[00:00:01]
GOOD AFTERNOON.[1. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/MOMENT OF SILENC]
I WOULD LIKE TO OFFICIALLY WELCOME YOU TO THE SEDONA CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, JULY 14TH, 2026.CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AND PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
AND NOW A MOMENT OF SILENCE THAT WE'RE GOING TO DEDICATE TO THE FIREFIGHTERS AND A BIG THANK YOU.
OKAY, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU CALL THE ROLE PLEASE? MAYOR PLU.
[3. CONSENT ITEMS - APPROVE]
THREE, CONSENT ITEMS. DOES ANYONE ON THE COUNCIL, STAFF OR THE PUBLIC WANT TO REMOVE ANYTHING FROM THE CONSENT ITEMS? OKAY.WHO WANTS TO MAKE THE MOTION FIND IT? DEREK, I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, SO HOLD ON.
I MOVE, I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS. A THROUGH H.
WE HAVE SIX WITH COUNSELOR KINSELLA.
ABSENT WE HAVE NO APPOINTMENTS.
[5. SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS BY MAYOR/COUNCILORS/CITY MANAGER & COUNCIL ASSIGNMENTS]
SUMMARY OF CURRENT EVENTS BY MAYOR, COUNCILORS, MANAGER, AND COUNCIL ASSIGNMENTS.DOES ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING TO REPORT? ANNETTE? THANK YOU MAYOR PLU.
UM, I WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INTRODUCE EVERYONE TO OUR NEW COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS MANAGER, MS. JULIE GRAHAM, WHO COMES TO US FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
AND SHE STARTED LAST WEEK AND IS ALREADY DOING A GREAT JOB.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY FOLKS GET A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH HER AND GET TO KNOW HER.
AND SHE WILL BE TAKING ON ALL THE COMMUNICATION DUTIES THAT LAUREN HAS BEEN PERFORMING.
UM, AND, UH, WE'RE JUST VERY HAPPY TO HAVE HER WITH US.
AND THEN I THINK ANDY ALSO WANTED TO INTRODUCE A NEW EMPLOYEE TOO.
YEAH, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE GUILLERMO GONZALEZ.
HE'S OUR NEW TRANSPORTATION SERVICES MANAGER AND WE WELCOME HIM AND HE IS DOING A GREAT JOB ALREADY.
AND IT IS TRUE THAT GUILLERMO HAS GOTTEN RAVE REVIEWS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
OKAY, WELL, I HAVE SOMETHING TO ANNOUNCE.
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY THAT OUR CITY ATTORNEY WILL BE HERE, UH, AT CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO WE WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR JOB.
THANK YOU FOR THE ALMOST SIX YEARS THAT YOU'VE BEEN HERE.
WE NEED TO HIT HERE, ALMOST SIX.
AND WE HAVE A FEW ITEMS WE WOULD LIKE TO GIFT TO YOU AS PART OF OUR THANK YOU.
NOW, THIS IS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AND IT SAYS, SEDONA CITY ATTORNEY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND DEDICATION.
AND YOUR NAME IS ON THIS BEAUTIFUL PEN.
SO WE HAVE SEDONA, OLY
YOU JUST FREE AND UP TO YOUR WHOLE FAMILY.
[00:05:01]
FOR THE YOUNGEST ONES.SO KURT, I'M REALLY BAD AT SAYING GOODBYE, BUT WE WILL MISS YOU AND WE REALLY WANNA THANK YOU.
OH, HERE, I'LL A SECOND STAND, I GUESS.
UH, THANK YOU MAYOR AND COUNCIL VERY MUCH.
UH, IT'S BEEN THE HONOR OF MY CAREER TO SERVE, UM, HERE IN THE CITY OF SEDONA, UH, FOR ALMOST SIX YEARS.
I DIDN'T QUITE, I WON'T QUITE MAKE IT, UH, BUT YEAH, DUE TO PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, REASONS GET TO OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND WORK IN GEORGIA FOR A LITTLE WHILE, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
BUT I WILL ALWAYS BE WATCHING SEDONA FROM AFAR AND WISH YOU SUCCESS.
UH, I KNOW YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS WITH BOTH COUNCIL.
IT'S BEEN A REAL PRIVILEGE TO WORK WITH ALL THE DEDICATED COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, OVER THE YEARS AND STAFF AND THE RESIDENTS AND ALL THAT THEY DO.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WE WILL INTRODUCE YOU ALL TO MONIQUE CODY, WHO IS THE INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY, WHILE WE CONDUCT A PROCESS TO, UH, RECRUIT A NEW CITY ATTORNEY.
AND, UH, MONIQUE IS CURRENTLY THE ASSISTANT.
KURT, EXECUTIVE SESSION REPORT.
[7. PUBLIC FORUM]
MARCY, DO WE HAVE ANY CARDS? OKAY, UH, TIM PERRY.MY NAME IS TIM PER AND I LIVE IN SEDONA IN TONIGHT'S EDITION OF THE LIES TOLD BY THE CITY OF SEDONA.
WE RETURN AGAIN TO THE SUBJECT OF THE CITY'S, UH, DISTASTE FOR AND IGNORANCE OF BASIC MATH.
WE OFTEN HEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT, UH, WELL TOURISTS PAY 77% OF SEDONAS TAXES.
AND THAT'S PRESENTED TO US AS IF, OH, WELL, THAT JUSTIFIES WHATEVER SPENDING THE CITY WANTS TO GET UP TO.
BUT IF WE ACTUALLY DIG INTO THAT NUMBER, WE FIND SOMETHING A LOT MORE INTERESTING.
IF TOURISTS PAY 77% OF SEDONAS TAILS TAXES, THAT MEANS THAT SEDONAS 1.4 MILLION VISITORS, NOT 3.5, THAT'S ANOTHER LIE.
THE CITY KEEPS PERPETRATING PAY ABOUT $26.5 MILLION A YEAR.
ABOUT 9,600 OF US PAY ABOUT $8 MILLION A YEAR.
PLUS THE FOUR AND A HALF MILLION WE PAY IN STATE AND COUNTY TAXES AND FEES THAT COME BACK TO US TO RUN THE CITY.
YOU DO THE MATH FOR EVERY DOLLAR IN SALES TAX THAT A TOURIST PAYS TO RUN.
SEDONA, WE WHO LIVE HERE PAY $67, BUT THE CITY DOESN'T LIKE THAT MATH.
WHERE ELSE DO WE FIND INTERESTING MATH IN THE CITY? WELL, WE COULD STEP OVER TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE IF CITY STAFF COULD DO MATH, THEY WOULD HAVE ADJUSTED THE BUDGET OVER THE YEARS FOR THE DECREASE IN CRIME AND THE INCREASE IN INFLATION, AND IT WOULD NOW BE ABOUT $5.3 MILLION AND NOT 10.3.
OF COURSE, GIVEN THIS COUNCIL'S EAGER EMBRACE OF VIOLENCE AS AN OBJECTIVE, MORAL GOOD, RATHER THAN AN ACT OF ABSOLUTE EVIL, THAT IDEOLOGICAL VIEWPOINT ALLOWS THEM TO JUST POWER THROUGH THE MATH.
THEN WE HAVE THE SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT WHERE THEY'VE NEVER FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION.
AND SO THEY DON'T KNOW, THEY HAVEN'T ACTUALLY CUT ANYTHING FROM EMISSIONS.
AND THEN THERE'S OF COURSE, THE VERY INTERESTING MATH IN THE CITY'S, UH, STATE BUDGET FORMS, WHICH SOMETIMES INTERESTINGLY DON'T AGREE WITH THE NUMBER THAT COUNCIL AGREED ON IN THIS CHAMBER.
TALLY RAND FAMOUSLY SAID THAT SPEECH WAS GIVEN TO MAN TO DISGUISE HIS THOUGHTS.
THE LOCAL VERSION OF THAT MIGHT BE THAT SEDONA WAS GIVEN INTEGRATORS TO ENABLE IT TO BETTER HIDE THE TRUTH.
HAPPY BASTILLE DAY, EVERYBODY, LORD KNOWS WE COULD USE ANOTHER ONE.
[9.b. AB 3359 Discussion/possible action regarding procedures for designating official City objects; and approval of a Resolution or Proclamation designating Anna's Hummingbird as Sedona's official bird. ]
NINE, UH, BEEF AB 33 59.DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING PROCEDURES FOR DESIGNATING OFFICIAL CITY OBJECTS AND APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION OR PROCLAMATION DESIGNATION DESIGNATING ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD AS SEDONAS OFFICIAL BIRD.
UM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE TO THE COUNCIL, MS. ALICE MADAR, WHO'S GOING TO COME UP AND DO A PRESENTATION FOR YOU.
BUT AS SHE'S COMING UP, JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND.
YOU'LL RECALL THAT LAST YEAR THE COUNCIL DID ADOPT A PROCLAMATION
[00:10:01]
REGARDING THE ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD FOR THE ANNUAL HUMMINGBIRD FESTIVAL.AND SINCE THAT TIME, THE INTERNATIONAL HUMMINGBIRD SOCIETY HAS BEEN, UM, GATHERING SUPPORT FOR THEIR REQUEST TONIGHT TO THE COUNCIL TO DO AN OFFICIAL DESIGNATION OF THE HUMMINGBIRD, UM, AS THE CITY'S OFFICIAL BIRD.
AND SO, UM, YOU DID RECEIVE THE POWERPOINT FILE IN ADVANCE, SO YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ALICE TO GIVE HER PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR CONSIDERING THIS RESOLUTION.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE SUPPORTERS WHO HAVE WORKED FOR THE PAST YEAR TO GET US TO THIS POINT.
IF YOU SUPPORT THE ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD AS THE SEDONA CITY BIRD, PLEASE STAND.
WE BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT TO HONOR AND CELEBRATE NOT JUST SEDONAS NATURAL LANDSCAPE, THE RED ROCKS, BUT ALSO THE WILDLIFE THAT LIVES HERE.
AND THE ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD WE BELIEVE IS THE PERFECT REPRESENTATIVE OF THIS WILDLIFE.
SO I DO HAVE A FEW SLIDES HERE TO HELP MAKE THE CASE AND I WILL TRY TO MAKE IT WORK.
WHY SHOULD SEDONA HAVE A CITY BIRD IS CONSISTENT WITH THE SEDONA CITY PLAN.
IT PROMOTES SUSTAINABILITY, ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS, ECOTOURISM, COMMUNITY PRIDE AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.
BIRDING IS BIG BUSINESS, AND IT'S KIND OF AN UNTAPPED BUSINESS HERE IN SEDONA.
96 MILLION AMERICANS IDENTIFY AS BIRDERS OR BIRD WATCHERS.
73 MILLION TRAVEL TO WATCH BIRDS.
AND THEY SPEND 108 BILLION PER YEAR ON BIRDING RELATED ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING TRAVEL.
AND BIRDERS ARE THE BEST KIND OF TOURISTS OFF PEAK ECOTOURISTS.
WHEN SEDONA BUSINESSES NEED MORE REVENUE, THEY'RE ON THE ROADS EARLY.
WHEN TRAFFIC IS LIGHT, THEY GO TO BED EARLY, THEY DON'T PARTY LOUD.
AND SEDONA HAS SOME GREAT BIRDING LOCATIONS THAT ARE NEVER OVERCROWDED.
HAVING A CITY BIRD SHINES A SPOTLIGHT ON SEDONA AS A CITY THAT WELCOMES BIRDERS.
THERE'S ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY PRIDE.
WE DO HAVE A FEW CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS GOING ALREADY.
WE HAVE A HUMMINGBIRD BANDING STATION, UM, DOWN AT PAGE SPRINGS FISH HATCHERY, AND WE ARE DOING HUMMINGBIRD BANDING IN OTHER LOCATIONS.
WE WOULD LIKE TO DO MORE WORK IN THE COMMUNITY GARDENS BUILDING, PROMOTING NATIVE PLANTS THAT SUPPORT POLLINATORS.
THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR ART EDUCATION AND DISPLAYS.
I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN A HUMMINGBIRD, RIGHT? LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL HUMMINGBIRD PICTURE RIGHT THERE.
WE ALSO HAVE PHOTO WORKSHOPS AND CONTESTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND OF COURSE, THE SEDONA HUMMINGBIRD FESTIVAL.
WE'D ALSO LIKE TO BEGIN WORKING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES FOR NEXT YEAR ON A TREASURE HUNT, A HUMMINGBIRD TREASURE HUNT, A HUMMINGBIRD FACTS WITHIN.
UM, THAT'S A LONG STORY, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL BE WORKING ON WITH THE LOCAL BUSINESSES.
IT PROMOTES SUSTAINABLE GARDENING, PLANTING NATIVE TREES AND FLOWERS.
THEY'RE NATURALLY PEST RESISTANT AND DROUGHT TOLERANT.
AND THE FLOWERS THAT ATTRACT HUMMINGBIRDS, I LOOKED THIS UP, ARE ALSO FIRE RESISTANT.
THEY'RE GREEN AND LESS OILY THAN SOME OF THE OTHER PLANTS THAT PEOPLE WOULD MIGHT FAVOR.
SO IF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING TO DO FIRE SAFE GARDENING, HUMMINGBIRD PLANTS ARE A GREAT CHOICE.
THEY ALSO AVOID PESTICIDES AND HERBICIDES THAT CAN POISON HUMMINGBIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE.
SO IN EFFECT, YOU'RE CREATING A BACKYARD NATURE PRESERVE INSPIRED BY HUMMINGBIRDS.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE IN SEDONA.
SO OUT OF MORE THAN 250 HUMMINGBIRD BIRD SPECIES HERE, WHY SHOULD A HUMMINGBIRD BE SEDONA CITY BIRD? WELL, THERE ARE HUMMINGBIRD IMAGES ALL OVER SEDONA.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID THEY THOUGHT A HUMMINGBIRD WAS ALREADY THE CITY BIRD.
[00:15:01]
MOVED TO SEDONA BECAUSE OF HUMMINGBIRDS AND THE LANDSCAPE HUMMINGBIRDS HAVE INSPIRED AN ANNUAL SEDONA HUMMINGBIRD FESTIVAL DEDICATED TO THEM.AND THERE'S ANOTHER SEPARATE HUMMINGBIRD WORKSHOP SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST, AND THAT IS RUN BY AN ENTIRELY SEPARATE ORGANIZATION FROM COLORADO.
AND I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT EVEN IF THE HUMMINGBIRD FESTIVAL NEVER HAPPENED AGAIN, IF THE INTERNATIONAL HUMMINGBIRD SOCIETY FOLDED UP SHOP AND MOVED AWAY, THE HUMMINGBIRDS ARE STILL HERE.
THE HUMMINGBIRDS CREATED ALL THIS.
AND PEOPLE LOVE THESE HUMMINGBIRDS.
AND AS WE SAY AT THE END, THEY'RE LIKE PUPPIES.
THAT'S SOMEBODY WHO SIGNED OUR PETITION
SO THERE ARE EIGHT SPECIES OF HUMMINGBIRDS HERE IN SEDONA.
MOST OF THEM, THEY'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT'S HERE YEAR ROUND IS THE ANNAS.
BUT DURING THE SUMMER, YOU CAN SEE THE BLACK CHIN HUMMINGBIRD GOING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT.
THE COSTAS, THE BROAD BUILD, THE RUFUSS THAT EVERYBODY LOVES, THE RLIS, THE BROAD TAILED, THE CALLIOPE, AND OF COURSE THE ANNAS WITH THAT INCREDIBLE ROSY HOOD AND THROAT.
SO WHY SHOULD THE ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD BE THE SEDONA CITY BIRD? IT UNIQUELY COMBINES BEAUTY, CHARISMA, PREVALENCE AND VISIBILITY.
IT COMES TO FEEDERS, IT COMES TO THE FLOWERS IN YOUR YARDS, PATIOS, BALCONIES.
AND IT HAS ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE AS A POLLINATOR OF NATIVE PLANTS.
THEY'RE THE ONLY HUMMINGBIRDS THAT ARE HERE YEAR ROUND, AND THEY ARE THE FASTEST THINGS ON WINGS.
THEY'RE THE FASTEST DOCUMENTED HUMMINGBIRD, BUT THEY ARE ALSO THE FASTEST BIRD IN BODY LENGTHS PER SECOND.
THEY ARE FASTER THAN A PEREGRINE FALCON, AND THEY'RE FASTER THAN A SPACE SHUTTLE REENTERING EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.
RESEARCHER CHRIS CLARK, DOCUMENTED THIS
THEY'RE BETTER SINGERS THAN OTHER HUMMINGBIRDS.
THEY HAVE A SPECIALIZED SONG CENTER IN THEIR BRAIN THAT'S MORE SIMILAR TO SONGBIRDS THAN HUMMINGBIRDS.
AND THEY ARE RESILIENT AND CLEVER, HAVING EXPANDED THEIR RANGE FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND BAJA CALIFORNIA IN THE PAST CENTURY.
THEY HAVE MOVED ALL THE WAY UP INTO WESTERN CANADA, AND THEY DID THAT, UM, BY MAKING USE OF HUMANS PREDILECTION TO, FOR FEEDERS AND ALSO ALL THE GARDENS AND, UM, OTHER FLOWERS THAT WE WERE PLANTING.
SO YOU COULD SAY THEY HAVE A PIONEERING SPIRIT.
SO HERE'S WHAT SOME OF OUR PETITION SIGNERS SAID ABOUT WHY THE ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD SHOULD BE THE CITY BIRD.
THEIR BEAUTIFUL MAGENTA, METALLIC MINI MESSENGERS OF MAGIC.
A GREAT REPRESENTATIVE FOR SEDONA CITY OF MAGIC, VORTEXES AND BEAUTY.
THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL AND VIBRANT AND ACTIVE EVEN THOUGH SMALL, JUST LIKE THE SEDONA COMMUNITY.
AND I'LL SKIP DOWN TO THE END.
THEY REMIND US TO LIVE WITH COURAGE AND JOY.
NOW WE DO HAVE A SEDONA HUMMINGBIRD FESTIVAL AND IT DRAWS A THOU ABOUT A THOUSAND TOURISTS AND 500 RESIDENTS EVERY JULY.
THEY COME FROM 30 STATES AND SEVERAL COUNTRIES.
YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE THAT HUMMINGBIRDS EXIST ONLY IN THE AMERICA, IN THE AMERICAS.
SO AUSTRALIANS AND EUROPEANS AND AFRICANS LOVE TO SEE THE HUMMINGBIRDS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND THEY COME, UM, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE SO MANY VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE THE US RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY DO COME FROM 30 STATES TO COME TO THE SEDONA HUMMINGBIRD FESTIVAL BECAUSE IT IS A THREE DAY EVENT DEDICATED SOLELY TO HUMMINGBIRDS.
AND IN A RECENT SURVEY, 42% OF FESTIVAL VISITORS REPORTED STAYING MULTIPLE DAYS AND LODGING IN A HOTEL THAT COULD MEAN CONSERVATIVELY 250,000 TO LOCAL BUSINESSES.
AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE TWO HUMMINGBIRD EVENTS HERE THIS YEAR BECAUSE SEDONA IS A GREAT PLACE TO SEE HUMMINGBIRDS.
PEOPLE COME HERE TO SEE THE HUMMINGBIRDS AND THEY SPEND THEIR DOLLARS IN SEDONA DURING OFF PEAK TIME.
SO WHO SUPPORTS THIS? WE DO HAVE LETTERS OF SUPPORT FROM THE OTHER SEDONA BASED CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS, THE BUTTER AND FLY ENTHUSIASTS OF NORTHERN ARIZONA,
[00:20:01]
NORTHERN ARIZONA, AUDUBON SOCIETY AND KEEP SEDONA BEAUTIFUL.AND OUR PETITION WAS SIGNED BY MORE THAN 830 PEOPLE, INCLUDING MORE THAN 250 WITHIN THE 8 6 3, 3 6 ZIP CODE.
AND WE DON'T HAVE A HUGE STAFF, SO WE WEREN'T REALLY PUSHING THIS.
THIS WAS JUST, UM, WHAT WE CAME UP WITH IN VISIT IN, UH, ATTENDING LOCAL EVENTS AND HAVING OUR PETITION ONLINE.
SO LET'S MAKE HISTORY MORE THAN 45.
US MUNICIPALITIES HAVE A CITY BIRD, BUT NONE IN ARIZONA.
AND I ACTUALLY DID A BIT MORE RESEARCH AND THERE'S A BIT MORE, THERE'S AT LEAST 50 CITIES THAT HAVE A CITY BIRD, BUT NONE IN ARIZONA.
SO WE CAN MAKE SEDONA THE FIRST CITY IN ARIZONA TO HAVE AN OFFICIAL CITY BIRD.
AND WE CAN MAKE SEDONA THE FIRST CITY OR STATE IN THE UNITED STATES TO NAME THE ANNA HUMMINGBIRD AS ITS OFFICIAL AVIAN SYMBOL.
SO LET'S GIVE SEDONAS THE GIFT OF A WILDLIFE CITY SYMBOL THAT UNITES PEOPLE ENJOY.
WHY NOT? THERE'S NO COST TO THE CITY OF SEDONA.
NO CHANGE TO THE CITY SEAL OR IDENTITY IDENTITY MATERIALS.
LET'S MAKE IT ANNAS AND PASS THE RESOLUTION.
THANK YOU, ALICE, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS? KATHY? UM, WE HAD, WHEN WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR, AND THEN WHEN WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS, UM, WHEN IZING IT, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP, AND THIS IS REALLY A QUESTION FOR OUR STAFF, WAS ABOUT PROCESS, UH, TO DO THIS BECAUSE, UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE SUPPORT THIS.
SO I DON'T WANNA JUMP THE GUN ON THAT, BUT I'M JUST WONDERING WHERE WE STAND IN HAVING A PROCESS BY WHICH WE WOULD TAKE THESE RE KIND OF REQUESTS GOING FORWARD.
BECAUSE IT'S CONCEIVABLE THAT WE COULD HAVE REQUEST FOR, YOU KNOW, CITY, FLOWER CITY, TREE CITY, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER.
AND I THINK THOSE REQUESTS ARE FINE TO ENTERTAIN, BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE A PROCESS FOR THAT.
SO I I I'M ALWAYS, WE'RE HAPPY WHEN PROCESS COMES BEFORE ACTION, BUT I THINK, UH, WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE THAT IN STRIDE BASED ON YOUR ANSWER HERE.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL AND COUNCILOR KINSELLA, THAT WAS DISCUSSED, I BELIEVE THAT LAST TIME WE HAD THE UPDATE OF THE COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE.
AND AT THAT TIME THERE WASN'T MAJORITY SUPPORT TO CREATE THAT PROCESS.
UM, WE DID AGENDIZE THIS ITEM ALSO TO DISCUSS THE PROCESS ASPECT OF IT.
SO IF COUNCIL, IF WE JUST GET A DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TO CREATE THAT PROCESS, WE CAN BRING BACK, UM, AN UPDATE TO THE COUNCIL RULES OF PROCEDURE TO HAVE A PROCESS IN THE FUTURE FOR DESIGNATED CITY OBJECTS.
AND THAT'LL BE AFTER WE WILL HAVE ALREADY TAKEN ACTION ON A DESIGNATION, THOUGH THAT'S UP TO COUNCIL TODAY.
SET UP TODAY FOR ACTION AS A RESOLUTION THERE.
THE PROCESS DOESN'T, IS NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED FOR COUNCIL TO RESOLVE SOMETHING.
THERE'S ALREADY A PROCESS FOR COUNCIL TO ADOPT RESOLUTIONS.
I JUST WANTED TO GET THAT CONCERN AND ON THE RECORD FOR THE DISCUSSION GOING FORWARD.
COMMENTS? PETE COMMENTS WHEN WE'RE READY.
ARE THERE ANY OH, PUBLIC, PUBLIC TESTIMONY? IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY CARDS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
RICHARD ARMSTRONG, FOLLOWED BY BETH KINGSLEY HAWKINS.
