMBER OF SEDONA CITY COUNCIL? WHAT FRUSTRATES ME MOST IN GENERAL, AND ON A COUNCIL IN PARTICULAR, WOULD BE IF I WAS UNABLE OR I THOUGHT THE COUNCIL WAS UNABLE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT.
WHAT DOES NOT MAKE PROGRESS LOOK LIKE TO YOU? UH, A COUPLE ISSUES THAT, UM, COME TO MIND.
UM, WORKFORCE HOUSING, FOR EXAMPLE, IF I WAS ON THE COUNCIL, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN IN A, IN A ONE YEAR INTERIM APPOINTMENT.
BUT IF YOU WERE ON THE COUNCIL FOR SEVERAL TERMS AND NO NEW PROJECTS WERE APPROVED, NOTHING WAS IN THE PIPELINE, UM, THERE WAS A DIMINUTION OF FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
THERE WERE FEWER LITECH DOLLARS AVAILABLE.
THERE WAS, UH, NO PERMITS BEING ADVANCED.
THAT WOULD BE EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING TO ME.
I WOULD FEEL THAT THAT WAS A FAILURE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
OKAY, MELISSA? OH, PETE, YOU WANNA FOLLOW UP? YES, I WILL.
UM, YOUR OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS ARE RADICALLY DIFFERENT.
YOU HAVE MORE MONEY HERE TO DEAL WITH.
YOU HAVE MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES.
THAT'S A GREAT THING FOR THE CITY OF SEDONA.
SO, UM, I I, I DON'T THINK I'D HAVE TOO MUCH DIFFICULTY ADDRESSING THAT.
'CAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE INFORMATIVE, BUT NOT COMPARABLE.
DO YOU THINK SEDONA NEEDS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT GENERATING MORE REVENUE? OH, INTERESTING.
UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND OF THE BUDGET, NO, I, I DON'T THINK THAT THE TAXES ARE TOO LOW HERE.
BUT, BUT THIS GOES BACK TO, UH, AN EARLIER QUESTION FROM THE MAYOR ABOUT THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
SOMETIMES YOU MAY HAVE MAJOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT REQUIRE YOU, UM, TO LOOK AT BIGGER TICKET ITEMS IN A SHORTER TIMEFRAME.
AND I KNOW THAT WAS TRUE, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THE PARKING STRUCTURE AND WITH THE FOREST BYPASS AND WITH THE PURCHASE OF THE CULTURE PARK.
SO IT, IT MAY BE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY, THAT YOU, YOU WANT TO PROCEED WITH A BIGGER TICKET ITEM THAT YOU DON'T WANNA SPREAD OUT OVER MULTIPLE YEARS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSED BY INCREASING TAXES.
I THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH TAX REVENUE.
YOUR JOB IS TO MANAGE IT CAREFULLY.
KATHY, I WANNA GO BACK TO A COUPLE OF REFERENCES THAT YOU MADE TO LITECH, UM, FOR HOUSING.
AND WE HAD, UM, SEVERAL MEETINGS WHERE WE WERE DISCUSSING PROJECTS WHERE LITECH WAS A PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
DID YOU WATCH THOSE MEETINGS OR WERE PART OF THOSE MEETINGS AT ALL? I DID NOT, BUT I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH TAX CREDIT STRUCTURES 'CAUSE I'VE PERSONALLY USED THEM.
SO HAVE YOU FOUND, UM, LITECH A CHALLENGING SYSTEM OR THERE WERE CHALLENGES IN THE PROJECTS HERE? THEY DID NOT.
IT BROUGHT IN ANOTHER SET OF, UM, REQUIREMENTS THAT ADDED SOME FINANCIAL BURDEN.
YOU ACTUALLY LIE, THE PURPOSE OF LITECH IS TO RELIEVE FINANCIAL BURDEN.
WE POUNDED TO HAVE SOMEWHAT OF AN OPPOSITE IMPACT.
UH, WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THAT AND HOW DO YOU THINK LITECH SHOULD BE UTILIZED? YOU SAID ONLY SINCE YOU MADE THE RE UH, REFERENCES TO IT.
UM, LITECH IS LIKE, I THINK CHURCHILL TALKING ABOUT DEMOCRACY.
IT'S A TERRIBLE SYSTEM, BUT IT'S THE BEST WE HAVE.
AND I THINK THE SAME THING IS TRUE OF LITECH.
UM, LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS ARE GAP FINANCING.
THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE HOUSING MORE AFFORDABLE.
YOU CAN'T DECREASE THE COST OF LABOR.
[00:40:01]
YOU CAN'T DECREASE THE COST OF LAND.YOU CAN'T DECREASE THE COST OF MATERIALS.
SO THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP IT AFFORDABLE IS TO HAVE SOME FORM OF SUBSIDY.
AND IN THE UNITED STATES, THE PRIMARY FORM IS LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS, COMPLICATED STRUCTURES TO PUT IN PLACE.
IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THEY'RE NOT PERMANENT.
SO TYPICALLY AFTER 15 YEARS, SOMETIMES LONGER, UH, PROPERTIES THAT WERE FINANCE WITH LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS REVERT TO MARKET RATE HOUSING.
SO IF YOU WANT LONG TERM AFFORDABILITY, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE LAND BANKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
A A DIFFICULTY IN THE NEAR TERM FOR LITECH IS THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GONNA ALLOCATE FEWER FUNDS TO THE STATES FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS, WHICH MEANS THEY'LL BE LESS AVAILABLE TO ALLOCATE BACK DOWN TO COMMUNITIES LIKE SEDONA.
AND THOSE ARE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE IN THE STATES.
SO THE STATE GETS A CERTAIN ALLOCATION FROM THE TREASURY, AND THE STATE HAS TO DECIDE, SHOULD WE ALLOCATE $20 MILLION OF LITECH TO SEDONA, OR SHOULD WE ALLOCATE IT TO PHOENIX? FOR EXAMPLE, THE CITY OF MULTIPLE MILLIONS, WHERE'S THE GREATEST NEED FOR THOSE FUNDS? SO LITECH IS, UM, SOMETIMES DIFFICULT TO GET AND DIFFICULT TO ADMINISTER, AND IT'S A LONG-TERM COMMITMENT AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR DEVELOPERS.
BUT WITHOUT IT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS OFTEN SIMPLY CANNOT BE BUILT BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER GAP FINANCING.
SO I KNOW YOU'VE HAD SOME DIFFICULTIES HERE.
UH, YOU HAVE ONE LITECH PROJECT UNDER CONSTRUCTION, OTHERS HAD BEEN PROPOSED.
I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO SUPPORT THOSE 'CAUSE THE DEVELOPER HAS TO GET THE TAX CREDITS AND ADMINISTER THE TAX CREDITS.
FORTUNATELY, THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S A LONG-TERM, EXTREMELY COMPLICATED PROCESS.
I JUST EXITED A TAX CREDIT PROJECT, UH, IN NEW MEXICO AFTER A SEVEN YEAR COMPLIANCE PERIOD.
SO WE HAVE 20 MINUTES TILL OUR NEXT PERSON ARRIVES AND WE HAVE FOUR QUESTIONS TO GO.
MELISSA, I THINK YOU WERE NEXT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, CITIZENS OFTEN COME FORWARD WITH IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT THEY WANT THE CITY TO ADDRESS.
MANY OF THESE ITEMS MAY HAVE A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, BUT ARE NOT WITHIN THE CITY'S AUTHORITY OR JURISDICTION.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THESE REQUESTS? WELL, IF SOMETHING'S NOT WITHIN THE CITY'S AUTHORITY OR JURISDICTION, THAT THAT IS THE RESPONSE.
THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE CITY CANNOT ADDRESS, EITHER BY STATUTE OR BY AUTHORITY.
AND, UH, IDEALLY YOU WOULD ENGAGE WITH THAT CITIZEN TO TRY TO FIND AN APPROPRIATE AVENUE FOR THEM TO ADDRESS THAT AND REFER THEM TO WHATEVER THE APPROPRIATE ENTITY IS.
BUT LOTS OF TIMES, I MEAN, I, I KNOW FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, YOU'LL BE ASKED BY A CITIZEN HOW TO SOLVE SOME PARTICULAR PROBLEM THAT YOU, YOU CANNOT SOLVE FOR THEM.
YOU HAVE TO BE RESPECTFUL AND SIMPLY MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DO.
FOLLOW UP TO THAT, WHERE DO YOU THINK THOUGH, THAT SOME COLLABORATION WITH OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES LIKE THE COUNTY OR NEIGHBORING SURE.
COMMUNITIES IN OUR VERDE VALLEY REGION.
I MEAN, INSTEAD OF JUST REFERRING THINGS NOW, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU MESH THOSE? YEP.
UM, I, I, I DO THIS A LOT IN MY NONPROFIT WORK.
UM, MANY ISSUES COME BEFORE, UH, ARTS BOARDS OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT MAYBE YOU'RE NOT THE APPROPRIATE PERSON TO DO THAT OR THE BEST PERSON TO DO THAT.
AND SO YOU WOULD, I THINK, IF POSSIBLE, NOT JUST REFER THEM, BUT ACTUALLY CONNECT THEM TO BETTER RESOURCES.
UM, IN, UH, SORRY PETE, BUT I HAVE TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT A DIRECT EXPERIENCE THAT, THAT I ACTUALLY HAD, WHICH WAS THE BUILDING OF A, A, A DETOX CENTER IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY.
AND SO IN THAT COMMUNITY, WE, WE HAD A LONG TERM PROBLEM OF BEING ADJACENT TO RESERVATION.
AND, UM, PEOPLE WHO HAD ALCOHOL PROBLEMS WOULD COME TO OUR COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY DYING ON THE STREETS IN WINTERTON 'CAUSE THEY WERE FREEZING TO DEATH.
AND THERE WAS NO DETOX CENTER IN NORTHEASTERN ARIZONA.
SO I, I REALIZED THAT I COULDN'T DO THAT PERSONALLY, AND THE CITY COULDN'T DO THAT PERSONALLY.
SO WE WORKED WITH THE COUNTY AND WITH THE HOPI AND NAVAJO TRIBES AND WITH MULTIPLE CITIES TO COME UP WITH THE FUNDING AND A LOCATION, UH, TO BUILD AN OPERATED DETOX CENTER.
SO SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T DO IT YOURSELF, AND THAT'S OKAY.
[00:45:01]
HOPEFULLY YOU ARE BROAD-MINDED ENOUGH, UM, AND RESOURCEFUL ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE COLLABORATIONS WHICH CAN MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN THAT YOU COULDN'T DO YOURSELF.UM, DO YOU SEE SOMEWHERE IN SEDONA THAT YOU, WHERE YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME COLLABORATION LIKE THAT OR SOMETHING FROM, FROM YOUR CRITICAL EYE LOOKING AT US WANTING TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS BODY? OR WOULD YOU BRING SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN? UH, INTERESTING QUESTION.
I MEAN, THERE MAY BE THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE IN THE CULTURE PARK, UM, WHERE THE AMPHITHEATER IS A POTENTIAL ASSET THAT THE CITY MAYBE IS NOT THE BEST ENTITY TO OWN OR OPERATE.
THAT I THINK PROBABLY THE BEST TO OWN IT, BUT NOT TO OPERATE IT.
SO IN A CASE LIKE THAT, YOU MIGHT WORK, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH YAVAPAI COLLEGE, THE ADJACENT LANDOWNER, YOU MIGHT WORK WITH THE COUNTY, WHICH IS WHAT WAS DONE WITH PEPSI AMPHITHEATER IN FLAGSTAFF.
SO THERE ARE MANY POTENTIAL APPROACHES TO THAT, WHICH ARE COLLABORATIVE IN NATURE.
MIGHT BE TRUE OF HOUSING AS WELL.
I MEAN, YOU THINK ABOUT WORKING WITH, UH, HOUSING AUTHORITIES OR STATE HOUSING AUTHORITIES.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF NONPROFIT HOUSING AUTHORITIES, UM, WHERE THE CITY COULD COLLABORATE WITH THEM TO EITHER ACQUIRE PROPERTY OR TO DEVELOP OR OWN PROPERTY IN A LONGER TERM.
I HAVE A QUESTION THAT, UH, IS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION BETWEEN NUMBERS.
THE LAST QUESTION AND THIS QUESTION.
SO YOU TALKED ABOUT FOREST ROAD AND THE GARAGE, AND THOSE WERE HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL PROJECTS AND, UH, WE HAD MANY MEETINGS WHERE EVEN WHEN THAT TOPIC WASN'T ON THE AGENDA IN THE PUBLIC FORUM, PART OF OUR AGENDA, PEOPLE CAME TO TALK TO US.
IT'S STILL ON THE AGENDA MM-HMM
SO ONE OF THE THING, WELL, FOREST ROAD, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE GARAGE FOR A MINUTE, BUT FOREST ROAD WAS ACTUALLY, UM, SUPPORTED BY THE UPTOWN RESIDENTS FOR THE MOST PART, UH, EXCEPT FOR THOSE WHO LIVED
BUT, UH, WITH THE GARAGE, WE TOOK A STEP BACK AND WE SAID, LET'S REVIEW THIS PROJECT AGAIN.
LET'S UPDATE THE DATA THAT WE USED TO, UM, TO SUPPORT THE NEED.
AND, UH, AND THAT WAS TO CONVINCE OURSELVES THAT IT WAS IN FACT SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY TO DO.
NOW THAT CAUSED A DELAY IN THE PROJECT AND IT MADE THE PROJECT MORE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE OF THE TIMING AND THE COVID AND THE INCREASED COSTS AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.
DO YOU THINK THAT WAS A GOOD DECISION ON OUR PART? I COULD RECUSE MYSELF OF THAT CONVERSATION.
I I DO UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES YOU, YOU DELAY A PROJECT.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE VERY, VERY GOOD REASONS AND NOT TO HAVE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE.
BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, AS A BUILDER, I UNDERSTAND THAT DELAY COSTS MONEY AND SOMETIMES SIGNIFICANT MONEY.
AND SO A POLICY MAKER NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS FOR THEIR DECISIONS AND BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
WHETHER THAT WAS A GOOD DECISION OR NOT, I, I COULDN'T SAY.
AND I THINK PART OF THE COMMUNITY QUESTION IS, IT'S NOT OBVIOUS WHETHER OR NOT THAT PARKING GARAGE IS A GOOD DECISION OR NOT.
I THINK PART OF THE ANSWER HAS TO BE, WE DON'T KNOW YET.
WE BELIEVE IT WAS A GOOD DECISION.
AND WHEN IT'S BUILT AND IN USE, WE'LL SEE WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE FOR THE BUSINESSES AND THE EMPLOYEES UPTOWN AND FOR THE NEIGHBORS.
AND YOU WOULD JUST ASK PEOPLE FOR THEIR FORBEARANCE UNTIL THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED AND IN USE, BECAUSE SOMETIMES, UM, GOING BACK TO THE DETOX CENTER, YOU KNOW, THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS WERE WORRIED ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT, HMM, THERE WERE GONNA BE MORE INTOXICATED PEOPLE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, AND MY ARGUMENT, MY PLEA TO THEM WAS, WAIT, BE PATIENT.
THIS HAS WORKED IN OTHER PLACES.
WE, WE BELIEVE IT WILL WORK HERE.
THE EXPERTS TELL US IT WILL WORK HERE.
AND I THINK THE SAME THING IS TRUE OF THE BYPASS AND THE PARKING GARAGE IN THE NEAR TERM, WHILE THE MONEY'S BEING SPENT.
AND UNDER CONSTRUCTION, PEOPLE MAY NOT SEE THAT BECAUSE IT MAY BE PAINFUL TO THEM IN THE NEAR TERM FROM NOISE OR INCONVENIENCE, BUT IN THE LONG TERM, THESE THINGS MAY PAY OFF VERY WELL FOR EVERYONE CONCERNED.
[00:50:01]
I KNOW, I WAS REALLY FRAMING IT SO THAT WHERE, IN YOUR MIND, WHEN THE COMMUNITY IS AGAINST SOMETHING DEEPLY AGAINST SOMETHING, ONE PART OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN THE ANOTHER PART OF THE COMMUNITY, LIKE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS BEGGING FOR THIS, UH, DO YOU THINK THAT TRYING TO REASSESS, TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS IS THE BEST PROJECT? IT'S, IT'S REALLY ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS OPPOSED, AND, AND OF COURSE THE BYPRODUCT IS IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.POLITICAL PROCESSES ARE NECESSARILY SLOWER THAN PRIVATE PRACTICE.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT VERY WELL.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE COMMUNITY SUPPORT, SOMETIMES IT'S BETTER JUST NOT TO DO A PROJECT.
IF THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T SUPPORT IT, IT'S NOT, I THINK IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR A COUNCIL TO DO THINGS THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T SUPPORT.
DEREK, ARE WE STILL JUST TAKING THESE IN ORDER, GIVEN THE TIME? I DON'T GO TO QUESTION NUMBER NINE.
UH, CITY COUNCIL MET TO REVIEW, UPDATE AND ESTABLISH THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
HAVE YOU REVIEWED THESE PRIORITIES AND WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THEM? HOW DO THESE ESTABLISHED PRIORITIES ALIGN WITH YOUR VIEWS? WHAT DO YOU SEE AS IMPORTANT PRIORITIES? UH, I DID LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY PLAN, UM, AND I THINK THAT A NUMBER OF THE THINGS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, AND I'M COMPLETELY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT.
I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE THAT THE STRATEGY IS IN PLACE TO EXECUTE THAT.
UM, SAME THING WITH THE WESTERN GATEWAY.
I THINK THE, THE INITIAL PLAN THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE COUNCIL WAS ILL-CONCEIVED.
AND, UM, AND NEEDED TO, UH, AS YOU KNOW, THIS GOES BACK TO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, UH, I THINK SOMETIMES YOU'LL GET A WORK PRODUCT THAT IS INSUFFICIENT AND YOU SHOULD SAY, WE NEED TO GO BACK AND START OVER AND LOOK AT THIS AGAIN.
UM, SO I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANY PARTICULAR COMMENTS ABOUT PARTICULAR ISSUES ON THE COMMUNITY PRIORITY.
I, I CERTAINLY AGREE THAT WE NEED TO MANAGE AND REALLY PUT EFFORT INTO SHORT TERM RENTALS.
BUT AGAIN, SOME OF THOSE THINGS ARE DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN YOUR CONTROL.
IF THE STATE LEGISLATURE SAYS, HMM, YOU'RE NOT GONNA REGULATE THAT.
I HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE, UM, IN MY PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT POSITION WHERE, UH, GOING BACK TO ALCOHOL, WE, WE WANTED TO TAX, UM, FORTIFIED LIQUOR AND THE STATE SAID, CAN'T DO IT.
SO SOMETIMES THERE ARE ISSUES THAT MAY BE IN YOUR PRIORITY LIST, LIKE SHORT TERM RENTALS, THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO IS HIRE A LOBBYIST AND TRY TO USE PERSONAL PERSUASION.
BUT YOU, YOU CAN'T MAKE PROGRESS IN THAT, AND YOU HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO ADDRESS IT AND MANAGE IT.
KELLY, HAVE YOU ATTENDED OR WATCHED CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN THE PAST YEAR? AND WHAT DID YOU GAIN FROM THIS? YES, I DID.
UM, I, I ACTUALLY WAS VERY WORRIED ABOUT HOW THE, THE PROCESS WITH THE MAYOR WAS GOING TO PLAY OUT WHEN I WAS AWARE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A COUPLE OF MEETINGS TO CSU AND, UM, THE MAYOR WASN'T INTERESTED IN STEPPING DOWN.
AND SO I WAS WORRIED AND CAME TO A COUPLE COUNCIL MEETINGS AND I WAS ACTUALLY VERY, UM, PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AND IMPRESSED WITH THE DELICATE WAY THAT YOU ALL HANDLED THAT.
IT DIDN'T, IT DIDN'T NEED TO GO THAT WAY.
IT WOULDN'T OFTEN HAVE GONE THAT WAY.
AND IF IT HADN'T GONE THAT WAY, I WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE TODAY BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T BE A BODY THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF.
BUT I WAS ACTUALLY QUITE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AND IMPRESSED AT THE WAY THE COUNCIL AND STAFF DEALT WITH A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE.
ANY OTHER FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? OKAY.
PETE, DO WE WANT, MAYOR, DO WE WANNA ASK THE I DON'T THINK WE DON'T NEED TO.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK SO EITHER.
SO I'M GONNA SKIP TO QUESTION 12 IS WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE YOU, ALAN? UM, THANKS COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR YOUR FORBEARANCE TODAY AND FOR YOUR, UH, QUESTIONING.
UM, I THINK THAT A REASON YOU MIGHT CHOOSE ME IS, IS MY VERY BROAD EXPERIENCE, BOTH IN GOVERNMENT AND IN PRIVATE PRACTICE.
[00:55:01]
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE YOUR PARTICULAR EXPERTISE, BUT, UM, UNDERSTANDING THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS SOMETHING THAT I BRING TO YOU, WHICH ISN'T PRESENT ON THE COUNCIL IN A, IN A VERY PERSONAL WAY.UM, I HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE IN WORKING WITH GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES.
UM, I HAVE VERY GOOD CONTACTS WITH THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH MIGHT BE HELPFUL ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE SOMEWHAT UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE PRIVATE EXPERIENCE, SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE BUSINESS EXPERIENCE, SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE, SOME PEOPLE WHO HAVE NONPROFIT EXPERIENCE.
BUT TO HAVE THE DEPTH OF EXPERIENCE IN ALL OF THOSE FIELDS IS, I THINK, RATHER UNUSUAL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? UH, NO, I DON'T.
WELL, THOSE ARE THE END OF OUR QUESTIONS AND AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL ANSWERS.
UH, WE WILL BE, WE WILL BE KEEPING TO SCHEDULE AND WE WILL BE DELIBERATING AT FIVE O'CLOCK AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME BACK.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, MAY I SUGGEST WE ELIMINATE QUESTION NINE GOING FORWARD? I JUST DON'T THINK THAT IT'S GONNA LAND.
WHAT DO YOU GUYS, I WANT TO ASK IT TO KEEP IT ON THE LIST.