RICHARD, WOULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME AND CITY OF RESIDENCE AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I HAVE BEEN THE NORTHERN ARIZONA AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD TRIP COORDINATOR FOR THE ENTIRE VERITY VALLEY FOR THE LAST 14 YEARS, AND HAVE THUS ORGANIZED EVERY FIELD TRIP IN SEDONA.
I HAVE RUN THE SEDONA CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT FOR THE LAST 14 YEARS FOR NORTHERN ARIZONA AUDUBON SOCIETY.
I'M CONSIDERED THE, UH, CENTER OF BIRD AND COMMUNICATION HERE.
ANNAS HUMMINGBIRDS HAVE BEEN, AS ALICE SAID, THEY'RE HERE 365 DAYS OF THE YEAR.
THEY SURVIVE THE 20 DEGREE JANUARY MORNINGS AND THE 109 JULY AFTERNOONS.
THEY LIVE IN THE DESERT AND THEY LIVE IN NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH MEANS THEY ARE, OF ALL THE 300 BIRDS I'VE PROBABLY SEEN IN THE VERDE VALLEY, THEY ARE THE PERFECT LOGICAL BIRD FOR THE SONSONA CITY BIRD.
AND THEN FOLLOWING BETH WILL BE TIM PERRY.
AND THAT'S ALL THE CARDS I HAVE.
[00:25:01]
ELSE WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS SUBJECT AND FILL OUT A CARD.I'M, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL HUMMINGBIRD SOCIETY.
MY HUSBAND FOUNDED IT 30 YEARS AGO, AND WE MOVED TO SEDONA BECAUSE OF THE HUMMINGBIRDS.
AND EVERY TIME I'VE MENTIONED IT TO ANYONE THAT IT'S COMING BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, THEY SAY, OH BOY, YOU HAVE MY VOTE.
SO WE WERE HERE LIVING IN MARYLAND, AND MY HUSBAND GOT WHAT HE CALLED HUMMINGBIRD DEPRIVATION SYNDROME,
AND SO THEY WOULD GO TO MEXICO LIKE OUR BLACK CHIN AFTER THEY NESTED.
UM, THE ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD HAS A UNIQUE FLIGHT.
AND WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE, WE HEARD THIS SNAPPING, LOUD WHISTLING SOUND, EVEN THROUGH THE CLOSED KITCHEN WINDOW.
AND IT WAS AN ANNA'S WITH ITS WING DOING A DISPLAY WENT UP IN THE AIR, A HUNDRED, 200 FEET, CAME DOWN LIKE A HAWK, AND THEN DID A LITTLE SMILE DANCE.
AND IT WAS SO INCREDIBLE TO SEE THIS.
AND WHEN I GAVE A PRESENTATION AT THE FESTIVAL ONE YEAR, I MENTIONED THAT IN BODY LENGTHS, THE HUMMINGBIRD, THE ANNAS IN PARTICULAR, UH, MEASURED IN BODY LENGTHS IS AS FAST AS A JET PLANE.
AND THE PILOT IN THE AUDIENCE WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THAT.
SO I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ANNAS.
I HAVE A RECORDING OF MY SINGING WITH IT.
IF YOU COME TO MY SEDONA HUMMINGBIRD GALLERY, I WILL PLAY IT FOR YOU.
HE'S GOT A BEAUTIFUL VOICE AND WE WERE DOING A DUET WHEN IT WAS RECORDED.
UH, ANN, YOU GO AFTER TIM PERRY.
MY NAME IS TIM PERRY AND I LIVE IN SEDONA.
WHILE IT IS PROBLEMATIC THAT WE'RE BACK HERE A YEAR LATER, CONSIDERING THE OFFICIAL CITY KLEENEX BOX, IT IS PERHAPS EVEN MORE PROBLEMATIC THAT THE PROPOSAL UNDER DISCUSSION IS FOR A HUMMINGBIRD TO BE SEDONA CITY BIRD.
NOW, WHAT IS A HUMMINGBIRD? A HUMMINGBIRD IS PRETTY, IT'S GLITTERY, BUT IT'S JUST THIS LITTLE BIT OF A THING THAT BOBS AROUND AND HELPS WITH THE POLLINATION.
THEY'RE SHINY, THEY'RE GLITTERY, BUT THEY'RE INSUBSTANTIAL AND SUPERFICIAL.
IN FACT, RESIDENTS WERE ALREADY SAYING TO ME THAT THE HUMMINGBIRD IS FAR TOO SISSY TO BE SEDONAS CITY BIRD.
NOW, THE NOBLE QUAIL ON THE OTHER HAND, IS A BIRD OF BOTH SUBSTANCE AND CHARACTER.
QUAIL ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HARDINESS, PRACTICALITY, MINIMALISM, EFFICIENCY, MUSCULARITY, FERTILITY, EVEN OLD FASHIONED ELEGANCE, ALL QUALITIES THAT WE USED TO ASSOCIATE WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES LIKE SEDONA.
NOW, THE QUAIL IS ALSO AS A TRADITIONAL SOURCE OF PROTEIN IN SOCIETY, A KEY ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTOR, AND ONE THAT IS INEVITABLY DELICIOUS, WHETHER IT'S ROASTED WITH BUTTER AND SAGE, MESQUITE, GRILLED WITH A BERRY GLAZE, OR EVEN JAPANESE STYLE, DEEP PRIDE, A BIRD OF MANY FUNCTIONS.
THE QUAIL, YOU WOULDN'T EVEN GET ONE MOUTHFUL OUT OF A HUMMINGBIRD.
THE QUAIL IS A WORKING BIRD, A FAMILY BIRD, A BLUE COLLAR BIRD, LITERALLY THE HUMMINGBIRD ABANDONS, ITS NESTS AND FAINTS.
IF YOU LOOK AT IT TOO HARD, I'M A LITTLE BIT SHOCKED IN THE SENSE THAT THIS PROPOSAL IS EVEN UP HERE FOR COUNCIL.
IS THIS THE VALUES THAT COUNCIL REALLY WANTS TO, UH, ENDORSE IS THIS, UH, THE IMAGE OF SEDONA, THE SYMBOL THAT COUNCIL WANTS TO SEND OUT TO THE WORLD? IF COUNCIL APPROVES THE HUMMINGBIRD OF SEDONA CITY BIRD, IT WILL BE ONE MORE ACT BY WHICH COUNCIL SIGNALS THEY PREFER SUPERFICIALITY OVER SUBSTANCE AND PERFORMANCE OVER REALITY.
ANN EMERSON, THAT WAS A FUN ACT TO FOLLOW.
I LIVE IN SEDONA, AND I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL HUMMINGBIRD SOCIETY.
AND I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE HUMMINGBIRD SOCIETY SINCE THE FESTIVAL FIRST STARTED, I BELIEVE IN 2012.
AND I, MY GARDEN, WHICH IS A HUMMINGBIRD GARDEN AND A POLLINATOR GARDEN, WAS ON THE FIRST GARDEN TOUR.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY
[00:30:01]
BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THE HUMMINGBIRD AND THE HUMMINGBIRD FESTIVAL IS NOT ONLY ARE THE, ONE OF THE, THEY ARE THE MOST COURAGEOUS BIRDS.THEY TRAVEL THOUSANDS OF MILES EVERY YEAR, AND THEY BRING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN MY GARDEN FROM, UH, MOST SIGNIFICANT, UM, COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.
AND I HAVE YET TO SEE SOMEBODY NOT BE COMPLETELY IN, COMPLETELY ENTRANCED BY THESE SIMPLE LITTLE BIRDS.
I THINK IT, IT, IT BODES WELL FOR SEDONA TO MAKE THIS A REPRESENT A BIRD REPRESENTATIVE BECAUSE IT'S, THEY'RE JUST BEAUTIFUL AND THEY MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY AND THEY ARE NOT A SOURCE OF CONFLICT IN A WORLD WHERE THERE'S SO MUCH CONFLICT.
SO THE HUMMINGBIRD IS FEISTY, FIERCE, COURAGEOUS, PRETTY, AND THEY'RE AMAZING TO SIT AND WATCH.
AND IF YOU HAVEN'T, IF YOU HAVEN'T PARTICIPATED IN THE HUMMINGBIRD FESTIVAL, PLEASE COME.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO EXPERIENCE ONE OF THE GREAT GIFTS OF SEDONA.
SO I, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO START BY THANKING ALICE AND THE HUMMINGBIRD SOCIETY FOR THE VERY PROFESSIONAL AND PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION.
AND THEN ALL WHO HERE OR WHO ATTENDED HERE AND WHO STOOD.
TWO, UH, DISCLOSURES I'D LIKE TO START WITH IS THAT I DID SIT DOWN WITH ALICE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AND PREVIEW THIS PRESENTATION AND BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT, UM, FOR SOME TIME.
SECONDLY, WE ENJOY ANNA'S IMMENSELY AT OUR HOUSE AND HAVE MAINTAINED FEEDERS FOR THEM SINCE THE VERY FIRST DAY WE MOVED INTO TOWN.
UH, IT'S AN AMAZING SHOW OUT MY KITCHEN WINDOW EVERY DAY.
SO, ALTHOUGH I TOO WANT TO, UH, USING YOUR WORDS, CELEBRATE THE ANIMALS PRESENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES, I'M NOT REALLY QUITE READY TO ADOPT THIS RESOLUTION TONIGHT FOR REASONS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MERITS OF ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD.
THEY'RE PRIMARILY, MOSTLY PROCESS REASONS THAT COUNCILOR CAN SELL.
AND I'M GONNA ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
SO, UH, LET ME EXPLAIN MY POSITION AND THEN I'LL OUTLINE A COURSE OF ACTION, I HOPE, AN ALTERNATE COURSE OF ACTION WE CAN SUPPORT.
SO THIS ITEM ASKS US TO CONSIDER TWO THINGS, MAKING THIS AN OFFICIAL DESIGNATION OF THE ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD, UH, AND OR DIRECT STAFF TO CREATE THE PROCEDURES FOR MAKING THE OFFICIAL DESIGNATIONS.
BUT YET TONIGHT WE CAN'T ANSWER SOME VERY PRE BASIC PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS.
WHEN DOES SOMETHING MERIT A RESOLUTION VERSUS A PROCLAMATION? WHAT DOES OFFICIAL COMMIT THE CITY TO? NOT TONIGHT.
'CAUSE YOU KINDLY HAVEN'T ASKED US TO DO MORE THAN DESIGNATE THE BIRD, BUT DOWN THE ROAD, AND, AND, AND I THINK YOU BROUGHT IT UP, WILL WE PUT THE IMAGE ON OUR FLAG OR ON OUR SEAL? THOSE ARE REAL QUESTIONS THAT WILL SURFACE AT SOME POINT.
IF WE HAVE A CITY OFFICIAL DESIGNATION.
CAN A DESIGNATION EVER BE AMENDED? SO THOSE ARE PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS.
AND A VOTE TONIGHT DOESN'T JUST PICK A BIRD.
NICK CREATES A DEFACTO DESIGNATION PROCESS.
AND IF WE DIRECT THAT A FORMAL PROCESS BE CREATED AFTERWARDS, THE NEXT GROUP LOBBYING FOR A FLOWER OR A TREE OR A CRYSTAL MIGHT ARRIVE WITH THEIR OWN PETITION AND JUSTIFIABLY ASK WHY THE RULES WERE DIFFERENT FOR THE BIRDERS THAN THEY WILL BE SUBSEQUENTLY.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, OUR FIRST OFFICIAL DESIGNATION SHOULD COME AT THE END OF A PROCESS, NOT AHEAD OF ONE.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THE POINT THAT KATHY HAS ALREADY MENTIONED.
FURTHERMORE, I WOULD LIKE OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY TO CHOOSE NOT JUST THIS COUNCIL ON TUESDAY IN JULY, I'VE ALREADY HAD PEOPLE COME UP TO ME AND ASK WHY WE'RE CHOOSING THE HUMMINGBIRD OVER, SAY THE INTELLIGENT AND CRAFTY RAVEN, OR THE ADORABLE AND PEACEFUL QUAIL.
CAN WE HAVE THREE OFFICIAL BIRDS IN THE CITY? IN 2017, VANCOUVER BRIDGE COLUMBIA NAMED THE ANNAS IT'S OFFICIAL BIRD.
AND IT DID SO AFTER RESIDENT NOMINATIONS, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT I SEE HERE TONIGHT.
AN EXPERT PANEL THAT DISCUSSED ALL THE NOMINATIONS AND THEN A CITYWIDE VOTE THAT'S REAL STAFF TIME AND REAL PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND STAFF DIRECTION FOR NEW THINGS BEST STARTS DURING OUR DECEMBER PRIORITY SETTING PROCESS.
[00:35:01]
TEST WHETHER THERE'S COUNCIL SUPPORT TO DO TWO THINGS INSTEAD OF ADOPTING THIS RESOLUTION TONIGHT.ONE, AUTHORIZE THE CITY CLERK TO ISSUE A PROCLAMATION AGAIN, CELEBRATING ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD WITHOUT A RETURN TRIP TO COUNCIL.
AND IN TIME FOR YOUR SUMMER FESTIVALS, PROCLAMATIONS, DO PUT THE CITY ON RECORD FORMALLY, PUBLICLY, YOU KNOW, AND IN TIME FOR YOUR EVENTS.
MY HOPE THAT IS THAT ALICE U AND THE SOCIETY CAN WORK WITH THE PRO PROCLAMATION.
ONE MORE TIME, WHILE THE CITY SORTS OUT THESE BIGGER ISSUES OF PROCESS ABOUT OBJECT DESIGNATIONS.
AND THEN TWO, REFER THE QUESTION OF CREATING THE OFFICIAL CITY DESIGNATION PROCESS PROGRAM TO OUR ANNUAL PRIORITY SETTING PROCESS WHERE IT CAN PROPERLY COMPETE FOR THE STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO DO A PROCESS, RIGHT? IF COUNCIL DECIDES TO BUILD AN OFFICIAL CITY OBJECTS PROGRAM, DESIGNATING THE CITY BIRD SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO FLY THE COURSE.
AND IF ANNA'S IS THE RIGHT BIRD FOR SEDONA, AND I DO BELIEVE IT'S A VERY STRONG CONTENDER, A VERY FAIR PROCESS, DOESN'T THREATEN THAT IN ANY WAY.
SO WE CAN CELEBRATE ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD TONIGHT AND ISSUE THE PROCLAMATION AND THEN LET THIS PRIORITY SETTING PROCESS DICTATE THE REST.
DEREK, IN THE PAST I'VE EXPRESSED RELUCTANCE AT CREATING A PROCESS FOR DESIGNATING THINGS, THE OFFICIAL THIS OR THAT OF SEDONA.
UM, I'M FRANKLY NOT INTERESTED IN CREATING THE PROCESS.
I THINK IF WE HAVE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO, LIKE THE CURRENT ORGANIZATION HAVE COME FORWARD AND HAVE GONE THROUGH THE EFFORT, AND THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON, HOW LONG NOW? UM, I DON'T KNOW.
I FEEL LIKE IF THERE WERE ANY CHAMPIONS FOR THE RAVENS OR THE QUAILS OR WHATEVER, WE PROBABLY WOULD'VE HEARD FROM THEM BY NOW.
SO, UH, AS MUCH AS I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THE PROCESS, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD SAY NO TO THIS, HOW WE COULD SAY NO TO THEM.
I MEAN, WE HAVE STRONG SUPPORT FOR THIS.
ARE WE GONNA, I MEAN, WE, WE TALK ALL THE TIME ABOUT, HEY, WE CAN'T PUT EVERYTHING TO A VOTE.
WHY WOULD WE PUT THIS TO THE VOTE? I MEAN, WE'VE GOT THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME HERE, THEY'VE MADE THE PRESENTATION, THEY'VE MADE THEIR CASE, AND I THINK THEIR SUPPORT FOR IT, I THINK WE OUGHT TO DO IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I WANNA SPEND MORE STAFF TIME TRYING TO CREATE A NEW PROCESS.
'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO INVITE EVERYBODY AND THEIR BROTHER TO COME FORWARD WITH SOME NEW THING TO DESIGNATE.
SO I WOULD TREAT THIS AS A ONE-OFF.
I WOULD GIVE THEM THE RECOGNITION THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, MAKE IT THE OFFICIAL BIRD OF SEDONA AND MOVE ON.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? CHARLOTTE? ACTUALLY, I AGREE WITH YOU, DEREK.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THIS MORE DIFFICULT.
I THINK YOU'VE CREATED A PROCESS YOURSELF, AND I'M SATISFIED WITH THAT PROCESS.
UM, IF WE, IF THERE ARE ENOUGH COUNSELORS WHO WANNA PUT IT ON A PRIORITY SETTING AGENDA AT THE RETREAT, SO BE IT.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BOG THINGS DOWN AT THIS POINT.
I THINK THAT, UM, THIS, THEY'VE, THEY'VE ASKED FOR THIS.
THEY'VE ASKED PEOPLE, THEY'VE, UM, RESEARCHED, THEY'VE SORT OF DONE EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY REQUIRE OF THEM.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REQUIRES A HUGE BOGGED DOWN PROCESS IN ORDER FOR US TO DO.
IF IT IS AGREED AMONG, YOU KNOW, MAJORITY OF COUNSELORS THAT GOING FORWARD WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SUCH A PROCESS.
IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF TIME TO GET THERE.
AND I FEEL LIKE I, YEAH, I'M WITH CHARLOTTE, KATHY.
IT DOES MAKE ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO NOT HAVE A PROCESS.
UM, I EXPRESSED THAT TO ALICE, BUT I HAVE TO SAY, I DO WISH THAT SOME OF THE CAUSES THAT I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT HAD AN ADVOCATE AS STRONG AS YOU BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY PUSH, UM, THEIR, THEIR PREFERRED OUTCOME, UH, QUITE AS EFFECTIVELY AS WELL.
I THINK, UM, YOU ARE IMPRESSIVE.
UH, AND THE HUMMINGBIRD, THE ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD IS IMPRESSIVE.
AND YOU HAVE CONVINCED ME THAT IT'S A BIRD WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION FOR SEDONA.
AGAIN, I'M JUST VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS PROCESS.
IT'S NOTHING AGAINST, UH, THE ANNA'S
[00:40:01]
HUMMINGBIRD.I CAN SUPPORT NAMING THE ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD BASED ON WHAT I NOW KNOW ABOUT THE BIRD THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO ME.
AND, UH, CONVINCING AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT THAT'S BEEN DEMONSTRATED AS WELL.
THAT, AND WHEN I MET WITH YOU PRIVATELY ALSO.
UM, BUT I, I THINK WE'VE KICKED THIS CAN FOR A YEAR.
I THINK THIS CAME UP LAST YEAR AND WE DID NOT TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK WE COULD HAVE EXPECTED THIS, THIS REQUEST WOULD COME FORWARD AGAIN, AND WE SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY WORKED ON HAVING THAT PROCESS, BUT WE DIDN'T.
UH, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE LACK OF PROCESS.
I WOULD, I COULD ENTERTAIN TWO POSSIBLE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, UM, ACTIONS.
ONE WOULD BE TO DESIGNATE THE ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD, UH, THE CITY BIRD 4 20 26, AND THEN WE CAN REVISIT IT ONCE WE HAVE A PROCESS IN PLACE.
OR I COULD EVEN ACCEPT, UH, DESIGNATING THE ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD AS THE OFFICIAL BIRD.
AS LONG AS I'M ASSURED THAT WE WILL GO FORWARD WITH A PROCESS, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THIS OPENS A DOOR FOR GEMS AND TREES AND GOLDFISH AND WHATEVER ELSE MIGHT COME FORWARD.
UM, SO I, I, I THINK THAT REALLY HAS TO BE, I HAVE TO BE ASSURED THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A PART OF IT, NOT A FURTHER DEMONSTRATED.
SO I WANT AN ASSURANCE THAT THAT NEXT STEP IS GONNA HAPPEN BEFORE I CAN SUPPORT THIS, WHICH I HOPE THAT I CAN BE IN A POSITION TO DO TONIGHT.
ANNETTE, UH, MADAM MAYOR, UH, COUNCILOR KINSELLA, IF I CAN, UM, UM, MENTION THAT WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED THAT DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL.
SO ON JUNE 9TH, UM, AT THE END OF THE MEETING, WE WERE ASKED TO SCHEDULE TONIGHT'S MEETING FOR DESIGNATION OF THE ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD.
AND WE WERE ALSO A STAFF DIRECTED TO SCHEDULE A FUTURE DISCUSSION ON PROCESS.
AND IN THE MINUTES, IT TALKS ABOUT HOW COUNCIL AGREED TO SPLIT THIS REQUEST INTO TWO TO DO THE BIRD DESIGNATION NOW, AND FOR STAFF TO SCHEDULE A PROCESS OR A DISCUSSION TO CREATE A PROCESS FOR FUTURE REQUESTS AT A LATER DATE.
SO WE ALREADY HAVE THE DIRECTION FROM COUNSEL TO DO THAT, AND WE ARE PLANNING TO DO THAT.
UM, SO JUST TO CLARIFY, I I, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING, BUT THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE FROM THE DIOCESE THAT DID NOT SEEM TO REFLECT THAT, AND WERE ASKING FOR ANOTHER SUPPORT FOR THAT TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT, THAT THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A NEXT STEP, BUT WHAT IS THE TIMELINE ON THAT PROCESS? WELL, THAT'S AT YOUR DISCRETION.
NORMALLY WE REVIEW THE RULES OF PROCEDURE WITH COUNSEL FOR ANY REVISIONS THAT YOU WANNA INCLUDE, SUCH AS SOMETHING LIKE THIS, SUCH A RETREAT.
SO LIKE NOVEMBER, DECEMBER TIMEFRAME.
BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE US TO SCHEDULE A STANDALONE ITEM THAT'S ONLY NARROWLY THIS PIECE FOR RULES OF PROCEDURE, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UM, I THINK I'D BE COMFORTABLE WITH IT GOING FORWARD FOR RULES OF PROCEDURE, AS LONG AS WE KNOW THAT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
WHICH YOU WOULDN'T ENTERTAIN JUST A 2026 DESIGNATION, RIGHT? IT'S NOT, I DIDN'T THINK SO.
AND I HAVE SOME COMFORT THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE ALSO A WAY TO, FOR IF THERE WERE ANY REASON TO RETRACT A DESIGNATION NEEDS TO BE A PART OF IT AS WELL.
BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE CASE HERE.
UM, BUT THAT WOULD MAKE ME COMFORTABLE AND, AND I CAN ANSWER THAT JUST BRIEFLY.
ANY RESOLUTION CAN BE UNDONE BY A SUBSEQUENT RESOLUTION.
SO EVEN WITHOUT AN ESTABLISHED PROCESS, OKAY.
THE, THE RESOLUTION PROCESS HAS A WAY OF UNDOING IT.
UH, YEAH, JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT, THAT WITH, WITH ALL OF THAT OUT THERE, THEN I CAN SUPPORT THIS TONIGHT.
AND I JUST SAY, KATHY, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED THE PROCESS, BUT I'M NOT FORECLOSING TALKING ABOUT IT.
I JUST THINK WE KICKED THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
AS SOMEBODY JUST SAID LONG ENOUGH, I THINK WE MAKE THE DESIGNATION THAT'S BEEN REQUESTED AND IF AT A LATER DATE WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT A FORMAL PROCESS, I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT TAKE PLACE.
I BELIEVE I WILL AGREE WITH MELISSA, WHO AGREED WITH CHARLOTTE, WHO AGREED WITH DEREK THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD ON THIS.
I'M LESS CONCERNED ABOUT PROCESS, LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROCESS IN LIGHT OF OUR DECEMBER PRIORITY SETTING RETREAT, THIS WOULD NEVER MAKE THE TOP FOUR LIKE WHAT WE JUST SELECTED, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNITY, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS IS A ONE-OFF DIRECTION TIME FOR STAFF IF THAT'S WHAT WE CHOOSE TO DO, WHICH WE DID IN JUNE.
AND SO NOW THAT WHEEL OR WHEELS ARE
[00:45:01]
IN MOTION.BUT YEAH, FOR TONIGHT, I'M GOOD TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, UM, PROCLAMATION.
THANK YOU CAN ASK FOR CLARIFICATION BECAUSE YOU SAID THE, THE, THE PRIORITY SETTING, AND I THOUGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DOING THIS IN RULES OF PROCEDURE REVIEW, NOT PRIORITY SETTING.
BUT, UH, PETE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, HEY, PUT THIS ON IN DECEMBER AND I'M LIKE, I, I DON'T SEE WHERE THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD TALK ABOUT IN DECEMBER.
WELL, I'M PLEASED TO SUPPORT THIS AND PLEASED, UM, THAT YOU'VE DONE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND I THINK THIS WOULD BE TERRIFIC.
SO HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK WE HAVE THE VOTES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THE OFFICIAL VOTING PROCESS NOW.
SOMEBODY WANNA MAKE A MOTION? SURE.
I MOVE TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2026 DASH 10 10 DESIGNATING THE ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD AS THE OFFICIAL BIRD OF SEDONA.
WELL, THE, THE VOTE IS WHAT IT IS.
I COULD, I CAN READ THE TEA LEAVES TOO.
AND AS I SAID IN MY REMARKS, THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE ANNAS, IT'S ABOUT THE PROCESS.
AND IF MY COUNSELORS DON'T, SO CONGRATULATIONS.
HEY, THE ANNAS HUMMINGBIRD IS NOW THE OFFICIAL BIRD OF THE CITY OF SEDONA ALICE, WHEN I NEED AN ADVOCATE, I'M CALLING ON YOU,
[9.c.AB 3328 Discussion/possible action regarding approval of the Grant Review Committee recommendations for the fiscal year 2027 Small Grant Program in the amount of $350,000 and the Arts and Culture Grant Program in the amount of $200,000.]
ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, AB 33 28, DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING APPROVAL OF THE GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 SMALL GRANT PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $350,000 AND THE ARTS AND CULTURE GRANT PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $200,000.AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I'M SO HAPPY THAT WE ARE IN A POSITION, UH, FINANCIALLY WHERE WE CAN SUPPORT OUR NONPROFITS AND, UH, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PROGRAMS. AND SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO YOU TOO.
STEPHANIE, YOU'RE NOT COMING UP.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL.
I'M CHRISTIE TURK, THE CO LIAISON FOR THE CITY'S SMALL GRANT AND ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATION GRANT PROGRAMS. BEFORE I BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO MAKE TWO BRIEF CLARIFICATIONS TO THE COUNCIL PACKET.
FIRST, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SMALL GRANT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED IS 32, NOT 33, AS INDICATED ON PAGE 1 71 OF THE PACKET.
SECOND ON PAGE ONE 70, THE FUNDING ALLOCATION STATED THAT 20% OF THE FUNDING IS ALLOCATED TO THE, TO THE GRANTS COMMITTEE'S DISCRETION RATHER THAN FOR, I'M SORRY, LET ME READ THAT AGAIN.
UM, THE FUNDING ALLOCATION SHOULD STATE THAT 20% OF THE FUNDING IS ALLOCATED AT THE GRANTS COMMITTEE'S DISCRETION RATHER THAN FOR PROJECTS THAT DO NOT FALL WITHIN EITHER CATEGORY.
THIS YEAR MARKS THE 14TH YEAR OF THE CITY'S SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS PROGRAMS, SERVICES, AND EVENTS THAT PROVIDE BOTH A PUBLIC BENEFIT AND A DIRECT BENEFIT TO THE CITY'S FUNDING PRIORITIES.
THE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM PROVIDES 350,000 IN FUNDING EACH YEAR.
FOLLOWING COUNCIL'S ADOPTED FUNDING FRAMEWORK, THE GRANTS COMMITTEE ALLOCATED 40% OF FUNDING TO THE ARTS, 40% FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AND 20% AT THE GRANT COMMITTEE'S DISCRETION.
THE GRANTS, THE GRANTS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS TOTAL THE FULL 350,000 TO ACCOMMODATE THE COMMITTEE'S FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
THERE IS A MINOR $180 ADJUSTMENT BETWEEN THE SOCIAL SERVICES AND THE GRANTS COMMITTEE DISCRETION CATEGORIES, WHILE REMAINING CONSISTENT WITH THE INTENT OF THE ADOPTED 40 40 20 FUNDING FRAMEWORK.
THIS YEAR, THE CITY RECEIVED 32 SMALL GRANT SMALL GRANT APPLICATIONS, UM, REQUESTING A COMBINED TOTAL OF $436,572 IN FUNDING WITH 350,000 AVAILABLE.
THE ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATION GRANT PROGRAM
[00:50:01]
IS NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR AND PROVIDES FUNDING TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY IDENTITY, FOSTER CREATIVITY, AND ENHANCE SEDONAS CULTURAL VITALITY THROUGH THE ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAMS. THIS YEAR WE RECEIVED TWO APPLICATIONS WITH 200,000 AVAILABLE FOR AWARDS.AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE GRANTS COMMITTEE, VICE CHAIR, JAMES CARPENTER.
GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, MY NAME IS JAMES CARPENTER AND I'M HONORED TO SERVE AS THE VICE CHAIR OF THE GRANTS COMMITTEE.
UM, NEXT YEAR I WILL BE STEPPING INTO THE ROLE OF CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE COUNCIL TO CONTINUE THE IMPORTANT WORK OF THE GRANTS COMMITTEE.
UM, I WANNA JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE SMALL GRANTS COMMITTEE.
UH, MANY OF THE MEMBERS ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT, AND, UM, OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS VOLUNTEER MANY HOURS EVERY YEAR REVIEWING EACH APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROGRAM GUIDELINES SET FORTH BY THE COUNCIL.
UM, THERE IS A LARGE VOLUME OF MATERIAL TO REVIEW, AND EVERY MEMBER OF THIS COMMITTEE PUTS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME INTO THIS PROCESS.
SO I WANT TO THANK THE WHOLE COMMITTEE FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION.
CAN YOU INTRODUCE THEM IF THEY'RE HERE? UM, SO STEPHANIE IS THE CHAIR AND HAS BEEN FOR, AND PLEASE STAND WHEN YOUR NAME'S CALLED, 14 YEARS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE CHRISTINE AND DEAN AND PATTY.
ROSEMARY, I GUESS SHE'S NOT HERE.
BUT YEAH, SO ANYWAY, SO THAT, SO THAT'S ALL I REALLY HAD TO SAY.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND YOU HAVE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR SERVING ON THE COMMITTEE.
SO THANK YOU FOR GIVING YOUR TIME TO THIS WORTHY CAUSE.
ANYBODY ON COUNSEL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NOT A QUESTION, BUT I JUST, I WANTED TO, UH, THANK CHRISTIE FOR MAKING, UH, THE CORRECTIONS THAT WERE IN THE PACKET.
UM, AND ALSO THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING ABOUT THE 40, 40 20 AND THE, THE $180 ADJUSTMENT.
WHAT EXACTLY WAS ADJUSTED TO MAKE SURE IT MET THE 40, 40 20? UH, IT'S JUST THAT, SO 40% IS 140,000 OF THIS GRANT.
AND THAT FOR THE, UM, SOCIAL SERVICES, IT WAS 140,180.
AND THEN THE OTHER CATEGORY, WHICH WAS DISCRETIONARY LOST 180, BUT IT WAS DISCRETIONARY.
SO NO, NO ORGANIZATION EXPERIENCE AND ADJUSTMENT.
WE DIDN'T WANNA SAY THAT ANY SPECIFIC GRANT WAS SPLIT INTO TWO CATEGORIES, SO THAT'S WHY IT DIDN'T WORK OUT.
SO NO, NOBODY WAS HARMED IN THE PROCESS.
YEAH, SO THANK YOU CHRISTIE FOR, FOR STEPPING IN.
UH, IF THERE AREN'T ANY QUESTIONS, I DO HAVE, UH, ONE CARD T PERRY.
MY NAME IS TIM PER AND I LIVE IN SEDONA.
WE REALLY MUST THANK THE COUNCIL ONCE AGAIN FOR GIVING US SUCH A CLEAR ILLUSTRATION OF THEIR INSTITUTIONALIZED CORRUPTION AND THEIR DIVERSION OF PUBLIC FUNDS TO PRIVATE POLITICAL GAMES.
AS WE ALL KNOW, IT IS THE SEASON IN WHICH THE COUNCIL THREATENS NONPROFITS WITH THE RISK THAT, WELL, IF HOME RULE DOESN'T PASS, NONPROFITS WILL LOSE THEIR CITY FUNDING.
AND WHAT DOES THIS ACTUALLY MEAN? WELL SEE THIS WHOLE THREAT, WHICH IS SIMPLY DESIGNED TO JUSTIFY COUNCIL'S $100 MILLION BUDGETS AND ENABLE THEM TO KEEP GETTING THEM BY OFFERING THE NONPROFITS ALL TOLD LESS THAN $2 MILLION RESTS ON ONE LIE CENTRAL TO THE THREAT.
THAT NEVER REALLY GETS DISCUSSED.
THE FACT THAT THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY, YOU SEE WHEN BRIAN FUL AND MELISSA DUNN SAY THAT IF HOME RULE FAILS, THE SERVICES WILL GO AWAY.
WHAT THEY ACTUALLY MEAN IS THAT IF HOME RULE FAILS, YET THEY'RE REELECTED, THEY WILL VOTE BY CHOICE TO CUT THE SERVICES
[00:55:01]
THAT THE COMMUNITY VALUES MOST IN ORDER, PRESUMABLY, NUMBER ONE, DESPITE THE COMMUNITY.AND NUMBER TWO, BECAUSE THEY GENUINELY THINK HAVING A THIRD DEPUTY CITY MANAGER OR A SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTANT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE HISTORICAL RECORD REFUTES THIS LIE IN 1994.
HOME RULE WAS SHOT DOWN IN 1995, KNOWING FULL WELL THEY MIGHT HAVE TO MAKE FUTURE CUTS, COUNCIL GAVE NONPROFITS AND SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS A 7% RAISE.
OF COURSE, THAT WAS BACK WHEN NONPROFITS HAD A MUCH BIGGER SAYING, CALLING THE SHOTS IN THIS TOWN.
AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET BACK TO THAT STAGE WHERE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE TAKING THE CITY'S DIRTY MONEY, THROWING IT BACK IN THE CITY'S FACE, AND TAKING BACK CONTROL OVER THEIR OWN OPERATIONS.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT CONTROL.
BRIAN FOT SAT THERE AND SAID IT WITH REGARD TO THE RECYCLING CENTER, FOR INSTANCE, WE GIVE THEM 85% OF THEIR BUDGET.
SO WE'RE GONNA DECIDE THEIR POLICY, WHICH ORGANIZATION GETTING A GRANT WILL CITY COUNCIL BE DECIDING THE POLICY FOR NEXT GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR PRIVATE NONPROFITS IS A DOG LEASH.
IT IS INTENDED AS A DOG LEASH AND EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE EXTREMELY WELL AWARE OF THAT.
ARE THERE COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS, KATHY? UM, YEAH, THIS IS ONE OF, I THINK, PROBABLY THE MOST PLEASURABLE THINGS WE GET TO DO UP HERE BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO WE GET TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE WHO'S PUT IN SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT, BUT THE WORK OF THE NONPROFITS, UM, WHO WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO OUR HEALTH, OUR CULTURE, AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND I WANT TO THANK EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM THAT, UM, THAT DOES THAT AND IS A PART OF SEDONA.
SO I AM VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THIS, UM, ACTION TONIGHT.
AND WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, I'LL MAKE A RESOLUTION MOTION.
YES, I REFLE, UH, ECHO EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAID.
I ONLY WANNA THANK ALL THE, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, BUT I WANNA CALL OUT STEPHANIE SPECIFICALLY.
14 YEARS OF SERVICE ON A COMMITTEE IS NO SHORT DUTY.
AND, UH, YOU'VE ABLY LED THE COMMITTEE.
JAMES, WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING AND YOU AND, AND, AND IN THE LEADERSHIP ROLE AND SEEING THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH STEPHANIE FOR THAT WORK.
AND STEPHANIE'S NOT GOING, I MEAN, SHE MAY BE STEPPING DOWN FROM BEING THE CHAIR, BUT SHE'S STILL INVOLVED, HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
BRIAN, YOU KNOW, JUST ECHOING WHAT MY COLLEAGUES SAID, UM, IT IS, UH, THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST AGENDA ITEMS OF THE YEAR THAT WE GET TO, UH, ADDRESS AND I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE BUDGET MODEL, UH, THAT ALLOWS US TO, UH, DESIGNATE GRANTS LIKE THIS, UH, FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAKE SEDONA SPECIAL.
SO, UM, HUGE THANK YOU TO STEPHANIE FOR ALL THE YEARS OF LEADERSHIP.
HOPE THAT WE'LL GET 14 YEARS OUT OF YOU AS CHAIR.
THANK YOU TO THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE TIME THAT YOU'VE SPENT IN EVALUATING ALL THESE WORTHWHILE ORGANIZATIONS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS WHEN WE VOTE IN A FEW MOMENTS, MELISSA, WHAT THEY ALL SAID.
UM, BUT JUST ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I WANNA THANK STEPHANIE.
I, I KNOW THE AMOUNT OF TIME AND ENERGY SHE PUTS INTO EVERYTHING THAT SHE TAKES ON AND IT'S REALLY APPRECIATED AND I AM SO SORRY.
YOU HAVE SOME BIG BOOTS TO FILL.
ARE WE READY FOR A MOTION THEN? ACTUALLY TWO MOTIONS.
UM, I MOVED TO APPROVE THE GRANT REVIEW COMMITTEE'S FISCAL YEAR 2027, FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM AS ITEMIZED IN EXHIBIT A FOR A TOTAL OF $350,000.
OKAY, ONE DOWN
UH, WE HAD SCHEDULED AB 33 46 FOR A PUBLIC HEARING, UH,
[01:00:01]
FOR OUR, UH, FEES.AND WE HAVE RESCHEDULED THAT FOR AUGUST 25TH, 2026.
SO I'M MAKING THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.
ANYBODY WAS HERE FOR THAT ITEM.
IT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED AND WE'RE NOW GONNA TAKE A BREAK FOR A FEW MINUTES.
EVERYBODY, PLEASE BE QUIET, DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO US.
[9.e. AB 3362 Discussion/possible action regarding approval of a tourism industry performance monitoring framework and associated thresholds for use by the City Manager to have the procurement authority to authorize up to $150,000 in General Fund contingency funds earmarked for tourism per fiscal year to increase the paid advertising spend for destination marketing campaigns conducted by the Tourism Program.]
ON ITEM E AB 33 62, DISCUSSION POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING APPROVAL OF A TOURISM INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE MONITORING FRAMEWORK AND ASSOCIATED THRESHOLDS FOR USE BY THE CITY MANAGER TO HAVE THE PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE UP TO $150,000 IN GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY FUNDS EARMARKED FOR TOURISM PER FISCAL YEAR TO INCREASE THE PAID ADVERTISING SPEND FOR DESTINATION MARKETING CAMPAIGNS CONDUCTED BY THE TOURISM PROGRAM.AND ANDREW, YOU'RE MAKING THIS PRESENTATION WITH LAUREN.
UM, MY NAME IS ANDREW GROSSMAN.
I'M THE TOURISM MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF SEDONA.
SO WHEN WE INITIALLY SUBMITTED THIS AGENDA, BILL, UH, IT WAS PRIOR TO JUNE 19TH.
SO, UM, WE ARE GONNA START WITH WHAT WE HAD PROPOSED IN THE AGENDA BILL, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION AROUND INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS IN ORDER TO GIVE THE CITY MANAGER THE AUTHORITY TO ACCESS FUNDING FROM THE CONTINGENCY.
UM, BUT THEN OBVIOUSLY, AND ON JUNE 19TH WE EXPERIENCED THE POCKET FIRE, WHICH IN THIS CONVERSATION I WOULD REFER TO AS A CRISIS.
SO WE'VE ADDED A SECONDARY THRESHOLD PROPOSAL TO THIS PRESENTATION THAT'S RELATED TO A CRISIS MANAGEMENT THRESHOLD THAT WOULD GIVE THE CITY MANAGER A SIMILAR BUT REDUCED AUTHORITY TO ACCESS FUNDING FROM THE CONTINGENCY FUND.
SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH WHAT IS IN THE AGENDA BILL, AND THEN HAVE A GROUP DISCUSSION ON THAT.
AND THEN ONCE THAT'S COMPLETED, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SECOND THRESHOLD PROPOSAL.
SO JUST SOME QUICK BACKGROUND, UM, WE ACTUALLY JUST TURNED THREE AS A TOURISM PROGRAM ON JULY ONE.
AND JUST A QUICK RECAP IN THE TERMS OF PAID ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS, WE'VE NOW LAUNCHED, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF EXECUTING THE SIX, BUT WE'VE LAUNCHED SIX DESTINATION MARKETING CAMPAIGNS SINCE WE WERE ESTABLISHED IN 2023.
UM, AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, EACH OF THOSE CAMPAIGNS HAS GENERATED A POSITIVE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR SEDONA.
LAST FISCAL YEAR, FY 26 CITY COUNCIL HAD APPROVED THE TOURISM PROGRAM TO UTILIZE WHAT ENDED UP BEING $143,720 OF GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY FUNDS TO INCREASE THE PAID ADVERTISING OF OUR SUMMER, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY OUR WINNER DESTINATION MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.
AND AT THE TIME, THAT WAS, UM, REALLY IN RESPONSE TO WHAT WE HAD PROPOSED AND PRESENTED AS WHAT I WOULD SAY, CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS THAT LED TO A YEAR OVER YEAR DECLINE IN TOURISM MINISTRY PERFORMANCE.
SO WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? UH, SPECIFICALLY IN SUMMER OF 2025, WE HAD BEGAN TO SEE AND HEAR, UM, SEE FROM THE DATA THAT WE LOOK AT AND THEN HEAR FROM THE INDUSTRY THAT WE WORK WITH THAT, UM, INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE WAS GOING DOWN.
UM, LOOKING BACK, IT REALLY BEGAN IN OVERNIGHT DEMAND AT THE HOTELS IN MARCH OF 25.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT, UH, THE DROPS IN OVERNIGHT DEMAND IN THE SEDONA PLUS SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH STUDY AREA, BETWEEN MARCH AND JULY OF 2025, WE DID SEE AN 8.3% REDUCTION IN DEMAND IN THAT, IN THAT DATASET.
AND THEN ONCE AVAILABLE, WE ENDED UP SEEING A 2% DECLINE IN CITY BED TAX.
AND I WANNA PAUSE AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
UM, THE REASON WHY THERE'S AN ASTERISK ON THAT IS THAT AS WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU IN THE PAST, SOMETIMES WE SEE DELINQUENT PAYMENTS FROM HOTELS.
UM, WHEN I RERAN THE NUMBERS ON THIS FOR THIS PRESENTATION AND WE SORT OF NORMALIZED
[01:05:01]
FOR THOSE DELINQUENT PAYMENTS, IT WOULD'VE ENDED UP BEING CLOSER TO A 4% DECLINE.WE SORT OF TAKE, WE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, COUNTERACT ALL THAT.
AND THEN, UH, WE DID CALL A SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON JULY 28TH OF LAST YEAR.
THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR KIND OF WORKING WITH WORKING WITH US ON THAT, THAT WHERE WE THEN PROPOSED, UM, PULLING $50,000 FROM THE CONTINGENCY FUND TO INCREASE THE PAID ADVERTISING OF THE SUMMER 25 CAMPAIGN, UM, FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST, PLUS THE FEW EXTRA DAYS IN JULY, WHICH WAS A $35,000 INCREASE TO THE ACTUAL PAID ADVERTISING IN OUR MARKETS.
AND THEN IF YOU ALL MEMBER A $15,000 BUY FOR A DIGITAL BANNER AT THE PHOENIX AIRPORT.
UM, AS WE MOVED INTO THE PLANNING FOR OUR WINTER CAMPAIGN, WE HAD CONTINUED TO SEE THOSE DROPS IN OVERNIGHT DEMAND.
AND UM, KIND OF JUST LOOKING BACK ON, UM, LAST YEAR, CALENDAR YEAR, WE DID ENDED UP SEEING AN 8% REDUCTION IN DEMAND OVERNIGHT IN SONSONA PLUS SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH STUDY AREA BETWEEN MARCH AND OCTOBER.
AND THEN ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO NORMALIZE THAT WITH CITY BED TAX, WE SHOWED A 4% DECLINE.
NOW I JUST WANNA PAUSE AND TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN SEE AN 8% REDUCTION IN DEMAND AND THEN ONLY A 4% REDUCTION IN BED TAX REVENUE.
UM, THAT'S OFTEN BECAUSE, UM, WE STARTED TO SEE WHAT'S OFTEN WHEN DEMAND DROPS RATE GOES UP.
SO YOU STARTED TO SEE OUR A DR GO UP TO SORT OF COUNTERBALANCE, UH, THE DROP IN DEMAND TO KEEP REVENUE IS MORE STABLE AT HOTELS.
NOW ONE OF THE IMPACTS OF THAT IS YOU END UP BEING IN A SITUATION WHERE LESS PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MORE OF THEIR BUDGET ON THEIR HOTEL.
UM, SO AS MUCH AS BED TAX REVENUE MIGHT HAVE BEEN STRONG, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE DESTINATION ENGAGING IN LEISURE TRAVEL, UM, HAVE DOLLARS TO SPEND AT OUR OTHER SECTORS LIKE RESTAURANTS, ATTRACTIONS, RETAIL, UM, TOUR OPERATORS.
SO, UM, IN PREPARATION FOR THAT, AS WE LAUNCHED OUR WINTER 25 26 CAMPAIGN, WE INCLUDED ANOTHER REQUEST FOR WHAT WAS $93,720 TO BOLSTER THE PAID ADVERTISING OF THAT WINTER CAMPAIGN.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER, ALSO ACTIVATE THAT NEW HIGH NET WORTH, UM, AUDIENCE GROUP THAT WE'VE NOW BROUGHT, UH, CONTINUED INTO THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN.
SO ALTHOUGH CITY COUNCIL WAS SUPPORTIVE OF THE UTILIZATION OF THESE CONTINGENCY FUNDS, UM, YOU ALL REQUESTED THAT WE DO TWO THINGS.
ONE WAS THAT, UM, AS WE MOVE INTO FY 27 BUDGETING, WE REALLY LOOK BEYOND THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY FUNDS IN TOTALITY AND EARMARK, UM, A SELECTION OF THEM OR A SELECTION OF FUNDS THAT WOULD BE SPECIFIC FOR TOURISM WITHIN THE CONTINGENCY.
I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATIONS AROUND OPPORTUNITY COST.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WOULD WE NOT BE ABLE TO SPEND IF, UM, WE TOOK THESE FUNDS TO GO TO SOMETHING ELSE? SO HOW DO WE SORT OF PUT SOME CONTINGENCY IN A RESERVE FOR TOURISM? THE SECOND ONE IS WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT, WHICH WAS THAT WE PRESENT A PROPOSAL FOR A TOURISM INDUSTRY MONITORING FRAMEWORK AND ASSOCIATED PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS FOR CITY COUNCIL, UH, APPROVAL THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE CITY MANAGER WITH THE AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF FUTURE CONTINGENCY FUNDS.
UM, SO LEADING UP TO, UH, THE SUCCESSFUL APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET FOR FY 27 IN JUNE, UM, I WAS PRESENTED OUR DECISION PACKAGE TO YOU IN APRIL, UM, WHICH INCLUDED, UH, UH, EARMARKING $150,000 OF FUNDS TO PUT INTO CONTINGENCY THAT WOULD BE EARMARKED FOR TOURISM.
AND THOSE EARMARKED FUNDS WERE APPROVED IN THE JUNE BUDGET PROCESS FOR FY 27.
SO THAT LEADS US TO OUR PROPOSAL FOR YOUR SECOND REQUEST.
AND AGAIN, UH, WE'RE GONNA START WITH WHAT WAS IN THE AGENDA BILL AS AS IT RELATES TO CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS.
AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, UM, WE'D LOVE TO THEN HAVE A SECOND DISCUSSION AROUND, UM, A SECOND THRESHOLD PROPOSAL RELATED TO CRISIS MANAGEMENT.
SO THIS PROPOSAL IS BASED ON OUR KIND OF ORGANIZATION REVIEW AND KIND OF ACCESS TO PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DATA, UM, ALL STUFF YOU'VE SEEN FROM US BEFORE, BUT I WOULD SAY PACKAGED AND PRESENTED AND CURATED IN A NEW WAY FOR THIS QUESTION.
UM, AND WHAT WE DECIDED WAS TO LOOK AT THINGS VIA A TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM.
UM, THAT FOR THIS FIRST PROPOSAL REALLY LOOKS AT, YOU KNOW, HAVING ACCESS TO FOUR PLUS WEEKS OF DATA SO WE CAN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION AROUND CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS.
AND THEN IF APPROVED, THE CITY MANAGER WOULD BE GRANTED THE PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY TO UTILIZE UP TO $150,000 OF THE GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY FUNDS, FUNDS EARMARKED FOR TOURISM TO INCREASE THE PAID ADVERTISING OF OUR DESTINATION MARKETING CAMPAIGNS.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY DATA.
UM, I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN IT BEFORE, BUT IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO GET A GOOD REMINDER.
ONE OF OUR PRIMARY SORT OF PACING DATA SETS PRIOR TO GETTING THE BED AND SALES TAX EACH MONTH
[01:10:01]
IS THE OVERNIGHT HOTEL DEMAND WITHIN THE SEDONA PLUS SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH STUDY AREA.UM, THAT'S LOOKING AT HOTEL AND MOTEL, ESSENTIALLY LODGING PROPERTIES THAT HAVE 10 OR MORE ROOMS WITHIN THE CITY OF SEDONA AND ALSO OAK CREEK CANYON AND SEVEN CANYONS.
UM, LOOKING AT OVERNIGHT SHORT-TERM RENTAL DEMAND WITHIN KEY DATA, WHICH IS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL LISTING PERFORMANCE PROVIDER.
SO IT LOOKS AT, UM, LISTING PERFORMANCE ON AIRBNB AND VRBO AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT ALL THE LISTINGS WITHIN THE CITY 'CAUSE THAT'S INCLUSIVE OF TIMESHARES AND HOTELS THAT ALSO LIST ON THOSE PLATFORMS. WE'VE WORKED WITH OUR GIS TEAM TO CREATE A RESIDENTIAL ZONE, SO WE TOOK ALL THE RESIDENTIAL ZONES AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SORT OF ISOLATE AS BEST WE CAN WHAT WE WOULD COLLOQUIALLY REFER TO AS SHORT TERM RENTALS WITHIN THAT STUDY AREA.
AND THAT GIVES US INFORMATION ON THE SAME THING YOU SEE IN SMITH TRAVEL RATE, OCCUPANCY DEMAND.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT HOTEL BOOKING PASTE DATA FOR THE 8 6 3 3 6 ZIP CODE THAT'S PROVIDED BY TRAVEL CLICK.
WE GET, UH, VISA CREDIT CARD DATA FROM VISA DESTINATION INSIGHTS ALSO 4 8 6 3 3 6 ZIP CODE.
UM, ONE QUALIFIER HERE IS THAT FOR THIS PROPOSAL WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT CREDIT CARD SPEND WITHIN THE MARKETS THAT WE CONDUCT CAMPAIGNS TO.
UM, IF WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS AS A WAY TO POTENTIALLY KIND OF COUNTERBALANCE, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA SAY, HEY, HOW ARE OUR CAMPAIGN MARKETS LOOKING? 'CAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA DRIVE MORE DEMAND FROM THEM VIA MARKETING, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
IT'S NOT CREDIT CARD SPENT IN TOTALITY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE RESPONSES TO THE CITY OF SEDONAS ANONYMOUS TOURISM BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND OUTLOOK SURVEY.
WE ARE ALSO VALIDATING WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THROUGH KIND OF FOCUS GROUPS, ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSIONS, JUST CONTINUING TO SORT OF, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THE CURRENT MOST BEST INFORMATION.
AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE VOLUME, WHICH I KNOW WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU BEFORE.
UM, FOR 89 A NORTH, SO COOKS HILL AND UP, UM, 89 A SOUTH FROM THE TROUT FARM AND THEN 1 79 NORTH.
UM, AND THAT'S PROVIDED BY THE ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
JUST SOME FACTORS OF KIND OF WHAT GOES INTO THIS AS WELL.
UM, NOT ALL DATA WHEN NO DATA'S AVAILABLE IN, IN KIND OF REAL TIME OTHER THAN BUSINESS INPUT.
I WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DOES COME IN REAL TIME.
UM, THE DATA THAT WE GET SOONER IS SORT OF LESS STATISTICALLY RELEVANT.
SO WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, HAS KIND OF A SMALLER SAMPLE SIZE THAN THE DATA THAT WE GET LATER.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND.
AND THEN ONE THING WE REFLECTED ON WHEN WE, WHEN WE, UM, BROUGHT THIS PROPOSAL TO YOU WAS THAT YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISONS ARE LESS RELEVANT.
WHEN THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S COMPARE, UM, PERFORMANCE WAS POOR.
SO WE KNOW THAT WE SAW, YOU KNOW, WHAT ENDED UP BEING A 5.9% DROP IN OVERNIGHT DEMAND IN SEDONA PLUS SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH IN CALENDAR YEAR 25.
UM, IF WE KEEP COMPARING OURSELVES TO A POOR YEAR, WE'RE GONNA ARTIFICIALLY LOWER THE THRESHOLD EVERY YEAR.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS WHEN WE'VE HAD POOR YEARS OF PERFORMANCE, WE WOULD LOOK TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
I'M NOT TRYING TO GO BACK MULTIPLE YEARS, BUT JUST GIVE US THE LEEWAY TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO LAST YEAR, WE'RE COMPARING OURSELVES TO A POOR YEAR.
LET US COMPARE TO AT LEAST A YEAR PRIOR TO THAT, THAT WAS STRONGER.
UM, BUT IF WE FEEL THAT THE PREVIOUS YEAR WAS STRONG OR RELEVANT TO COMPARE TO, THEN WE WOULD CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, ULTIMATELY WE'RE LOOKING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT SYSTEM, AT LEAST INTERNALLY AS IT COMES TO OUR PROCESS HERE.
GREEN IS WE'RE SEEING FLAT OR POSITIVE PERFORMANCE WITH NO ADDITIONAL NEED FOR PAID ADVERTISING FUNDS TO BE DEPLOYED.
YOU GIVE US SPENDING AUTHORITY EVERY YEAR, WE NEED TO DO OUR JOB.
YELLOW IS WHEN WE START TO SEE THAT PERFORMANCE IS DECLINING.
AND IT'S NOT THAT WE TAKE ANY ACTION.
IT MEANS THAT WE SORT OF WOULD RAISE THE FLAG WITH CITY LEADERSHIP AND BEGIN A DEEPER INVESTIGATION.
MAYBE WE RELEASE A CUSTOM VERSION OF THE OUTLOOK SURVEY.
IF WE FEEL IT'S WARRANTED TO GET SECOND INPUT, MAYBE I START DOING THE FOCUS GROUPS WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
UM, I START ALLOCATING MORE OF MY OWN TIME TOWARDS ANALYZING THIS QUESTION.
UM, SO TAKING MORE STAFF TIME FOR IT.
AND THEN RED IS THAT WE ARE, I'VE IDENTIFIED A DEFINITIVE TREND IN DECLINING INDUSTRY PERFORMANCE.
AND THAT ESSENTIALLY WE START TO WORK WITH THE CITY MANAGER TO EXPLORE UTILIZATION OF CONTINGENCY FUNDS.
LEMME BREAK DOWN EACH OF THESE STAGES.
SO GREEN LIGHT, OVERNIGHT DEMAND AND BOOKING PACE ARE FLAT OR IN OR INCREASING WITHIN HOTEL AND SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERFORMANCE DATA.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A SURVEY THAT'S A RECENT OR LIVE THAT WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, NEUTRAL OR POSITIVE RESPONSES ARE BEING SUBMITTED TO THE TOURISM BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND OUTLOOK SURVEY, YELLOW LIGHT, AGAIN, NO ACTION OTHER THAN DEEPER INVESTIGATION AND A RAISING OF AT LEAST
[01:15:01]
THE CONVERSATION INTERNALLY.OVERNIGHT DEMAND AND BOOKING PACE IS MARGINALLY DECLINING WITHIN WEEKLY HOTEL AND SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERFORMANCE DATA.
MAYBE WE'RE SEEING TWO WEEKS OF CONTINUED DECLINES IN DEMAND WITHIN SEDONA PLUS SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH STUDY AREA FOR HOTEL MOTEL.
AND THEN MAYBE WE START TO HEAR A MAJORITY OF NEUTRAL AND NEGATIVE RESPONSES IN THAT TOURISM BUSINESS AND OUTLOOK SURVEY.
AND IF WE HAVE THE A O VEHICLE VOLUME AT THE TIME, WE START TO SEE, YOU KNOW, FLAT OR DECLINING VEHICLE VOLUMES IN THE CITY.
UM, NOW WE'RE STARTING TO DOCUMENT IT, RIGHT? ESSENTIALLY WE'RE, YOU KNOW, OPENING UP A CASE TO SAY, HEY, ARE WE IN A CONTINUED DEFINITIVE DECLINE? UM, AND IF WE SEE THAT OVERNIGHT DEMAND SPECIFICALLY IN THAT SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH STUDY AREA IS DOWN 3% OR MORE FOR FOUR PLUS WEEKS, THAT'S SORT OF ONE OF THE PRIMARY TRIGGERS.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT CONTINUED DECLINES IN, UM, THE SENTIMENT OF RESPONSES TO THE TOURISM BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND OUTLOOK SURVEY.
THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH BUSINESSES SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE SEEING THAT DECLINE IN SPEND WITHIN OUR CAMPAIGN MARKETS AND, UM, THAT ADOT VEHICLE DATA IS FLAT OR DECLINING.
ANDREW, ON THE, UH, VISA DESTINATION INSIGHTS, UH, YOU'RE SAYING, HEY, IF THERE'S A DECLINE IN SPENDING, UH, IS THERE A PERCENT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? RIGHT? BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE LOOKING TO BE AS, UH, STATISTICALLY RIGOROUS AS WE CAN.
SOME OF THIS IS, IS QUALITATIVE, I GET THAT RIGHT, THE FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
BUT, UH, IS THERE JUST LIKE YOU'VE GOT DEMAND BEING DOWN 3% OR MORE AS PART OF A TRIGGER? WHAT ABOUT THE VISA PIECE? YEAH, IT, I MEAN, I THINK THE WAY WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS IS EVERY SITUATION IS GONNA PRESENT ITSELF A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
UM, AND WE'RE LIKELY GONNA GET DEEPER IN THAT WITH THE SECOND PROPOSAL.
UM, AND TRYING TO CREATE LIKE A ONE-TO-ONE ACROSS THE BOARD WITH EVERY METRIC MIGHT MAKE THINGS MORE RESTRICTIVE AT TIMES.
UM, I DO THINK WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE CREDIT CARD ONE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, TO ME IT'S, IS THERE, IS THERE A DECLINE? IS THERE A TREND THAT WE'RE SEEING? WHAT'S RELEVANT TO ME IS THAT WE MIGHT SEE CERTAIN MARKETS BEING A DEEPER DECLINE AND THAT MIGHT HELP IMPACT THE WAY THAT WE WORK WITH THE CITY MANAGER ON THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FUNDS.
BUT STILL BEING, WHY, WHY NOT SAY, HEY, WE'RE, LOOK, IT, IT'S, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE SAYING, HEY, I DON'T WANNA BE HELD TO BULLET 0.1 AND TWO AND THREE AND FOUR AND FIVE.
'CAUSE THEN YOU MAY NEVER TRIGGER OFF OF THAT.
BUT WHERE WE CAN HAVE SOME TYPE OF AN ANALYTICAL TRIGGER AT, AT A BULLET POINT LEVEL LIKE THE VISA, WHY WOULDN'T WE SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST SAYING A DECLINE.
SORT OF COUPLING WITH THAT A LITTLE BIT, AND MAYBE I JUST HAVEN'T FULLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING HERE, BUT RED LIGHT DOWN 3% OR MORE FOR FOUR PLUS WEEKS, WOULDN'T THAT BE TRIGGERED EVERY SPRING GOING INTO SUMMER? SO IS THIS THREE, FOUR WEEKS YEAR OVER YEAR OR JUST YES.
SO LOOKING AT THE YEAR OVER YEAR PERFORMANCE COMPARISONS, CHARLOTTE, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS JUST TO TRY TO ALSO UNDERSTAND NOT WHERE YOU'RE GOING PARTICULARLY, BUT JUST WHAT YOU ALREADY SAID WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CREDIT CARD SPEND FOR JUST LOOKING AT IT FOR THE IDENTIFIED MARKETS.
UM, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF, OF THOSE, OR IS THAT OF THE TOTAL SPEND? I MEAN, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT MISSING SOME EMERGING MARKET OR SOME, I MEAN, IS IT A, IT ACCOUNTS FOR TWO THIRDS OF IT ALREADY, OR I I HAVE NO IDEA.
I'M HAPPY TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THE SPECIFIC NUMBERS OF THAT.
UM, BUT WHEN WE DID AN ANALYSIS THAT WAS REQUESTED FOR BY COUNCIL OF WHAT WERE THE TOP MARKETS THAT WE BASICALLY SEE SPENDING FROM, THEY WERE PRETTY ONE-TO-ONE WITH OUR CAMPAIGN MARKETS.
UM, AND I THINK REALLY IF WE LOOKED AT INCREASING PAID ADVERTISING SPEND, IT WOULD BE WITHIN OUR CAMPAIGN MARKETS.
SO IF WE SAW DECLINES IN FLORIDA, LET'S SAY WE AREN'T MARKETING IN FLORIDA RIGHT NOW, SO NOTHING WE WOULD BE DOING WOULD BE INFLUENCING A CHANGE IN THAT ONE.
SO REALLY FOCUSING THE WAY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS PROPOSAL THROUGH THE LENS OF HOW WE CONDUCT PAID ADVERTISING AND THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS THAT WE'RE TARGETING FOR THIS QUESTION IN TERMS OF HOW WE ANALYZE WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE SEEING CHANGES IN SPEND WITHIN THOSE MARKETS.
I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THERE, BUT I'M, I'M WONDERING JUST IN A, IN A BIGGER WAY, THESE IDENTIFIED MARKETS ACCOUNT FOR WHAT PERCENT OF OUR O OF THE SPEND.
I MEAN, AGAIN, ARE THEY 75%? ARE
[01:20:01]
THEY 50? IT'S ABSOLUTELY MORE THAN 50.AND I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU WITH A SPECIFIC, PHOENIX IS A HUGE SPENDER FOR US.
AND THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE A MAJORITY OF THE SPEND AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAJOR MARKETS.
AND THEN THE TOP 10 SPENDERS ARE PRETTY MUCH FOLLOW SUIT WITH OUR CAMPAIGN MARKETS.
SO WHATEVER THAT REMAINDER AMOUNT IS, LET'S SAY IT'S 15% OR WHATEVER, DO YOU KIND OF KEEP AN EYE ON IT TO SEE MAYBE THERE'S AN EMERGING MARKET OR, UM, YES, WE DO.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE DO OUTSIDE OF THIS PROPOSAL.
'CAUSE IT WOULD NEED TO BE A MARKET THAT'S IN OUR CAMPAIGN FOR US TO THEN LOOK AT CONTINGENCY FUNDS TO DRIVE THAT.
BUT YES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE DID WHEN WE ASSESSED.
HEY, I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION FROM COUNCIL ABOUT A YEAR AGO THAT SAID, DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT MARKETS? AND THEN WE DID AN ANALYSIS THAT SAID, I THINK WE DO.
UM, AND THEN, UH, I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND THE, NOT LOOKING AT THE PRIOR YEAR IF THE PRIOR YEAR WAS A POOR YEAR BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO SEEM AS IF IT'S AN ARTIFICIAL REBOUND OR IT'S SOME SORT OF JUST REBOUND.
BUT IF IT'S A GOOD YEAR, WE'LL LOOK AT IT.
IF IT'S A POOR YEAR, WE'RE NOT GONNA LOOK AT IT.
I I JUST DON'T QUITE, SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE THIS LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT, UM, WE WERE DOWN 10% IN DEMAND LAST WEEK THAT I SAW FROM JUNE 28TH TO JULY 4TH.
AND IF WE SET THAT AS THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S THRESHOLD, IN ORDER TO ACCESS CONTINGENCY FUNDS, WE WOULD NEED TO BE ESSENTIALLY BELOW ANOTHER 10% DROP.
SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO ARTIFICIALLY LOWER THE THRESHOLD.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN WHAT SHOULD BE GOOD BUSINESS PERFORMANCE.
SO WE WOULD LOOK AT THE PREVIOUS YEAR INSTEAD OF COMPARING OURSELVES TO A POOR YEAR.
AND NOT ALWAYS JUST IF WE KNOW THAT THERE WAS A MONTH, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE REALLY HONING IN, IF WE'RE GETTING INTO THE YELLOW TERRITORY AND WE'RE HONING IN AND WE CAN REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE HAD A FIRE FOR THREE WEEKS DURING THIS PERIOD, LET'S ACTUALLY COMPARE US TO THE YEAR BEFORE.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE A MORE, UM, NORMAL BENCHMARK TO COMPARE TO.
SO IT'S NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO DO THAT.
IT'S SAYING THAT WE COULD EXERCISE THAT OPTION IF WE KNEW THAT, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR WE'RE IN THE SAME PLACE, THIS WOULD NOT BE A GOOD MONTH TO COMPARE OURSELVES TO BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT NORMAL.
IF I COULD ADD ONTO THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT, I TOO, I'M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THAT.
CURATING DATA IS A VERY IFFY GROUND TO GO DOWN WHEN YOU START TO DO ANALYSIS.
AND SO YOU WOULD, UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT THAT'S A, I I, YOU KNOW, UH, LAUREN, THE EXAMPLE YOU JUST SAID, AND, AND ANDREW, IT'S A REASONABLE THING TO THINK ABOUT, BUT YOU NEED TO DECLARE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULDN'T JUST AUTOMATICALLY DO WHAT YOU WANNA DO AND PRESENT DIFFERENT NUMBERS.
I I THINK YOU NEED TO BE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD THAT YOU'RE GONNA CURATE DATA, YOU KNOW, PRESENT WHAT IT WOULD BE, GIVE THE, THE RATIONALE AND THEN THE COUNTER CASE.
SO YEAH, I WOULD HOPE THAT THE PROCESS WOULD FULLY DISCLOSE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND THEN JUST TO ALSO THROW INTO TWO OTHER AREAS THAT MAKE ME A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE.
YOU START IT OFF BY SAYING, WHEN DEMAND GOES DOWN, THE PRICE GOES UP.
AND THAT'S JUST LIKE, WELL THAT'S NOT ECONOMICS.
IT'S DEMAND GOES DOWN, PRICE GOES DOWN.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S BASIC ECONOMICS.
NOW THERE'S LOTS THAT GOES INTO, I'M NOT PRETENDING TO BE A HOTELIER AND I DON'T KNOW ALL THE THINGS THAT GO IN ABOUT WHY A, UH, THE DAILY RATE MIGHT STAY UP.
I CAN THINK ABOUT SOME, BUT JUST YOU HAD SAID THAT AND I JUST WANNA SAY, WHOA, THAT RANG A BELL FOR ME.
AND THEN ALSO THE 3% NUMBER LOOKS, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S OUT OF THE NOISE OF WHAT A NORMAL ANNUAL VARIATION IN THE MONTH OF APRIL IS GONNA BE OVER ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT IS A TRIGGER WE SHOULD USE IF IT REALLY IS IN A NORMAL VARIATION.
SO JUST THOUGHTS, JUST, AND I DON'T, OKAY.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED TO TALK A LOT ABOUT THOSE THINGS TONIGHT.
I WOULD HA BE HAPPY TO TALK MORE ABOUT THOSE.
UH, MELISSA, SO JUST, UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU'RE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT HERE SORT OF ELEMENTS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL, UM, PRICE OF GASOLINE, YOUR DRIVE MARKETS.
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FEWER PEOPLE POTENTIALLY DRIVING HERE, EVEN FROM PHOENIX BECAUSE OF THE PRICE OF GASOLINE OR THE FACT THAT, UM, THE US IS NOT NECESSARILY BELOVED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD RIGHT NOW AS A PLACE TO VISIT.
AND SO THAT COULD CHANGE OVER TIME.
BUT AGAIN, YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO IMPACT THAT MARKET BECAUSE OF THE REASON WHY.
SO HOW ARE, HOW HAVE YOU FACTORED IN THESE OTHER SORTS OF ISSUES
[01:25:02]
THAT COME IN? 'CAUSE THAT COULD GIVE YOU A RED LIGHT, BUT YOU HAVE NO WAY OF FIXING THAT BY JUST DOING MORE ADVERTISING THAT IT WON'T MAKE PEOPLE COME, IT WON'T MAKE PEOPLE BUY THE GASOLINE TO GET HERE, SO FORTH AND SO ON.SO I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW THAT, HOW YOU'VE CALCULATED THAT INTO THIS, IF YOU HAVE, WE'VE CERTAINLY THOUGHT THROUGH A LOT OF SCENARIOS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S ONE REASON WHY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT SEEING A LOT OF SPECIFIC TRIGGERS AROUND NUMBERS.
WE'VE GOT THAT ONE 3% ONE IN THERE.
UM, BUT I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CURATE DATA.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS KIND OF TOOLS THAT ALLOW US TO MOVE QUICKER AS A DMO TO PUT MORE ADVERTISING INTO THE MARKET IN A WAY THAT WE DEEM MOST STRATEGIC IF WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION WITH CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS.
SO I THINK TO ANSWER YOUR DIRECT QUESTION, COUNCILOR DUNN, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING MORE FUNDS INTO THE HIGHER NET WORTH AUDIENCE AD GROUP AND NOT LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, OUR TRADITIONAL DRIVE MARKET.
UM, I THINK WE WOULD WORK WITH OUR AGENCY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS ARE AND THEN MAKE THEM THE BEST PROPOSAL WE COULD TO THE CITY MANAGER.
AND I THINK THAT'S AKIN TO HOW WE APPROACHED THE CURRENT SUMMER CAMPAIGN WHERE WE LIMITED OUR SPEND IN FLIGHT MARKETS TOWARDS THOSE HIGH NET WORTH AND SORT OF REPEAT CUSTOMERS AND HIGHER END PEOPLE.
UM, BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS A PRICE CONSCIOUSNESS LEADING INTO THIS SUMMER.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN US MAKE CAMPAIGN DECISIONS BASED ON THE FACTORS YOU JUST MENTIONED, AND I THINK WE WOULD DO THE EXACT SAME IN THIS SITUATION.
WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS A WAY TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE CITY MANAGER TO UTILIZE FUNDS TO INCREASE OUR CAMPAIGN IN A WAY THAT'S THE MOST STRATEGIC.
I'M CURIOUS, SO LET'S JUST DECLARE RIGHT NOW THE FIRE'S OVER THE FIRE.
IT MAY NOT BE A HUNDRED PERCENT THE CASE, BUT 89 A BACK OPEN AND ENCHANTMENT AND SEVEN CANYONS HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO RED.
THERE'S NO POLICE THERE ANYMORE.
THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE OUR SECOND PROPOSAL TONIGHT.
SO NOT INCLUDED IN HERE IS DISASTERS, BUT THAT'S OUR SECOND PROPOSAL TONIGHT.
I, I'M HOPING, BY THE WAY I'M TALKING TO THE AUDIENCE TO PLEASE, I REALLY WANNA HEAR FROM BUSINESS OWNERS IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, RETAIL, LODGING, UM, RESTAURANTS, AMUSEMENTS, WHO'S EVER HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE RESTAURANTS HERE, BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU TELL US THE IMPACT, UH, OF THIS FIRE TO YOU.