WHY, WHY ARE YOU CONCERNED? I, I DON'T THINK IT'S REALISTIC THAT ANY, UH, OF THESE APPLICANTS ARE GOING TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRIORITY SETTING RETREAT.
THAT'S WHAT THIS QUESTION'S ASKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED 11 MONTHS AGO.
WELL, THEN IT'LL BE A SHORT ANSWER, SO WHY NOT ASK IT
KATHY, YOU WANT YOU GO, GO THE SAME ORDER OR START? UH, BRIAN, GO AHEAD.
THERE'S A LOT OF CHANGE FOR ME.
FIRST QUESTION IS, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE BY THE WAY.
UH, CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHY YOU WANT TO SERVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND DO YOU INTEND TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL IN 2026? OKAY.
MAYBE YOU'LL DETECT THAT AS WE GO ALONG.
I'M ORIGINALLY FROM TEXAS, BUT UM, I'VE LIVED THE LAST 35 YEARS HERE IN ARIZONA.
UM, MY WORK EXPERIENCE IN ARIZONA WAS WITH THE STATE OF ARIZONA.
AND, UH, MY HUSBAND AND I BOUGHT OUR HOUSE IN 2010 WHEN WE KNEW WE WOULD BE RETIRING HERE.
AND WE, UM, HAVE, WE MOVED HERE IN 2015 FULL TIME AFTER WE RETIRED.
SO IN MY WORK LIFE, UM, I'VE HAD VARIOUS POSITIONS, NOT JUST WITH THE STATE, BUT I WOULD SAY SORT OF A THROUGH LINE IN THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN BUDGETING.
I WORKED FOR FIVE GOVERNORS IN THE, WITH THE STATE OF ARIZONA.
UM, AND I RETIRED FROM THE STATE.
I, UM, STARTED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET OFFICE.
IT WAS GOVERNOR MOFFETT AT THE TIME FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE.
AND, UM, A MAJORITY OF MY TIME WAS WITH THE STATE'S DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION, WHICH IS SORT OF THE BACK OFFICE FUNCTIONS OF STATE GOVERNMENT, MUCH LIKE THE CITY.
I MEAN, IT HAS FINANCE, IT HAD RISK MANAGEMENT, HAD BENEFITS THAT CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE MOTOR POOL, A POLICE FORCE, ET CETERA.
SO A LOT OF THE SAME SERVICES, BUT JUST ON A BIGGER SCALE.
AND WHEN WE RETIRED HERE, UM, I LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THINGS WORK.
SO I THOUGHT, OKAY, I'M GONNA DO THE CITIZENS ACADEMY AND, AND SEE HOW THE CITY COMPARES TO THE STATE.
[01:00:01]
I DID THAT IN 2015.AND THEN ONE THING SORT OF LEADS TO THE NEXT, THEY GET YOU ON A LIST, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THEY START CALLING YOU FOR THINGS, AT LEAST THEY DID AT THE TIME.
SO I WAS ON, UH, FOUR YEARS OF, UH, CITIZEN BUDGET WORK GROUPS.
THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS WE WERE STILL DOING LINE ITEM BUDGETING, AND THEN WE MOVED TO PROGRAM BUDGETING, WHICH IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING NOW.
UM, I WAS ON A COUPLE OF CITIZEN WORK GROUPS, KIND OF FINANCE RELATED.
USUALLY ONE OF 'EM WAS THE, UM, TRYING TO FIND A PERMANENT FUND SOURCE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN.
THE SIM PROJECTS WE RECOMMENDED.
WE ACTUALLY RECOMMENDED A 1 CENT SALES TAX, BUT COUNCIL ADOPTED A HALF CENT ANYWAY, AND WE RECOMMENDED A 10 YEAR ONE AND COUNCIL MADE IT PERMANENT.
SO, UM, AND THEN I WAS ALSO ON WITH PETE THE, UM, HOME RULE VERSUS PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT TASK FORCE, WHICH LOOKED AT THOSE KIND OF ALTERNATIVES, UM, FOUR PLUS YEARS AGO AT A VERY CONTENTIOUS TIME, NOT KNOWING HOW THE CITY MIGHT WANT TO RESPOND.
SO, UM, AND I WAS ALSO ON THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT BRIEFLY FOR, I MEAN, MAYBE THREE MONTHS.
AND THEN I DISSOLVED IT
AND, UM, I'M, AS OF THE END OF OCTOBER, I'M NOW THE CHAIR OF PLANNING AND ZONING DUE TO RETIREMENT.
I WAS ON A CITIZEN HEALTHCARE GROUP, WHICH WAS NOT INITIATED BY THE CITY, BUT I WOULD SAY IT WAS ENDORSED BY THE CITY.
AND WE LOOKED AT VARIOUS OPTIONS, UH, TO ADDRESS THE SHORTAGE OF MEDICAL CARE IN THE VERDE VALLEY.
IT WAS SORT OF A OPEN-ENDED THING.
WHY DO I WANT TO SERVE ON COUNCIL? WELL, I, I HAVE AN INTEREST IN PUBLIC POLICY.
I THINK A DEMONSTRATED INTEREST.
UM, AND THIS IS WHERE THAT HAPPENS, CITY COUNCIL.
SO I THINK IT'S A NATURAL PROGRESSION.
AND, UM, NO, I DO NOT PLAN TO RUN FOR COUNCIL IN 2026.
BUT IF SELECTED, YOU WOULD BE STEPPING DOWN FROM PNZ? I WOULD HAVE TO, YES.
AND GIVEN HOUSE BILL 24 47, IT'S NOT AS DIFFICULT A DECISION.
THANK YOU CHARLOTTE FOR COMING.
I'VE WATCHED YOU ON TAPE, I'VE WATCHED YOU ON TAPE.
UM, AN ISSUE HAS COME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL THAT YOU SUPPORT VERY STRONGLY, HOWEVER YOU RECEIVE NUMEROUS EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS FROM CITIZENS WHO ARE AGAINST THE ISSUE.
WHAT DO YOU DO? WELL, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK, I THINK I WOULD NEED TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE, WHY THEY FEEL THE WAY THEY FEEL COMPARED TO THE WAY I FEEL.
UM, THIS IS THE PROCESS I DO FOLLOW ON PNZ BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS NOT ALWAYS HUNKY DORY.
UM, WHAT I, QUESTIONS I WOULD ASK MYSELF IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT AM I MISSING? POTENTIALLY, UH, I WOULD WEIGH THE NATURE OF THE OPPOSITION.
YOU KNOW, IS IT WIDE, WIDELY HELD? IS IT A SMALL GROUP, UH, THAT FEELS THIS WAY? ARE THERE SOME ALTERNATIVES? ARE THERE, UM, SOME ROOM FOR COMPROMISE? UM, I THINK ONCE YOU GET OVER THE INITIAL CRITICISM, YOU DON'T LIKE TO BE, NOBODY LIKES TO BE CRITICIZED.
BUT I WOULD TRY TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING AND HOW VALID IT IS.
UM, ULTIMATELY IT, IT BECOMES PART OF A BIGGER PUZZLE TO SOLVE IF YOU'RE STILL AT ODDS THERE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, EVERYBODY IS NOT ALWAYS SATISFIED IN THE END.
BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, I WOULD TRY TO UNDERSTAND, CHARLOTTE, HAVE YOU EVER CHANGED YOUR MIND? SO YOU CAME IN AND YOU FELT REALLY PASSIONATELY, PASSIONATELY ABOUT A SUBJECT AND THE CITIZENRY WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE.
[01:05:01]
ON THE OTHER SIDE AFTER LISTENING TO THEM, HAS THAT PERSUADED YOU? ACTUALLY, UM, SURPRISINGLY, YES, I HAVE CHANGED MY MIND ON THINGS.UM, HOPEFULLY I WOULD'VE SENSED ENOUGH OR DONE ENOUGH HOMEWORK TO WHERE IT WOULDN'T COME AS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO ME ONCE I'M SITTING ON THE DA THAT LIKE, WHAT, WHAT
AND SOME, I'M VERY SYMPATHETIC TO NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS, RESIDENTIAL CONCERNS.
I'M ALSO VERY SENSITIVE AND AWARE OF, UM, PROPERTY RIGHTS.
AND SO SOMETIMES YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU START LISTENING AND YOU REALIZE, AND THIS IS WHERE COMPROMISE COMES IN.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S SOME SORT OF, AND I'M USING P AND Z AS AN EXAMPLE, BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOME SORT OF CONDITION OF APPROVAL OR SOME SORT OF MODIFICATION YOU CAN PUT IN THAT WILL PROTECT, YOU KNOW, THESE CONCERNS THAT YOU'RE REALLY HEARING, UM, AND THAT YOU MAY NOT HAVE CONSIDERED AS MUCH ORIGINALLY.
I MEAN, I TRY NOT TO FLIP FLOP CONSISTENTLY, BUT
DEREK, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT PREPARING TO MAKE A DECISION ON AN ITEM YOU KNOW, VERY LITTLE ABOUT? WELL, I MEAN, I DO MY HOMEWORK.
UM, SINCE YOU HAVE SCHEDULING THAT YOU CAN TELL SEVERAL MEETINGS OUT WHAT'S GONNA BE COMING.
UM, I WOULD HAVE SOME TIME TO, YOU KNOW, EDUCATE MYSELF.
I, I LIKE TO REVIEW PRIOR MEETINGS IF THERE IS SOME HISTORY TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, TO LISTEN TO THAT AGAIN, UM, SOMETIMES THERE'S NOT HISTORY, BUT READ THE PACKETS, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, TRY TO MAKE TIME FOR THE CITY MANAGER OR STAFF QUESTIONS TO GET CLARIFICATION IF I NEED IT.
TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE PULSE OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, ON THIS PARTICULAR SUBJECT.
MAYBE LOOK AT OTHER JURISDICTIONS, UM, TO SEE WHAT THEY'VE DONE OR OTHER SIMILAR SITUATIONS, HOW THOSE HAVE BEEN HANDLED.
THOSE MIGHT BE ADDRESSED IN THE STAFF PACKET, BUT MAYBE NOT.
SO, I MEAN, BASICALLY JUST DO MY HOMEWORK.
I GUESS A FOLLOW UP, UM, ARE YOU AWARE THAT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS WE, UH, MEET WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND TYPICALLY AT LEAST ONE OF THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGERS ALSO IN PREPARATION FOR EACH COUNCIL MEETING? I DO KNOW THAT, YEAH.
I DON'T KNOW HOW BEFORE EACH COUNCIL MEETING OR IS IT A REGULAR YEAH, LIKE WE ALL MEET THE MONDAY BEFORE THE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AT A COUNCIL WEEK.
YEAH, THAT MIGHT, I MIGHT NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME BEFORE THAT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S KINDA LAST MINUTE TO BE ASKING YOUR QUESTIONS.
BUT DEPENDS ON, WE, WE GET THE PACKET TYPICALLY THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE MM-HMM
SO YOU REALLY ONLY HAVE THAT DAY AND THE NEXT DAY TO DOCUMENT ANY QUESTIONS SINCE STAFF'S OFF ON FRIDAY.
SO IT IS A, A FAIRLY COMPRESSED SCHEDULE, BUT, UM, YOU CAN TELL WHAT TOPICS ARE GONNA BE COMING UP.
JUST START DOING SOME HOMEWORK IF YOU KNOW IT'S SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS IS NOW DOCUMENTED OUT WHAT AN NET THREE MONTHS OR MORE, WHICH I THINK IS EXCELLENT.
KATHY, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT A CITY, CITY, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT CITY COUNCIL,
UM, IF, IF I STILL THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A CONFLICT BASED ON WHAT I THOUGHT I KNEW I WOULD APPROACH THE PERSON DIRECTLY AND HOPE THAT THEY WOULD NOT MIND MY ASKING ABOUT IT.
[01:10:01]
AND, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A DIFFERENCE OF INTERPRETATION, SAY THEY STILL THINK THEY DON'T HAVE A CONFLICT, AND I THINK BASED ON WHAT THEY SAID, THAT THEY MIGHT, UM, I WOULD PROBABLY, DEPENDING ON THE REACTION, SEE IF THEY WANTED TO TALK TO THE CITY ATTORNEY OR PERHAPS I WOULD NEED TO, I MEAN, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO JUST LET IT DROP IF I CONTINUED TO THINK THERE WAS A CONFLICT.UM, PART OF IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE REACTION OF THE PERSON.
AND, UM, I THINK SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WE WISH WE HAD A CONFLICT OF INTEREST SO YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO VOTE ON SOMETHING
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S WHAT I THINK I WOULD DO.
AND, AND DO YOU, UM, OH, WE NOT BRINGING IT UP ON THE DAIS.
THAT WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TIME THEY'D HEAR ABOUT IT.
AND, AND DO YOU, ARE YOU, DO YOU THINK THERE MIGHT BE ANY CONFLICTS OF INTEREST THAT YOU POTENTIALLY SEE IN THE FUTURE? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S COMING UP AND GENERALLY WHAT'S ON OUR AGENDA? HOW DO YOU THINK? UM, NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
I WOULD WANT TO TALK TO KURT THAT'S NOT HERE, BUT ANYWAY, UM, ABOUT VOTES I'VE TAKEN ON P AND Z AND WHETHER THAT IT DOES NOT CREATE A, A CONFLICT.
WELL, I'M GONNA ASK HIM ANYWAY AND, UM, JUST, JUST TO MAKE SURE.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.
MAYOR, COULD I JUST ASK YOU TO CLARIFY, CHARLOTTE, I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR YOU ON THE PRIMARY QUESTION ABOUT A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
YOU SAID YOU WOULD OR WOULD NOT BROACH THAT FROM THE DIOCESE? OH, NO, NO, NO.
I WOULD NOT BROACH IT FROM THE DIETS.
PETE CHARLOTTE, THE CITY IS ENTERING THE BUDGETING PROCESS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
MUNICIPAL BUDGETING DIFFERENCE GREATLY FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WHICH YOU'VE HAD SOME GOOD STATE EXPERIENCE.
IT PROBABLY ALSO DIFFERS FROM THE STATE BUDGETING PROCESS.
PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE MUNICIPAL OR SERONA'S BUDGETING PROCESS.
UM, I'M MUCH MORE FAMILIAR WITH PUBLIC SECTOR BUDGETING OR PUBLIC SECTOR ACCOUNTING, REALLY, UH, THAN I AM WITH PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND REALLY, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, THE STATE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN THE CITY.
THERE'S A LITTLE FEW THINGS THEY DO DIFFERENTLY ARE THE TERMINOLOGY'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT, UM, IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME THING.
IT'S A MODIFIED ACCRUAL METHOD.
IT'S FOLLOWS DIFFERENT ACCOUNTING RULES.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, UM, SO I'M, AND I'VE BEEN ON FOUR OF THE WORK GROUPS WITH THE CITY, AND AS I SAID, THEY WERE LINE ITEM, WHICH WAS MUCH MORE IN DETAIL AND, AND ACTUALLY A GOOD WAY TO START LEARNING SOMETHING.
UH, THEN WE SWITCHED TO PROGRAM AND THEN WE WENT INTO THE, I SAY WE, THAT WOULD BE THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, UM, CREATED ALLOCATION METHODOLOGY FOR INDIRECT COSTS ONCE WE WENT TO PROGRAM BUDGETING AND ALSO PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
SO I, I'M PRETTY AWARE OF, AND IT'S SORT OF LIKE A SOAP OPERA, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN TUNE OUT FOR A WHILE AND TUNE BACK IN AND YOU HAVEN'T MISSED THAT MUCH.
I MEAN, YOU CAN KIND OF PICK IT UP AGAIN OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING WITH THE BUDGET IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, WE AT ONE POINT LOOKED AT THE RESERVE LEVELS AND MADE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE.
AT THAT TIME WE WERE LOWERING THE RESERVE LEVELS, ACTUALLY.
UM, AND I SEE THAT LAST YEAR YOU MADE SOME OTHER ALTERATIONS TO RESERVE LEVELS.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE RESERVE LEVELS.
UH, I, I THINK I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE BUDGETING HERE.
YOU LOOK FORWARD TO STARRING IN A SOAP OPERA
I, I, I'M GONNA TUNE BACK IN WHETHER I'M ON COUNCIL OR NOT.
THANK YOU, MAYOR CHARLOTTE, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR, UM, OPINIONS ON THE USE OF DEBT, UH, IN FINANCING CITY PROJECTS? AND, YOU KNOW, DO YOU FEEL LIKE SEDONA HAS TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE, JUST RIGHT.
JUST ARE WE GOLDILOCKS ON DEBT OR GOLDILOCKS? UM,
[01:15:03]
I'M NOT OPPOSED TO DEBT.DEBT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT, IN MY OPINION, OR THE USE OF DEBT, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT.
UM, THE LENGTH OF THE, THE USERS OF THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, THE LIFE CYCLE OF THE PROJECT, IF IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR FUTURE USERS TO BE PAYING FOR IT.
UM, IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN SWALLOW IN ONE FELL SWOOP LIKE A LAND ACQUISITION, GREAT.
UM, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE COST OF BORROWING THE, YOU KNOW, THE TIMING OF THE BORROWING.
UM, WE DID A LOT OF DEBT FINANCING WITH THE STATE AND SOMETIMES, UH, AS WE WOULD PAY DOWN, WE WOULD TAKE, MOST OF THE TIME IT WAS PROPERTIES THAT WERE BEING USED AS COLLATERAL.
WE WOULD TAKE SOME OF THOSE PROPERTIES OUT KIND OF BECAUSE THE WHOLE DEBT REDUCED.
I'M NOT AGAINST DEBT, BUT CASH IS ALWAYS GOOD TOO.
JUST ANY GENERAL OPINION ABOUT THE LEVEL OF INDEBTEDNESS THAT THE CITY CURRENTLY SITS AT? I, I THINK THE CITY'S IN AN EXCELLENT CASH POSITION AND I DON'T THINK THEIR DEBT, UH, RATIO IS, YOU KNOW, THAT HIGH.
ANY OTHER FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS? WHO'S NEXT? I DUNNO WHO'S NEXT? BRIAN, SIT BACK.
NO, HE JUST, OH, RIGHT, IT IS BRIAN.
ALL RIGHT, QUESTION SIX, CHARLOTTE, WHAT FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN DECISION MAKING FOR SEDONA? YOU KNOW, I THINK I USED SOME OF THESE RESPONSES THAT I'VE NOTED IN A PRIOR ANSWER, BUT I'LL SAY 'EM AGAIN.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AN EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD ON PNZ AND I, AGAIN, IT'S TRYING TO LOOK AT, IS THIS THE RIGHT DECISION, BUT AT THE WRONG TIME, PERHAPS THAT'S A COUNCIL, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU MIGHT FIND YOURSELF FACING ON COUNCIL.
UM, CAN YOU AFFORD IT? THAT'S MORE OF A COUNCIL ISSUE THAN A P AND Z ISSUE, BUT IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE? CAN I SLEEP AT NIGHT AFTER I MAKE THIS DECISION? THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ACTUALLY.
UM, IS IT AS FAIR AS POSSIBLE? BENEFITING THE MOST AND HARMING THE FEWEST? UM, AND AM I LOOKING AT QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ASPECTS OF SOMETHING? AND, UM, WILL IT STAND THE TEST OF TIME? I MEAN, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO LAST FOREVER, BUT YOU DON'T WANNA MAKE SUCH SHORT TERM DECISIONS THAT ARE, I DON'T KNOW, TOO SHORT TERM
IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT HAS CAUSED YOU SLEEP OR CAUSED YOU SLEEPLESSNESS, LIKE IN YOUR P AND Z CAREER HERE? UM, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THAT BE? THAT WOULD, IT'S JUST THE MOST, UH, DRIVES THE MOST ANGST, IF YOU WILL.
UM,
SO ONCE I MAKE A DECISION, IT'S DONE.
AND I DON'T SECOND GUESS MYSELF.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES IT'S JUST THE TEST OF TIME THAT WILL TELL YOU, UM, HAVE I MET, HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR ME ON PNZ WAS, UM, PERHAPS THE OAK CREEK HERITAGE HOTEL BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY THINGS WE WERE WEIGHING THE CFA, UH, THE OVERLAY OF THE HERITAGE WE HAD AT THE BEGINNING.
NEIGHBORS WHO WERE ALL IN FAVOR OF IT.
THEN LATER WE HAD NEIGHBORS WHO WERE NOT IN FAVOR OF IT.
WE HAD TRAFFIC INFORMATION THAT YOU JUST SORT OF, I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I'M NOT QUITE TOTALLY COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT COMES OUTTA SOME OF THESE TRAFFIC ANALYSES.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THAT IMPACT REALLY GONNA BE? UM, I FELT IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE THAT IT WAS ASKING A BIT MUCH OF THE ONE DEVELOPER TO SHOULDER THE BURDEN OF A CREEK WALK WHEN OBVIOUSLY IT WAS GOING TO EXTEND BEYOND, YOU KNOW, ITS BOUNDARY.
AND, AND, AND YET WE WERE EXPECTING THAT OUT, OUT OF THEM SOMEHOW.
UM, SO THERE WERE, THAT ONE WAS THORNY,
[01:20:02]
BUT, UM, I VOTED FOR IT.AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, YOU HAD YOUR SAY TOO, SO, UH, AND IT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
ANY FOLLOW UP? OKAY, MELISSA, I, WHAT DID YOU, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE IN CONTRIBUTING FULLY TO COUNCIL DECISIONS? ONE OF MY CHALLENGES IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS QUESTION WAS REALLY TRYING TO GET AT
I THINK IT'S MUCH LIKE THE OTHER QUESTION ON HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR DECISIONS.
UM, AND I MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME TIME ON COUNCIL AS YOU HAVE, BUT IF I DO MY HOMEWORK AND IF I'VE BEEN AN ATTENTIVE OBSERVER, UM, I THINK MY CHALLENGE WOULD BE THE SAME AS YOUR CHALLENGE.
AND SO I'M, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THIS IS DESIGNED TO ELICIT, BUT IF YOU WANT TO TELL ME, I'LL TRY TO ADDRESS IT.
WELL, IT'S ONE OF THE CHALLENGES.
UM, MOST OF THE DECISIONS THAT COME OUT OF COUNCIL ARE UNANIMOUS DECISIONS.
DOES THAT SAY ANYTHING TO YOU? OR WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT? UM, I THINK IT SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE, UH, THE WAY IT'S BEEN PRESENTED OR THE CLARITY OF IT THAT, I MEAN, I HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS AND THERE'S CERTAINLY SOME HAND WRINGING GETTING TO THE, THE, THE VOTE ITSELF.
SO I WOULDN'T SAY EVERYBODY COMES AT IT FROM THE SAME WAY.
BUT, UM, IF, IF MOST, IF MOST OR EVERYBODY FEELS THIS WAY, THEN I THINK IT'S A GOOD, MUST BE A GOOD DECISION.
HAVE I, UM, HAVE I BEEN A NO DECISION OR A YES DECISION? HAVE I BEEN A CONTRARY DECISION ON P AND C? YES, I HAVE.
AND AGAIN, IF I CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT, UM, WHAT DO YOU, WELL, I CAN'T ASK YOU.
CITIZENS OFTEN COME FORWARD WITH IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT THEY WANT THE CITY TO ADDRESS.
MANY OF THESE ITEMS MAY HAVE POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, BUT ARE NOT WITHIN THE CITY'S AUTHORITY OR JURISDICTION.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THESE REQUESTS? WELL, I DON'T LIKE TO PASS THE BUCK.
SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING, UH, I, I WOULD PROBABLY, I WOULD USE IT AS SORT OF AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN WHY IT'S NOT IN THE CITY AND NOT THE CITY THAT DETERMINES IT.
UM, WHO DOES DETERMINE IT? WHAT ENTITY, UM, DOES THE CITY HAVE AN IMPACT ON IT? UM, I'D TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE ASKING THE QUESTION, WHAT THE GERM OF IT IS, AND IF THERE'S SOME SOLUTION OR AVENUE FOR THEM TO PURSUE THAT I CAN POINT THEM TO.
I WOULD DO THAT IF I KNOW WHO TO REFER THEM TO.
FOR EXAMPLE, I'VE FOUND ON PNZ THAT IF A RESIDENT UNDERSTANDS WHY SOMETHING IS DONE A CERTAIN WAY OR WHY A DECISION CAN ONLY CONSIDER THESE CERTAIN THINGS, THEY USUALLY WALK AWAY WITH A LITTLE MORE SATISFIED.
I MEAN, THEY MAY NOT GET WHAT THEY WANTED, BUT THEY KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
SO IT WOULD BE AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THEY'RE NOT IN THE CITY LIMITS 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A 8, 6 3, 3 6 ZIP CODE, OR PEOPLE THINK THEY'RE IN SEDONA WITH AN 8 5 3 5 1
KATHY, DO, DO, UM, DO YOU, JUST TO FOLLOW UP FIRST BEFORE MY QUESTION MM-HMM
DO YOU SEE THAT THERE MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR COLLABORATION SOMETIMES? HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT THAT? UM, COLLABORATION WITH, SOMETIMES I THINK YOU'RE ANSWERING THE QUESTION AND I THINK THE QUESTION IS WRITTEN TO SOLICIT AN ANSWER THAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING OF IT IN TERMS OF A CONSTITUENT PROBLEM OR SERVICE ISSUE.
BUT IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT IS SORT OF CROSS JURISDICTIONAL, UM, OH,
[01:25:01]
UM, SURE, THERE, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT TOO.IF, IF THE OTHER ENTITY, UM, IS INTERESTED.
I MEAN, LOOK AT HOUSING, LOOK AT TRANSIT, I MEAN, THOSE ARE DEFINITELY CROSS JURISDICTIONAL.
UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'D COME UP IN A QUESTION FROM A, YOU KNOW, A CITIZEN, BUT, UM, I, I WISH THERE WAS MORE OF THAT.
AND, AND PROBABLY IT HAPPENS ON A MORE INFORMAL BASIS JUST WITH CONVERSATIONS.
BUT IF IT COULD HAPPEN ON A MORE FORMALIZED BASIS, I THINK IT WOULD BE, WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD COME OUT OF IT.
UM, AND THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS, I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT NACO, YOU'VE GOT THIS LEAGUE OF CITIES AND TOWNS, YOU'VE GOT DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT YOUR MAYOR MANAGER MEETINGS, YOU'VE GOT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO YOU COULD HAVE JOINT P AND Z MEETINGS AND COUNCIL TOO.
UM, THE CITY COUNCIL MET TO REVIEW, UPDATE AND ESTABLISH THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
HAVE YOU REVIEWED THESE PRIORITIES AND WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THEM? HOW DO THESE ESTABLISHED PRIORITIES ALIGN WITH YOUR VIEWS? WHAT DO YOU SEE AS IMPORTANT PRIORITIES? YES, I'VE REVIEWED THE PRIORITIES AND, UM, I CERTAINLY THINK TRANSPORTATION, TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS, HOUSING SOLUTIONS, THOSE ARE PROBABLY MY MOST TOP OF MIND ONES THAT, UM, THAT ARE THE HIGHEST ONES FOR ME, PROBABLY.
UM, I SUPPORT THE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES, INCLUDING LIKE WATER RECLAMATION, AND I THINK THERE'S MORE THAT COULD BE DONE ON THAT ONE.
I HAVEN'T REALLY SEEN MUCH, I HAVEN'T SEEN MUCH ACTIVITY ON THAT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A PRIORITY.
UM, PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALWAYS
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE REACHED A SATURATION POINT ON NUMBER OF OFFICERS YET, BUT, AND I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED WITH THE NUMBER THAT WERE ADDED FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
AND THE HOUSING, I FORGET WHAT YOU'RE CALLING IT, THE HOMELESS OUTREACH PROGRAM THAT'S WITHIN, UM, THE PD.
IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT DEVELOPS, HOW IT'S USED.
SO FOR THE FUTURE, UM, CAN I TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE? OKAY.
UM, A PRIORITY WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY, MOST OF THESE ARE BUDGET PRIORITIES.
THEY BECOME BUDGET PRIORITIES, BUT HOME RULE TO ME IS LIKE ALMOST AN EXISTENTIAL PRIORITY.
I MEAN, TO RETAIN THAT, TO RETAIN THAT FLEXIBILITY AND, UM, I THINK ESTABLISHING A PLAN FOR THE WESTERN GATEWAY IS REALLY CRITICAL.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF OPPOSITION THERE.
WELL, I KNOW SOME ALTERNATIVES FOR WESTERN GATEWAY THAT ARE OUT THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S AN ALTERNATIVE FOR HOME RULE AS THERE WAS LAST TIME, A CITIZENS GROUP.
I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
BUT, UM, THOSE ARE PRIORITIES FOR ME GOING FORWARD AS WELL AS THESE OTHERS.
THESE ARE BASIC ONES AND, YOU KNOW, WHO'S, WHO CAN SAY TRAFFIC IS NOT IMPORTANT.
ALRIGHT, CHARLOTTE, QUESTION 10.
HAVE YOU ATTENDED OR WATCHED CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN THE PAST YEAR? AND WHAT DID YOU GAIN FROM THIS? YES, I WATCH MOST OF YOU, MOST OF THE TIME,
UM, NOT ALWAYS AT, I, I, I VOLUNTEER AT THE FOOD BANK ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, SO ANYTHING YOU DO ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, I HAVE TO WATCH AFTER THE FACT.
BUT, UM, I TRY TO, I, AND MOST EVERYTHING I WATCH VIRTUALLY BECAUSE IT'S JUST SO MUCH EASIER.
UM, AND I CAN DO IT AT, YOU KNOW, AT MY LEISURE.
BUT, UM, WHAT HAVE I LEARNED? I'VE LEARNED THAT YOU REALLY DO GET MUCH MORE OF A FLAVOR IF YOU'RE IN PERSON THAN, YOU KNOW, VIRTUAL YOU.
IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE THE DYNAMICS, UM, OF THE DISCUSSIONS, UH, AND THE QUESTIONS BASED UPON PEOPLE'S BACKGROUNDS, YOU KNOW, DETERMINES THE KIND OF QUESTIONS THEY ASK.
SO THAT'S, ASIDE FROM LEARNING ABOUT THE SUBJECT ITSELF, JUST LEARNING THE TYPES OF QUESTIONS, THEY ALL HELP FLESH OUT THE SUBJECT COMING FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES.
UM, SO I'VE LEARNED, LEARNED THAT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, TELLS ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH OF YOU.
SO I'M WATCHING, SEE WHAT KIND OF QUESTIONS YOU ASK.
[01:30:02]
YEAH, THAT'S ABOUT IT.AND OF ALL THAT, WATCHING AND STUDYING OF US, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GONNA INFLUENCE YOU? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR APPROACH GONNA BE ON CITY COUNCIL? HMM.
UM, WELL, PETE, I'M KIND OF A TECHNOCRAT, SO I THINK I MIGHT, YOU AND I MIGHT BE, UM, FAIRLY ALIGNED.
UM, I, LIKE I SAY, MY TIME ON P AND Z HAS REALLY SHOWN ME, UM, THAT YOU NEED TO TRY TO BALANCE THE IMPACTS ON THE MANY AND THE OTHER IMPACTS ON THE FEW, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE POSITIVE, COULD BE NEGATIVE.
SO I'M REALLY ABOUT BALANCE AND, UM, AND MAKING A GOOD DECISION THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME.
I DON'T SEE ANYBODY HERE THAT'S WACKADOODLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT A TECHNICAL TERM,
YEAH, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T SPEAK AS MUCH, SO IT'S HARDER TO TELL SOMETHING
UM, WHO DO I WANNA BE WHEN I GROW UP? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? DON'T GO THERE.
BRIAN, DO WE REALLY NEED TO ASK QUESTION 11,
I, I WOULD BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO HEAR THE VIEWS OF THE ALTERNATIVES.
CHARLOTTE, ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE CITY MUST ADHERE TO THE ALTERNATIVE EXPENDITURE LIMITATION LAW, COMMONLY KNOWN AS HOME RULE? PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOME RULE AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS PBA.
IF I COULD JUST ADD AND YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE CITY AS WE GO FORWARD, CHOOSING ONE OR THE OTHER.
UM, YES, I AM AWARE OF IT
SO HENCE THE WORK GROUP TO TRY TO DECIDE WHETHER TO GO WITH THE HOME RULE, WHETHER TO GO WITH THE PDA AND, UM, AND WHAT IS IT? IT'S AN AUTHORITY FOR A CITY TO SET ITS OWN EXPENDITURE LIMITS IN THE APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS, SUBJECT TO A BALANCED BUDGET, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY THE CONSTITUTION.
UM, AND THAT'S, IT'S IN CONTRAST TO THE STATE IMPOSED LIMITS, WHICH ARE PRETTY DRACONIAN.
I SAW YOUR DISCUSSION FROM YESTERDAY AND IT'S 15.4 MILLION OR SO, UM, WHICH IS NOTHING.
UM, SO IT'LL BE ON THE BALLOT.
I'M A LITTLE UNCLEAR WHETHER IT'S ON AUGUST BALLOT OR NOVEMBER BALLOT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS AUGUST, BUT I'M NOT QUITE SURE.
WE HAVEN'T PUT IT ON THE BALLOT YET.
DO YOU GET A CHOICE? OH, UM, SO IT'S COMING AND, UM, SEDONAS VOTED FOR IT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 1994.
EVERY OTHER TIME, MOST CITIES AND TOWNS OVER 90 PER, I'M JUST TELLING YOU THINGS YOU HEARD YESTERDAY,
UM, IF MOST CITIES AND TOWNS OVER 90% HAVE EITHER HOME RULE OR A PBA, SO, UM, I'M A BUDGET PERSON.
IT'S THE GREATEST FLEXIBILITY.
YOU CAN PUT IT ON A BUMPER STICKER.
UM, A PBA IS DESIGNED MORE FOR CITIES AND TOWNS THAT ARE STABLE IN THEIR EXPENDITURES AND CAN AFFORD TO JUST HAVE THE LITTLE ANNUAL BUMPS.
IF YOU ARE A GROWING CITY WITH GROWING SERVICES, UM, YOU MAY OUTRUN YOUR PBA IF YOU DON'T SET IT HIGH ENOUGH.
HOME RULE IS PROBABLY STILL A BETTER ANSWER FOR YOU.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOKED AT, UH, THAT STAFF GAVE US THE LAST TIME WAS A LIST OF THINGS THAT MIGHT BE COMING DOWN THE PIKE.
[01:35:01]
YOU KNOW, BIG TICKET THINGS, UM, 5G UM, A TRANSPORTATION PLAN, NOT A TRANSPORTATION, A TRANSIT PLAN, UM, WORKER HOUSING, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO BE BUILDING INTO YOUR BUDGET.AND YOU WANT FOR A PBA FOR IT TO NOT BE A A FOUR YEAR LIMIT.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT SEVERAL CYCLES.
SO WHEN YOU START PUTTING BIG TICKET ITEMS OUT 20 YEARS OR 15, 16 YEARS, IT CAN SCARE PEOPLE.
IT'S, IT COULD BE A VERY LARGE NUMBER.
IS SEDONA STILL GROWING? YEAH, I THINK IT IS.
YOU KNOW, UM, SO AGAIN, FOR THAT REASON, I THINK HOME RULE IS JUST EASIER.
CITIES AND TOWNS DON'T USUALLY PUT A HOME RULE AND A PBA ON THE BALLOT AS A BACKUP.
ONE THING THAT YOU CAN DO, AND HOLLY WAS MENTIONING IT YESTERDAY ABOUT THE UN PERHAPS UNFORESEEN IMPACT OF A PBA, IT COULD LEND, LEND ITSELF TOWARDS, UH, MORE DEBT FINANCING BECAUSE IT'S EXEMPT, THAT PART'S EXEMPT, BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU COULD CREATE THAT'S CALLED A CAPITAL SUCH AND SUCH FUND WHERE YOU MOVE ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE GONNA USE FOR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, YOU MOVE THAT MONEY INTO IT, IT'S PART OF THE VOTE TO CREATE THAT.
AND THEN THAT TOO IS EXEMPT FROM THE EXPENDITURE LIMIT.
SO YOU CAN BE EXEMPT FROM THE EXPENDITURE LIMIT WITH BONDING, OR YOU COULD BE EXEMPT FROM THE EXPENDITURE LIMIT THROUGH THE USE OF THIS CAPITAL FUND.
THE PROBLEM IS IT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR CAPITAL AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T FREE IT UP FOR SOMETHING ELSE IF YOU NEEDED TO LATER ON.
SO, UM, SO FOR ALL THOSE REASONS, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT, UH, IN FUTURE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT MIGHT BE COMING DOWN THE PIKE, WHAT KIND OF EXPENDITURE LIMIT MIGHT YOU BE LOOKING AT A PBA, UM, AND THEN JUST STEP BACK AND SEE IF THAT TELLS YOU SOMETHING BY ITSELF.
IF IT JUST SCARES YOU, THEN MAYBE HOME ROLL IS THE SAFER THING TO DO.
I'M NOT TOTALLY, YOU KNOW, WEDDED TO IT YET.
IF YOU READ IN SOCIAL MEDIA FROM TIME TO TIME, SOME FOLKS WILL EXPRESS FRUSTRATION OVER A DECISION THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS MADE, AND, UH, RALLYING CRY TO THAT AT TIMES IS NO TO HOME RULE.
HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH SOMEBODY THAT THAT'S THEIR RESPONSE TO A DECISION THAT YOU'VE MADE ON CITY COUNCIL? HOW WOULD YOU, HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER TO THAT? NO HOME RULE, AFTER I TAKE A DEEP BREATH,
IF IT'S SOMEBODY I RUN INTO IN SAFEWAY THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE, BUT WHO DECIDES TO TELL ME THIS, UM, I WOULD PROBABLY, I DON'T WANT TO GET THEM SO OVERWHELMED WHERE THEIR EYES ROLL BACK AND THEY THINK I'M TRYING TO BAFFLE 'EM WITH B******T OR SOMETHING.
BUT I WOULD TRY TO EXPRESS THE DIFFICULTY OF, OF WORKING WITHIN, UM, THE STATE IMPOSED LIMIT OR, OR A PBA THAT'S SET TOO LOW, UM, AND ASK THEM WHAT WOULD, WHAT DO THEY THINK HOME RULE, GETTING RID OF HOME RULE WOULD DO? HOW WOULD THAT, HOW DO THEY SEE THAT PLAYING OUT? UM, IT, IT'S NOT AN EASY CONVERSATION AND IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH TIME YOU'VE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
I'LL PROBABLY NEED TO WORK ON MY ELEVATOR SPEECH, BUT INDEED.
WHO'S UP NEXT? MELISSA? MELISSA, SORRY.
WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE YOU? YOU SHOULD CHOOSE ME BECAUSE I'M READY TO JUMP IN AND JOIN YOU.
I THINK I HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE BACKGROUND TO KIND OF HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AS MUCH AS IS POSSIBLE.
UM, THERE'S A AWFUL LOT OF INFORMATION TO ABSORB, UM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'VE TUNED THE SOAP OPERA OUT FOR A LITTLE, EVEN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
[01:40:01]
I, I THINK I CAN, YOU KNOW, GET UP TO SPEED AND, UM, I THINK I CAN COMPLIMENT THE BACKGROUNDS THAT ARE ALREADY ON COUNCIL AND I DON'T HAVE A SET AGENDA.UM, AND I'M NOT A SINGLE ISSUE PERSON.
SO, UM, FOR THOSE REASONS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD CHOICE FOR YOU.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? NOT REALLY
WILL WE SEE YOU AT FIVE O'CLOCK? YOU WILL SEE ME AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A BREAK.
WE'LL BE BACK AT THREE O'CLOCK.
UH, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS TO, TO, UH, SAY ABOUT OUR PROCESS, AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING AND FOR YOUR APPLICATION.
WE INTEND TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY AFTER WE INTERVIEW ALL OF THE FOLKS, AND WE WOULD INVITE YOU TO COME BACK AT FIVE O'CLOCK AND LISTEN TO OUR, UH, DELIBERATION.
AND, UH, WE ALSO, WE'LL HAVE TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
I THINK THIS IS, FIGUREOUTABLE WOULD LIKE TO SWEAR IN THE PERSON WE SELECT TODAY.
SO IF IT'S YOU, EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE VIRTUAL, I THINK WE COULD ACCOMPLISH THAT.
SO WE HAVE A A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS AND WE'RE GONNA GO AROUND.
EACH COUNSELOR'S GONNA ASK A, A QUESTION AND WE'RE GONNA START WITH DEREK.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHY YOU WANT TO SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL? DO YOU INTEND TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL IN 2026? UM, THE RUNNING IN 2026, PERHAPS? UH, I HONESTLY SEE HOW, UH, EVERYTHING TRANSPIRES AND, UM, HOW EAGER OTHERS ARE TO RUN.
I, I, UM, SO I, I COULDN'T REALLY COMMENT ABOUT MY INTENT DEFINITIVELY FOR 2026.
UH, AS FAR AS MY BACKGROUND, I GREW UP IN, UH, MOSTLY NEW YORK, AND THEN IN HIGH SCHOOL MOVED TO SEDONA.
UH, SO I WENT TO RED ROCK HIGH IN THE, IN THE EARLY YEARS.
AND THEN, UH, I WENT TO NAU WHEN I WAS 15, AND I, I STUDIED ENGINEERING THERE.
AND THEN, UH, WHEN I WAS 19, MY PARENTS BOUGHT A SUNSET CHATEAU, WHICH WAS, UH, A DEFUNCT HOTEL AT THE TIME.
AND I WORKED THERE FOR, I'VE BEEN WORKING THERE HONESTLY SINCE I WAS 19, SO 23 YEARS.
UM, BUT HAVE A BACKGROUND IN, IN QUITE A MIX OF THINGS.
UM, I'VE DONE, UM, I'VE ALSO BEEN A REAL ESTATE BROKER FOR 20 YEARS.
I HAVE AN INVESTMENT ADVISORY.
I'VE BEEN AN ACCOUNTANT FOR 10 YEARS AND HAVE ALSO TIMES DONE ALSO, UM, INSURANCE AND MORTGAGE BROKERAGE AS WELL.
SO, UM, A LOT OF DIFFERENT BUSINESS BACKGROUNDS.
CURRENTLY THOUGH IT'D BE THE HOTEL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS, UH, IN INVESTMENT ADVISORY AND, UH, TAX PRACTICE.
SO, WELL, I SHOULD SAY ACCOUNTING PRACTICE WOULD BE MORE ACCURATE.
ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED ME TO, UH, EXPOUND ON OR ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR YOU HAD QUESTION ABOUT WHY YOU WANNA SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL? OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, I THINK THAT I'D LIKE TO SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE I SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF LARGE DECISIONS BEING MADE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND ALSO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, UM, MAYBE MISTRUST OF CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, ESPECIALLY AFTER WHAT TRANSPIRED RECENTLY.
AND SO I THINK IN SOME WAYS THERE FEELS LIKE THERE'S BECOME A LITTLE BIT OF A COMMUNITY RIPPED, AND I'D LOVE TO BE PART OF MAYBE HEALING THAT A BIT.
UM, AS SOMEONE THAT'S LIVED HERE ALMOST 30 YEARS, AND I HAVE, YOU KNOW, FOUR RELATIVELY YOUNG CHILDREN, UM, AND INVOLVED IN A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES.
UH, SO I DON'T THINK, UM, I, I THINK MAYBE I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A INSIDER'S PERSPECTIVE INTO HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT DIFFERENT TOPICS.
SO LIKE, AS A REAL ESTATE BROKER,
[01:45:01]
I, YOU KNOW, HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT S STR AS A HOTEL OWNER, I KNOW HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT SDR.I, UM, JUST BEING ON, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN, UM, AND, AND BEING A LONG TIME LOCAL, I, I THINK HELPS IN MAYBE GIVING A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, JUST THAT, I GUESS THAT TENURE OF TIME THERE THAT MAYBE GIVE PEOPLE SOME CONFIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE, AT LEAST IN THEIR MINDS AN ADVOCATE.