SO PLEASE WRITE OUT SOME CARDS AND WHEN THE TIME IS APPROPRIATE, COME AND, AND GIVE US SOME INFORMATION.
I JUST WANNA ECHO SOME OF WHAT COUNCILOR FURMAN SAID BEFORE ABOUT SOME OF THESE TRIGGERS.
UM, AND HE SAID HE DIDN'T WANNA TALK ABOUT THEM MORE IN DETAIL TONIGHT, BUT I THINK I DO
IS THAT AN INDUSTRY TREND? THAT COULD BE YOUR, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU COULD SEE.
SO I NEED YOU TO GIVE ME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE THINGS.
YOU'RE SAYING IF ANY ONE OF THESE ITEMS HA OCCURS, YOU WOULD CONSIDER THAT A RED LIGHT OR HOW MANY OF THESE ITEMS, IT'S A DEFINITIVE TREND THAT'S IN A DECLINE.
I THINK WE'VE PUT THIS 3% HOTEL DEMAND, WHICH TYPICALLY IS A BELLWETHER FOR ALL OF THESE, RIGHT? IF YOU START TO, YOU KNOW, GO BACK THROUGH THE PAST, YOU START TO SEE IF OVERNIGHT VISITATION IS DOWN AT OUR HOTELS MORE THAN 3%, YOU START TO SEE THE OTHER FACTORS GET THERE.
AND THEN WE'RE SORT OF VALIDATING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HEAR THAT BUSINESSES ARE LIKE, EVERYTHING'S FINE.
RIGHT? WELL, THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA GO TO THE CITY MANAGER.
BUT IF WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THESE, IF NOT ALL, I WOULD SAY, AND I WOULD SAY IN THIS CASE, AFTER FIVE WEEKS, I FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT WE WOULD SEE ALL OF THESE INDICATE THAT, UM, AT LEAST A DEFINITIVE DECLINE OVER A FOUR PLUS WEEK PERIOD.
BUT AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL NUMBER TIED TO THEM, WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT IF WE SEE A DECLINE IN HOTEL DEMAND, THAT TYPICALLY CREATES A DECLINE IN THESE OTHER FACTORS.
BUT WHAT IF YOU SEE A DECLINE IN HOTEL DEMAND, BUT ADOT VEHICLE DATA IS SHOWING AN INCREASED AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THROUGH THE CITY.
I MEAN, HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT? THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW.
DOES IT TAKE THREE OUTTA THESE FIVE POINTS TO, TO, TO TRIGGER SOMETHING? I, I'M LOOKING, I NEED SOMETHING MORE CONCRETE.
[01:30:02]
WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THAT ALL THESE WOULD BE THERE.SO IF WE WANT TO SAY ALL OF THEM, I FEEL GOOD WITH THAT.
I THINK GIVING US THE, I MEAN OUR PROPOSAL IS TO GIVE US THE FLEXIBILITY TO LOOK AT THESE WITH THE CAVEAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS THAT BELLWETHER OF HOTEL NIGHT DEMAND.
BUT THAT WE WOULDN'T JUST GO WITH THAT AND THAT WE LOOK AT A DEFINITIVE DECLINE ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF THESE.
BUT IF THAT CAUSES YOU CONCERN, YOU KNOW, I, I'M HAPPY TO SORT OF REVISE WHAT THIS PROPOSAL IS.
I WOULD, UH, MY OPINION IS THAT FOUR OUTTA THE FIVE WOULD BE MET.
AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAVE THE VISA DATA.
WE HAVE NOT WORKED WITH IT FOR A LONG TIME.
SO I JUST WANT TO VALIDATE THAT IT IS, IT CONTINUES TO BE VALID AND IT CONTINUES TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE A BUNCH OF DATA SETS AND THEY'RE ALL SAYING SAME THING AND ONE SOURCE DOESN'T SAY IT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST OF, OKAY, WHY, WHY ARE THESE ALL TELLING THE SAME STORY AND THIS ONE ISN'T MM-HMM
AND THEN WE TRY AND WORK BACKWARDS.
OKAY, WHAT MAKES THAT NOT A RELIABLE SOURCE AND WHEN IS IT RELIABLE? SO MY OPINION WOULD BE THAT FOR THE FIVE OF THESE ARE MET AND THAT GIVES US THE FLEXIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THE, THE VISA DESTINATION INSIGHTS ISN'T PROVIDING US THE DATA, WE THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO, THAT, UM, IT DOESN'T LIMIT OUR ABILITY TO STILL MOVE QUICKLY.
SO YOU'VE ANSWERED THAT CONCERN FOR ME.
I'LL HAVE MORE CONCERNS GOING FORWARD.
AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE 3%.
IF, IF WE'RE SEEING 3% FOR FOUR PLUS WEEKS, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT NORMAL.
ANY CONTINUED DESIGN, LIKE 3% DOWN FROM THE, FROM THE WEEK PRIOR.
I WAS THINKING 3% TOTAL OVER FOUR WEEKS COMBINED.
AND ANY HOTELIER WILL, WILL TELL YOU ANYTHING LESS THAN A SLIGHT INCREASE TO THEM IS A NEGATIVE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SUPPORT THEIR OPERATION OPERATIONS.
I'M TRYING TO NITPICK, I'M REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HERE, BUT 3% DOWN FOR FOUR WEEKS.
WHAT IF IT'S DOWN FOR TWO WEEKS UP FOR ONE AND THEN DOWN FOR TWO? HAVE YOU MET YOUR FOUR WEEK THRESHOLD? WE WOULD, WE WOULD, WE WOULD LOOK AT THE AGGREGATE OVER THAT TIME PERIOD.
THAT'S TYPICALLY WHEN WE GET A MONTHLY REPORT THAT'LL SHOW US WHERE WE'RE AT, HOW MANY ROOMS WERE BOOKED OVER THE AGGREGATE.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, JUST WALK ME THROUGH.
IT'S, WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS FOUR WEEKS FROM WHEN, WHAT, WHEN DOES THIS START? SO IT'S JUNE.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA DO THE WHOLE MONTH OF JUNE AND THEN WE'RE GONNA SAY, OH MY GOSH, WE GOTTA DO SOMETHING.
SO I WOULD GET THE FIRST WEEKLY REPORT FROM SMITH JAVA RESEARCH IN JUNE.
IS IT, YOU SAID IT'S NOT REAL TIME.
SO WHAT'S THE LAG TIME? ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, SO IT'S ALREADY TWO WEEKS HAVE PASSED 32 WEEKS BEHIND, WHICH MEANS THIS GETS US, YOU KNOW, SIX WEEKS FROM WHEN WE STARTED TO SEE A DECLINE.
BUT IT, AND IT MAKES US FOUR WEEKS FASTER.
IF WE HAD TO COME TO YOU, ARE YOU GONNA HAVE 10 WEEKS TOTAL ADS? YOU KNOW IT.
READY? IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S NOT GONNA ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE WANT, WHICH IS NIMBLENESS.
IT WILL MAKE US FOUR WEEKS MORE NIMBLE, WHICH TO ME MEANS A LOT.
ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE WE WANT TO FEEL CONFIDENT IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, RIGHT.
IT JUST 'CAUSE WE SEE ONE WEEK OF POOR IN CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS.
I DON'T WANNA COMPARE THIS TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS COMMUNITY THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
BUT CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS, THERE'S A LOT THAT CAN GO INTO THAT, WHICH IS A DIRECT COMMENT THAT COUNCILOR DUNN MADE, RIGHT? WE WANNA LOOK INTO THESE CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS AND THEN MAKE A, MAKE A DECISION.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHEN WE ALREADY HAVE CAMPAIGNS IN FLIGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, RIGHT, RIGHT NOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED NEW ADS.
SO YOU'RE JUST GONNA BE MORE, WE WOULD ADD MORE PAID ADVERTISING IN OUR MARKETS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE CREDIT CARD ASPECT OF THIS.
BUT THAT IT WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY DOING WHAT WE'VE DONE LAST SUMMER.
IT COULD BE A BANNER AD THAT BANNER AD WAS CREATED IN 24 HOURS, BUT REMEMBER LAST SUMMER WE THOUGHT WE DIDN'T RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH.
AND THAT'S THOSE FOUR WEEKS WERE SEEING AND, AND WE WOULD'VE HAD THE ADS PROBABLY IN THE MARKET A WEEK AGO POTENTIALLY.
'CAUSE WE, 'CAUSE WE CALLED THE MEETING WHEN WE SAW THE DEFINITIVE DECLINE, BUT WE DIDN'T GET ON THE CALENDAR UNTIL THE 28TH.
SO AUDIENCE, GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK ON, ON THIS TIMING.
WHEN, WHEN YOU GO AS PART OF YOUR COMMENTS TO US, I WOULD FRAME IT, I WOULD FRAME IT AS RESPONSIBLY NIMBLE.
[01:35:01]
BE RESPONSIBLE WITH TAX DOLLARS, RIGHT.AND, AND WE ALL TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY, WHICH IS WHY ALL OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE COME IN.
SO THIS IS THE, THE BEST WAY THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN, UM, THAT WE FEEL GOOD THAT YOU ALL COULD SUPPORT US IN, IN THIS DECISION.
AND IT WOULD, IT WOULD SHAVE OFF FOUR WEEKS.
AND I JUST, I THINK WHEN WE SAT DOWN WITH THIS QUESTION FROM YOU ALL RIGHT, IT WAS NOT LOOKING AT THE SPECIFIC CHANGE IN MARKET CONDITION THAT WE SAW IN 25.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S CERTAINLY WHAT BROUGHT US TO THIS CONVERSATION.
BUT IF WE JUST COMPARE OURSELVES TO THAT, THE NEXT ONE MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENT, RIGHT? WE NEED TO HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND TO A CHANGE IN MARKET CONDITION THAT'S NOT JUST COMPARED TO THE ONE THAT WE SAW LAST CALENDAR YEAR.
AND THAT'S SORT OF WHY WE'VE BUILT THAT FLEXIBILITY IN.
BUT IT IS THIS KIND OF TRIANGULATION OF DIFFERENT DATA SETS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE ROOTED IN SOME FOUNDATIONAL ONES THAT WE KNOW ARE BELLWETHERS FOR FUTURE SUCCESS OR FUTURE BED TAX PERFORMANCE, IF YOU WILL.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE MOST INFORMED DECISION TO STAFF.
NO, NO, I JUST, I READ THIS AND IT'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT STEPS.
FEELS TO ME THAT'S WHY I WANNA GET SOME FEEDBACK.
WE'RE GOING TO WAIT FOR FOUR WEEKS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET THE FOCUS GROUP TOGETHER AND HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THEM TO VALIDATE WHETHER OR NOT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS WHAT THEY'RE SEEING.
THOSE ARE ALL HAPPENING SIMULTANEOUSLY TOGETHER.
I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, I MEET WITH THE LODGING COUNCIL EVERY MONTH THAT THEY MEET.
UM, TO ME THAT'S, THEY DON'T MEET IN THE SUMMER.
I KNOW, BUT, BUT THAT'S EXAMPLE OF A FOCUS GROUP.
YOU KNOW, I'M IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I, THESE AREN'T LIKE IN A LAB COAT IN A ROOM, THESE ARE JUST WHAT I DO FOR MY JOB, WHICH IS REALLY THAT BUSINESS INPUT.
UM, BUT THEN MAYBE ADDING A CUSTOM SURVEY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE DID LAST JULY, IT'S WHAT I DID LAST WEEK, UM, FOR THE NEXT CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
SO FOCUS GROUP JUST MEANS, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE'VE GOT, IT'S JUST ONE-ON-ONE DISCUSSIONS OR CONVERSATIONS WITH EXISTING GROUPS.
SO IT DOESN'T, NONE OF THIS FEELS LIKE NEW WORK.
THIS IS WHAT WE DO ALL THE TIME.
IT'S MORE, IF WE START TO SEE THAT DEFIN, WE START TO SEE THAT INITIAL DECLINE START TO RAISE THE FLAG A LITTLE BIT WITH CITY LEADERSHIP.
SAY, HEY, JUST PREPARING THIS, WE, WE IDENTIFIED A PROPOSAL AND A PROCESS WITH COUNCIL.
WHEN CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS OCCUR, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT.
UM, MAYBE THAT'S WHEN WE START HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR AGENCY.
SO WHEN WE START MAYBE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH VENDORS LIKE THE AIRPORT IN THE CASE OF LAST YEAR, RIGHT.
SO THAT WHEN WE REACH THAT, WHEN MILESTONE, WE CAN PUSH THINGS OUT THE NEXT DAY.
OTHER QUESTIONS? WANNA HEAR FROM THE AUDIENCE? NOW? I STILL HAVE MORE SLIDES.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY I THINK WE'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE REACH A RED LIGHT THAT WE'VE BEEN SORT OF, YOU KNOW, DEEP INVESTIGATION, WE'VE BEEN PREPARING OURSELVES FOR THAT.
AGAIN, IF WE GO BACK TO GREEN, GREAT.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE GO BACK TO GREEN JUST 'CAUSE WE HIT YELLOW DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE KEEP PURSUING THIS.
IT'S IF WE WE MOVE INTO THAT NEXT STAGE AND CAN VALIDATE IT, THEN WE WOULD PRESENT A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY MANAGER FOR HOW BEST TO UTILIZE CONTINGENCY FUNDS FOR THAT SITUATION.
AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER WOULD HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DETERMINE, UM, HOW TO RESPOND TO OUR PROPOSAL.
SO THAT WOULD GET US TO MY QUESTION FOR YOU ALL, WHICH IS, DOES CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE TOURISM MINISTRY MONITORING FRAMEWORK AND ASSOCIATED PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS THAT ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER, THE PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE UP TO THE $150,000 IN GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY FUNDS EARMARKED FOR TOURISM PER FISCAL YEAR TO INCREASE THE PAID ADVERTISING SPEND FOR DESTINATION MARKETING CAMPAIGNS CONDUCTED BY THE TOURISM PROGRAM? IS THIS THE BREAK TIME OR DO YOU WANNA GO INTO THE NEXT CAMPAIGN? I KNOW IT'S, IT'S KIND OF AWKWARD.
ANDREW AND I TALKED ABOUT HOW WE WERE GONNA LAY THIS OUT.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE, WE CAN PAUSE ON THAT AND NOW WE CAN INTRODUCE THE SECOND PART, WHICH IS KIND OF THE EMERGENCY, UM, PORTION OF THINGS AND YOU CAN HEAR WHAT WE WERE THINKING FOR THAT.
AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE CAN ALL UP TO YOU OBVIOUSLY.
BUT I I, I, I'D LIKE TO HEAR SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT TO THE QUESTIONS THAT THE MAYOR RAISED ONLY ON THAT.
AND, AND THEN, AND THEN DO THE SECOND PART OF THIS AS A SEPARATE ENTITY BECAUSE IT IS A VERY SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCE.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY INCLINATION.
DEFERRING TO THE YEAH, THE ONLY, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE AUDIENCE NOT TO SPEAK WITH THE FIRE IN THEIR MIND, WHICH IS THE SECOND PART OF OUR CONVERSATION.
ARE YOU ALL NODDING THAT THAT'S TRUE? THEY'RE NODDING THAT THAT'S TRUE.
ANY, AND TO GET ONE KIND OF, EH,
YOU WANNA SPEAK NOW? YEAH, WE HAVE TWO CARDS.
[01:40:01]
SPEAK TWICE.SO YOU CAN SPEAK TO THIS FIRST PART AND NOT ABOUT THE EMERGENCY AND THE FIRES UNTIL AFTER THAT PRESENTATION.
SO I'M GONNA CALL OUT, UM, AND THEN IF YOU WANNA WAIT, YOU CAN WAIT.
MY NAME IS TIM PERRY AND I LIVE IN SEDONA.
THIS ABSOLUTELY FARCICAL THAT COUNCIL IS BRINGING AND STAFF ARE BRINGING THIS PROPOSAL FORWARD AS A CONTINGENCY TO HELP BUSINESSES WHEN, AS WE ALL KNOW THIS COUNCIL'S OBJECTIVE, BOTH IN GENERAL AND SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE TOURISM PROGRAM, IS TO DESTROY AND UNDERMINE BUSINESS IN SEDONA.
IS THERE REALLY ANYONE HERE WHO BELIEVES THIS UTTER NONSENSE THAT THESE NEW AGE NEOPAGAN ENVIRONMENTALIST PROPAGANDA ADS YOU KEEP SPENDING OUR MONEY ON ARE ACTUALLY ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO SEDONA? OF COURSE NOT.
THEY'RE DRIVING PEOPLE AWAY AS THEY'RE INTENDED TO DO.
THE OTHER ASPECT OF THIS WHOLE PROBLEMATIC SITUATION IS QUITE SIMPLE.
GOVERNMENT HAS NO ROLE TO PLAY IN THE MARKET.
THIS COUNCIL SHOULD NOT BE SPENDING PUBLIC FUNDS ON PROMOTING A FEW PEOPLE'S PRIVATE BUSINESSES OR ADVERTISING FOR THEM.
AND IT'S QUITE FRANKLY, DISGUSTING.
IF ANYONE WOULD EVER HAVE THE GOAL TO ACTUALLY ASK THE COUNCIL FOR THAT, TO ASK FOR PUBLIC FUNDS TO BE USED TO BENEFIT THEM PERSONALLY.
IT IS NONE OF THIS TOTALITARIAN GOVERNMENTS BUSINESS.
HOW MANY PEOPLE COME TO SEDONA OR WHAT THEY DO WHILE THEY'RE HERE.
DROP THIS PROGRAM, STOP TRYING TO UNDERMINE AND SUBVERT SEDONAS ECONOMY AND STOP LYING.
LONNIE LILY, FOLLOWED BY JESSE ALEXANDER.
I'M DEBATING WHETHER I WANT TO DO THIS OR THE THE NEXT ONE.
LONNIE, LONNIE, LILLY, 44 YEAR RESIDENT OF SEDONA.
THANK YOU COUNCILORS, ANNETTE, AND TEAM, UM, ON THIS ASPECT.
YES, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE WITH GIVING, UM, LAUREN, ANDREW AND ANNETTE THE ABILITY TO DO THEIR JOB IN A QUICKER FASHION.
UM, WE TALKED ABOUT FOUR WEEKS.
FOUR WEEKS IS HUGE IN THIS INDUSTRY 'CAUSE OF THE SEDONA ROLLERCOASTER THAT WE ALL KNOW ABOUT.
AND SO TO YOUR POINT TO BE, I FORGET THE WORD, YOU NIMBLE, MORE NIMBLE, HAVING THE ABILITY FOR THOSE TWO TO GO TO A NET AND THIS SAY, HEY, I'M TALKING TO LODGING COUNSEL.
I'M TALKING OUT THERE TO THE BUSINESS.
I'M TALKING THAT THE BOOTS ARE ON THE GROUND.
THERE'S THIS TREND WHICH HAPPENED LAST YEAR IN ALL OF THE HOOPS THAT THEY HAD TO JUMP THROUGH LAST YEAR JUST TO GET A BANNER AND EVERYTHING DOWN IN AUGUST WHEN JUNE JULY'S ALREADY OVER AND QUOTE UNQUOTE, THE DAMAGE IS ALREADY DONE.
SO I TOTALLY SUPPORT YOU ALL GIVING THEM THE ABILITY TO DO THEIR JOB.
JESSE, FOLLOWED BY CHERYL BARON.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNSELORS.
UM, I'VE BEEN IN SEDONA FOR 25 YEARS WORKING.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN UPTOWN REPRESENTING ABOUT 120 PLUS EMPLOYEES, 40 ISH IN TENANTS AND UP AGAIN IN UPTOWN.
UM, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE SUPPORT FOR QUICKER REACTION TO, UH, TO ANY KINDA DOWNTURN IN A TYPICAL DMO.
IT'S NOT THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT PROCESS, SO IT'S EVEN SLOWED DOWN MORE WITH THAT ASPECT.
SO IF WE HAD ANY KIND OF, WHERE THERE'S A LIMIT AND I UNDERSTAND THE PUBLIC FUND ISSUE, BUT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO REACT QUICKER IN, IN NORMAL TIMES WHEN STUFF HAPPENS, IF THAT'S GETTING TO YOU GUYS QUICKER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT JUST NEEDS TO HAPPEN FASTER.
UM, THERE WERE SEVERAL QUESTIONS JUST BROUGHT UP.
AGAIN, THIS IS, MIGHT BE IN THE SECOND SESSION, BUT REMEMBER IT, UM, I'VE HAD TENANT REQUESTS, MORE TENANT REQUESTS FOR JULY TO HAVE FLEXIBILITY WITH THEIR JULY RENT, WHICH IS NOW TWO WEEKS AGO, UM, THAN I'VE HAD PROBABLY IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
UM, I'VE GOT SEVERAL TENANTS THAT ARE ASKING, HEY, CAN WE PAY AT THIS
[01:45:01]
KIND OF TIMELINE, UH, TO TRY TO GET IT DONE? SO THEY'RE DEFINITELY AFFECTED RIGHT NOW.I PERSONALLY, YOU SAID THERE'S NO RESTAURANT CHAIRS.
I'M THE TENANT AND THE LANDLORD IN THOSE FOUR RESTAURANTS.
AND, UH, ONE OF OUR RESTAURANTS, ALL OF 'EM ARE DOWN FOR JUNE YEAR OVER YEAR.
BUT, UH, ONE OF THEM ON JULY 20TH, THE DAY AFTER WAS 10,000, PACING 10,000 MORE THAN LAST YEAR.
SO THAT'S 60 K IN THE LAST 11 DAYS OF THE MONTH.
UM, AS I GO AROUND AND TALK TO TENANTS, SOME TENANT, ONE TENANTS TELL ME, I DID $19 YESTERDAY.
THOSE ARE THE KIND OF DAYS THEY'RE HAVING.
UH, I REMEMBER THAT THEY'RE EXTREMELY WORRIED THAT, UH, JULY AND AUGUST ARE TYPICALLY SLOWER THAN JUNE.
SO HOW ARE THEY'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THAT? MANY OF 'EM BOUGHT INVENTORY GOING INTO THE SUMMER.
THAT'S WHY THEY DON'T HAVE, UH, FUNDS FOR CERTAIN, CERTAIN JUST TO GET THROUGH.
UM, I KNOW IF A, UH, THIS ISN'T A TENANT, BUT HE'S A TOUR OPERATOR, BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 10 YEARS, USED TO WORK FOR ME AT LEBERTS AS A CONCIERGE.
AND, UH, HE HAD TO TAKE OUT A LOAN TO MEET P PAYROLL.
UM, JUST FOR, FOR THOSE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF, OF JULY.
UM, EMPLOYEES, THEIR HOURS ARE GETTING CUT, UM, DAYS OFF.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE DAYS ANYMORE.
SO NOW THEY'RE LIKE TAKING PTO THAT FOR IT'S UNPLANNED.
SO IT'S GONNA AFFECT PLAN PAID PTO LATER ON WITH VACATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, IT'S ALSO HURTING THE BUSINESS IN THAT, UM, THEY'RE STILL PAYING OUT THE SAME LABOR COSTS BECAUSE ALL THE EMPLOYEES IN MY, AGAIN, MY FOUR OR FIVE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES THAT I PERSONALLY OPERATE, UM, LABOR WENT DOWN A LITTLE BIT JUST, AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE THE DIFFERENCE WAS MADE UP IN PTO.
UH, WE ALSO OPERATE SEDONA TROLLEY AND I DON'T, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE ON THE VERGE OF, OF NOT BEING AROUND HAD WE NOT HAD THE BIG ORGANIZATION BEHIND IT BECAUSE THAT SPECIFICALLY WAS, UH, THE WHOLE SECOND TOUR WAS CUT OUT WITH THE ENCHANTMENT AND STUFF.
AND I MIGHT BE UP FOR THE NEXT ONE.
HELLO, CHERYL BARON, RESIDENT OF SEDONA.
UM, SO TO ANSWER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, UM, COUNCILOR DUNN, YOU HAD SAID SIGNS OF THE TIMES GAS PRICES AND POLITICAL TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.