AND I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO BE A PART OF, UM, SOME OF THE BIG ISSUES THAT I THINK ARE KIND OF IMMINENT, WHICH WOULD BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CULTURAL PARK, UM, MAYBE LOOKING INTO DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR EMPLOYEE, AND I'M NOT JUST LOCAL EMPLOYEE, BUT EVEN CITY EMPLOYEE HOUSING AND, UM, LOW INCOME HOUSING.
AND REALLY JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, GOOD TRAJECTORY WITH THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT FUTURE OF, OF SEDONA AS, AS THE COMMUNITY PLAN GETS AMENDED AND THE REDOING CODES.
AND LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF, IT FEELS KIND OF LIKE AN IMPASSE POINT IN THE CITY, AND THERE'S A LOT OF BIG DECISIONS TO MAKE RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK I COULD CONTRIBUTE SOME GOOD INSIGHTS FROM SOMEONE THAT HAS, UM, BACKGROUND IN A LOT OF THOSE INDUSTRIES.
PETE, DO YOU WANT DO A FOLLOWING? YES.
UM, YOU MENTIONED A TRUST ISSUE WITH CITY COUNCIL.
WHERE DO YOU FALL ON THAT SPECTRUM? UM, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH TIME PERIOD, I GUESS.
UH, SO I'VE HAD, I, I GUESS IT, IT REALLY CHANGES WITH EVERY COUNCIL.
UM, AT THE MOMENT I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT, HONESTLY, WHEN I WAS THERE RECENTLY WHEN THE FLOCK CAMERAS WERE BEING DISCUSSED, AND IT, IT HONESTLY, THAT DISCUSSION INSTILLED A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN ME THAT THERE WAS, UM, SOME OBJECTIVITY, UM, HAVING, I, I, I'VE KNOWN SCOTT SINCE HE MOVED HERE VIS-A-VIS HIS KIDS.
AND, UM, HE WAS NOT SOMEONE THAT I EVER REALLY HAD, UM, A LOT OF FAITH IN AS FAR AS, UH, REALLY LISTENING TO WHAT HE, I I FEEL LIKE HE MADE DECISIONS IN A VACUUM MORE OR LESS.
AND SO LATELY I, I'VE SEEN, UM, I KNOW I'VE SEEN MANY OF YOU AT HOLLY AND MELISSA, AND, UH, I'VE SEEN, I THINK I'VE SEEN ALL OF YOU AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER AT THE LODGING COUNCIL MEETINGS.
AND, UH, JUST I THINK SEEING YOUR FACES MORE, UH, FEELS LIKE EVERYONE'S GETTING A VOICE.
SO MY CONFIDENCE CURRENTLY IS, IS QUITE GOOD, BUT I THINK THE OVERALL PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE IS MAYBE NOT, NOT NOT AT THE SAME LEVEL.
UH, BEFORE WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING, YOU SAID THAT, UM, YOU'D LIKE TO BE AN ADVOCATE, AN ADVOCATE FOR WHO MM-HMM
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE REPRESENTING? I THINK THE CITIZENRY.
I, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT MOB RULE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO BE, UM, I THINK TAKE TO MAKE, UM, I THINK TO GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE, BE A PART OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS, UM, MAYBE EVEN A GREATER CAPACITY THAN HAS BEEN IN IN THE PAST.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S GONNA BE REALLY BIG CAPITAL PROJECTS, WERE COMMUNITY CHANGING PRO PROJECTS.
UM, REALLY WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO ADVOCATE FOR IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE A STRONG LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT IN THAT, THAT IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S DRAMATICALLY IMPACTING THE FUTURE OF, OF SEDONA IN THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE MOVING, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON THOSE THINGS.
AND, UH, AND YOU, UH, GAVE US YOUR BACKGROUND BEFORE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT YOUR VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND IN THE COMMUNITY.
MY VOL, UM, IN SEDONA, MY VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND IS, UM, IN SEDONA PROPER IS NOT THAT, UH, VAST.
I WAS, UM, I WENT TO MINISTRY SCHOOL IN CALIFORNIA IN ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.
AND SO, UM, PERIODICALLY I STILL, UH, I DO, I GUESS I WOULD SAY LIKE MISSIONAL WORK, BUT IN INCIDENT ON A PROPER IN RECENT TIMES, THE ONLY THING I'VE DONE RECENTLY WOULD BE BUDGET COMMITTEE.
[01:50:01]
HAVE A PRETTY, BETWEEN THE FOUR KIDS AND THE, UH, AND ALL MY JOB FUNCTIONS, THEY ARE PRETTY FULL SCHEDULE AND GENERAL, SO.ANY OTHER FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, MELISSA? UM, ACTUALLY I HAVE A, I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
SO SEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED WAS, UM, YOU'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE ACT AS A GREATER PARTICIPANT, UM, IN ALL OF THESE DECISIONS.
UM, HOW WOULD YOU DO THAT? UH, WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS TO, 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SURVEYS, AND I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM IS I SELDOM IN AS MUCH AS I TRY TO GET AS MUCH COMMUNICATION AS POSSIBLE FROM THE CITY, I OFTENTIMES WILL NOT KNOW, UM, THAT SOMETHING IS AVAILABLE UNLESS SOMEONE ELSE HAS TOLD ME.
I'LL BE LIKE, HEY, DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S A SURVEY ONLINE FOR THIS? AND, AND OFTENTIMES I THINK THE CHOICES THAT PEOPLE OF INPUT THAT YOU CAN HAVE IS SOME OF LIMITED, UNLESS YOU ARE ABLE TO, UM, GET ONLINE AND JUST CLICK OTHER, WHICH IS, IS SOMETIMES AN OPTION, BUT NOT, NOT ALWAYS AN OPTION, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IF PEOPLE WOULD HAVE EVEN AN INTEREST IN POTENTIALLY VOTING IN A GENERAL ELECTION ON LARGE SCALE, UH, ISSUES.
SO IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A VERY BIG, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GONNA UNDERTAKE A VERY MASSIVE PROJECT TO EVEN POTENTIALLY HAVE THAT BE SOMETHING THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VOTED ON BY THE COMMUNITY SO THAT PEOPLE DON'T FEEL LIKE THERE AT THE WHIMS OF, OF OTHERS ON SOMETHING THAT'S GREATLY IMPACTING THEM.
SO JUST, JUST AS A FOLLOW UP, SEAN, THE YEAH.
THE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN A GENERAL ELECTION, YOU'RE TALKING EVERY TWO YEARS, SO IF WE HAVE A PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT WE HAVE TO WAIT TWO YEARS TO HEAR HOW THE COMMUNITY CHOOSES TO VOTE ON IT BEFORE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD? UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BUDGETARY REQUIREMENTS COULD GO SKYROCKETING IN TWO YEARS? UH, THAT, I MEAN, YES, SURE, THE BUDGET COULD SKYROCKET THE, I MEAN, THE COST COULD GO DOWN, THE COST COULD GO UP, BUT I, I THINK TO AGGRESSIVELY, UM, PUSH SOMETHING THROUGH JUST BECAUSE OF TIMELINES IS NOT NECESSARILY, UM, SOMETHING THAT WILL CONCERN ME, ESPECIALLY SINCE I'VE SEEN MY FATHER'S BEEN A CONTRACTOR PRETTY MUCH MY WHOLE LIFE, AND THOSE THINGS ARE VERY CYCLICAL.
THERE'S TIMES WHERE, UH, YOU HAVE BUILDING IN BUILDERS IN SHORT SUPPLY, AND YOU HAVE OTHER TIMES WHERE EXAMPLE SUPPLY, SAME THING WITH MATERIAL, IT'S UP AND DOWN, BUT I THINK IF IT'S A SMALLER PROJECT, EVEN SOMETHING THAT'S, UM, TARGETED IN SCOPE, AND NO, I DON'T THINK IT NECESSARILY NEEDS TO GO TO BE WAITED ON FOR, YOU KNOW, WAIT ON IT FOR A TWO YEAR CYCLE OR ONE YEAR CYCLE OR, OR ANY CYCLE AT ALL.
EVEN SOMETHING LIKE THE PARKING GARAGE OR THE BUILDING ON SHELBY THAT CAN BE DECIDED ON.
BUT IF YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT'S HUGE, LIKE YOU'RE DEVELOPING THE DELLS, YOU'RE DEVELOPING WESTERN GATEWAY PROJECTS, THEY'RE MASSIVE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PROJECTS THAT CHANGE THE NATURE OF THE TOWN, I DO THINK IT IS PRUDENT TO LET PEOPLE HAVE A SAY IN THAT, UM, AND, AND NOT, AND NOT JUST HAVE IT BE A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE MAKING THE DECISION.
UM, YOU SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO YOU HAVE A PRETTY FULL SCHEDULE.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF THE TIME COMMITMENT THAT COUNCIL INVOLVES, AND ARE YOU GONNA BE ABLE TO FIND THE TIME TO DO THAT? YEAH, I'LL MAKE THE TIME COURT TO DO THAT.
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT THE TIME COMMITMENT TO LOOK LIKE? UM, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT WOULD BE ALL OF THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS, AND THEN I, WHICH I BELIEVE ARE BI-WEEKLY AND THEN, UH, SPECIAL GROUP MEETINGS THAT I, I THINK VARY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
IF I'M NOT INCORRECT, IF I HAD TO GUESS, I WOULD, UH, I WOULD GUESS ABOUT 10 HOURS A WEEK, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S INCORRECT OR NOT.
[01:55:02]
OKAY.UM, SO THE, THE NEXT QUESTION, JEAN, IS AN ISSUE HAS COME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL THAT YOU SUPPORT VERY STRONGLY, HOWEVER, YOU RECEIVE NUMEROUS EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS FROM CITIZENS WHO ARE AGAINST THE ISSUE.
WHAT DO YOU DO, UM, AND, AND THE POSTURE OF THE COUNCIL IS TO BE FOR THAT PARTICULAR CAUSE.
IS THAT THE CASE OR THERE, THERE IS NO POSTURE OF THE COUNCIL STATED HERE, IT'S YOUR OWN PERSONAL FEELINGS AROUND THAT TOPIC.
OH, UH, I THINK, I THINK MY PERSONAL FEELINGS ARE SOMEWHAT IRRELEVANT IN A CERTAIN SENSE.
I MEAN, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE THAT ARE UNPOPULAR AND, UH, IT WOULD BE FINE WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH AN UNPOPULAR DECISION, BUT I THINK IF THERE WAS A, A LOT OF COMMUNITY HOSTILITY TOWARDS SOMETHING, IT'D BE WORTH HAVING A OPEN FORUM TO HAVE THOSE, UM, PROBLEMS HER AND DISCUSS AND HASH THROUGH BEFORE MAKING THAT DECISION.
ANY OTHER FOLLOW UP? OKAY, BRIAN, UM, MAYOR, I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO JUST FOLLOW UP.
THANKS FOR JOINING US FROM, UH, WHEREVER YOU ARE TODAY.
SO, UM, YEAH, SEE, I THINK I SEE A FLAMINGO OVER YOUR SHOULDER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN THERE.
UM, YEAH, HE'S, HE'S KEEPING ME COMPANY.
YOU KNOW, ON THAT LAST QUESTION, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING THESE EMAILS, PHONE CALLS FROM CITIZENS WHO ARE AGAINST THE ISSUE, AND YOU ARE IN FACT FOR THIS.
SO CAN YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU WOULD ENGAGE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE IN DISAGREEMENT WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW THAT YOU FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT? SURE.
UM, I, I THINK IF, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE'S, THERE'S NEVER GONNA BE A UNANIMOUS DECISION OR EVEN QUORUM ABOUT SOMETHING.
UM, BUT I THINK WHAT MOST PEOPLE DESIRE MORE THAN ANYTHING IS TO FEEL HEARD AND THAT WE ARE LISTENING TO THEIR OPINIONS AND NOT MAKING DECISIONS IN A VACUUM.
SO, UM, IF I WAS GETTING ANGRY CALLS, EMAILS, I WOULD CERTAINLY WANT TO RESPOND TO THOSE AND TRY TO LISTEN TO WHAT, WHY, WHY THEY FEEL THAT WAY, WHAT WHATEVER THEIR MISGIVING IS TO THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
UM, BUT THEN ALSO EXPLAIN THE REASON WHY, UH, I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF SAID TOPIC.
SO TO TRY TO GIVE THEM AT LEAST A LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING, EVEN IF THERE'S NOT AGREEMENT IN THE END.
UM, I'M, I'M FINE WITH DISAGREEMENT, BUT AS LONG AS I THINK ALL PARTIES ARE FEELING LIKE THEY'RE BEING HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE, UH, WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE, UM, I THINK IN A CERTAIN WAY THAT ALL LAYS A LOT OF THE, UM, BAD FEELINGS.
SO, I MEAN, TO, TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, UM, THIS WAS QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT WHEN THERE WAS CHANGE IN THE ZONING ON SHELBY TO ALLOW FOUR STORY BUILDINGS, ALMOST EVERY PROPERTY OWNER ON THE STREET CAME TO CITY COUNCIL TO, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS IN OUR FAVOR, WE OWN A FEW PROPERTIES ON THAT STREET, UM, BUT NOT WANTING TO HAVE FOUR STORIES OF ALLOWABLE ON THAT STREET.
AND IT WAS, THERE WAS REALLY NO DISCUSSION AS TO WHY THAT WAS, UM, GOING FORWARD AND NOT REALLY ADDRESSED AT ALL, UM, WHY NOBODY WAS BEING LISTENED TO THAT ACTUALLY OWNED THE PROPERTIES ON THE STREET.
AND SO, JUST FROM EVEN PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE, WHEN I'M AFFECTED, I FEEL LIKE, WOW, I AM, I'M JUST ON THE PERIPHERY.
IF I HAD FELT HEARD AND SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE HEAR YOU, WE UNDERSTAND, UM, WELL, WE'LL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT HERE'S OUR PLAN FOR THIS AREA.
THIS IS THE VISION AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE TOWARD.
I WOULD'VE SAID, YOU KNOW, I DON'T AGREE MAYBE, BUT AT LEAST I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN HEARD.
AND I THINK A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S MAYBE THE MOST, UM, THAT'S MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS TO NOT JUST MAKE DECISIONS, BUT CONVEY THE REASON WHY
[02:00:01]
DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE AND TO LET PEOPLE THAT HAVE MISGIVINGS FEEL LIKE THEIR MISGIVINGS HAVE BEEN HEARD.ALRIGHT, NEXT QUESTION, JOHN, IS HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT PREPARING TO MAKE A DECISION ON AN ITEM YOU KNOW, VERY LITTLE ABOUT? UM, I WOULD GENERALLY, I, I MEAN, I, I FEEL LIKE I'M FREQUENTLY RESEARCHING THINGS I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT, BUT, UM, I WOULD GENERALLY GO TO RESPECTED RESOURCES FIRST IN, IN PRINT AND THEN TRY TO FIND, UM, REACH OUT TO, IF THEY'RE AVAILABLE, ANY RESOURCES THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED WITH THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC.
SO, UM, IF WE HAVE ANYONE IN THE CITY THAT HAS EXPERIENCE OR KNOWLEDGE OF THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC, AND THEY HAVE SOME AVAILABILITY, OUTREACH THEM TO GET INFORMATION, UM, IF IT'S A PROJECT, PERHAPS THE PEOPLE PRESENTING THE PROJECT.
AND THEN I THINK THE REST OF IT WOULD HAVE TO JUST BE FROM, UH, PUBLICLY AVAILABLE RESOURCES ON THAT, ON THAT TOPIC THAT I COULD READ IN MY OWN TIME.
HOW WOULD YOU INVOLVE STAFF? I'M SORRY, WHAT'S THAT? HOW WOULD YOU INVOLVE STAFF? UH, I MEAN, IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY DEPEND ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT IF THERE WAS, UH, STAFF WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THAT TOPIC, I WOULD SEE IF I COULD, UM, PERHAPS ARRANGE A TIME TO MEET WITH THEM AND TAKE, YOU KNOW, SOME FOCUSED TIME TO LEARN ABOUT THE TOPIC, IF THAT WAS AN OPTION.
KATHY, IF YOU BELIEVE THAT A CITY COUNSELOR HAS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON AN ITEM ON WHICH THEY'RE VOTING, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? MM-HMM
UM, NOT MYSELF AND OTHER CITY COUNSELING.
YOU BELIEVE THAT ANOTHER COUNSELOR HAS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST? ALRIGHT, SURE.
UM, I, I WOULD PROBABLY ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER RECUSING THEMSELVES FROM THAT BOAT IF THEY HAD A STRONG CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
IF IT WAS VERY TERTIARY, THEN, YOU KNOW, NO, WE'RE, WE'RE VOTING ON BUILDING AND THEY HAVE A BUILDING LICENSE, BUT THEY'RE TOTALLY UNINVOLVED.
I I DON'T THINK THAT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY PERCEIVED CONFLICT OF INTEREST, YOU KNOW, IN THAT THEY COULD MAYBE BID ON THE PROJECT OR SOMETHING, BUT THAT WOULD BE VERY TER TERTIARY.
SO, BUT IF THERE WAS A VERY DIRECT CONFLICT OF INTEREST, I WOULD PROBABLY, UM, ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER ACCUSING THEMSELVES FROM VOTING ON THAT PARTICULAR TOPIC.
WHEN YOU SAY ASK, UM, IN WHAT WAY WOULD YOU ASK, DO YOU DO THAT ON THE DAY DOING THE TOPICS UNDER DISCUSSION OR HOW, HOW WOULD YOU APPROACH THIS? UM, I THINK IN ADVANCE WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO, UH, I MEAN, I, I WOULD, I NEVER HAVE A DESIRE TO, UM, PUT SOMEBODY ON, PUT SOMEBODY ON THE SPOT IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT.
SO, UH, IF WE WERE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE WE KNOW THAT SOMETHING'S COMING UP AND I SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THIS IS SOMETHING IN WHICH YOU HAVE PERSONAL INTEREST, UH, OR I MEAN YOU HAVE, UH, CONFLICT OF INTEREST, THEN WOULD YOU CONSIDER RECUSING YOURSELF FROM THAT? AND THEN IF THE PERSON, THE COUNSELOR SAID NO, THEN I WOULD PROBABLY, UH, ATTEMPT TO OUTREACH YOU THE REST OF THE COUNCIL AND, AND SEE IF ANYONE SHARED MY, MY OPINION, UH, OR IF I WAS THE, THE LONE VOICE.
AND OBVIOUSLY BY THE SAME REGARD, I WOULD WANT TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM SOMETHING THAT I, IN WHICH I WOULD HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IF THAT WAS EVER THE CASE.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT ANY OF THE ITEMS COMING BEFORE COUNCIL IN THE NEAR FUTURE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT? NO, I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
IF YOU WERE ON COUNCIL AND THE ISSUE OF THE FOUR STORY BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, THE ZONING CHANGE IN THE AREA IN WHICH YOU OWN THE HOTEL, HOW WOULD YOU HAVE HANDLED THAT? UH, IN THAT ONE? I WOULD'VE, I WOULD NOT HAVE VOTED ON THAT BECAUSE AS A PROPERTY OWNER, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD'VE BEEN APPROPRIATE.
THANK YOU, MAYOR JEAN, QUESTION
[02:05:01]
FIVE, THE CITY IS ENTERING THE BUDGETING PROCESS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.MUNICIPAL BUDGETING DIFFERS GREATLY FROM THAT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE MUNICIPAL BUDGETING PROCESS.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE MUNICIPAL BUDGETING PROCESS IS THAT THE BUDGET IS DECIDED, UH, ESSENTIALLY A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
UH, AND THERE ARE ALLOCATIONS MADE FOR DEPARTMENTS AND PROJECTS.
THE MONIES FOR THOSE, UM, DEPARTMENTS AND PROJECTS GENERALLY ARE NOT READABLE UNLESS THEY'RE, I KNOW THAT THERE'S TIMES WHERE ESSENTIALLY A LOAN IS ALMOST MADE FROM ONE DEPARTMENT TO ANOTHER, IN A SENSE, UM, IN, IN CERTAIN RARE INSTANCES.
BUT IN GENERAL, THE FUNDS ALLOCATED ARE THE FUNDS ALLOCATED FOR THE YEAR, UH, THE FORTHCOMING YEAR, AND THERE'S NOT REALLY MUCH ROOM FOR, UM, MAKING CHANGES AFTER THE FACT.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S THE, UM, ITEMS THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY NON-NEGOTIABLE AND THE ONES THAT ARE DISCRETIONARY.
AND WHEN, UM, NEW ITEMS ARE TO BE ADDED TO THE BUDGET, THEN THERE IS, THERE ARE PRESENTATIONS MADE AND THE COUNCIL DECIDES ON THOSE EACH YEAR.
WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHO DRIVES THE PROCESS? UM, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S THE, UH, WELL, I SHOULD SAY IT'S A, IT'S A MIX OF PEOPLE, BUT I THINK THAT THE FINANCE DIRECTOR AND CITY MANAGER, UH, OR BEHIND THE SCENES DRIVING THE PROCESS, BUT EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD HAS THE ABILITY TO BRING FORTH ITEMS, UM, FOR CONSIDERATION.
JOHN GOT A COUPLE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST TAKEAWAY OR GREATEST LEARNING THAT YOU HAD FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE CITIZEN, UH, BUDGET, UH, WORKING GROUP? UM, I THINK MY
UM, I THINK THAT SURPRISED ME MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE ACTUAL NUMBERS AND, AND EVERYTHING BROUGHT FORTH.
UM, I DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING TOO OUT OF THE ORDINARY ABOUT THE PROCESS ITSELF, BUT I WAS, UH, I WAS SURPRISED DURING THE PROCESS HOW, UM, HOW STRONGLY PE PE PEOPLE FELT ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS THAT I WOULD'VE IMAGINED WOULD BE RELATIVELY INCONSEQUENTIAL.
SO I GUESS I, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT PEOPLE CAN BE EXTREMELY PASSIONATE ABOUT ALMOST ANYTHING
THERE IS A SAYING THAT, UH, THERE IS NO ISSUE SMALL ENOUGH IN SEDONA THAT WE CAN'T HAVE QUITE A DUST UP OVER IT.
SO SOUNDS LIKE YOU EXPERIENCED THAT, LIKE THE FURY OVER AN ELECTRIC POLICE CAR? IT WAS AMBIVALENT.
UM, I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA TO ME IF THEY, IF THE CHIEF WANTS TO TRY IT, FANTASTIC.
I MEAN, THE PRICE IS NEARLY THE SAME AND MAYBE LOWER MAINTENANCE.
AND THEN, UH, HE WOULD'VE THOUGHT, I, I THREW A BABY OFF OF BALCONY OR SOMETHING.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT, I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS IS A, UH, HOT ISSUE.
JEAN, HOW, WHERE DID YOU FIND YOURSELF ON THE SPECTRUM OF PEOPLE AND THE PASSION ON THE ISSUES, AND HOW DID YOU FIND YOURSELF ALIGNING WITH THE GROUP? UH, I THINK I GENERALLY, I THINK I GENERALLY THERE WAS QUO, THERE WAS QUORUM ON MOST THINGS IN THE GROUP, UM, ON THE WHOLE.
AND SO I THINK, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF STRONG DISAGREEMENTS.
UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK BACK ON THE AREAS THAT I DID DISAGREE, BUT, UH, I THINK IT WAS, YEAH, I, I DON'T, I THINK JUST OVERALL THERE WASN'T A LOT OF OF DISAGREEMENT
[02:10:01]
AT THE END OF THE DAY, SO THERE WAS, THERE WAS GENERALLY CONSENSUS ON MOST ITEMS. I I THINK THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT I VOTED AGAINST THAT MOST PEOPLE WERE FOR AND VICE VERSA.BUT, UM, ON THE WHOLE, I WOULD SAY 85%, 90% OF THE ITEMS HAD PRETTY GOOD, UH, NEAR EITHER UNIVERSAL OR NEAR UNIVERSAL AGREEMENT.
AND WHERE WERE YOU ON THE PASSION SCALE PERSONALLY, ON THESE ISSUES? WERE YOU ONE OF THESE ACTIVELY PASSIONATE PEOPLE? UH, I WOULD, I WOULD NOT SAY NECESSARILY.
SO I, I WOULD, I THINK, UM, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT I DON'T HAVE LIKE A PROFOUND KNOWLEDGE OF THE TOPIC AT HAND.
I WAS MORE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE THAN CRAFTING A STRONG OPINION FROM INITIAL FEELINGS.
SO, UM, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN THINGS IN WHICH, AT FIRST GLANCE I SAID, THAT SEEMS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, AT FIRST GLANCE I WAS LIKE, THAT'S A LOT OF POLICE OFFICERS TO ADD.
JUST THAT'S A BIG, BIG JUMP IN OUR FORCE SIZE.
AND THEN WHEN SHE FOLEY CAME IN AND EXPLAINED THE NEED AND THE AMOUNT OF CALLS THEY HAD AND THE POLICE FORCE SIZE IN THE PAST, I SAID, ABSOLUTELY, THIS MAKES SENSE.
THIS IS CRAZY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN SHE EXPLAINS EVERYTHING AND SHOWS US, UH, HOW THE SCHEDULING ACTUALLY WORKS AND WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, YEAH, SURE.
IT'S A LOT OF, IT'S A, A LOT OF MONEY GOING FORWARD EVERY YEAR, AND IT'S A BIG EXPANSION OF THE POLICE FORCE, BUT IT SEEMS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING, BUT I'M NOT GENERALLY SOMEONE THAT'S, UM, DYING ON THEIR CROSS OVER AN ISSUE.
SO, UM, IF, IF THERE'S REALLY A COMPELLING ARGUMENT BUT FORTH OR JUST A LOGICAL PRESENTATION MADE THAT I, I DON'T GENERALLY CLEAVE TO PRECONCEIVED OPINION TOO STRONGLY.
JOHN, THE, UH, CITY USES DEBT FINANCING FROM TIME TO TIME.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WISDOM OR LACK THEREOF OF USING, UH, DEBT FINANCING AND ANY COMMENTARY YOU MIGHT HAVE REGARDING THE CURRENT LEVEL OF DEBT, UH, INDEBTEDNESS OF THE CITY? SURE.
UM, I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT DEBT FINANCING.
UH, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE TIMES WHERE YOU JUST DON'T HAVE, THERE IS A PROJECT THAT IS NEEDED OR WORTH UNDERTAKING AND THERE'S NOT CAPITAL CAPITAL AVAILABLE AT PRESENT, BUT IT IS WORTHWHILE TO TAKE ON DEBT TO, UM, ACCOMPLISH THE PROJECT AND, AND, AND, AND KIND OF LOCK IN, UM, I GUESS THE COST AT PRESENT RATES.
SO, UH, MY MISGIVINGS ERWIN RATES ARE SO HIGH THAT WE'RE REALLY JUST, UM, LIVING AS SLAVES TO THE BOND HOLDERS.
SO IF A REASONABLE BOND RATE CAN BE SECURED, THEN BOND FINANCING DOESN'T BOTHER ME.
BUT I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T LOVE SEEING NECESSARILY THAT WE HAVE REALLY, REALLY HIGH RATE BONDS BEING ISSUED, UM, FOR SOMETHING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE DELAYED.
BUT IF IT'S A WORTHWHILE PROJECT AND THE BOND RATES THAT WE'RE ISSUING AT ARE, UM, I THINK ACCEPTABLE, THEN I'M, I'M FINE WITH DEBT FINANCING.
AND THEN ANY COMMENTARY REGARDING THE CITY'S CURRENT LEVEL OF INDEBTEDNESS? UH, TOO MUCH, TOO LITTLE, JUST RIGHT.
UM, WELL, I MEAN, I THINK IDEAL, YOU KNOW, I, IDEAL WORLD, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DREAM IS TO, UH, NEVER HAVE DEBT.
I THINK WE'RE ABOUT 65 MILLION, WHICH ISN'T, IT'S NOT THAT BIG.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, IT'S MAYBE YEAR AND IT'S, IT IS NOT TOO MUCH.
AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE RESERVES.
UM, SO I THINK IT'S A VERY ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF DEBT WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY AT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, LIKE IT'S LOWER IS ALWAYS NICER IN THAT YOU ARE NOT SPENDING TAX, UH, MONEY ON TO SERVICING DEBTS AND INSTEAD YOU'RE, UM, ABLE TO USE IT FOR SERVICES OR RESERVES, UH, RATHER THAN, THAN JUST PAYING DEBT SERVICE.
[02:15:06]
WHAT FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN DECISION MAKING FOR SEDONA? UM, I WOULD SAY THE MOST, UM, I WOULD SAY LIKE THE, THE PRIMARY FACTOR WOULD BE, UM, HOW SOMETHING WILL AFFECT NOT JUST PARTS CITIZENS, BUT WILL, UM, AFFECT THE FUTURE GENERATION.AND I THINK IN PART THAT HAS TO DO WITH, I HAVE KIDS AND IN MY DREAM WORLD, THEY, THEY NEVER LEAVE AND
AND, UH, WE, WE ENJOY BEING TOGETHER IN TOWN.
BUT I THINK HAVING, I THINK MY FIRST THOUGHT PROCESS IS, UM, HOW WILL THIS AFFECT PEOPLE THAT CURRENTLY LIVE HERE AND HOW WILL THIS AFFECT, UH, FUTURE GENERATIONS AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF, OF SEDONA? AND SO THAT WOULD BE PROBABLY THE FIRST PERSON THAT I WOULD HAVE IN MIND IN A DECISION MAKING PROCESS, I THINK.
UM, SECOND IS, UM, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, PRUDENT AND, UH, NOT JUST LIKE, I GUESS FINANCIALLY PROVEN AND IS IT SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, I, I WOULD SAY LIKE FAIR TO ENCUMBER? SO LIKE IF WE'RE GOING TO DO LIKE DIRECT DEBT FINANCING, IS THIS FAIR TO ENCUMBER THE CITY AND MAYBE HAVE TO DIMINISH SOME SOMETHING ELSE IN ITS PLACE TO SERVICE DEBT? UM, ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO FINANCE THIS GOING FORWARD? IS THIS A PRUDENT DECISION? UH, SO I THINK REALLY JUST LOOKING AT, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, THOSE KIND OF DECISION, LIKE LARGER DECISIONS, UH, I AM OSTENSIBLY A NUMBERS GUY AND SO I MIGHT REALLY LIKE SOMETHING, BUT IF I DON'T THINK THAT THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE LEVEL IS ASSURED THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO FINANCE CURRENT SERVICES AND BE ABLE TO MANAGE PAYING FOR SOMETHING ELSE, THEN UM, I, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THERE HAS TO BE A LEVEL OF PRUDENCE.
AND THEN, UH, LASTLY, I THINK PROBABLY LISTENING TO COMMUNITY WILL, UM, FOR, FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO IF PEOPLE REALLY WANT SOMETHING IN PARTICULAR, REALLY DON'T WANT SOMETHING, UM, MEASURING IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BROADLY FELT OR IF IT'S JUST A FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE, UH, DISENCHANTED.
AND, AND I GUESS THE LAST THING IS JUST, UM, LOOKING AT ALL THE SALIENT FACTS AND PRESENTATIONS THAT ARE BROUGHT FORWARD.
PETE, YOU SPOKE JUST NOW ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AND FAIRNESS IN YOUR PACKET ANSWERS, YOU TALKED ABOUT BALANCE AS A BUSINESS OWNER, BUT THEN YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT BALANCING THE LIFE FOR RESIDENCE.
WHERE ARE WE CURRENTLY IN BALANCE? WHERE ARE WE OUT OF BALANCE? WHAT'S YOUR APPROACH TO BRING IT BACK IN BALANCE WHERE YOU SEE IT OUT? UM, I THINK FROM LIKE, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE SORT OF AT A, A BIT OF AN INFLECTION POINT.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THERE ARE SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL BUSINESSES THAT THRIVED IN SEDONA SEEM TO NOT BE DOING AS WELL AS THEY USED TO.
UM, 'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE A BIT OF A DEMO, DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC COMING.
UM, AND SO, UM, I, I THINK LIKE THE FIRST THING TO BE ADDRESSED IS REALLY IS ARE WE GOING TO TRY TO BE, NO MATTER WHAT, WE'RE A TOURIST DESTINATION, ARE WE GONNA BE A, TRY TO BE A TOURIST DESTINATION THAT ATTRACTS THE TYPE OF, UM, PEOPLE THAT ARE ART LOVERS, OUTDOOR LOVERS, UM, WHAT KIND OF DESTINATION ARE, YOU KNOW, SPIRITUAL MECCA, WHAT KIND OF DESTINATION ARE WE TRYING TO BE? OR ARE WE JUST GOING TO GET A LOT OF OVERFLOW FROM THE CITIES? AND SO THAT, I THINK, UM, AND I KNOW THAT'S MAYBE MORE ON THE TOURISM SIDE, BUT I THINK IT OVERSHADOWS EVERYTHING.
UM, BECAUSE THE NATURE OF ALL THE BUSINESSES IN TOWN ARE ESSENTIALLY TIED TO NOT ALL, BUT ALMOST ALL ARE TIED TO THE PEOPLE THAT VISIT OUR TOWN.
SO I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY THE
[02:20:01]
FIRST THING THAT COMES INTO CONSIDERATION.BUT, UM, AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS FOR RESIDENTS VERSUS, UM, KEEPING IN MIND BUSINESS OWNERS, UH, I THINK IT HAS TO BE, UM, THERE HAS TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF, OF GIVE AND TAKE.
UM, I KNOW THE RESIDENTS REPRESENT ABOUT 45% OF SALES TAX REVENUE.
THAT WAS, UH, AND SO THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THERE'S ALMOST AN EQUAL WEIGHT BETWEEN THE TWO, BUT, UH, WE CAN'T REALLY JUST PLOW AHEAD AND TRY TO GET AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AS WE CAN IN TOWN ALL THE TIME AND HAVE IT JUST FEEL CLOGGED UP WITH VISITORS CONSTANTLY.
AND THE BUSINESSES ARE FLOURISHING, BUT EVERYONE FEELS LIKE THEY'RE LIVING IN A PARKING LOT AND THEIR ENTIRE TOWN IS JUST OVERRUN WITH PEOPLE.
UM, BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE, I THINK WE CAN'T NEGLECT THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOT JUST A QUIET RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY.
SO I GUESS THAT'S KIND OF FINDING THE BALANCE RIGHT NOW.
UH, I THINK WE'RE DOING PRETTY WELL, BUT I DON'T, I, I HAVEN'T LOVED THE, MAYBE THE TYPE OF, I THINK WE COULD DO BETTER IN THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO TOWN.
UM, JUST FROM, I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING THIS FROM HOTEL OWNER PERSPECTIVE, UM, JUST 'CAUSE I GET TO SEE WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.
WE HAVE LESS FOREIGNERS, WE HAVE LESS PEOPLE COMING FROM FURTHER REACHES IN THE US.
I, I FEEL LIKE WE USED TO HAVE MORE WEALTHY CLIENTS FROM THE COASTS COMING THAN WE HAVE NOW.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE LATELY WE'VE KIND OF HAD MORE DRIVE MARKET CLIENTS, WHICH IS, WHICH IS FINE.
UM, BUT IT, IT DOES RESULT IN A VERY DIFFERENT TYPE OF BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND THAT I THINK WE'LL HAVE GOING FORWARD AND, AND, UM, MAYBE EVEN, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS TRAFFIC IMPACTS IS, IS DEFINITELY DIFFERENT AS WELL.
WE'RE ABOUT TO BE ON QUESTION SEVEN AND WE HAVE 20 MINUTES TO GO.
I'LL BE, I'LL BE, NO, THAT'S OKAY.
IT'S REMINDING EVERYBODY IT WAS PEACH JUST WENT.
I JUST GONNA ASK, UH, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE IN CONTRIBUTING FULLY TO COUNCIL DECISIONS? UH, THE GREATEST CHALLENGE.
UH, I GUESS LIKE, I, I GUESS I, I KNOW PROBABLY INTENTIONALLY OPEN-ENDED QUESTION.
I THINK PROBABLY THE GREATEST CHALLENGE IS TO, IS TO, UM, MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE PROBABLY ADVERSARIAL TO WHAT PEOPLE WANT.
IN INSTANCES WHERE IT'S, UM, A COMMUNITY BENEFIT BUT DOESN'T HAVE PUBLIC WILL.
UM, THAT'S PROBABLY, I THINK WOULD PROBABLY BE THE GREATEST CHALLENGE.
SEAN, WHAT'S YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE? OH, MY GREATEST CHALLENGE PERSONALLY, RIGHT? UH, I DON'T KNOW.
I GUESS PROBABLY JUST LESS, UH, LESS TIME WITH KIDS.
JOHN, I DON'T THINK YOU'VE HEARD OUR, I HAD TO MAKE SOMETHING.
JOHN, I DON'T THINK YOU HEARD THE QUESTION CLEARLY.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE IN CONTRIBUTING FULLY TO COUNCIL DECISIONS? OH, CONTRIBUTING FULLY TO COUNCIL DECISIONS.
UM, I, UM, I DON'T FORESEE A PARTICULAR CHALLENGE OR TWO CONTRIBUTING FULLY.
UH, I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE A GOOD ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION AND
[02:25:01]
THAT I WOULD TRY TO BE AS, AS PRESENT AND INVOLVED AS AS POSSIBLE AND BE WELL ACQUAINTED WITH THE ISSUES AT HAND.SO I I I'M NOT REALLY, I, I GENERALLY DON'T JUMP INTO THINGS WITHOUT PUTTING FORTH MY BEST EFFORT.
SO I DON'T SEE HOW THIS WOULD BE ANY DIFFERENT FOR ME.
IT'S A CHALLENGING QUESTION THAT
SOME WE'LL WORK ON THE WORDING AT THE TIME.
WE'LL,
UM, BUT IT IS TALKING ABOUT COUNCIL DECISIONS AND IT RAISES FOR ME A QUESTION THAT MOST COUNCIL, MOST COUNCIL DECISIONS ARE ACTUALLY UNANIMOUS DECISIONS.
WHAT DO YOU TAKE FROM THAT? THAT'S, UH, HONESTLY, UNANIMOUS DECISION, I THINK GENERALLY WOULD MEAN THAT THERE HAS BEEN AMPLE TIME TO PREPARE AND DISCUSS THE ISSUE AT HAND SO THAT THERE'S NOT VOTING ON SOMETHING THAT ISN'T, UM, WELL FLESHED OUT, AT LEAST IN THE MIND OF COUNCIL.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT'S GENERALLY PROBABLY A GOOD SIGN THAT THINGS HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT CAREFULLY IN THE PAST.
EITHER THAT OR EVERYBODY JUST THINKS THE SAME.
SO
IT'S ACTUALLY A SIX ONE DECISION WE'VE HAD THOSE, UM, SURE.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT, IF YOU'RE THE ONE, WOULD YOU BE COMFORTABLE BEING THE ONE? I'M VERY COMFORTABLE BEING THE ONE.
MELISSA, DON'T WRITE THAT FAST.
UM, CITIZENS OFTEN COME FORWARD WITH IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT THEY WANT THE CITY TO ADDRESS.
MANY OF THESE ITEMS MAY HAVE A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, BUT ARE NOT WITHIN THE CITY'S AUTHORITY OR JURISDICTION.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THESE REQUESTS? UM, I, I, I THINK IF PEOPLE ARE ASKING SOMETHING THAT'S NOT WITHIN THE CITY'S PURVIEW, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF THAT AND TRY TO REDIRECT THEM TO A PARTY THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP THEM WITH, UM, WHATEVER THEIR PARTICULAR ISSUES THAT THEY'RE FACING.
JEAN, THE NEXT QUESTION IS THE CITY COUNCIL MET TO REVIEW, UPDATE AND ESTABLISH THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
HAVE YOU REVIEWED THESE PRIORITIES? AND WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THEM? HOW DO THESE ESTABLISHED PRIORITIES ALIGN WITH YOUR VIEWS? WHAT DO YOU SEE AS IMPORTANT PRIORITIES? UM, AT, AT PRESENT? WHAT I, I THINK IF I, UM, I THINK THAT THE PRIORITIES, IF I'M, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, WERE, UH, ENVIRONMENT HOUSING, UM, TRANSPORTATION, TOURISM AND, UM, I THINK, BUT I THINK THAT FIBER OPTIC, THAT BROADBAND PROJECT WAS ON, ON THE TABLE.
UM, AND I THINK THOSE ARE ALL REALLY, I MEAN, HOW THERE'S, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING THAT AFFECTS CITIZENRY MORE AND THAN HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION.
UM, AND SO SLASH CIRCULATION, I GUESS.
UM, SO THOSE TWO THINK ARE OF, OF PARAMOUNT OF IMPORTANCE.
UM, ENVIRONMENTAL IS IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T PRESERVE SEDONA, THERE'S REALLY, THERE'S NOTHING FOR US OR ANYONE ELSE TO COME SEE.
SO THAT IS ALSO ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN AND WILL BE OF, OF TANTAMOUNT IMPORTANCE.
I THINK IT'LL PROBABLY END UP ON CITY PRIORITIES FOR, UM, AND, UM, TOURISM AND ECONOMY.
UH, LIKE THEY, I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT IS REALLY, I, I THINK TOURISM MORE THAN ANYTHING IS ALMOST LIKE, UH, JUST ENERGY FOR THE CITY.
IT IS, WITHOUT TOURISM, WE DON'T HAVE,
[02:30:01]
WELL, WE'LL NEVER HAVE THE TYPE OF BUDGETS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH NOW.WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO THE TYPE OF PROJECTS THAT THE CITY EMBARKS UPON.
A LOT OF THINGS WOULD BE HAMPERED OR THE LOCAL CITIZENRY, AND I THINK THE CITY ITSELF WOULD'VE TO BE SHRUNK DRASTICALLY.
SO THAT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT AGAIN, NOT TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE'RE SO OVERRUN THAT IT'S JUST NOT SOMEWHERE THAT'S ALSO A LIVABLE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I, AND I THINK, UM, THE LAST, I THINK THAT BROADBAND UPGRADE, IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD SECURE THAT, THAT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WAS THE, IF I, IF I, UH, AND THEN I, I THINK THERE'S ALSO, UH, I REMEMBER THERE'S WILD, THAT WAS IT, LIKE WILDFIRE, UM, RESILIENCY WAS ON THERE TOO.
UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT'S, THAT'S A VERY BIG ENDEAVOR TO, UM, I KNOW FIREWISE IS STARTED, BUT TO TACKLE THAT IS, IS QUITE THE PROJECT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S, UM, I THINK I PROBABLY SORT OF PUT THAT UNDER THE PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT TYPE HEADER.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I'VE HIT EVERYTHING FOR THE PRIORITIES, BUT THAT'S, THAT WAS MY RECOLLECTION.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M GONNA MOVE US TO NEXT QUESTION.
KATHY, HAVE YOU ATTENDED OR WATCHED CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN THE PAST YEAR? AND WHAT DID YOU GAIN FROM WATCHING THEM? UM, I HAVE WATCHED THEM AND, UM, I THINK I, UH, I, I THINK I ALWAYS, I THINK JUST IN GENERAL, LIKE I, I GAIN A, JUST A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND, UM, SOME OF THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE THAT MAY NOT HAVE NECESSARILY IN A, YOU KNOW, UH, THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR, BUT HAVE A STRONG PURPOSE BEHIND THEM.
SO I THINK MORE THAN ANYTHING, IT JUST GIVES ME BETTER LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE, UM, THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND THINGS THAT I WOULDN'T OTHERWISE.
PETE, ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE CITY MUST ADHERE TO THE ALTERNATIVE EXPENDITURE LIMITATION LAW, COMMONLY KNOWN AS HOME RULE? PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOME RULE AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT OR PBA.
UM, I AM AWARE OF, UM, HOME RULE.
I KNOW THAT IT ALLOWS, UH, CITIES TO MAKE THEIR OWN LAWS AND BUDGETS WITHOUT STATE APPROVAL.
AND THAT IF WE, UM, DIDN'T HAVE HOME RULE THAT THEIR STATE IMPOSED SPENDING CAPS, AND IT'S BASED ON POPULATIONS AND SPENDING LEVELS FROM LET'S SAY, 45 YEARS AGO.