WE HAD FOUND IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY THAT THE GAS PRICES DID NOT AFFECT OUR BUSINESS LIKE WE HAD PROJECTED.
HOWEVER, THE POLITICAL TEMPERATURE ABSOLUTELY DOES BECAUSE THAT AFFECTS OUR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS.
THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IS DOWN 40% FOR THE YEAR.
THE OTHER THING IS, UM, CANADIANS IN JANUARY HATED US IN FEBRUARY.
THEY LOVED US AGAIN AND CAME BACK.
AM I WRONG?
THE STAR REPORT IS TWO WEEKS BEHIND.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING BEHIND OUT OUR BACK DOOR, OKAY? AND THAT'S WHERE WE NEED THE FAST REACTION.
OKAY? IT MAY BE A FIRE, IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS UP AT THE GRAND CANYON, IT MAY JUST LOOK LIKE OUR BUSINESS IS DOWN.
BUT DO WE NEED TO GO DOWN A RABBIT HOLE TO FIND OUT THE EXACT REASON DATA'S GOOD, BUT WE NEED SOMETHING.
WE NEED, WE NEED THE ABILITY TO HAVE YOU REACT FASTER.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE TOURISM DOLLARS ARE THERE FOR.
OKAY? IT MAY NOT, YOU MAY NOT BE PRODUCING, UM, A CAMPAIGN, UM, LIKE A PAID PAID ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN.
WE MAY SAY, HEY, WE WANT MORE SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, IT, IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING AT THAT TIME.
BUT I'M ASKING YOU, UM, TO HAVE FAITH IN YOUR CITY MANAGER TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS BASED ON THE PARAMETERS THAT YOU SET HERE TODAY OR WHENEVER YOU DO THAT, TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THAT AND TRUST THAT SHE'S GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THOSE DECISIONS.
UM, BUT WE NEED SOME, I'LL BACK YOU UP ON THAT.
WE NEED FASTER, UM, DECISION MAKING.
COULD I ASK THE SPEAKER TO CLARIFY ONE POINT? YEAH, THAT'S TRUE.
UM, YOU MENTIONED 40%, UH, INTERNATIONAL TRAP TOURISM WAS DOWN 40%.
WAS THAT A NATIONAL NUMBER, A STATE NUMBER OR A LOCAL NUMBER? THAT'S A STATE NUMBER FROM THE A OT.
ROBERT KOSTER, FOLLOWED BY BOB PIKE.
[01:50:01]
AND I'M A RESIDENT OF SEDONA.AND WHAT I HAVE IS NOT ON THIS TOPIC.
IF YOU WANT ME TO SIT DOWN FROM IT, I WILL, BUT I IT IT IS REGARDING MORE OF THE ELECTION.
IT WAS MORE JUST IN TERMS OF THE CITY NEEDS TO BASICALLY WORK BETTER TOGETHER.
'CAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY GROUPS FIGHTING EACH OTHER.
WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO NOT HAVE IT SO DIVISIVE.
I JUST WANTED TO TRY TO HAVE A PLUG ON IT, BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT COUPLE SECONDS.
BOB PKI FOLLOWED BY JULIE, RICHARD, AND THEN DAVE SWARUP.
AND THAT'S ALL THE CARDS I HAVE.
I'M A RESIDENT, AND AS YOU MAY KNOW, I'M ON THE TOURISM ADVISORY BOARD.
UH, LET ME, LET ME START OFF FIRST WITH, UM, THE BASE YEAR.
'CAUSE THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND LET ME GIVE YOU A, A, A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE ON WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UH, WHEN I FIRST STARTED IN ADVERTISING, I WAS WITH OGILVY AND WE WORKED ON COFFEE INDUSTRY AND WE WERE SEEING COFFEE DECLINE YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR USAGE IN THE US AND IT WAS SOARING IN EUROPE.
AND WE HAD NO IDEA WHY UNTIL WE LOOKED AT THE DATA.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS EACH YEAR THEY WERE TAKING A BLEND AND COMPARING IT TO THE PRIOR YEAR.
WELL, THE PRIOR YEAR'S BLEND WAS BAD.
AND SO THEN THE SECOND YEAR WE WERE CHEWING IT AGAINST NEXT ONE.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS OVER THE COURSE OF 10 YEARS, THE QUALITY OF COFFEE HAD DECLINED BY ABOUT 10 OR 20% IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO YOU NEED A BASE PERIOD THAT'S SIGNIFICANT, NOT JUST THE YEAR BEFORE, YOU NEED AT LEAST TWO YEARS IN ORDER TO MAKE A JUDGMENT CALL LIKE THAT.
OTHERWISE YOU COULD BE IN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IT.
OKAY, NUMBER TWO, UM, IF SEDONA WAS MY BUSINESS AND I WAS MAKING MONEY ON IT, LIKE THE CITY ACTUALLY IS, UM, AND I'M GETTING A SEVEN TO ONE RETURN ON INVESTMENT, I'D KEEP SPENDING MORE UNTIL THAT ROI STARTED DROPPING.
AND IN FACT, UH, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET IN TAB, UH, SIX MONTHS AGO OR OR LONGER, WE WANTED THAT 150,000 IN THE BASE BUDGET BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
WHY WOULD YOU STOP SPENDING AND LEAVE ALL THAT MONEY ON THE TABLE? WE ARE COMPETING, WE'RE COMPETING WITH TAHOE, WE'RE COMPETING WITH JACKSON HOLE.
WE'RE COMPETING, UH, WITH, WITH ALL THESE OTHER DESTINATIONS.
AND WHY WOULDN'T WE SPEND AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO ATTRACT AS MUCH BUSINESS AS WE CAN, UH, UNLESS IT GETS EXCESSIVE.
AND WE ALL KNOW WHERE THAT GOES, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT DESTINATION.
SO I THINK CLEARLY THE ONE 50 IS JUSTIFIED.
I THINK THE, THE THE RED LIGHT SYSTEM MAKES TOTAL SENSE, UH, AND YOU NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
AND THEN ONE FINAL THING, UM, A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE OWNS A SHOE STORE IN TOWN AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, IF I DIDN'T HAVE DEEP POCKETS, I'D BE OUTTA BUSINESS.
SO, YOU KNOW, KEEP THAT IN MIND TOO.
I AM THE CEO OF SEDONA ART CENTER.
UM, I WASN'T PLANNING ON TALKING TONIGHT, BUT UH, I DO HAVE A FEW THINGS TO SAY.
I AM ALSO, I ALSO SERVE ON THE TAB.
SO, UM, I'M VERY, UH, COGNIZANT OF TOURISM ISSUES AND, UM, HOW THEY IMPACT MY ORGANIZATION IN PARTICULAR.
UM, WE USE OUR GALLERY AS OUR BELLWETHER FOR, UM, ECONOMIC ISSUES AND TOURISM ISSUES IN SEDONA.
SO WE LOOK REALLY CLOSELY AT THAT DATA.
AND I ACTUALLY LOOK AT DATA GOING BACK TO 2019 TYPICALLY.
UM, AND LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND UM, I REALLY ATTRIBUTE THAT TO THE FACT THAT THE CITY STARTED MARKETING DIRECTLY TO WEALTHY AREAS STARTING IN LATE MAY.
BUT, UM, GOING, LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT ATTENDANCE DATA, UH, LOOKING AT WHEN THE FIRE STARTED, WE SAW A DECLINE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY IN ATTENDANCE.
UM, AND WE REALLY SAW A FALL OFF STARTING OVER THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND.
[01:55:01]
UM, THERE WERE DEFINITELY FEWER PEOPLE WHERE NORMALLY WE WOULD MAYBE GET 200 PEOPLE COMING THROUGH OUR GALLERY.ON THE 4TH OF JULY, WE HAD 61, UM, THE NEXT DAY WE HAD 38.
AND THE SALES REFLECTED THE SAME THING.
JUST IN THE LAST WEEK, UM, FROM JULY 7TH TO THE 14TH, WE HAD TWO $0 DAYS.
NOW WE NORMALLY HAVE, UH, MAYBE THREE ACROSS AN ENTIRE SUMMER, BUT TWO IN ONE WEEK IS KIND OF UNPRECEDENTED FOR US.
UM, WE ARE ALWAYS DOWN IN JULY AND AUGUST AND WE USUALLY CLOSE A DAY A WEEK IN AUGUST.
THIS YEAR WE DECIDED TO CLOSE STARTING ON SUNDAYS, UM, STARTING THIS PAST WEEK.
SO WE'LL BE CLOSED JULY AND AUGUST ON SUNDAYS GOING FORWARD.
I ALSO WANNA JUST SUPPORT IN GENERAL, UM, THIS, THIS, UH, PROPOSAL TO GIVE THE COUNCIL OR GIVE THE CITY MANAGER, UM, MORE ABILITY TO BE MORE NIMBLE AND TO GET MONEY OUT THERE FOR ADVERTISING BECAUSE IT IS NEEDED.
AND I'M, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT THE FIRE'S GONNA HAVE ON THE REST OF THE SUMMER IF WE'RE SEEING THIS KIND OF, UM, DECLINE RIGHT NOW.
I THINK I'M NEXT DAVE SWOT OUT.
AND UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT I'M, I TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF ANDREW'S PROPOSAL TO, TO ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER AND ANDREW TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THIS $150,000.
WHEN YOU THINK OF A $98 MILLION BUDGET THE CITY HAS FOR THE COUNCIL TO HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN $150,000 DECISION WHEN WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION QUICKLY, IS, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
I MEAN, I I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU RUN A BUSINESS THAT WAY.
SO I THINK GO WITH THE PROFESSIONALS, LET THEM DO THEIR JOB AND TRUST IN THEM.
IF, IF, IF YOU CAN'T TRUST IN THEM, YOU GOTTA GET SOMEBODY YOU CAN BECAUSE THAT, THAT I THINK THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND, AND WE JUST NEED TO BE BEHIND THEM AND LET THEM HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY.
'CAUSE YOU, YOU, YOU GOTTA ACT RIGHT AWAY.
WE NEED TO BE OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT A SMALL FIRE SOUTH OF FLAGSTAFF INSTEAD OF A BIG FIRE NORTH OF SEDONA.
AND UH, WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT THAT HE IS CLEAN IN SEDONA AND NOT SO GOOD IN FLAGS TO HAVE AND COME VISIT.
SO I WOULD SAY, UH, BE IN FAVOR OF, OF LETTING ANDREW DO HIS JOB.
YOU WANT US TO MOVE ON TO THE SECOND THRESHOLD PROPOSAL OR DO YOU GUYS WANT TO COMMENT ABOUT THIS? I THINK WE COULD WRAP THIS UP.
WHAT, YEAH, I THINK I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS PART.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I I, I THINK AGAIN, THERE WERE FIVE POINTS IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT I NOTICED THERE ARE ACTUALLY SEVEN, UH, OF THE METRICS IN THE, UH, AGENDA BILL.
SO THE FOUR OUT OF FIVE YOU SAID BEFORE, BUT IT'S A FOUR OUTTA SEVEN.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR ON THAT.
UM, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE A PART OF IT AND SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE INCLUDED IN THE, IN AN ACTUAL MOTION, SHOULD ONE COME FORWARD.
UM, GENERALLY I, I AGREE WITH THIS BECAUSE I THINK FIRST OF ALL, I THINK, I THINK THE CITY MANAGER SHOULD HAVE THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY FOR 150,000.
IF WE'VE ALREADY SET IN THE BUDGET THAT THERE'S A CONTINGENCY AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR THE AUTHOR AUTHORIZATION TO SPEND THE CONTINGENCY, I BELIEVE THAT THAT SHOULD BE VESTED WITH THE CITY MANAGER, UH, WHICH BRINGS IT IN LINE WITH ALL THE OTHER AUTHORITIES YOU HAVE FOR THAT SPENDING.
SO THERE'S NO CONFLICT OF THAT FOR ME HERE.
I THINK IT'S, IT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE AND BRINGS EVERYTHING INTO ALIGNMENT.
I THINK OUR STAFF IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF MAKING A RECOMMENDATION FOR WHEN THE CITY MANAGER NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERING THIS.
UM, I I, I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO SET THAT THERE IS A BENCHMARK TO TRIGGER THE ENTIRE PROCESS.
SO THAT, THAT'S MY COMMENT, PETE.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH COUNCILOR KINSELLA MUCH AT ALL ON THIS.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, UH, GETTING TO COUNCIL TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST BUREAUCRATIC LOADS YOU COULD TAKE.
AND I THINK, LAUREN, YOU SAID APPROPRIATELY NIMBLE OR APPROPRIATELY AGILE, WHATEVER THOSE WORDS YOU SAID RESPONSIBLY, NIMBLE RESPONSIBLY.
YOU KNOW, I, WE YOU ARE STILL GONNA BE BUREAUCRATIC.
IT'S STILL GONNA TAKE SOME TIME.
[02:00:01]
ACTUALLY SPECIFY THE NUMBER OF THOSE CRITERIA BECAUSE I THINK THE REAL ANSWER IS IT DEPENDS.IT DEPENDS ON WHAT'S GOING ON ABOUT, THERE MIGHT BE ONLY THREE, BUT THOSE ARE GONNA BE THREE BIG BLARING THINGS THAT KIND OF OVERRIDE OTHERS.
AND SO I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I NEED A SPECIFIC ANSWER ABOUT THAT AND I TRUST THE STAFF TO SORT OF WORK THAT OUT.
WE DON'T HOLD ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT TO THIS LEVEL OF SCRUTINY.
WE DON'T HAVE THE POLICE HERE FOR, UH, CALLS FOR SERVICE EVERY MONTH.
WE DON'T HAVE THE PERMIT DEPARTMENT HERE LOOKING AT THE VARIATIONS IN PERMITS.
WE DON'T, UH, WE GET MONTHLY STR DATA, BUT WE DON'T EXPECT 'EM TO COME IN FRONT OF COUNCIL TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO YOU'LL RECALL THAT I WAS SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE CITY BEING THE BEST PLACE TO TAKE THIS ACTIVITY ON AT ALL.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I JUST, WE WE'RE, WE'RE NOT NIMBLE AND IT'S APPROPRIATE TO BE NIMBLE IN, IN CASES LIKE THIS.
SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF THE ACTIONS THAT ARE PUT IN FRONT OF US TODAY.
SO I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT IN SAYING THAT WE ASKED FOR THIS AND ANDREW AND TEAM HAVE DELIVERED ON IT.
IS IT PERFECT? NO, BUT PERFECT'S IMPOSSIBLE ON THIS AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A GOING TO BE A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR US.
I WOULD ASK THAT, UH, AND I WOULD HOPE MY COLLEAGUES WOULD AGREE TO ASK THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY WILL YOU BE TELLING US WHETHER WE GOT BOB'S SEVEN X ROAS OR NOT, BUT ALSO, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE USED THE CRITERIA, WE'VE NOW EXECUTED, WHAT DID WE LEARN AND HOW MIGHT WE ADJUST WHAT THAT CRITERIA LOOKS LIKE THE NEXT TIME AROUND THAT WE'RE FACING, UH, A DOWNTURN.
SO I SUPPORT THIS AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO IT.
IT TOOK ALMOST A YEAR TO GET TO THIS POINT.
UM, SO YEAH, I SUPPORT THE PROGRAM.
LIKE BRIAN JUST SAID, WE ASKED FOR THIS AND YOU GAVE IT TO US AND I SUPPORT IT.
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID.
UM, I THINK THE INCLUSION OF THE 150 IN THE BUDGET IS A RECOGNITION THAT WE RE IS A RECOGNITION OF NEEDING TO BE MORE NIMBLE.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE THAT RECOGNITION.
WE ASKED AS YOU SAID BEFORE, UM, WHAT THE METRICS WOULD BE.
UH, I LIKE THE RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT, YELLOW LIGHT THING, WHATEVER THE MAJORITY OF THE INDICATORS ARE, WHAT THOSE TELL YOU.
WHEN WE GET TO THE NEXT PART, I'M GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A QUESTION, BUT FOR THIS I'M FINE.
SO THERE'S ONLY ONE MOTION IN HERE, WHICH IS $150,000.
UM, AND THE NEXT, 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE YET, BUT I WAS LOOKING AT THE SLIDES FOR THE NEXT ONE AND THERE'S ANOTHER REQUEST.
IS THAT PART OF THE 150 OR IS THAT ADDED? THAT IS PART, UM, AND I THINK I'M HAPPY TO EXPLAIN THAT IF WE MOVE TO THAT SECTION, BUT ESSENTIALLY IN NOT BEAR THE LEAD IN TIMES OF CRISIS, WE'RE ABLE TO ACCESS UP TO $50,000 QUICKLY, MORE QUICKLY, MORE, MORE QUICKLY.
AND THEN IF WE CONTINUE TO SEE NEGATIVE DECLINES, THEN WE COULD CONTINUE TO PULL AS NEEDED.
BUT IT GIVES IT EVEN SHORTENS THAT RUNWAY EVEN MORE.
NOT IN A CHANGE OF MARKET CONDITIONS LIKE AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, BUT IN A TIME IN WHICH AN EVENT HAS CAUGHT, CAUSED IMMEDIATE IMPACTS TO VISITATION AND OR REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE TO SEDONA.
AND THAT'LL BE HOW WE KIND OF KICK OFF THE NEXT, THE NEXT SECTION.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON THAT SEPARATELY AFTER WE'VE HAD THE PRESENTATION.
I'D LIKE TO STICK WITH, IF WE MAY, WITH THE FIRST PART.
WELL, THE FIRST PART THERE'S A MOTION I UNDERSTAND AND RIGHT, WHICH I THINK WE SHOULD MOTION DEAL WITH.
THERE'S NO MOTION AS YOUR POINT FOR THE SECOND PART.
YEAH, THERE IS NO MOTION FOR THE SECOND PART.
I, I THINK IT STANDS ALONE BECAUSE AS ANDREW SAID, IT WILL COME UNDER THE, THE SPENDING WILL COME UNDER THE FIRST PART ANYWAY.
SO I THINK IT'S JUST A POLICY DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT ORDER, CAN WE TAKE AN A MOTION AND VOTE ON IT AND THEN CONTINUE THE REST OF THE DISCUSSION, RIGHT? YES, YES.
SO IT'S, IT'S ALL REASONABLY REASONABLY RELATED AND I, THIS IS KIND OF A SUBSET OF THAT LARGER ONE.
SO YOU CAN EITHER DO ONE BIG MOTION OR DO TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS.
UH, ANYTHING'S ON THE TABLE, UH, WHATEVER COUNCIL'S PREFERENCE IS.
[02:05:02]
THAT'S A QUICK QUESTION, DEREK.SO THE 150, THIS SECOND PART WOULD COME OUT OF THAT 150.
SO YOU'VE GOT THE AB YOU'VE GOT RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT, ILL LIGHT
UM, IN THE SECOND PART YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE YOU WOULD EVEN MORE QUICKLY BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE SAME, WITHIN THE SAME POT OF FUNDING, THE SAME PILE OF MONEY.
AND THEN IF WE SAW CONTINUED DECLINES, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO, AGAIN, THAT WOULD GET US OUT THERE IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEN IF, YOU KNOW, WE SAW THINGS GET BACK ON TRACK, THEN WE WOULD GO BACK TO GREEN LIGHT.
BUT IF WE REMAINED, REMAINED IN A RED AT THAT POINT, 'CAUSE TWO WEEKS LATER WE'D END UP IN A RED ESSENTIALLY.
BUT ULTIMATELY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AUTHORIZING JUST THE ONE 50, RIGHT? YES.
SO I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO COMMENT ON THE FIRST PART, WHICH IS I AGREE WITH THE VICE MAYOR, NOTHING IS PERFECT.
THIS IS GONNA BE LEARNING, WE'LL SEE IF IT WORKS AND IF NOT, WE'LL ADJUST IT.
AS LONG AS THE FEEDBACK FROM THE AUDIENCE WAS POSITIVE, I'M JUST WORRIED THAT IT'S STILL TOO LONG.
BUT WHEN WE DO THE SECOND PART, WE'LL SEE IF THAT MAKES ME MORE COMFORTABLE.
SO DO YOU WANNA ENTERTAIN A MOTION OR DO YOU WANNA WAIT TILL THE END? I WANNA WAIT.
MAY I ASK A, WHEN I READ THIS MOTION, SO I'M SPEAKING TO LEGAL HERE.
WHEN I READ THIS MOTION, IT JUST TALKS ABOUT THE GENERAL AMOUNT 150 AND, AND THE FACT THAT IT CAN BE ACCESSED MORE QUICKLY WITHOUT ANY SPECIFICS.
SO DOES IT NOT COVER ACTUALLY BOTH INSTANCES TO WHICH ANDREW WILL BE REFERRING IF WE EVER GIVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY? SO IT, IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT THE MONITORING FRAMEWORK AND ASSOCIATED PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED HERE AT THIS MEETING.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA CONTROL IT RIGHT NOW.
SO IF YOU WANT, IF YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BE SUBJECT TO THOSE OR YOU WANNA DO DIFFERENT METRICS OR PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS, THEN THAT WOULD REQUIRE A DIFFERENT MOTION.
SO IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S QUITE BROAD ENOUGH TO ENCOMPASS THE SECOND PART.
IT WAS DRAFTED JUST FOR THAT PART.
ENCOMPASSES AND YOU WOULD NEED A WHOLE NEW MOTION AS OPPOSED TO AN AMENDMENT OF THIS MOTION OR AN AMENDED MOTION EITHER WAY.
COULD I SPEAK TO THAT? ASK A QUESTION, FOLLOW UP.
IF THE MOTION, THE, THE SAMPLE MOTION THAT'S IN HERE, COULD IT BE ALL AMENDED TO READ SOMETHING MORE SPECIFIC, SUCH AS MONITORING THE GREEN, YELLOW, RED LIGHT MONITORING FRAMEWORK SO THAT WE HAVE A REFERENCE BACK AND THAT IT ALSO THEN SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT FOUR OF THE METRICS BE MET.
'CAUSE IT'S EITHER FOUR OUT OF FIVE OR FOUR OUTTA SEVEN, DOESN'T MATTER.
YES, THAT WOULD BE, THAT COULD BE AMENDED.
THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO READ THAT WAY.
OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE.
WELL, AS MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAME TO TODAY WITH THE REQUEST THAT YOU HAD FOR US AS PER PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS, BUT SINCE THE SUBMISSION OF THE AGENDA BILL, A SERIOUS CRISIS HAS HIT OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, KNOWN AS THE POCKET FIRE.
UM, JUST WANNA KIND OF PAUSE AND JUST, IT'S BEEN, I THINK IT'S BEEN FRUSTRATING FOR A LOT OF US THAT ARE IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY TO JUST BE IN THIS SITUATION.
UM, AND I'VE REFLECTED ON AT LEAST MY PAST IN THIS AND KIND OF JUST SO YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M COMING FROM RIGHT NOW AS I GIVE THIS PRESENTATION IS THAT MY FIRST REAL EXPERIENCE WITH A WILDFIRE THAT'S REALLY DEVASTATED.
UM, THE TOURISM MINISTRY IN A PRETTY IMMEDIATE WAY WAS THE 2017 EAGLE CREEK FIRE IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE THAT IMPACTED, UM, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE STATE OF OREGON.
AND, UM, AS PART OF SORT OF THE, THE FUTURE RESPONSE TO THAT, UM, WE ESTABLISHED A TRAVEL OREGON, A THREE STAGE CRISIS MANAGEMENT PROTOCOL, WHICH IS SORT OF PREVENTION.
AND THAT WAY IT'S REALLY EDUCATION.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE PRESENT, PREVENT A CRISIS FROM HAPPENING? WE CAN'T ALWAYS FLOODS KINDA HARD FOR US TO PREVENT, BUT STILL ADD THAT IN THERE.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THINGS LIKE THIS DON'T HAPPEN AS BEST WE CAN? BUT WE KNOW THAT THINGS CAN BE OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL, BUT THERE'S STILL THINGS WE AS A DMO CAN DO.