UM, SO AS FAR AS I KNOW, HOME HOME RULE ALLOWS THE VOTERS TO IMPROVE ALTERNATIVE SPENDING LIMITS.
AND, UM, LOCALLY GENERATED REVENUE CAN BE SPENT ON, UM, REALLY ANY TYPE OF, UM, SERVICE THAT'S VOTED ON BY THE, UM, THE COUNCIL AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AND THE PBA, UH, THE, UH, PBA, THE PUBLIC BUDGET AND ACCOUNTING, OR NO, THE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT.
OH, THE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT.
UM, THE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT IS, UM, BASICALLY ALLOWS, LIKE, IT ALLOWS A CITY TO PERMANENTLY CHANGE THE, THE STATE, UH, IMPOSED VENDING LIMIT.
SO THE BASE AMOUNT, WOULD IT BE THE, I GUESS THE, THE STATE IMPOSED, I, I THINK IT'S LIKE 19 79, 19 80 LIMITS, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE A, A NEW PERMANENT BASE THAT ALLOWS US TO, TO INCREASE ITS SPENDING BASE PERMANENTLY.
[02:35:01]
METHODS OR EXPENDITURE METHODS, REALLY, DO YOU HAVE PROS AND CONS OF THE EACH ONE OR THOUGHTS ON THE BEST SURE.SOLUTION FOR SEDONA? UH, I THINK RIGHT NOW, PROBABLY AT THE MOMENT, I THINK HOME RULE MAKES MOST SENSE, UM, PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT IS, I, I THINK ALL THREE HAVE THEIR MERITS, TO BE HONEST.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE STATE LEVEL BASES ARE VERY LOW, AND WE WOULD JUST END UP WITH, I THINK, A MASSIVE
WE'D HAVE, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE'D HAVE SITTING IN A BANK ACCOUNT DOING NOTHING, BUT, UM, THAT, THAT MAKES THE LEAST SENSE FOR US.
BUT, UM, PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT, I THINK MAKES SENSE IN THAT IT WOULD ESTABLISH A NEW AND MORE REASONABLE BASELINE.
AND WE COULD HAVE, UM, I GUESS MOSTLY INFLATIONARY AND POPULATION BASED RAISES.
BUT, UM, IN SEDONA, I THINK OVERALL, HOME OVERALL MAKES SENSE JUST BECAUSE TO THE POPULATION IS, IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE POPULATION, UM, AND CHANGES.
I I DON'T, I DON'T PERSONALLY BELIEVE THE PUBLIC PUBLISHED POPULATION NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY OUR POPULATION.
I THINK IT'S LOWER THAN WHAT WE SEE, BUT I THINK AS YOU HAVE MORE SHORT TERM RENTALS AND, UM, MORE, MORE, LESS, UH, WE WILL HAVE A FLEX, BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE OUR NEED FOR SPENDING ON SERVICES.
UM, WE JUST HAVE SUCH A BIG SERVICE COMMUNITY THAT I THINK FOR US, HOME RULE PROBABLY MAKES MOST SENSE TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO BE ABLE TO, UH, SELECT, UH, I MEAN, I GUESS TO HAVE LIKE, LOCAL CONTROL AND, AND A MORE RESPONSIVE CITY GOVERNMENT.
UM, SO I THINK IN OUR CASE, THAT'S PROBABLY, UH, THE BEST OPTION FOR US.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE CON THE HOME RULE IS THAT YOU HAVE RUNAWAY SPENDING AND THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS SPENDING THE MAX POSSIBLE, NOTHING'S EVER GETTING PUT AWAY 'CAUSE THE MONEY'S AVAILABLE.
AND SO WHY NOT JUST SPEND IT? UH, THAT'S ALWAYS THE POTENTIAL CON, BUT I THINK FOR OUR CITY AND THE NATURE OF ITS GROWTH AND CHANGES IN TOURISM AND CHANGES IN POPULATION, THAT HOME RULE MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO HAVE, THAT YOU LOOK BIT MORE NIMBLE AND HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO KIND OF MAKE BROAD CHANGES.
WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE YOU? I THINK YOU SHOULD CHOOSE ME BECAUSE I WILL BE, UM, I DON'T, I, I THINK I'M COMING WITH A VERY OPEN MIND TO, UM, COME TO REALLY GREAT SOLUTIONS FOR THE CITIZENS AND THE CITY, UH, AS LIKE, AS WELL AS A WHOLE.
UM, AND WITHOUT MUCH PREJUDICE.
SO I DON'T LIKE TO, I MAY HAVE MY PREDISPOSITIONS TOWARDS THINGS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT YOU'LL FIND A PERSON THAT, UM, LISTENS MORE HUMBLY WITH A MORE OPEN MIND TO THINGS, UH, THAN MYSELF.
AND I REALLY, UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY HAVE THE, UM, INTERESTS OF, OF ADVANCING AND GROWING THE CITY AND, AND BRINGING IT TOWARDS THE FUTURE IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT A REALLY BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO CONTINUE LIVING IN.
AND, UM, MAKES IT A GREAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT AS WELL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? UH, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK SO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW HOUR WENT BY SO QUICKLY, BUT
I DON'T THINK I, UH, I DON'T THINK I DO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME AND APPRECIATE AGAIN THE, UM, ACCOMMODATION.
AND I'M SORRY I WASN'T ABLE TO, UH, COME IN TODAY.
WELL, WE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE DESPITE YOUR FAMILY OBLIGATIONS.
ARE YOU PLANNING TO, TO, UH, REJOIN AT FIVE O'CLOCK? ARE YOU ABLE TO DO THAT? YEAH, I CAN.
WOULD IT BE, WOULD IT BE THE SAME LINK OR, UM, HOLD ON, LET US YES.
YEAH, I WILL, I WILL REJOIN AT, UH, WE'LL REJOIN THE FIVE AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE CONSIDERATION.
[02:40:25]
50 OR SO DEGREES.I USED TO THINK THAT, BUT, BUT MY WIFE, I'VE ACCLIMATED
WE INTEND TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE DELIBERATING AT FIVE O'CLOCK, SO YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME BACK, UH, AND PARTICIPATE.
YOU'RE GONNA DELIBERATE HERE INSTEAD, SO.
AND THEN OUR INTENTION IS TO SWEAR IN THE PERSON TODAY AFTER WE MAKE THE DECISION.
SO, PETE, LET'S START WITH YOU THIS TIME.
HI, ERNIE, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US, UH, ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHY YOU WANT TO SERVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL? AND THEN DO YOU INTEND TO RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL IN 2026? I'LL ANSWER THE SECOND ONE.
UH, NO, I DO NOT INTEND TO RUN AGAIN.
UM, MY BACKGROUND,
UM, I'D HAVE TO SAY SHE PROVIDED MY BASIC VALUES, UH, LEARNING STUDY, HONESTY AND COLLABORATION.
YOU'VE ALL SEEN MY RESUME AND KNOW THAT I'VE HAD A PRETTY SUCCESSFUL LIFE.
UM, MY NINE YEARS IN THE AIR FORCE, THREE ACTIVE DUTY, AND THREE MORE, UH, ACTIVE RESERVE ADDED TO THOSE, UM, QUALITIES, BOTH DISCIPLINE AND A SENSE OF TIMELINESS.
UH, I SPENT 25 YEARS WITH THE SAME COMPANY.
I OUTLASTED FIVE PRESIDENTS,
UH, AND I WAS THE ONLY SURVIVING MANAGEMENT INDIVIDUAL AT THE END OF MY 25 YEAR, UH, RETIREMENT, UH, THE BADGE THAT I
AND I, I BROUGHT IT ONLY BECAUSE THE, UH, SLOGAN THAT WE USED WAS THE CUSTOMER IS JOB ONE.
AND THAT ATTITUDE IS ONE OF THE REASONS, UH, AND, AND PART OF MY BACKGROUND.
UM, THE QUESTION INDICATED, WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE, UM,
BUT WE HAD FINISHED, UH, OR COME TO THE CONCLUSION AS I WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT.
AND, UH, DICK ELLIS WAS THE PRESIDENT OF VOICE OF CHOICE.
AND WE HAD FINALLY CONCLUDED THAT IT DIDN'T MATTER WHAT THE CITIZENS OF SEDONA WANTED, WE HAD 4,000 SIGNATURES ON A PETITION TO ADOT.
BUT THAT DIDN'T MATTER BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WERE RESPONDING TO WERE THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE, RIGHT? SO, AS IT'S OFTEN SAID, UH, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THINGS THE WAY YOU ARE, RUN FOR OFFICE AND CHANGE 'EM.
SO ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2001, UH, I HAD A TOTAL KNEE OPERATION, AND I'M RECOVERING AT HOME IN THE BED WITH AN ELLIPTICAL GOING ON, AND I'M SITTING THERE WATCHING TELEVISION THAT HAPPENS TO BE
[02:45:02]
SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001.AND I'M SITTING WATCHING TV WHEN THE FIRST PLANE HITS THE TOWER, AND NOBODY KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON.
UH, BUT THEN THE SECOND PLANE HIT, AND THEN FOR ABOUT THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR DAYS OR A WEEK, WE HEARD FROM EVERY TALKING HEAD THAT WE ALL NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING, OKAY? DO WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU ARE KIND OF GOOD AT DOING.
SO I'M SITTING THERE, I'D BEEN THE CORRESPONDENT FOR VOICE OF CHOICE AS WELL.
I HAPPEN TO HAVE 528, UM, UH, EMAIL ADDRESSES IN MY, UH, UH, BOOK.
AND I GOT TO THINKING, HMM, THE WAY THAT WE NEED TO ACT IN SEDONA IS WE NEED TO START A VISION, WHAT WE'RE ABOUT, WHAT WE WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN.
SO I SENT OUT THE 530 OR 28, SO EMAILS, UH, AND ASKED IF PEOPLE WERE INTERESTED IN JOINING A, A NEW GROUP CALLED VISION SEDONA.
WE ENDED UP WITH ABOUT 30 PEOPLE, UH, AND
AND WE MET RIGHT OVER HERE AT WILL EATON'S HOUSE, JUST, UH, UH, RIGHT UP THE ROAD FROM US HERE.
AND WE MET FROM SEPTEMBER, LATTER PART OF SEPTEMBER THROUGH, UM, MID-NOVEMBER ABOUT THE SAME TIME.
AND AT THAT TIME, YOU HAD TO SUBMIT YOUR OBLIGA YOUR, UM, INTENTION TO RUN BY EARLY DECEMBER, I THINK THE DECEMBER 5TH.
AND SO OUR, BUT OUR OBJECTIVE OF THAT MEETING WAS TO COME UP WITH A, UM, A GROUP OF, OR, UH, CONCEPTS, UM, ITEMS TO RUN ON.
AND THEN, SO WE, WE ACCOMPLISHED THAT.
WE HAD, UM, A SET OF, UH, PRINCIPLES, UH, TO RUN GUIDING, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, IF YOU WILL, TO RUN ON.
BUT OF THE 30 PEOPLE THAT CONTINUED TO SHOW UP, UH, NOBODY WAS WILLING TO RUN FINALLY.
AND WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
FINALLY, SOMEONE ASKED, UH, DICK ALICE IF HE WOULD STEP UP AND RUN, HE SAID HE WOULD, AND
AND I ENDED UP ADDING MY NAME, AND THEN A THIRD, AND THEN WE SWITCHED THE COUNCIL FROM A FIVE, TWO AGAINST, OR IN FAVOR OF A FOUR LANE SUPER HIGHWAY FLAT, STRAIGHT 55 MILES AN HOUR, ALL THE WAY TO THE Y EXCEPT FOR SIX TRAFFIC SIGNALS,
OKAY? SO, SO BRINGING IT TO DATE, UM, I SENSED AFTER THE FINAL RESIGNATION OF SCOTT AND THE OPENING HERE, THAT I WOULD OFFER MYSELF AS A, AS SOMEONE TO FILL A NEED, NOT NECESSARILY THAT, OH MY GOSH, I WANT
IT'S PART OF MY, THE EGO TO, YOU KNOW, IN MY SOUL THAT, UH, BY GOLLY, I HAVE TO DO THIS.
NO, BUT I DO THINK I HAVE A LOT TO OFFER HAVING BEEN THERE BEFORE AND BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PICK UP THE GROUND RUNNING.
UM, SO THIS WAS, UH, A MEANS OF STEPPING UP ONCE AGAIN.
AND, UH, I ALSO NOTICED THAT IN YESTERDAY'S COUNCIL MEETING AND THE CHALLENGE THAT YOU
[02:50:01]
HAD DEALING WITH TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION VERSUS THE NEW STATE LAW AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT, I FOUND, UH, THAT BASICALLY, UH, I, I AGREED WITH THE ENTIRETY OF YOUR DISCUSSION OF WANTING TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.I THINK WE DO NEED TO DO MORE AND NOT, UH, JUST LET THAT LAW SLIDE BY THE PEOPLE.
THE PUBLIC REALLY NEEDS TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, AND WE NEED TO BE CREATIVE IN GETTING THAT WORD OUT.
I'M SORRY, JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP.
IN YOUR APPLICATION, YOU SAY THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IS THE REESTABLISHING A TRUST IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
WHERE, WHERE ARE YOU ON THAT SPECTRUM? DO WE LOSE YOUR TRUST? UH,
UH, SO I'LL SAVE THAT TIME AND ANSWER IT NOW.
I'VE BEEN COMING TO CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR 26 YEARS, AND I HOPE YOU DON'T, UH, THINK THIS IS PANDERING IN ANY WAY.
BUT IN THOSE 26 YEARS, THIS IS THE BEST CITY COUNCIL WE HAVE EVER HAD.
I, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I SAID FROM, FROM YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASE AND, AND THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE STUDIED THE, UH, AGENDA BILL, UH, THAT DIDN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN MUCH OR AS WELL AS IT SHOULD HAVE, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
UM, AND, UM, YOUR QUESTIONS, UH, YOUR BASIC TREATMENT OF EACH OTHER, UM, JUST THE ENTIRE SENSE OF HOW THE COUNCIL OPERATES TODAY, I THINK IS BETTER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN.
AND FRANKLY, UM, MAYOR, UH, PLU OR YOUR ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS WAS, I THINK, UH,
IT KIND OF SOLIDIFIED MY INTENT AND DESIRE TO APPLY FOR THIS POSITION, BECAUSE, THANK YOU.
OKAY, KATHY, SO AN ISSUE COMES BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL THAT YOU SUPPORT STRONGLY, HOWEVER, MM-HMM
YOU RECEIVE NUMEROUS EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS FROM CITIZENS WHO ARE AGAINST THE ISSUE.
WHAT DO YOU DO? OKAY, MY FIRST THOUGHT ON THIS QUESTION WAS, WHY DO I HOLD THOSE STRONG BELIEFS? ARE THEY BASED UPON SOLID KNOWLEDGE? DO, ARE THEY BASED ON SCIENCE? ARE THEY BASED ON, UH, THE CITY VALUES AS STATED IN THE COMMUNITY PLAN? UH, OR ARE THEY MERELY PRESUMED PUBLIC DESIRES THAT I'VE GOTTEN AND JUST HOLDING? UH, SO I QUESTION MYSELF TO START WITH, UH, WHY AM I SO STRONGLY, UH, IN BELIEF? AND I THINK I WOULD START ASKING, OR I WOULD BE ASKING QUESTIONS AS I GOT THE EMAILS, TELEPHONE CALLS, OR WHATEVER, UH, THE QUESTION, WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY DO YOU BELIEVE SO STRONGLY IN WHAT YOU DO? AND THEN, UM, WITH THAT KIND OF GENERAL BASIC KNOWLEDGE, I'D LOOK TO THE COMMUNITY PLAN FOR GUIDANCE.
UH,
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD FIRST KIND OF QUESTION AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW I GOT THE VIEWS THAT I DID, WHY THEY WERE SO STRONG.
I COULD, I COULD GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
LET'S SAY I HELD A STRONGLY STRONG BELIEF THAT VACCINATIONS WERE, UH,
[02:55:02]
VALID SCIENTIFICALLY, UH, UH, ESTABLISHED AND PROVEN.BUT I GET TELEPHONE CALLS AND, AND THE CITY IS GOING TO, TO MAKE SOME DECISION ABOUT IF WE COULD
AND I GET A BUNCH OF TELEPHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE CLAIMING THAT, UM, WE, WE CAN'T BE POSITIVE IN THIS WAY ABOUT, UH, RECOMMENDING VACCINATIONS.
THE ANSWER WOULD, IN THAT CASE WOULD BE PRETTY CLEAR AND EVIDENT.
AND THAT IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE AND VERY LITTLE, UH, SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE ON THE OTHER SIDE THAT'S, UH, BELIEVABLE.
SO, UH, I HOPE THAT, UM, YEAH, I, I THINK THE ENTIRE CONTEXT OF THE ISSUE AND THE QUESTION IS IMPORTANT, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY LISTEN TO THE LOUDEST VOICES, ALL OF
SO, UM, THE PEOPLE THAT ALWAYS SHOW UP ALWAYS HAVE AN OPINION, UM, AND MAYBE ARE VERY STRONGLY WORDED.
UM, IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW IT FITS IN THE CONTEXT AND HOW THEY RELATE TO THE COMMUNITY PLANS, VALUES, AND MY PERSONAL VALUES.
MAY I, UH, ADD ON, ERNIE, YOU, YOU SPOKE, UH, GREATLY ABOUT EXAMINING YOUR OWN VIEWS AND WHY YOU HOLD, UH, A STRONG OPINION ON THE ISSUE.
BUT CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW YOU WOULD ENGAGE WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE HOLDING AN OPPOSING VIEW? SO YOU'VE EXAMINED, YOU KNOW, WHY YOU HAVE YOUR VIEWS AND YOU'RE HOLDING FIRM TO THOSE, AND SO NOW YOU NEED TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY WITH THOSE THAT ARE LESS SUPPORTIVE.
HOW WOULD YOU ENGAGE WITH THEM? WELL, UH, I THINK, UH, UM, THE COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE ACTUALLY COVERS THAT POINT AS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE, WITH INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
YOU DO NOT INDICATE THAT, UH, OR YOU MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS YOUR OPINION, NOT THE OPINION OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU LISTEN, YOU THANK THEM FOR THEIR OPINION.
UM, YOU INVITE THEM TO COME AND HEAR THE DISCUSSION ON THE ISSUE ON CITY COUNCIL.
AND IF THERE IS SOMETHING WRITTEN, UH, THAT APPEARS ON OUR WEBPAGE, YOU DIRECT THEM TO THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
UM, BEYOND THAT, I MEAN, UH, I WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN, UH, UH, AN ARGUMENT, IF YOU WILL.
UM, THAT'S, UH, VERY LIKELY UNF FRUITLESS.
HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT PREPARING TO MAKE A DECISION ON AN ITEM? YOU KNOW, VERY LITTLE ABOUT.
UM, WELL,
AGAIN, I CAN TELL YOU A COUPLE OF QUICK STORIES.
UM, I WAS A RUSSIAN STUDIES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS MAJOR.
UH, I GOT A DRAFT NOTICE TWO WEEKS BEFORE GRADUATION.
I WENT TO THE, I DIDN'T WANT TO BE DRAFTED INTO THE ARMY.
I WENT TO THE AIR FORCE RECRUITER AND OF COURSE, TOLD HIM MY BACKGROUND, MY MAJORS, AND HE SAID, WELL, WHAT WE NEED IS AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICERS.
[03:00:01]
I COULDN'T CHANGE THE OIL IN MY CAR AT THE TIME,AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT BEING AN AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICER? OKAY, WELL, OF COURSE, THEY SENT YOU TO AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICER TRAINING SCHOOL FOR 11 MONTHS.
I GOT BOOK LEARNING, AND I APPEARED MY FIRST, UH, UH, JOB OR MY FIRST ASSIGNMENT, AND I'M IN CHARGE OF 16 C ONE 30 AIRCRAFT, UH, WITH THEIR CREW CHIEFS AND ASSISTANT CREW CHIEFS AND, UH, FIELD MAINTENANCE TECHNICIANS THAT ARE GONNA DO THE SPECIFIC WORK.
UM, THE FIRST THING I DID WAS INTRODUCE MYSELF TO THE N-C-O-I-C IN CHARGE, THE NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN CHARGE, AND SAID, LOOK,
I SAID, I'M A SECOND LIEUTENANT.
I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR, UH, THING, BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT YOU DO.
AND THE AIRMEN THAT ARE WORKING FOR YOU, THE CREW CHIEFS ALSO, UH, KNOW.
SO I AM NOT GOING TO INSERT MYSELF AS A KNOWLEDGE EXPERT, BUT WHAT MY JOB WILL BE IS TO SUPPORT YOU IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE.
AND IF ANY OF OUR PEOPLE IN MY SQUADRON ARE, UH, BEING PUT UPON UNFAIRLY BY ANYONE, YOU COME TO ME AND I WILL STAND UP FOR YOU IF YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT.
I DID THAT THROUGHOUT MY CAREER IN THE AIR FORCE.
AND FRANKLY, MY SQUADRON ALWAYS, AND I'M EMPHASIZED THAT ALWAYS HAD THE HIGHEST AIRCRAFT, UH, READINESS RATE OF THE THREE SQUADRONS.
THERE ARE THREE SQUADRONS IN A WING.
AND SO THERE ARE THREE, UH, AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICERS AND THREE SQUADRONS OF 16, UH, UH, AIRPLANES EACH.
UH, BUT MINE ALWAYS SHINED, AND IT WAS, I THINK A GOOD PART OF IT WAS BECAUSE I STAYED OUT OF PEOPLE'S WAY AND DIDN'T ATTEMPT TO GET IN AND, UM, TELL ANYBODY WHAT TO DO, EVEN THOUGH MY SIGNATURE HAD TO BE ON THE AIRCRAFT FORMS BEFORE THAT PLANE COULD TAKE OFF.
AND A FOUR STAR GENERAL COULD NOT OVERRULE A SECOND LIEUTENANT AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE OFFICER.
KIND OF A STRANGE, WEIRD THING, BUT IT'S TRUE.