MITIGATION, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A DMO, WE'RE SORT OF TAKING A STEP BACK AND LISTENING TO EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR JOB IS TO HELP BROADLY GIVE OUT ACCESS TO ACCURATE INFORMATION.
AND THEN, UM, WHEN YOU MOVE INTO THE, YOU KNOW, RECOVERY STAGE, IT'S REALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SORT OF, UM, COMMUNICATE WHY YOU SHOULD BE BACK IN THAT DESTINATION, SPENDING YOUR DOLLARS, HAVING THOSE MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND LOVED ONES.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST THE WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, MY BRAIN'S BEEN LOOKING AT IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS HERE.
UM, AND JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JUST TO MAYBE GROUND US IN THE NEXT FEW SLIDES, BUT TRULY THE POCKET FIRE HAS RESULTED IN A SECOND THRESHOLD PROPOSAL, UM, THAT WOULD CREATE ACCESS TO CONTINGENCY FUNDS IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO A CRISIS.
UM, NOT JUST PROPOSING WILDFIRE.
I'M PROPOSING FLOOD MASS CASUALTY EVENT.
[02:10:01]
THAT I'VE SEEN HAPPEN IN MY CAREER THAT ARE LIKE THIS IN SHAPE AND FORM, IT IS A CRISIS.IT IS AN EVENT THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT CAUSES IMMEDIATE IMPACTS TO VISITATION AND OR REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE, IN THIS CASE TO THE CITY OF SEDONA.
UM, AND ALTHOUGH PREVIOUS, UH, ALTHOUGH SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS PROPOSAL, UM, KEY DIFFERENCES FOR THIS THRESHOLD ARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD START WITH A REDUCED SPENDING AUTHORITY OF $50,000 AND WOULD'VE A SHORTER LENGTH OF TIME BEFORE FUNDS CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE.
TRULY AN EVENT HAS OCCURRED THAT'S CAUSED IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF VISITATION AND OR REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE.
UM, WE HAVE LEADING FACTORS HERE JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, EACH CRISIS IS DIFFERENT.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A MASS CASUALTY EVENT, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THE DATA TO TELL US THAT VISITATION HAS SLOWED DOWN.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONCE THINGS ARE DEEMED AS SAFE, THERE MIGHT BE A NEED TO SORT OF PUT MONEY INTO BRINGING OUR REPUTATION AS A TOURISM DESTINATION BACK.
UM, AGAIN, SO WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THESE LEADING FACTORS.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS INPUT WOULD BE A PRETTY EASY ONE FOR US TO IMMEDIATELY WORK ON ADOT VEHICLE TRAFFIC.
BUT DEPENDING ON THE CRISIS, WE'RE LOOKING AT LEADING FACTORS, BUT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE A CRISIS JUST OCCURRED.
SO I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH THIS AND KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA ABOUT HOW WE WOULD PUT THIS KIND OF WHOLE MONITORING FRAMEWORK INTO PRACTICE THROUGH THE LENS OF THE POCKET FIRE.
UM, STARTING WITH HOTEL BOOKING PACE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE SEVEN COUNSELOR KINSELLA.
BUT, UM, TO ME THAT'S MORE RELEVANT DURING THE YELLOW STAGE.
TO, UM, CHERYL'S POINT, WHEN WE GET INTO THE RED STAGE, WE ARE KIND OF LOOKING BACK TO VALIDATE.
AND THEN OVERNIGHT DEMAND IN THE SEVEN IS INCLUSIVE OF KEY DATA, UM, WHICH IS THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL INFORMATION.
BUT WE WOULD RECOMMEND FOCUSING ON THE SEDONA PLUS DUE TO SOME THINGS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE SHORTLY ABOUT THE KEY DATA.
THAT'S, THOSE ARE, THOSE TWO ARE PART OF THE SEVEN, BUT MORE IN THE YELLOW THAN THEY ARE IN THE RED, IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
UM, SO LOOKING AT HOTEL BOOKING PASTE DATA, WEEKLY SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH PERFORMANCE, SHORT-TERM RENTAL LISTING PERFORMANCE, ADOT VEHICLE VOLUME, AND THE RESPONSES WE GOT TO THE TOURISM BUSINESS PERFORMANCE AND OUTLOOK SURVEY.
SO I WANNA START WITH BOOKING PASTE.
AND I THINK MY FIRST COMMENT HERE IS I'M GONNA SHOW IT TO YOU, BUT I WANT TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU WHY IT'S NOT A GREAT FACTOR IN A CRISIS COMPARED TO A CHANGE IN ECONOMIC CONDITION.
UM, THE KEY REASON BEING THAT ACCORDING TO MY UNDERSTANDING AND IN CONTACTS WITH MY RESEARCH VENDORS IN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS, CANCELLATIONS AND NO-SHOWS ARE NOT REFLECTED IN THIS DATA SET.
SO IT'S NOT A GREAT LEADING FACTOR DURING A CRISIS BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE SEEN THE BOOKING OCCUR, BUT I'M NOT GETTING WHETHER OR NOT THERE WAS A CANCELLATION.
SO THIS ONE IS LESS RELIABLE TO ME IN THIS ONE, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO FOREGO SHARING IT WITH YOU.
UM, THE OTHER THING TOO IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, NOVEMBER IS NOT A BIG AMOUNT OF VOLUME.
UM, JUST YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT IN THE TOP LEFT.
BUT AS WE TALKED ABOUT, IT'S NOT ABOUT COMPARING TO 25.
I HAD OUR RESEARCH FIRM TOURISM ECONOMICS COMPARE US TO 24.
UM, SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS BOOKING PACE RIGHT NOW.
UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THAT BLUE COLOR IS TO 25 AND THE PURPLE COLOR IS TO 24.
NOW, I WILL CALL OUT THAT AUGUST LOOKS, UM, PRETTY DIRE RIGHT NOW IN THIS DATA SET, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT SEEING CANCELLATIONS AND NO SHOWS.
BUT JUST THAT SORT OF CALLS OUT TO ME.
UM, AND I WANTED TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU.
AND THEN ALSO AS WE GET LATER IN THE YEAR, YOU START SEEING LESS OF THE TOTAL DEMAND IS ACCOUNTED FOR IN THOSE.
BUT LET'S START WITH THIS EXAMPLE OF THE RESEARCH THAT WE'D BE LOOKING AT.
THIS ONE'S A LITTLE HARDER TO SEE 'CAUSE IT'S PRETTY BUSY, BUT I'LL JUST KIND OF TELL YOU THE NARRATIVE.
UM, THAT LITTLE SQUARE IN THE BOTTOM LEFT THAT SAYS DEMAND IS WHERE I'M REALLY LOOKING.
WE TALKED ABOUT OVERNIGHT DEMAND AS REALLY THE METRIC MORE THAN ANYTHING THAT, UM, RECTANGLE THAT'S VERTICAL IS JUNE 19TH.
AND ONE THING THAT YOU KNOW, I WAS CHATTING ABOUT WITH FOLKS IS THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON WHEN A CRISIS STARTS, TYPICALLY, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE ONE THAT WE HAD WHERE THERE'S SORT OF AN IMMEDIATE DISPLACEMENT, UM, FROM OAK CREEK CANYON AND THIS INSTANCE OF A CRISIS, RIGHT? WE HAD AN AREA OF HOTELS THAT WE'RE NOT REALLY LOOKING AT IN THE STUDY AREA CLOSE.
AND THEN WE LIKELY SAW, OR I CAN, I'VE HEARD ANECDOTALLY THAT WE SAW DISPLACEMENT FROM THOSE HOTEL PROPERTIES INTO HOTEL PROPERTIES, INTO SEDONA.
UM, WE'RE ALSO SEEING EMERGENCY MANAGERS AND FOLKS THAT ARE COMING INTO HELP FIGHT THE FIRE STAY AT HOTELS, WHICH IS MAKING ROOM NIGHTS BOOKED ON THESE BOOKS THAT WE'RE SEEING.
THERE'S ALSO OFTEN LIKE A SEVEN DAY CANCELLATION POLICY WITH SOME OF THESE.
UM, SO WHAT THAT NUMBERS ARE DAYS SINCE INCIDENT STARTED.
AND THEN THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS DAY EIGHT, WHICH
[02:15:01]
WAS JUNE 27TH, WE BEGAN TO SEE A NEGATIVE 2.4% DECLINE IN HOTEL DEMAND.NOW, I ALLUDED TO THIS BEFORE, BUT UM, THIS IS NOW THE MOST RECENT WEEK THAT WE GOT, UH, WHICH IS JUNE 28TH TO JULY 4TH.
UM, YOU'RE SEEING ON DAY 11 ONE, WE WERE DOWN 13% IN DEMAND.
DAY 12 WE WERE DOWN 21.5% IN DEMAND.
DAY 13 WE WERE DOWN 16.7% IN DEMAND.
AND ON JULY 4TH WE WERE DOWN 8.3% IN DEMAND.
WE'VE TALKED IN THE PAST ABOUT HOW SOMETIMES HOLIDAYS LAND ON DIFFERENT TIMES OF YEAR.
IT WAS A SATURDAY THIS YEAR, IT WAS A FRIDAY LAST YEAR.
SO NOT A NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN THAT.
UM, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD JULY 4TH, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED WITHOUT IMPACTS TO THE POCKET FIRE.
AND WE ENDED UP DOWN 9.9% IN DEMAND FOR THE LAST WEEK THAT I HAVE ON FILE.
DOES, DOES ANYONE KNOW OFFHAND WHEN THE EVAC ORDER WHAT DAY THAT WAS? SE THE SECOND DAY HAPPENED? FIRST DAY THE 19TH, IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE 19TH.
UM, THIS IS SHORT-TERM RENTAL PERFORMANCE DATA.
UM, AGAIN, THIS ONE IS A LITTLE LESS RELIABLE AND IT'S BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS THE SCRAPE DATA.
IF SOMETHING IS BOOKED ON ONE OF THE PLATFORMS, IT GETS BOOKED ON THE OTHER.
AND WE'VE, ABOUT 16% OF THE LISTINGS THAT I OBSERVE ARE ON BOTH PLATFORMS. SO THERE IS KIND OF AN ARTIFICIAL LIFT TO DEMAND HERE.
AS I'VE SHARED WITH YOU, IF I LOOK AT JUNE 19TH TO JULY 13TH, WE'RE DOWN 4% IN GUEST NIGHTS IN THE SHORT TERM RENTALS.
AGAIN, THAT SHOULD BE LOWER TO THE WHAT EXTENT? I DON'T KNOW.
BUT WE ARE SEEING US ALREADY MEET THE THRESHOLD OF THAT 3% THAT WE MENTIONED IN THIS INSTANCE.
VEHICLE VOLUME, UM, WORKED WITH OUR PUBLIC WORKS TEAM ON THIS ONE.
SO, QUICK STORY, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY OAK CREEK CANYON WAS CLOSED.
THAT'S WHY ON THE LEFT YOU SEE 89 A SOUTH DOWN 50%.
IT WAS STILL OPEN TO LOCAL TRAFFIC, WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT SEEING THAT DOWN TO ZERO.
AND I BELIEVE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WERE GOING UP THERE.
UM, 1 79 NORTH, WHICH BECAME ESSENTIALLY THE NEW ROUTE TO SEDONA WITH THE CLOSURE OF 89 A SOUTH IS UP 7%, BUT 89 A NORTH IS DOWN 5% FOR A COLLECTIVE VEHICLE VOLUME DECLINE OF 12% BETWEEN JUNE 19TH AND JUNE 30TH.
UM, WE ALSO RELEASED OUR TOURISM BUSINESS SURVEY THAT WE'VE DONE NOW.
I THINK THIS WAS OUR FOURTH EXECUTION OF IT.
UM, WE GOT, UM, 56 RESPONSES, UM, PRIMARILY FROM RETAIL AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE.
UM, I DO HAVE SOME NOTES FROM THE CHAMBER, UH, DAVID KEY WHO SHARED ME SOME OF THE, UM, RESPONSES HE GOT TO HIS HOTEL SURVEY.
SO I'LL BE KIND OF SHARING THOSE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS AS WELL.
UM, BUT WHAT THIS BASICALLY SHOWS IS KIND OF LEADING UP TO THE POCKET FIRE.
YOU KNOW, HOW IS YOUR ESTIMATED PROFIT YEAR TO DATE IN 2026? AND YOU KNOW, IT'S BASICALLY SHOWING A PRETTY MIXED BAG OF, YOU KNOW, 20% INCREASE BY 10 TO 20, 15% INCREASE BY LESS THAN 10, 25%, NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
16.1, DECREASED BY LESS THAN 10.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, 18% DECREASED BY 10.
SO A PRETTY AVERAGE AMOUNT LEADING UP TO THE POCKET FIRE.
UM, WE DID ASK RESTAURANTS, ATTRACTIONS, AND RETAIL.
HOW HAS FOOT TRAFFIC, THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS ENTERING YOUR ESTABLISHMENT CHANGED SINCE THE POCKET POCKET FIRE BEGAN ON JUNE 19TH? UM, WE'VE GOT 75% HAVE SAID SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED.
UM, 16% SAID SLIGHTLY DECREASED.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 90% ARE SAYING DECREASED.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WITH SOME OF THE COMMENTS RE UM, FOLKS THAT THE OUTTA THE 44 FOLKS THAT RESPONDED TO THIS WE'RE HEARING SIMILAR THINGS THAT WE HEARD TONIGHT OF KIND OF SALES REVENUES DOWN 30 TO 40% SINCE THE POCKET FIRE BEGAN ON JUNE 19TH.
UM, WE ALSO HEARD FROM THREE HOTELS, UM, OF THOSE THREE HOTELS, I GOT 77 CANCELLATIONS OF ROOM NIGHTS SINCE THE POCKET FIRE STARTED, THE CHAMBER COMMERCE SURVEYED 24 HOTEL PROPERTIES REGARDING CANCELLATIONS ACROSS THE GREATER SEDONA AREA.
82% OF THOSE HOTELS RECEIVED CANCELLATIONS.
65% HAVE SEEN A DECLINE IN NEW BOOKINGS.
29% EX HAVE EXPERIENCED A DRAMATIC DECLINE IN NEW BOOKINGS.
INTERESTINGLY, THE VILLAGE OF OAK CREEK, WHICH IS PART OF THEIR STUDY AREA, UM, WAS PERFORMING BETTER OR AKA LESS IMPACTED AND THAT'S LIKELY DUE TO BEING FURTHER AWAY FROM THE SMOKE.
UM, I HEARD FROM A FEW TOUR OPERATORS, ONE REPORTED 20% CANCELLATIONS IN THE FIRST WEEK.
THE OTHER REPORTED ONE, THE OTHER TWO REPORTED MORE THAN A HUNDRED CANCELLATIONS.
THEY ALSO SAID NO NEW BOOKINGS.
ONE OF THEM SAID NO NEW BOOKINGS FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS PACING FAR WORSE THAN 2025.
UM, IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE'VE DONE THIS SURVEY NOW FOUR TIMES.
'CAUSE I WANT TO COMPARE THIS QUESTION BACK TO
[02:20:01]
THE WHEN WE ASKED IN FEBRUARY, BECAUSE HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS'S FINANCIAL STABILITY THROUGH THE END OF 2026? WE ASKED THIS IN JULY OF 26, AND YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, 34% VERY CONFIDENT, 18%, SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT, YOU KNOW, 14% NEUTRAL.YOU KNOW, THAT GETS US TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE OR TAKE 60 OR SO PERCENT THAT ARE NEUTRAL OR ABOVE OR MORE, YOU KNOW, MOREOVER ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 35, ABOUT A THIRD OF IT IS SOMEWHAT CONCERNED OR VERY CONCERNED.
UM, IN FEBRUARY WE HAD, YOU KNOW, 75% CONFIDENCE IN, IN THE RESPONDENTS.
SO WE'VE SEEN A PRETTY DRAMATIC DECLINE IN SENTIMENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT BUSINESS IS, IT'S NOT THE SAME.
BUT JUST BEING ABLE TO COMPARE THIS TO WHERE WE WERE BACK IN FEBRUARY COMPARED TO JULY, THERE'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN CONFIDENCE FOR THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
WHAT WOULD WE DO WITH THIS $50,000 RIGHT NOW OR UP TO $50,000? UM, WELL IN THIS SPECIFIC INSTANCE OF A CRISIS, RIGHT? UM, AND MAYBE THIS BUILDS ON SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS COUNSELOR DUNN, OF LIKE, WHAT IS THE MOST STRATEGIC WAY TO DEPLOY MARKETING DOLLARS? WELL, DURING CRISIS, IT'S NOT JUST THE IMPACTS TO VISITATION, IT'S THE IMPACTS TO REPUTATION.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET THE NARRATIVE OUT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, UM, THAT WE HAVE REMAINED OPEN.
UM, SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BOOSTING OUR CAMPAIGN SPEND, BUT PART OF IT IS, PART OF IT IS THAT, SO THERE'S THREE ESSENTIALLY BUCKETS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING AS STRATEGIES.
UM, BASICALLY WE'RE SAYING WE'RE WORKING WITH EVERYBODY RIGHT NOW TO DETERMINE THE EXACT SPEND, BUT THE CURRENT THINKING IS, YOU KNOW, 30% OF IT, UM, SORRY, 2030 K OF THE 50 K WOULD GO TO THE TOP TWO BULLETS AND THEN 20 K WOULD GO TO THE BOTTOM BULLET.
SO WE WOULD INCREASE PAID ADVERTISING WITHIN OUR ACTIVE SUMMER 26 DESTINATION MARKETING CAMPAIGN SPECIFICALLY IN TUCSON AND PHOENIX.
AND WE WOULD EXTEND OUR SPEND IN THOSE TWO MARKETS, SPECIFICALLY IN TUCSON AND PHOENIX THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30.
AND THEN IMMEDIATELY WE WOULD START WORKING ON EARNED, WHICH DOESN'T COST MONEY, BUT WE WOULD DO THAT AS PART OF THIS, DO IT ANYWAY, BUT THEN ALSO LOOK AT PAID MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT SEDONA, UM, AFTER THE POCKET FIRE.
UM, TALKING ABOUT NIMBLE, I'VE BASICALLY ALREADY LINED UP IF, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL APPROVES, UM, AS YOU RECALL, WE'VE DONE LOCAL NEWS SEGMENTS WITH 12 NEWS.
WE'VE DONE THEM WITH A, B, C 15, WE'VE GOT SEGMENTS IN THE COFFER.
WE CAN REBROADCAST THEM WITH NEW INTRODUCTIONS FROM ANCHORS OR WITH MYSELF THAT ARE ON DATES THAT ARE, WOULD BE IN THIS MONTH THAT WE COULD GET MOVING ON, CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF WHAT HAPPENED TO SEDONA AS A RESULT OF THE POCKET FIRE IN OUR MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREA.
AND THEN ALSO IN WORKING WITH THE ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM, GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE OTHER NEW STATIONS ON MORE OF AN EARNED MEDIA PLAY.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO NOT SAY THAT WHILE I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE WOULD DO WITH THE AUTHORITY TO MOVE FORWARD QUICKLY ON THIS.
SO WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, IT DOES CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THE CRISIS MANAGEMENT MONITORING FRAMEWORK AND ASSOCIATED PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS THAT ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER, THE PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE UP TO $50,000 IN GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY FUNDS EARMARKED FOR TOURISM PER FISCAL YEAR TO INCREASE THE PAID ADVERTISING SPEND FOR DESTINATION MARKETING CAMPAIGNS CONDUCTED BY THE TOURISM PROGRAM.
QUESTION THE TIMING OF THIS, UM, ARE YOU ALREADY, WE'RE THREE WEEKS IN THAT WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS OR THREE WEEKS PLUS? SO THE TIMING ISN'T REALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST CRITERIA THAT WE SET, UH, IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT HAVING THIS EXPEDITED POLICY WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T, WOULD BE NECESSARY BECAUSE WE'RE MEETING THAT TIMEFRAME OF THE FIRST POLICY FOR THE SPEND ANYWAY.
AM I CORRECT ON THAT? UM, IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU THINK ABOUT IT.
SO IF WE'RE USING THE SMITH TRAVEL RESEARCH AS THE BELLWETHER FOR THE CHANGES IN MARKING CONDITION, WE GET THAT TWO WEEKS LATER.
AND IN THIS CASE WE'RE IN WEEK THREE AND WE'VE BEEN MOVING FORWARD IN THE LAST PROPOSAL, IT'D ACTUALLY BE AT WEEK SIX THAT WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD.
SO THIS GETS US HALF THE TIME TO MOVING FORWARD, BUT IT DOES DEPEND ON THE CRISIS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I WANNA CLARIFY.
UM, IT IT'S A CRISIS OCCURRED THAT HAS CAUSED IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF VISITATION AND OR REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE TO SEDONA.
IF IT'S THE LATTER REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE WE NEED TO BE IN THE MARKETPLACE SOONER.
AND I WON'T BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU THAT VIA DATA.
BUT I, BUT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF A CRISIS THIS IS A POLICY THAT WOULD APPLY TO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCENARIOS.
AND THAT'S WHAT CONCERNS ME ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE IF YOU HAD A SCENARIO WHERE THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERABLE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OR GOD FORBID,
[02:25:01]
SOME SORT OF MASS CASUALTIES, I, I ACTUALLY THINK YOU NEED THE TIME TO DIGEST THAT.AND THERE ARE POSSIBLY POLICY DISCUSSIONS THAT WOULD NEED TO COME INTO TO PLAY.
SO THAT'S, I'M TRYING TO BALANCE THIS IN THE COURSE OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, LOOKED AT YOUR PRESENTATION AHEAD OF TIME AND THOUGHT IT OUT AND LISTENED TO YOU.
NOW TONIGHT I'VE GONE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GONNA LAND ON THIS 'CAUSE I'VE GONE FROM STARTING OUT OPPOSED TO SUPPORTING TO, BACK TO OPPOSED TO, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY UNKNOWNS WITH, WITH THIS ONE.
AND I THINK MOST OF IT IS, MOST OF IT, OF COURSE, THERE'LL BE EXCEPTIONS, AS WE SAID AGREED BEFORE UNANIMOUSLY NOTHING'S PERFECT.
RIGHT? BUT, UM, MOST OF IT WOULD BE CAPTURED UNDER THE POLICY THAT WE'VE JUST, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED.
SO I'M, I'M STILL TRYING TO DI DIGEST ALL THIS.
I THINK THE, THE POLICY PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED WOULD BE FOUR PLUS WEEKS OF RESEARCH THAT INDICATES A DEFINITIVE DECLINE.
THIS IS BASICALLY SAYING THERE'S SMOKE IN THE AIR AND WE'RE HEARING ABOUT A DECLINE, AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE SEEING IT IN THE DATA.
AND IT DEPENDS ON THE CRISIS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S MY POINT.
IS THERE SMOKE IN THE AIR? DO WE WANNA AUTOMATICALLY GO AHEAD OR DO WE WANNA HAVE SOME SORT OF A DISCUSSION TRIGGERED AT A POLICY LEVEL BECAUSE ARE WE GOING TO SAY, COME TO SEDONA WHEN WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A, UH, AN AIR QUALITY OR SOMETHING? I MEAN, I JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE, THAT WE DON'T SET UP A SITUATION THAT COULD BE DETRIMENTAL IN SOME TO ANYBODY INCLUDING US.
I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR US MARKETING THAT WE'RE OPEN AND SAFE WHEN WE'RE NOT.
THAT IS, THAT IS NOT WHAT I'M ADVOCATING FOR.
UM, AND EVERY SITUATION'S DIFFERENT.
WE WERE OPEN, WE DID NOT TURN OUR MARKETING CAMPAIGN OFF.
OAK CREEK CANYON WAS CLOSED, CITY OF SEDONA WAS OPEN.
EVERY SINGLE CRISIS THIS COMMUNITY IS GONNA FACE IS GONNA LOOK DIFFERENT.
WE CAN'T COMPARE THE, THIS PROPOSAL TO WHAT WE JUST, WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH AS A COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND IT'S UP TO US TO SAY, HOW DO WE MAKE THE NARRATIVE STRONGER? I THINK WHAT'S INTERESTING, AND THIS IS ONE THAT I TRULY HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.