ERNIE, I'M GONNA, SO WE ONLY, THE IDEA IS, IS THAT, UM, I ALSO WOULD STUDY, STUDY, STUDY PARTICULARLY IN A, A SITUATION LIKE THIS.
UM, I COULD TELL YOU, WE NEED TO MOVE TO THE NEXT QUESTION BECAUSE WE ARE ON A TIME.
YOU BELIEVE A CITY COUNSELOR HAS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON AN ITEM ON WHICH THEY'RE VOTING.
WHAT DO YOU DO? UM, THIS IS ONE I'LL MAKE VERY SHORT.
FIRST OF ALL, I'LL TALK, I WOULD TALK TO THAT INDIVIDUAL PERSONALLY, UH, WITH AN OPEN AND NON, NON-JUDGMENTAL MIND.
UH, TRY TO FIND OUT WHY THEY WOULD NOT RECUSE THEMSELVES.
UH, MAYBE
UM, BUT IF THEY WERE ADAMANT AND, UH, AND OR OBSTINATE AND, UM, THEIR POSITION, I WOULD SEEK ADVICE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, UM, AND CON CONFER WITH HIM AS TO WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ACTION MIGHT OR COULD BE TAKEN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, I NEVER FELT IT WAS MY JOB TO BE JUDGE AND JURY.
[03:05:02]
THANK YOU, MAYOR ERNIE, THE CITY IS ENTERING THE BUDGETING PROCESS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.MUNICIPAL BUDGETING DIFFERS GREATLY FROM THAT OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE, WITH THE MUNICIPAL BUDGETING PROCESS.
UM, WELL, IT, IT'S A, UH, QUITE A SEQUENCE.
IT STARTS WITH THE, UM, YOU GOT THE WRONG PAGE HERE.
SO THIS IS THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
I HAD IT RIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, IT USUALLY STARTS WITH THE PRIORITY SETTING SESSION, WHERE EITHER, WELL, WE, WE ALWAYS DID IT IN EARLY JANUARY.
I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE, UH, SOMETIMES MOVED IT TO THE MID, UH, DECEMBER OR EVEN LATER INTO FEBRUARY.
BUT, UM, SO THIS, BUT THIS DOESN'T, THIS ONLY SETS THE RANGE OF, OF PRIORITIES THAT YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT YEAR, YOU, THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT, USUALLY IN THAT PRIOR, UH, THAT PRIORITY SETTING, THE STAFF, UH, DEPARTMENT HEADS, CERTAINLY THE CITY MANAGERS THERE, THEY UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE.
CITY MANAGER THEN MEETS, UH, WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND EACH ONE DOES A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THEMSELVES.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I, I WOULD DO AS A COUNSELOR IS TO LOOK AND, UH, CONFIRM WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR RESERVES, OR OUR CURRENT CASH BALANCE THAT I KNOW IS RIGHT AROUND 89 MILLION RIGHT NOW, UM, WITH A, AN OPERATING BUDGET OF ABOUT, UH, 58, UH, MILLION.
BUT THE NEXT PROCESS IS, UM, THAT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT THEN BECOMES INVOLVED, UH, AND DOES REVENUE PROJECTIONS, AND, UH, TAKES THE PROPOSED BUDGET FIGURES OUT, UH, UH, WHAT, THEREFORE THE EXPENSES WOULD BE, WE LOOK AT BONDS, UH, SALARIES, CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, AND THOSE OPERATING EXPENSES.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT PROCESS, YOU HAVE THE CITY, UM, CITIZENS BUDGET REVIEW COMMITTEE, UH, TAKE A LOOK AT THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
AND THEN EVENTUALLY, UM, THE FINANCE MANAGER WILL, UH, BRING A RECOMMENDED BUDGET TO THE COUNCIL.
AND YOU DISCUSS NOW THERE WAS
AND, UH, YOU MAKE YOUR DECISION.
THAT I BELIEVE MUST BE DONE BY THE END OF JUNE.
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, THE ONLY PUBLIC, UH, HEARINGS THAT THE LEGISLATURE HAS ELIMINATED HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, DESIGN REVIEWS AND LAND DEVELOPMENT, LAND DEVELOPMENT AND THINGS MM-HMM
RATHER THAN, UH, SO, SO IT DOESN'T RE, UH, INTERFERE WITH THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
[03:10:01]
ADDITIONAL QUESTION HERE? YEP.ERNIE, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON, UH, THE USE OF DEBT FINANCING IN A MUNICIPALITY, AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CURRENT LEVEL OF INDEBTEDNESS OF THE CITY OF SEDONA? UM,
I'M, I'M GOING TO ANSWER THAT.
I HAVEN'T STUDIED THAT IN DEPTH ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU A REALLY HONEST ANSWER.
I
UM, AND IF SELECTED, I WILL
I, FROM WHAT I KNOW, UM, I DO NOT HAVE ANY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD CONCERN.
ERNIE, WHAT FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU IN DECISION MAKING FOR SEDONA? I THINK, FIRST OF ALL, TO COMPLY WITH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMUNITY PLANT, AND FRANKLY, HAVE BEEN, UH, I HAVEN'T HEARD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CURRENT COMMUNITY PLAN.
UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, SET OF VISION STATEMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE CORE VALUES, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, UH, TWO, TWO CORE VALUES AND THREE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
UM, I DON'T HEAR THEM SPOKEN ABOUT AS MUCH AS I THINK THEY COULD BE.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS MORE ON MEETING, MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, UH, IN OUR DIRECTION OF WORKING TOWARD THOSE.
AND, AND SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE BROUGHT UP THAT WE MAKE DARN SURE THEY'RE COMPLIANT WITH THE COMMUNITY PLAN.
UM, THAT IS OUR
IT'S THE BACKBONE OF, OF WHAT? AND, AND IT'S WHAT THE CITIZENS GET THE CHANCE TO VOTE ON OVERALL.
IF THEY COMPLAIN, WE DON'T GET ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY TO GET INPUT AND VOTE, WELL, YOU'RE DOING THE COMMUNITY PLAN.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPOR IMPORTANT THINGS TO, UH, BE INVOLVED IN.
UM, OTHER FACTORS, UM, AGAIN, THE VISION STATEMENTS THAT ARE, UH, SHOWN, UH, BEFORE EVERY COUNCIL MEETING, UM, I'M KIND OF, I'M THE ONE THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE BEING ADDRESSED.
NOT THAT I CREATED THEM AT ALL, BUT WHEN I WAS RUNNING FOR COUNCIL IN A FORUM, I
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT SO IMPRESSED ME, UH, EMOTIONALLY, THAT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WHEN I DID GET ON COUNCIL WAS TO HAVE THEM READ BEFORE EVERY CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
AND, UH, NOW THEY'RE NO LONGER RED, BUT THEY'RE PRESENTED AND, BUT THAT'S THE BACKGROUND.
THAT'S NOW, YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY.
I HAVE, HAVE TO MOVE US, PROTECT THE BEAUTY AND WITHIN REASON, UH, SMALL, OUR SMALL TOWN CHARACTER THAT I BELIEVE USED TO APPEAR AT LEAST 20 TIMES IN THE COMMUNITY PLAN.
I NEED TO, I NEED TO MOVE US ALONG TO THE NEXT QUESTION.
ERNIE, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD BE YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE IN CONTRIBUTING FULLY TO COUNCIL DECISIONS?
[03:15:03]
OKAY.WELL, THIS QUESTION HAD ME TOTALLY BAFFLED.
I AM, I FRANKLY CANNOT REMEMBER A TIME FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THROUGH COLLEGE, THE AIR FORCE OR BUSINESS OR IN COUNCIL OR COMMUNITY THAT I FEEL I HAD A CHALLENGE
I JUST ALWAYS HAVE, I'VE NEVER HAD, YOU KNOW, ANYONE BASICALLY SAY, WE DON'T WANT YOUR CONTRIBUTION.
UM, ERNIE, I'M DOING A FOLLOW UP ON THIS BECAUSE IT DOES TALK ABOUT COUNCIL DECISIONS AND MOST OF OUR DECISIONS, UH, ARE UNANIMOUS.
DOES THAT SPEAK TO YOU? DOES THAT SAY ANYTHING TO YOU? OR WHAT DO YOU, WHAT'S YOUR TAKEAWAY ON THAT? UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME.
I'VE HEARD COMMENTARY, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTARIES THAT, UH, YEAH, EVERYBODY'S IN LOCKSTEP.
EVERYBODY FOLLOWS, YOU KNOW, NO
UM, YOU KNOW, I DO HEAR, UH, AND I HAVE OBSERVED, UM, QUESTIONING, NOT EVERYBODY STARTS OUT ON THE SAME PAGE, UH, BUT AS DIS AS THE DISCUSSION PROGRESSES, UH, YOU, THE COUNCIL TEND TO WORK OUT COMPROMISES AMONG YOURSELVES.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD ONE YOURSELF, KATHY
SO, UH, AND YOU KNOW, WHO CAME TO PRETTY UNANIMOUS DECISIONS.
SO I'M TOTALLY HAPPY WITH THAT.
CITIZENS OFTEN COME FORWARD WITH IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT THEY WANT THE CITY TO ADDRESS.
MANY OF THESE ITEMS MAY HAVE POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, BUT ARE NOT WITHIN THE CITY'S AUTHORITY OR JURISDICTION.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT? WELL,
EVERYTHING YOU FOLKS WERE SAYING THAT, UH, I THINK IT'S A CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY TO DO.
ITS UTMOST TO CLEARLY COMMUNICATE TO OUR PUBLIC JUST WHAT THE STATE RESTRICTIONS ARE AND, UM, GIVING CRITERIA.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STATED, UH, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTE OF A RS, UH, THAT'S A ADDRESSED SO THAT SOMEBODY CAN LOOK IT UP AND ARE CONFIDENT THAT YOU'RE JUST NOT SAYING IT, BUT IT'S THERE FOR THEM TO REVIEW AND LOOK UP.
UM, I AM TOTALLY IN FAVOR, AS MOST OF YOU ARE, OF EXPANDING OUR PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS, UH, EVEN DIGITAL DIGITALLY ON THE WEBSITE.
AND I'VE, UH, IN, IN LOOKING UP SOME THINGS ON THIS, WHAT, UH, FOR THE, THE ANSWERS, PARTICULARLY IN THE BUDGETING ISSUE AND WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, I, I FOUND THAT OUR WEBSITE ISN'T AS EASY TO NAVIGATE AS IT OUGHT TO BE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I
BUT I FOUND THAT THERE WERE LIMITED THINGS THAT DIDN'T DIRECT ME ANYWHERE, AND I HAD TO DIG AROUND TO GET TWO OR THREE LEVELS DOWN BEFORE I FOUND THE PARTICULAR ITEM.
[03:20:01]
WOULD BE TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF MORE, UH, UH, OUTPUT TO, TO THE CITY.BUT I DO AGREE, AS YOU MENTIONED YESTERDAY, THAT PERHAPS, UH, AND AS WE MOVE FURTHER IN THIS DIRECTION, UH, WE NEED TO MOVE MORE DIGITALLY THAN PAPER-WISE.
QUESTION NINE THERE, ERNIE, THE CITY COUNCIL MET TO REVIEW, UPDATE AND ESTABLISH THEIR PRIORITIES FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
HAVE YOU REVIEWED THESE PRIORITIES AND WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THEM, AND HOW DO THESE ESTABLISHED PRIORITIES ALIGN WITH YOUR VIEWS AND WHAT DO YOU SEE AS IMPORTANT PRIORITIES? OKAY.
UM, SO I LOOKED UP
AND I, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN WAS ONE, INVOLVED TRAFFIC, UH, SOLUTIONS, UH, INVOLVING THE, UH, UH, FOR FOREST ROAD EXTENSION, THE PARKING GARAGE, UH, EXTENSION OF, UH, TRANSIT, UH, NEW SHUTTLES, UH, BEING CONSIDERED, AND THE EXTENSION INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, OF, UH, SHUTTLE ACCESS.
UH, WE HAD WORKFORCE HOUSING, CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY, LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY, TOURISM, UH, AND THE ADVISORY BOARD, CULTURAL PARK AIRPORT ACT, UH, UH, UM, CONSIDERATION FOR PURCHASE AND BROADBAND.
THOSE WERE YOUR EIGHT, UM, UH, PRIORITIES.
UM, AND I LISTENED TO SCOTT'S
I REALLY CAN'T GIVE YOU, I, I BELIEVE ALL OF THESE ARE PRIORITIES.
UH, I WOULDN'T ARGUE WITH HARDLY ANY OF THEM BEING THERE, THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY ARE ADDRESSED IN THE, AND THE PARTICULAR FOCUS.
I WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL I HAD DONE MORE INTERNAL DIGGING RESEARCH INTO THE BACKGROUND ON EACH ONE OF THEM.
UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO JUST COME UP WITH OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I MAY NOT KNOW ENOUGH TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UH, DID YOU SEE ANYTHING MISSING? WHAT'S THAT? DID YOU SEE ANYTHING MISSING? UM, YEAH, THAT THE COMMUNICATIONS, I THINK THAT OUGHT TO BE A, ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES, PARTICULARLY GIVEN WHAT OCCURRED.
UM, AND FRANKLY, WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL, WE WERE CONSIDERING TWO OPTIONS, UH, TO ADD, UH, ONE PERSON, EITHER AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSON OR A PUBLIC RELATIONS PERSON.
I WAS THE ONLY PERSON
I'VE NEVER TAKEN A MARKETING AND AN OFFICIAL MARKETING COURSE.
UH, BUT MARKETING IS PRETTY SIMPLE.
YOU FIND OUT, NUMBER ONE, WHAT PEOPLE WANT, THEN YOU DESIGN IT, UH, WITH YOUR ENGINEERING STAFF,
SO,
AND IF YOU'RE NOT DOING THE TELLING THEM, YOU GOT IT, YOU'RE NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL, YOU'RE LOSING.
HAVE YOU ATTENDED OR WATCHED CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS IN THE PAST YEAR? AND WHAT DID YOU GAIN FROM THOSE? I AM GUESSING I'VE ATTENDED ABOUT EIGHT
[03:25:01]
TO 10.UM, AND THIS IS WHERE I WAS GONNA SAY THAT OF ALL THE YEARS I'VE BEEN ATTENDING COUNCIL MEETINGS, THIS IS THE BEST COUNCIL.
THERE ARE NO LOSERS,
UH, JUST THERE TO BE NAYSAYERS KIND OF THING ON, ON THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND YOU CAN TELL THAT IN YOUR HEART YOU WANT THE BEST FOR THE CITY OF SEDONA.
UH, I WOULD BE PROUD TO ADD MY VOICE IN THAT REGARD.
ANYTHING ELSE? YOU ASK A FINAL QUESTION.
UM, SO ERNIE, ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE CITY MUST ADHERE TO THE ALTERNATIVE EXPENDER LIMITATION LAW, COMMONLY KNOWN AS HOME RULE? PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOME RULE AND YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT, ALSO KNOWN AS PBA.
WELL, IN 19 80, 79 AND 80, BUT IT, UH, BECAME EMBEDDED IN THE CONSTITUTION IN 1980, UM, FOR FEAR THAT, UM, INDIVIDUAL CITIES, COUNTIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE, UH, UH, INCREASING THEIR TAXATION, UH, BEYOND WHAT THE PUBLIC WAS ABLE TO PAY.
UM, THEY PUT A, A LIMITATION, UM, BY THE AUDITOR GENERAL.
AND, UH, THAT WAS DESIGNED FOR EVERY CITY A CERTAIN AMOUNT BASED ON YOUR PAST HISTORY, AND ONLY ALLOWED TO BE INCREASED BASED ON INFLATION OR POPULATION.
THE TWO CRITERIA THAT COULD, COULD, UH, UH, INCREASE THAT, HOWEVER, THEY ALLOWED SOME EXCEPTIONS.
AND ONE OF THEM WAS THE ALTERNATIVE EXPENDITURE LIMITATION, COMMONLY CALLED HOME RULE.
AND, UM, THAT'S VOTED ON EVERY FOUR YEARS.
THE CITY HAS ALWAYS, UH, VOTED ON THAT FOR AT LEAST 26 TIMES.
I, IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, I THOUGHT THERE WAS ONE TIME THAT WE WERE A LITTLE SHAKY ON THAT.
WE MAY HAVE MISSED IT, BUT 26 TIMES WE WENT FOR A HOME RULE.
UM, AND THIS ALLOWS THE CITY TO SET THEIR OWN BUDGET, WHICH CANNOT BE, UH, EXCEEDED, UM, BUT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE, UH, RECEIPTS
UH, AND THERE'S SOME EXCEPTIONS AS TO HOW YOU DEAL WITH, UM, LONG-TERM BONDS AND, AND OTHER THINGS THAT I WON'T NEED NOT GO INTO DETAIL.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT IF
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, AND WHAT DO YOU DO WITH
HOW ABOUT THE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? THE PERMANENT BASE ADJUSTMENT? UH, YEAH, THAT'S A ONE TIME SHOT, UH, THAT YOU CAN DO.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TWO THIRDS OF THE CITIES IN THE STATE, UH, UTILIZE THE, UH, HOME RULE AND ABOUT 25% UTILIZE THAT, UM, UH, PERMANENT BASED ADJUSTMENT.
BUT THAT'S ONLY GOOD FOR A YEAR
[03:30:01]
AND, UH, IT HAS TO BE BROUGHT UP EVERY YEAR AND IT GETS, AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE PASSING IT FOR THE YEAR AHEAD, NOT EVEN THE YEAR YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.SO IT'S A VERY, IT'S MUCH MORE CONVOLUTED, UH, MEANS OF DEALING WITH THE ISSUE.
ACTUALLY, IT SETS A, CHANGES THE BASE OF THE SPENDING LIMITATION FROM THE 1980 BASE TO THE PRESENT MM-HMM
AND SO THAT ADJUSTMENT, SO SAY IT WAS 15 MILLION IN 19 80, 15 PLUS MILLION COULD BE ADJUSTED TO 50 MILLION, A HUNDRED MILLION, A BILLION, WHATEVER THE VOTERS WOULD APPROVE.
AND THEN, UH, YOU'RE TALKING NOW THE PERMANENT BASIS? YEAH.
SO IT'S NOT A, IT'S DOESN'T HAVE TO BE VOTED ON EVERY YEAR.
THANK IT'S OUR LAST QUESTION, ERNIE.
ERNIE, WHY SHOULD WE CHOOSE YOU? WELL, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT I WILL NOT ADD ANY DRAMA TO THE COUNCIL'S NORMAL ROUTINE.
UH, MY GENERAL VALUE SYSTEM THAT'S BASED UPON THE GOLDEN RULE AND FRANKLY, THE CONCEPTS OF DEI.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION SHALL ALWAYS PREVAIL.
UM, I HAVE PROBABLY THE MOST DIVERSE COMMUNITY BACKGROUND, UM, BETWEEN BOTH COUNCIL AND ADJUNCTIVE AGENCIES, INCLUDING, UM, YOU KNOW, BOTH YOU HAVE PIE AND COCONINO COUNTY TRANSPORTATION, UM, ISSUES AND ALSO INCLUDING NGOS.
UM, I'M A LONG-TERM RESIDENT, ALWAYS LOVING AND PROTECTING OUR SPECIAL ONE OF A KIND ENVIRONMENT.
AND I WAS, I LAUGHED WHEN I TALKED TO, UH, UH, CHARLOTTE THAT, UH, UH, IF, IF NOT SELECTED, I WOULD NOT BE CRYING IN MY BEER, BUT I WOULD DRINK IT
SO, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? YES.
UH, WE'RE GETTING LATE, BUT FOR EACH OF YOU, WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU EX WHAT FROM YOUR EXPECTATIONS UPON JOINING CITY COUNCIL, WHAT'S, WHAT'S DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU EXPECTED? I THINK THE, JUST IN A COUPLE OF WORDS, THAT, THAT THIS QUESTION IS
SO IF, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROCESS OR THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES? NO, UH, UM, MY SECOND QUESTION WAS, UH, DO YOU KNOW WHAT, OUT JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY MORE THAN ANY, WHAT OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONAL LIAISONS ARE INVOLVED IN THIS POSITION? WE, EVERYBODY HAS THEM.
UH, IT, IT'S OUR INTENTION TO REVIEW ALL OF THEM AT OUR DECEMBER PRIORITY SETTING MEETINGS.
AND THERE'S A COUPLE THAT, OR ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT WOULD NEED TO BE FILLED THAT A POSITION THAT SCOTT HELD.
THIS DOESN'T SLIDE WELL, FOUR MINUTES.
WE'LL TAKE A FOUR MINUTE BREAK,
SO HOW DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED?
[03:35:04]
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THESE DISCUSSIONS COULD TAKE PLACE, UM, IN[4. EXECUTIVE SESSION]
PUBLIC, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE IS A REASON TO GO INTO PUBLIC, UH, TO GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR DISCUSSION SO THAT WE CAN, UH, DIGEST SOME OF THIS AND SEE HOW WE WANNA PROCEED.COMING BACK OUT THEN INTO PUBLIC SESSION FOR FULLER DISCUSSION.
IS THERE, IS THERE A MOTION YOU WANNA MAKE THAT MOTION? I CAN, I CAN MAKE THAT MOTION.
I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE STATUTE DOES, UM, INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT SAYS THAT THE EXECUTIVE SESSION CAN BE USED FOR, UH, EMPLOYMENT RELATED.
WHAT IS THE LANGUAGE THERE? EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT AND APPOINTMENT.
SO, UM, JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT.
SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION.
SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IS THAT A THREE? IS THAT IT'S A THREE.
THANK YOU, UH, TO YOUR QUESTION OF DISCUSSION, MAYOR.
UM, I DON'T PERSONALLY FEEL THE NEED FOR THIS, BUT, UM, IF WE DO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THEN I WOULD HOPE THAT WHEN WE DO RETURN OUT HERE, THAT THERE IS A REASONABLE DEGREE OF EXPLANATION BEHIND THE SUBSEQUENT VOTE THAT OCCURS.
UPON PUBLIC MAJORITY VOTE OF THE MEMBERS CONSTITUTING A QUORUM, THE COUNCIL MAY HOLD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES.
TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL FOR ADVICE REGARDING MATTERS LISTED ON THIS AGENDA PER A RS 38 DASH 4, 31 0.03 A THREE, AND A RS 38 DASH 4 31 0.03 A ONE, WHICH INCLUDES EMPLOYEES AND APPOINTMENTS, AND A ONE IS EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT AND APPOINTMENTS.
AND DEREK, YOU'RE GONNA RE SECOND THAT SECOND.
UH, I'LL CALL THE QUESTION THEN.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO IN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE WILL BE BACK.
[3.a. Discussion/consideration and possible action regarding the employment, assignment, and appointment of a City Council applicant including interview of the following applicants. I. Allan Affeldt, 1:00 p.m. II. Charlotte Hosseini, 2:00 p.m. III. Jean Buillet, (Virtual) 3:00 p.m. IV. Ernest (Ernie) Strauch, Jr., 4:00 p.m. (Part 2 of 2)]
OKAY.WE HAVE NOT MADE A DECISION, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT SOME PROCESS AND LEGAL ISSUES.
SO HOW, THIS IS HOW WE'RE GONNA PROCEED.
EACH ONE OF US IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE CRITERIA THAT IMP WHICH WE USE TO DETERMINE THE BEST CANDIDATE.
AND THEN WE'RE NOT GOING TO SELECT A CANDIDATE, WE WILL ULTIMATELY SELECT A CANDIDATE, BUT THE FIRST ROUND IS JUST GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT OUR VALUES ARE, WHAT OUR CRITERIA AND DECISION MAKING PROCESS IS, AS WE'VE EVALUATED, WHICH MAY THEN CHANGE SOMEBODY'S MIND FOR WHO THEY MAY BE LEANING TOWARDS, GET SOME KIND OF CONSENSUS AROUND THAT.
AND THEN EACH PERSON WILL THEN S SAY WHO THEIR TOP CHOICE IS.
SO, RIGHT NOW WE DON'T KNOW WHO THAT IS.
WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THIS DELIBERATION AND DETERMINE THAT.
SO I'M GONNA START WITH KATHY.
UM, MY CRITERIA WHEN I WAS EVALUATING, YOU KNOW, YOUR ANSWERS AND YOUR APPLICATIONS WERE, WAS TO LOOK AT CURRENT INVOLVEMENT IN LOCAL VOLUNTEER ROLES RELATED TO THE THINGS THAT ARE BEFORE THE CITY.
I ALSO LOOKED AT WHAT I FELT WOULD BE TRYING TO EVALUATE WHO HAD THE ABILITY TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ON THESE ISSUES.
UM, AND PART OF THAT IS THROUGH A DEMONSTRATE UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT OF RULES BY WHICH WE FUNCTION AND EVEN RECENT LEGISLATION.
SO THOSE THREE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, IN THINKING OF THAT, I WANNA THANK ALL FOUR OF THE CANDIDATES THAT WE INTERVIEWED, ALL NINE THAT APPLIED, BUT ALL FOUR THAT WE INTERVIEWED BECAUSE YOU ALL DEMONSTRATED A, A, UM, COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY, UH, A WILLINGNESS TO STEP UP.
I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR ATTITUDES.
YOU ALL SEEMED VERY, UH, COLLEGIAL, UM, AND WANTING TO PARTICIPATE IN A PROCESS REALLY WITH REALLY ALTRUISTICALLY WITH THE BEST MINDS OF THE BEST, UH, INTEREST OF THE CITY
[03:40:01]
AT AT HEART.SO IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THESE DECISIONS ARE NOT EASY, BUT I DID WANNA OUTLINE MY CRITERIA OF WHAT I THOUGHT WHILE EVALUATING FOR VERY WORTHY CANDIDATES.
UH, THANK YOU COUNCILOR KINSELLA FOR SUMMARIZING THOSE THOUGHTS.
MINE, MINE NOTE VARY, UH, GREATLY AT ALL.
AND I SPOKE TO CRITERIA AT THAT COUNCILS MEETING THAT WE HAD, AND WE SET THIS PROCESS UP.
AND AGAIN, IT WAS SIMILAR ABOUT, UH, PEOPLE THAT COULD, UH, GET HIT THE GROUND RUNNING, FAMILIAR WITH ISSUES.
UM, I BROADEN, I MENTIONED AT THE TIME STILL BELIEVE THAT STILL USING THOSE, MY CRITERIA ABOUT, UH, WORKING WELL WITH US AND WITH STAFF, UM, AND THE FAMILIARITY WITH THE ISSUES, AND WE DID HAVE THESE FOUR STRONG CANDIDATES AND THE OTHER CANDIDATES WE HAD AS WELL.
I'M, I'M IMPRESSED AND HAPPY THAT WE HAD AS MANY PEOPLE THROW IN THE, THEIR HATS IN THE RING AS WE DID.
AND I DO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE THAT EXPRESSED AN INTEREST TO THINK ABOUT RUNNING FOR CITY COUNCIL AND, AND GET SUPPORT OF THE, THE VOTERS TO DO SO.
UM, I THINK THAT THE LAST EVOLVING CRITERIA THAT I STRUGGLED WITH, UH, SINCE OUR LAST MEETING WAS THAT THINKING ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT ARE COMING TO CITY COUNCIL, WHETHER THERE WAS ANY STRONGLY HELD OPINIONS OR POSITIONS ALREADY STAKED OUT ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IT'S BEST IN GENERAL, THAT PEOPLE THAT AT LEAST I WAS INTERESTED IN SELECTING, PERHAPS AREN'T OUT THERE VERY HARD ON, ON ONE SIDE OR ANOTHER.
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUT OUT TO THE PUBLIC TO VOTE.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS APPOINTMENT IN TERMS OF CONSIDERING THE ISSUES TO BE REALLY OPEN-MINDED AND BALANCED AND HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, UH, ON THE DAIS WITH COUNCIL COLLEAGUES AND STAFF AND, AND THE PUBLIC MOVING FORWARD.
UH, FIRST OFF, I ALSO WANT TO ECHO THE THANKS TO ALL THE FOUR CANDIDATES THAT ARE WITH US, UH, IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY.
UM, SECOND, I ALSO WANT TO COMMENT ON THE EXEC SESSION WE HAD IN THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, AND WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY DECISIONS, UH, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
AND, AND THAT WAS THE REASON WHY I HAD, UM, VOTED, UH, TO NOT PURSUE, UM, UH, THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
AND, YOU KNOW, UPON A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, UH, THE A RS STATUTE, I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH HOW WE APPROACHED THAT.
SO JUST WANNA EXPRESS MY, UM, UH, COLLABORATION.
IT WAS, UH, NOT, UH, FORCED, UH, IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
SO TO THE MATTER OF CRITERIA, I COME BACK TO WHAT COUNCILOR FURMAN HAD HAD SHARED ELOQUENTLY, UH, PREVIOUSLY ABOUT, UM, I'D PUT IT IN THE TERMS OF RELEVANT PUBLIC EXPERIENCE, RIGHT? AND THAT THAT IS AN AID IN HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING AND BEING VALUABLE.
UH, ANOTHER IS, UH, A PERCEIVED ABILITY TO INTERACT EFFECTIVELY WITH THE COMMUNITY AND TO HAVE INFLUENCE, UM, TO BE PRACTICAL, PRAGMATIC, ARTICULATE.
AND THEN FINALLY, UM, I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHETHER, UH, A CANDIDATE CAN FILL A GAP IN COUNCIL AS FAR AS, UH, EITHER OUR EXPERIENCE, OUR KNOWLEDGE, WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE, UH, WHAT, WHAT THEY MIGHT BRING THAT WOULD BE, UH, ADVANTAGEOUS TO US, UH, GIVEN THE VARIOUS, UH, HIGH PRIORITY TYPE, UH, DECISIONS THAT WILL BE COMING AT US SOON.
SO, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT ALL OF YOU HAD SEEN THESE QUESTIONS PRIOR TO TODAY.
WHY, WHY NOT? THEY WERE IN OUR PACKET.
SO YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE HAD TODAY.
BECAUSE PART OF MY, PART OF MY THOUGHT PROCESSES AROUND THAT, UM, THE FACT THAT YOU KIND OF KNEW WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE ASKED, YOU KIND OF KNEW WHAT YOU WERE APPLYING FOR.
SO, SO BASED ON THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE ALWAYS DONE WHEN I'VE, UH, HIRED PEOPLE IS, IS TALKED ABOUT YOU REALLY HAVE TO MEASURE SOMEBODY'S APTITUDE AND ATTITUDE BECAUSE THE REST IS LEARNING.
AND, UM, IF YOU BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT APTITUDE AND THE RIGHT ATTITUDE, THEY CAN PROBABLY CERTAINLY LEARN WHATEVER IT IS THEY
[03:45:01]
NEED TO LEARN.AND MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, YOU GOTTA LEARN A LOT.
AND EVEN IF YOU, EVEN IF YOU WERE RUNNING FOR ELECTION AND WERE ELECTED, THE VERY FIRST DAY YOU SIT ON COUNCIL, THERE ARE FOUR PEOPLE WHO ALREADY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEY KNOW THE ISSUES.
SO WHOEVER'S COMING INTO THIS ROLE, EVEN IF IT'S ONLY FOR A YEAR, IT'S JUST LIKE BEING A NEW COUNCIL MEMBER.
AND SO YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO COME UP TO SPEAK QUICKLY.
YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO LEARN.
UM, I ALSO THOUGHT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A POINT OF VIEW ON HOW TO THINK ABOUT THE DECISIONS THAT ARE FACED BY THIS COUNCIL BECAUSE THESE DECISIONS AND THESE ISSUES ARE OFTEN NON-TRIVIAL.
UM, THEY ARE THINGS LIKE, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEAL WITH HB 24 47? UM, IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT IS GOING ON, IT IS WHAT SHOULD WE DO AT, UM, WESTERN GATEWAY, UH, IN, IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET THE COMMUNITY PLAN GOALS THAT WE HAVE AND YET STILL HONOR AND LISTEN TO WHAT IT IS THE COMMUNITY IS SAYING.
THESE ARE, THESE ARE BIG ISSUES.
UM, EVEN EVEN THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY DECIDED OFTEN NEED TO HAVE THAT COMMUNITY CONVERSATION.
SO WOULD THIS PERSON BE ABLE TO, TO, UM, TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND TO WHEN A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCIL TO HOLD TO THE FACT THAT THE COUNCIL HAD MADE THAT DECISION, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THAT WAS THEIR PERSONAL OPINION OR NOT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO.
IT ISN'T ALWAYS ABOUT NEW THINGS.
IT'S ABOUT THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED.
UM, AND THE COUNCIL'S ALREADY MADE A DECISION AND YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO HOLD WITH THE COUNCIL BECAUSE THAT WAS THE DECISION MADE.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE COULD ANSWER QUESTIONS CLEARLY.
UM, WE DON'T WANNA BE HERE UNTIL ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AS FREQUENTLY AS WE CAN.
WE'D LIKE TO BE DONE BY EIGHT, BUT THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN.
UM, AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT DOES HAPPEN IS WE LISTEN, WE HEAR, WE DIGEST, AND THEN WE ANSWER CONCISELY AS WE CAN.
UM, I WANTED TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU KNEW THE ISSUES AND IF YOU HAD THOUGHT ABOUT THEM.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT FACE US AND SOME OF THEM ARE PRETTY CRITICAL THAT ARE COMING UP.
I, I WANTED TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU UNDERSTOOD HOW WE WORK WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH STAFF.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE ISSUES WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST IS HOW DO WE WORK WITH STAFF? UM, AND WE NEED TO RESOLVE THAT AND KEEP THAT STEADY.
AND YES, IT IS IN THE RULES OF PROCEDURE.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO KNOW WHETHER PEOPLE WERE OPEN-MINDED AND ARE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT YOU CAN BE WRONG, UM, OR YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE THE WHOLE LEADING POSITION OR WHATEVER IT IS, AND CAN YOU EFFECTIVELY DEAL WITH THAT AND ACT WITH THAT AND CONTINUE ON COLLEGIALLY WITH EVERYBODY WHO IS ON COUNCIL? SO THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT I HAD IN MIND AS I WAS LISTENING TO PEOPLE.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO ADD THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SAID.
THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO APPLIED, UM, WHO SAT THROUGH THIS AND BEAR WITH US FOR HOWEVER MANY HOURS.
UM, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT SELECTED, I ENCOURAGE EVERY ONE OF YOU TO RUN.
UM, I THINK EVERY ONE OF YOU HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER THE CITY SOMETHING UNIQUE AND YOU UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, UH, A UNIQUE SKILL SET.
SO EVEN IF THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT CHOSEN TO FILL THIS POSITION, YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD RUN.
OR IF YOU DON'T WANNA RUN, EXPLORE SOME VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE CITY.
THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO WHERE YOU COULD PUT THE, PUT YOUR SKILLS AND YOUR, YOUR PASSION TO SERVE, TO USE.
SO, UM, I WOULD JUST START WITH THAT IN TERMS OF, IN TERMS OF THE CRITERIA THAT I WOULD APPLY TO SELECTING SOMEBODY.
UM, I'VE HEARD THE TERM, I'VE HEARD HIT THE GROUND RUNNING SEVERAL TIMES.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT HERE, PARTICULARLY THAT THIS MAY JUST BE A, YOU KNOW, A ONE AND DONE TERM FOR SOMEBODY.
UH, SO THERE ISN'T A LOT, LOT OF TIME TO LEARN.
UM, I'M THE NEW GUY AND I'M STILL, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN HERE, I DON'T KNOW, JUST RIGHT OUTTA THE YEAR AND I'M STILL LEARNING THE ROPES.
SO, UM, IT'S A, IT, IT IS A TOUGH JOB.
UM, KNOWLEDGE BASE, SOMEBODY WHO HAS KNOWLEDGE OF, OF MULTIPLE SUBJECT MATTERS.
AND I THINK, UH, COUNCILOR PHILLIPS SAID FILLS A GAP.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE NOT ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THINGS THAT PETE DOESN'T KNOW AND PETE KNOWS A LOT OF THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW.
AND I MEAN, WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, UH, TO
[03:50:01]
SORT OF COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER'S KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO.SO, YEAH, FILLING A GAP I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, UH, AND SEVERAL PEOPLE MET THESE CRITERIA, UH, MY FIRST ONE WAS A DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT AND INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CITY OF SEDONA.
AND I DON'T MEAN NECESSARILY THE CITY AS AN ENTITY, BUT THE CITY AS THE BIGGER.
AND, UH, AND A LOT OF YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT MY NEXT, UH, CRITERIA WAS REALLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S BEFORE US.
AND CONSIDERING THIS IS ONE YEAR I THOUGHT ABOUT MYSELF, I ATTENDED EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEETING FOR OVER A YEAR BEFORE I RAN FOR OFFICE.
AND SOMETIMES I'D SIT IN THE AUDIENCE AND IF COUNCIL WOULD BE NEGOTIATING AND DELIBERATING, AND THEN THEY WOULD VOTE AND I WOULD VOTE SILENTLY.
BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT AFTER THAT, AND I, AND I WAS PRETTY INVOLVED BOTH IN THE VOLUNTEER ASPECTS OF THE CITY AS WELL AS THE ACTUAL CITY BEING ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE FOR FIVE YEARS, UH, AND SOME OTHER OR, UH, GROUPS WITHIN THE CITY.
THERE IS NOTHING LIKE GETTING ON THAT DAIS.
YOU, IT ALL GOES RIGHT OUTTA YOUR HEAD.
AND
SO, SO MY CRITERIA NEXT WAS WHO CAN, WHO CAN GET UP TO SPEED REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY BECAUSE THERE ISN'T ANY TIME FOR, UH, ON THE JOB TRAINING.
THEN I LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT ARE THESE BIG ISSUES THAT I WANT PEOPLE TO, TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AND BE ABLE TO QUICKLY GET UP TO SPEED? AND THEY WERE THE BUDGET, WHICH IS UPON US JUST IN A FEW WEEKS, AND SEVERAL PEOPLE MET THAT CRITERIA.
UH, AND THEN I THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT ISSUES AND COUPLE PEOPLE MET THAT CRITERIA BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE SOME MAJOR ISSUES COMING UP AROUND WESTERN GATEWAY PLANNING AS YOU ALL BROUGHT UP, AS WELL AS DECISIONS ABOUT OUR STRATEGY FOR HOUSING, WHO WE'RE GONNA TARGET, HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, AND THESE ARE HUGE ISSUES OF IMPORT.
SO THAT'S HOW I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS.
AND SEVERAL PEOPLE E MET EACH OF THOSE CATEGORIES.
SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR COMING TO US WITH A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE.
IT'S HARD TO MAKE A DECISION 'CAUSE MORE THAN ONE PERSON COULD BE SELECTED.
SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THREE SEATS OPEN AND THE MAYOR IN AUGUST OF 2026 PACKETS ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PICK THEM UP.
SO HAVING SAID WHAT IT IS THAT WE'VE CONSIDERED, WE'RE NOW GONNA TAKE A VOTE.
CAN I MAKE ONE FURTHER COMMENT? YOU SURE CAN.
BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, BECAUSE YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT I THINK MAYBE THE PUBLIC AND EVEN THE APPLICANTS AREN'T AWARE OF, YOU USED THE PHRASE ON THE JOB TRAINING, AND THERE'S NO TIME FOR THAT.
I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY REALIZES THAT.
NORMALLY WHEN YOU'RE ELECTED IN AUGUST, YOU'RE NOT SEATED UNTIL NOVEMBER.
AND IN THOSE MONTHS, UM, UM, COUNCILOR ELECTS ARE USUALLY ALREADY THEN BEING MEETING WITH THE CITY MANAGER.
UH, WHEN HOLLY AND I WERE ELECTED, WHAT WE ALREADY STARTED MAKING THE ROUNDS TO ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND SITTING WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS.
SO THERE WAS A TRAINING PERIOD THAT DOES NOT EXIST RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE ARE ABOUT TO GO INTO BUDGET DELIBERATIONS, UH, PRIORITY SETTING.
UM, WE HAVE MEETINGS COMING UP IMMEDIATELY FOR VOTES.
UH, THERE, THERE IS NO TIME FOR THAT ON THE JOB TRAINING.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THAT'S NOT JUST A PHRASE THAT IS BEING PULLED OUTTA THE AIR.
THAT THAT'S A VERY REAL, UH, IMPACT ON THIS SELECTION PROCESS, AT LEAST FOR ME.
[03:55:01]
ALL OF YOU ARE REALLY PHENOMENAL IN DIFFERENT WAYS.UM, AND HONESTLY, I THINK IT TAKES COURAGE TO PUT YOUR HAT IN THE RING, SO TO SPEAK, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE, OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY ARE MOST COMPLICATED PART OF THE YEAR WHEN WE START TO TALK ABOUT BUDGET.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I DO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR COMING TODAY AND I AS YOU MISS FOR SAYING SO EARLIER.
UM, IT IS A HARD DECISION BECAUSE I THINK YOU ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER THE CITY, THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST THIS COUNCIL.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? WE READY TO TAKE A VOTE? THIS IS GONNA BE EXCITING 'CAUSE WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT EVERYBODY'S GONNA SAY.
HOW, HOW DO YOU WANT DO THIS? I, I THINK WE'RE JUST GONNA GO OVER TO NOMINATION AND THEN TAKE A VOTE ON THAT OR NO, YOU TALK ABOUT, I THINK THAT EACH PERSON SHOULD SAY WHO THEY WANT AND THEN IF THERE'S A MAJORITY, THEN WE'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPOINT THAT PERSON.
BECAUSE I DO HAVE A MOTION RIGHT HERE.
SO, UH, BRIAN, I'M GONNA START WITH YOU.
UM, MY VOTE WILL GO TO ALAN FEL.
I ASSUME WE'RE JUST DOING JUST THE NAME WE'VE THAT'S RIGHT.
MELISSA MINE GOES TO CHARLOTTE HOSNI, MINE GOES TO CHARLOTTE HOSSEINI, UH, MINE GOES TO CHARLOTTE HUSSEINI.
I'M FROM CHARLOTTE HOSSEINI AND MINE GOES TO CHARLOTTE HOSSEINI.
SO I WOULD SAY WE WOULD HAVE A MAJORITY.
SO WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION? YOU, YOU HAVE TO MOTION
I MOVED TO APPOINT CHARLOTTE HOSSEINI TO FILL THE CITY COUNCIL VACANCY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY WITH THE TERM ENDING IN NOVEMBER DECEMBER, 2026 WHEN NEWLY ELECTED COUNSELORS ARE SEATED FOLLOWING THE FALL 2026 ELECTION CYCLE.
I'D LIKE TO SECOND THAT MOTION.
OPPOSED? OKAY, CHARLOTTE, CONGRATULATIONS.
I, I'LL ISSUE THE OATH OFFICE AND THEN UM, MARC WILL TEST.
CHARLOTTE, WHY DON'T YOU COME ON UP HERE.
WE'RE GONNA ISSUE THE OATH OF OATH OF OFFICE BEFORE YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND.
SO PLEASE RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND REPEAT AFTER ME.
DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM I, CHARLOTTE HOSSEINI DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA.
THAT I'LL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA.
THAT I WILL BEAR TRUTH, AND THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME AND DEFEND THEM AGAINST ALL ENEMIES FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
THAT I'LL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME AND DEFEND THEM AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC.
AND THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF COUNSELOR ACCORDING TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
SO HELP ME GOD OR SO I DO AFFIRM AND THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE OF COUNSELOR ACCORDING TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY CAKE AND COOKIES.
WE THINK THAT'S TO SIGN IT OR WE ATE IT ALL LAST NIGHT.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE PEOPLE.
I'M PRONOUNCING MY NAME CORRECTLY.
DOESN'T ALWAYS OCCUR, DID I? TODAY IS THE 13TH.
[04:00:01]
OKAY.WE HAVE TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
KATHY, SHREDDING THINGS, LEAVING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM.
[5. ADJOURNMENT]
OKAY.THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 5:45 PM PROBABLY GIVING JOANNE.