I'VE BEEN ASKING MY MY INDUSTRY PEERS, I HAVEN'T SEEN A SITUATION.
I'VE SEEN SITUATIONS WHERE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA START TO CONTROL THE NARRATIVE.
YOU KNOW, ME BACK IN MY TIME IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, IT'D BE THE WEST IS ON FIRE.
PEOPLE IN NEW YORK, AND GOOD MORNING AMERICA WOULD SAY THAT I THINK WHAT WE, WHAT I SAW HERE AND WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS THAT IT WAS A LOT OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS THAT WERE BROADCASTING IMAGES OF SEDONA ON FIRE.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE COMBAT THAT AT THE TIME? WE'RE NOT SAYING, COME YE COME ALL EVERYTHING'S SAFE, BUT WE NEED TO GET OUT THERE WITH AN ACCURATE MESSAGE THAT DEFINES WHAT THE REALITY OF OUR DESTINATION IS.
'CAUSE IF WE DON'T CONTROL THAT AS A DMO, WE'RE MISSING PART OF WHAT BEING A DMO IS, WHICH IS MANAGING THE REPUTATION OF A DESTINATION.
AND SOMETHING JUST SO YOU CAN HAVE SOME INSIGHT INTO WHAT ANDREW AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS IS WE CHECK IN NEARLY DAILY ON, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M SERVING IN THE PIO FUNCTION NOW, THANK GOODNESS JULIA'S HERE.
BUT, UM, I'M, I'M ON THOSE CALLS EVERY DAY LISTENING TO THE CONTAINMENT AND LISTENING TO THE WEATHER FORECAST AND THE WIND FORECAST.
AND, AND SO, UM, ANDREW AND I DECIDED EARLY ON THAT WE WEREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAY MUCH UNTIL, UH, UNLESS IT WAS FACT BASED.
BUT IN TERMS OF USING WORDS LIKE SAFE MM-HMM.
WE COULDN'T USE THE WORD SAFE BECAUSE I COULDN'T TELL YOU IF THAT FIRE WAS GONNA JUMP INTO OAK CREEK CANYON.
SO, SO MY COMMITMENT TO THIS PROCESS IS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M WATCHING VERY CLOSELY AND EVEN, EVEN RIGHT NOW WE'RE, YOU KNOW, 83% CONTAINED OR WHATEVER THE NUMBER WAS TODAY, I STILL DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH SAYING THE WORD SAFE UNTIL WE GET A LARGE AMOUNT OF RAIN TO WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S OUT, OUT.
AND THEN RIGHT THEN BOOM, WE ACTIVATE AND WE GOT THOSE NEWS SEGMENTS LINED UP AND WE'VE GOT THE ADVERTISING LINED UP AND WE CAN TURN THOSE ON WITHIN ONE DAY OF GETTING THAT NEWS.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING DAILY, IS WHEN DO WE FEEL LIKE WE COULD ACTUALLY GIVE THAT MESSAGE AND, AND, UM, AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, DEREK? SO I THINK WITH THE POCKET FIRES, YOU KNOW, A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE RISK IS GONNA PASS AND PEOPLE CAN COME BACK.
YOU KNOW, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME BACK, BUT LET'S SAY THERE'S A MAJOR FLOOD DAMAGE OR, YOU KNOW, USE THE EXAMPLE OF A MASS CASUALTY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
I DUNNO, I GUESS TECHNICALLY WE'RE IN A SEISMICALLY ACTIVE AREA, BUT, UM, I FEEL LIKE IF WE HAD WIDESPREAD DAMAGE IN THE CITY, THE LAST THING ON OUR MIND IS LET'S GET MORE VISITORS TO COME.
[02:30:01]
WHATEVER YOU DO HAS TO HAVE SOME CONSULTATION WITH THE FIRE DISTRICT, THE COUNTY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SO THAT YOU'RE NOT TAKING SERVICES THAT ARE ALREADY TAXED DUE TO WHATEVER'S HAPPENED AND, AND MAKING IT WORSE.SO, UM, I THINK THE FIRE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE OF THE POCKET FIRE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
AND I JUST, I'M A LITTLE RELUCTANT TO JUST SAY, YEAH, IF THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS, THEN WE'LL PUMP MORE DOLLARS INTO THE, THAT'S PART OF THE DISCRETION OF THE CITY MANAGER, RIGHT? IS SHE'S, SHE'S YOUR DIRECT LINE.
SHE KNOWS YOU ALL THE MOST IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT SHE THINKS YOU WOULD SUPPORT.
AND SO NOT ONLY IS ANDREW GONNA COME TO ME AND I'M GONNA HAVE THAT BACK AND FORTH AND WE'RE GONNA CHALLENGE EACH OTHER, THEN WE'RE GONNA TAKE IT TO ANNETTE.
AND ANNETTE MIGHT SAY, NO, NOT THE RIGHT TIME, NOT THE RIGHT PLACE.
YOU KNOW, SO IT'S REALLY ABOUT DO WE WANT TO HAVE THE CITY MANAGER HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE, AND, AND BY THE WAY, SHE ALREADY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE DVA CONTRACT.
WHAT WE'RE GETTING OURSELVES INTO IS THAT IF IT TOUCHES THE DVA CONTRACT, WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU.
AND IN MOST INSTANCES, LIKE THIS INSTANCE WHERE WE THOUGHT A GREAT STRATEGY WOULD BE TO TURN ON OUR DRIVE MARKETS IN SEPTEMBER, WELL THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH DVA AND SHE DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY EXTENDED THAT PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY BY, UM, AMENDING THAT CONTRACT ALREADY WANTS.
SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS IF IT'S OUTSIDE, IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF A DVA THING, WE CAN, WE, SHE ALREADY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT AND WE CAN MAKE THAT CASE TO HER.
BUT DVA IS SUCH A USEFUL TOOL IN THAT THAT STRATEGY IS VERY EFFECTIVE.
AND SO IF WE WANT TO USE IT IN ANY OF THESE SCENARIOS, WHICH IN MOST OF THE SCENARIOS THAT WE COULD COME UP WITH, IT WAS STILL VERY USEFUL TO, TO ADD, UM, MONEY TO THAT SPECIFIC TYPE OF ADVERTISING.
THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT PART OUT.
THAT'S A CRITICAL PIECE FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING THAT.
I WOULD, I WOULD JUST ASK YOU ALSO INCLUDE IN THAT CONSIDERATION, IS THIS JUST IN BAD TASTE IF WE'VE JUST HAD A, SOME SORT OF CASUALTY EVENT, YOU KNOW SURE.
RUN IT THROUGH THAT FILTER TOO.
WELL, I, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN MY EXPERIENCE WORKING IN STATE TOURISM OFFICES, I'VE BEEN THROUGH COUNTLESS FIRES.
I WAS WORKING IN DENVER WHEN THE BOULDER GROCERY STORE SHOOTING HAPPENED.
AND EACH ONE OF THESE HAS A DIFFERENT RESPONSE ELEMENT TO IT.
WE WENT, BOULDER WENT DARK, RIGHT? LEADVILLE, RIGHT NOW, AS A FIRE IMPACT COMMUNITY WENT DARK.
I CAN LOOK AT ALL MY PEERS RIGHT NOW IN THE WEST ARE APPROACHING A POCKET FIRE SITUATION DIFFERENTLY.
EVERY ONE OF THEM'S DIFFERENT.
BUT WHEN BOULDER REOPENED, THERE WAS A BIG PUSH TO BRING PEOPLE BACK TO BOULDER.
UH, THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THIS ISSUE ABOUT, IT'S THIS DVA CONTRACT THAT ISN'T OPEN TO THE AUTHORITY.
SO I GET, I GET THAT NOW AND, UH, AND, UH, I THINK I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE.
I TOO SHARE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT COMING BACK TOO QUICKLY.
WE'RE GONNA HURT OUR RETURN ON AD SPEND NUMBERS.
I THINK IF YOU
IT'S SAFE TO COME HERE NOW IS GONNA AFFECT MANY PEOPLE, BUT, AND I'M ACTUALLY AM WORRIED ABOUT WHO IT DOES ATTRACT OR LOOKY-LOOS WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE THAT SAME RESPONSIBLE TOURISM.
SO I, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF CAVEATS.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF THOSE ARE NEW TO YOU.
AND, AND I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND THE ABILITY TO THINK THROUGH THESE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL OR, I MEAN, QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL CHARLOTTE? OH, WELL THESE ARE QUESTIONS.
UM, LET ME TRY TO FORM IT IN A JEOPARDY LIKE MANNER OR SOMETHING.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, I'M JUST HAPPY THAT THIS 50 IS WITHIN THE ONE 50 BECAUSE I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT.
I, I THOUGHT YOU, SINCE YOU WERE AMENDING, YOU WERE COMING BACK FOR AN ADDITIONAL 50, WHICH, OKAY, GOOD.
THE, UM, FOR CLARITY, WE THOUGHT THAT THE FOUR WEEKS WAS TOO LONG AS A MONITORING FRAMEWORK WHEN THERE'S AN EMERGENCY.
I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS ADDITIONAL.
AND I, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGING AND, AND THE REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE.
I GUESS MY, MY QUESTION IS, YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THE MESSAGING FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT WE'VE ALREADY SAID.
UM, BUT THAT'S NO REASON TO NOT CONTEMPLATE.
AND YOU UNDERSTAND IT FAR BETTER THAN
[02:35:01]
I DO.UM, THE NEED FOR SOMETHING TO BE DONE.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT, IN MY MIND, WHAT, AND YOU CAN'T DO IT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT
YOU KNOW? SO I THINK IT'S VERY TRICKY.
BUT, UM, TO GIVE ANNETTE THE AUTHORITY TO SPEND 50 OUT OF THE ONE 50 THAT SHE COULD PROBABLY SPEND MORE ANYWAY.
KURT, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DVA CONTRACT.
I DON'T THINK THE MOTION THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE REFLECTS THIS CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING.
AND THE DVA IS BECAUSE HER AUTHORITY, ANNETTE'S AUTHORITY ONLY GOES UP TO 150,000 AND WE'VE EXCEEDED THAT OR 10% OF THE ORIGINAL VALUE OF THE CONTRACT.
SO THAT CONTRACT HAS BEEN AMENDED, IS IT NOT MORE THAN ONCE? ABSOLUTELY.
LIKE IT'S BEEN AMENDED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE YOU FIRST, I MEAN, OVER THE COURSE OF THE THREE YEARS OF BEING THE DMMO OR WHENEVER THEY STARTED MM-HMM
SO WE'RE WELL BEYOND THAT THRESHOLD UNLESS YOU WERE TO START OVER AGAIN.
UM, BUT I'M SURE, WELL THE NEXT TIME WE DO, I THINK WE HAVE TO DRAFT THAT CONTRACT DIFFERENTLY.
SO WE DON'T RUN INTO THIS CONSTANTLY, BUT THE MOTION WE HAVE BEFORE US DOES NOT COVER CORRECT, KURT.
THESE WOULD BE ACTUALLY BE TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS IS I THINK, HOW I SEE IT.
SO, BUT NOT NOTHING ON THE DVA.
WE'RE TALKING ON THE EMERGENCY AND HUNDRED 50, BUT THEY'RE STILL, THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS.
SO WE DON'T, THEY CAN EITHER BE AN ONE BIGGER MOTION AMENDED.
IT'S PROBABLY CLEANER DOING TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE WHO WANNA ADD ANYTHING TO THIS DISCUSSION OR DID WHAT YOU, JESSE, ARE YOU RAISING YOUR HAND? COME ON UP AGAIN.
JESSE ALEXANDER FLAGSTAFF WORKING UPTOWN AREA.
UM, I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS MORE ABOUT THE MESSAGE THAN IT IS EVEN THE MONEY.
UM, IT'S AN ACCURATE MESSAGE THAT NEEDS TO GO OUT.
IT'S, RIGHT NOW IT'S SENSATIONALIZED IN EVERY NEWS THING YOU BRING UP THE YOUTUBERS, OF COURSE THEY'RE GONNA DO IT.
I'VE GOT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UM, SO YEAH, THE 50 K IS MINIMAL.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE TRUST AND KNOWLEDGE THAT OUR TEAM MEMBERS HERE, OUR STAFF, IS GOING MAKE THOSE KIND OF DECISIONS.
OBVIOUSLY DURING COVID THERE WERE A LOT OF THOUGHTS LIKE THAT.
AND SANDY HAD THE, THE HARD DECISION OF OPEN CLOSE KIND OF STUFF.
AND DO WE OPEN TOO EARLY AND DO WE CLOSE, UH, STAY CLOSED? THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UM, ULTIMATELY WE CAN ARGUE WHETHER THAT WAS GOOD DECISIONS OR NOT.
BUT, UH, I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE, YOU'LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO, TO MEET WITH AMONGST YOURSELVES, UM, BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE EXTENDED.
THIS ITSELF, WITHIN THE FIRST 10 DAYS, WE DIDN'T HAVE SMOKE IN SEDONA.
THE WIND WAS BLOWING ALL TO MY HOUSE AND FLAGSTAFF.
AND, UH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS NO SAFETY DANGER HERE.
UM, IT DID CHANGE 10, 12 DAYS INTO IT.
AND THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND, AGAIN, EXAMPLES, THOSE RESTAURANTS I WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, OVER $10,000 DOWN IN ONE DAY EVERY DAY THAT, THAT THREE DAY WEEKEND.
AND WE HAD FORECASTED THAT TO BE ON THE WEEKEND, THREE TO FOUR DAY WEEKEND.
UM, SO IT DID AFFECT US IMMEDIATELY.
UM, AND IT WAS, IT WAS JUST LIKE THAT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE LOOKY-LOOS AND YOUTUBERS COMING.
I THINK THEY'RE GONNA COME NO MATTER WHAT AFTER SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
'CAUSE THAT'S AGAIN, HOW THEY START TO SENSATIONALIZE IT.
SO THAT'S AGAIN, WHY WE NEED TO BE OUT THERE COMBATING THAT MESSAGE WITH SOME TYPE OF MESSAGING.
AGAIN, I DON'T EVEN THINK IT'S THE MONEY.
I THINK IT'S MORE HOW DO WE GET OUR PR TEAM INVOLVED? HOW DO WE DO THAT STUFF? AND MAYBE THAT IS PRE PRE-DONE NEWSCASTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I THINK $50,000 IS, UH, YOU GUYS HAVE TRUST IN YOUR MANAGEMENT TEAM FOR THAT.
AL AL ELLO, UH, RESIDENT OF SEDONA.
UH, I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT IT IN A BROADER SENSE.
UH, SITTING THERE, ALL MY MIND WAS GOING BACKWARDS IN TIME TO, UH, WHETHER IT BE THE BRINS MESA FIRE, THE SLIDE FIRE, THE, UM, COVID KICKING IN A FLOOD.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE WAS A FLOOD THAT WAS WHERE THE CANYON REALLY FILLED UP.
AND THIS WAS PROBABLY IN THE MID TWO THOUSANDS WHERE THE WATER WAS GETTING CLOSE TO GOING OVER THE BRIDGE AT, UH, SNE HILL ROAD.
ALL OF THOSE BECAME A CRISIS ON THE TV STATIONS IN PHOENIX.
EVERY ONE OF THEM SENT THE MESSAGE.
[02:40:01]
FLOODING OR BURNING OR SOMETHING.AND SO BACK THEN IT WAS THE CHAMBER DOING THE DMO, YOU KNOW, THE NORMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND BEING INVOLVED WITH THE CHAMBER.
YOU KNOW, AT THE TIME YOU HAD THE CEO AND YOU HAD THE, UH, CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF THE, UH, CHAMBER AS WELL AS THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND THEN THE FULL BOARD.
IT WAS A CRISIS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 1 0 1.
EVERYBODY GOT TOGETHER AND, AND PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER AND DECIDED WHAT THE ACTION WAS GOING TO BE TO, UM, SEND THE RIGHT MESSAGE OUT.
SO ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE ALL HAD WHEN THE CITY TOOK OVER THE, UM, THE DMO WAS THIS TYPE STUFF COULD BECOME A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THE GOVERNMENT WORKS FUNCTIONALLY A LOT SLOWER THAN, UM, SAY THE CHAMBER WHO'S GOT, UH, NOTHING BUT TIME ON THEIR HANDS, I GUESS YOU'D SAY, TO BE ABLE TO JUMP ON AN ISSUE.
SO THE FACT THAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING THIS NOW IS THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY RECTIFYING SOMETHING TO MAKE IT SO THAT THE NEW SEDONA DMO CAN FUNCTION OVERNIGHT IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES.
AND SO I APPLAUD THE WHOLE PROCESS GOING FORWARD TO, UM, UH, MAKE THE, UM, THE SEDONA DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION NIMBLE, JUST AS YOU SPOKE OF MAYOR, UH, AS BEING THE IDEAL.
AND I THINK THIS WILL MAKE THE CITY AND THE CHAMBER THAT MUCH CLOSER TOGETHER IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THEY CAN ACTUALLY TALK ON THE SAME PAGE IN REAL TIME.
LONNIE LILY, 44 YEAR RESIDENT MAYOR, MADAM MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNSELORS, ANNETTE, AND TEAM.
UM, I'M ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF FUNDING TOURISM AND BUSINESSES IN SEDONA.
WHAT DISAPPOINTS ME GREATLY IS THE LACK OF MARKETING AND ADVERTISING FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
WE HAD, AS WE HAD A NATURAL DISASTER, I'VE MENTIONED TO WHOMEVER WOULD LISTEN THE LAST FEW YEARS, THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE CAMPAIGNS IN THE CAN FOR NATURAL DISASTERS.
SEDONA WAS OPEN, BUT NOBODY WAS SAYING IT.
BESIDES THE CHAMBER AND LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS, WHICH I'M SURE YOU HAVE SEEN, I'M UPSET THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
AND I'M HOPEFUL, OH, WAIT A MINUTE.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN, THE NATURAL DISASTER, WE'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT SEDONA IS OPEN.
I WANT TO THANK THE FIREFIGHTERS MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS FOR ALL THEY DO.
AND THANK YOU TO THE ONES THAT STAYED WITH ME.
THEY HELPED ME GET THROUGH JULY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ME, THEY KNOW THAT I DO NOT LIKE TO GET UP HERE AND SPEAK.
SO HOPEFULLY THIS KIND OF TELLS YOU HOW UPSET I AM.
I DROVE THROUGH UPTOWN SATURDAY, JULY 4TH AT 5:00 PM ON A HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
I NEVER HIT MY BREAKS THROUGH THE ROUNDABOUT.
SO THANK YOU TRULY FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
AND PLEASE GIVE ANNETTE HER TEAM THE ABILITY TO DO THEIR JOBS AND TRUST THEM.
ANNETTE COMES FROM IDAHO, ANDREW COMES FROM COLORADO.
THEY UNDERSTAND NATURAL DISASTERS.
THEY UNDERSTAND HOW QUICKLY THINGS NEED TO HAPPEN TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL TOWN, THE LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND THE RESIDENTS.
AND YES, I AM NOT SAYING IF IT'S NOT SAFE TO COME, AND I, I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT, BUT THERE WAS SOME TIMES THAT THE, IT WAS A LITTLE SCARY, BUT WE WERE OPEN AND EVERYTHING WAS NORTH, WAY NORTH OF US.
AND SO PLEASE, PLEASE, HOWEVER YOU DO IT, BUREAUCRATICALLY, GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO NOT BE BUREAUCRATICALLY STIPEND TO DO THEIR JOB.
HELLO, CHERYL BARON, RESIDENT OF SEDONA.
OKAY, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE, WE HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS EVERYWHERE, AND EVERYBODY WHO CARRIES A PHONE SAW IT ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, NEXT DOOR, WHEREVER.
AND THAT WAS ALL NEGATIVE PRESS FOR US.
IF YOU SAW THE VIDEOS OF THE, UM, OF, UH, SEDONA AND FLAMES JUST GOING EVERYWHERE, THOSE HAVE TO BE AI GENERATED.
THOSE THAT'S SENSATIONALIZING OUR, OUR, UM, DISASTER UP HERE.
AND HOW DO WE OVERCOME THAT? SO WHAT WE SAW, UM, WAS THE CHAMBER JUMPING INTO ACTION AND DOING WHAT THEY DO, WHAT THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE.
WHAT MAKES THIS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY NOW IS FOR YOU TO
[02:45:01]
HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE SOME QUICK DECISIONS AND USE THE CHAMBER FOR YOUR WORDING.IF YOU CAN'T SAY IT BECAUSE YOU'RE A GOVERNMENT AGENCY AND YOU HAVE THOSE FEARS, LET US SAY IT AT THE CHAMBER AGAIN.
WE ARE NOT GONNA ASK PEOPLE TO COME HERE IF SEDONA IS IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION.
BUT AS I RECALL, WE WERE NEVER PUT UNDER SET IN SEDONA.
UM, LIKE JESSE SAID, OUR AIR QUALITY FOR THE FIRST COUPLE WEEKS WAS FINE.
BLUE SKIES, SUNNY DAY, HIKING ALL OVER VOC, UM, AND THE, THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN.
BUT SEND THE RIGHT MESSAGE, WORK WITH THE CHAMBER, WORK WITH DAVID, WORK WITH HIS PEOPLE, AND SAY THE RIGHT WORDS, BUT SAY SOMETHING, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO OVERCOME THIS NEGATIVE NARRATIVE 'CAUSE IT WAS BAD.
SOME EXAMPLES, UM, MY BUSINESS AND I HAVE A VERY SMALL BUSINESS.
I LOST 50% OF MY RESERVATIONS FOR JULY, AND I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RESERVATIONS COMING IN FOR AUGUST.
YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT DESTITUTE
I'M NOT, I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE SITUATION, BUT I'M DOING EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO FIX IT.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THIS FIRE.
UM, IT IS ABOUT LAST YEAR THE GRAND CANYON HAD PIPE BREAKS.
THEY EVACUATED THE GRAND CANYON.
WE DIDN'T SAY, HEY, SEDONA IS READY TO TAKE YOU IN.
AND IT FRUSTRATES US ON THE LODGING SIDE OF THINGS BECAUSE WE HAD ROOMS AVAILABLE.
WE HAD THE ABILITY, UM, OUR RESTAURANTS HAD THE ROOM, HOTELS HAD THE ROOM, OUR RETAILERS HAD, UM, THE ABILITY TO TAKE THESE PEOPLE IN AND CHANGE THEIR EXPERIENCE INTO SOMETHING GREAT.
WHAT WE NEED IS A CONTINGENCY PLAN, IF I MAY, A CONTINGENCY NOT JUST THE CONTINGENCY FUNDS, BUT A CONTINGENCY PLAN IN PLACE.
ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY, I AM CLOSING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WE'LL COME BACK TO COUNSEL MELISSA.
SO I DIDN'T SPEAK TO THE OTHER ONE BECAUSE WHAT I'M GONNA SAY APPLIES TO BOTH OF THEM.
UM, ONE OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES IN MY MIND OF, UH, CITY GOVERNMENT IS TO PROVIDE A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH BUSINESSES CAN THRIVE SINCE BUSINESSES BRING IN THE TAXES THAT ARE USED AS THE BASE TO HELP FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR RESIDENTS.
SO BASED ON THAT, I THINK EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO, THAT YOU CAN DO QUICKLY IS A BENEFIT, UM, IN THE LONG RUN FOR ALL OF US WHO LIVE IN THE CITY.
I THINK THAT THE FUNDAMENTAL WORD THAT PEOPLE KEPT USING IS THE FUNDAMENTAL WORD.
WE HAVE TO TRUST THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WORK ON THE STAFF, WE HAVE TO TRUST THAT THE CITY MANAGER WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE ALL THE OPTICS AND ALL OF THE ACTUALITIES INTO ACCOUNT AND BEHAVE APPROPRIATELY.
SO I'M COMPLETELY IN FAVOR OF BOTH OF THESE FOR THE SAME REASONS, BECAUSE IN THE LONG RUN, THIS IS THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WE NEED.
AND, AND HONESTLY, CHERYL BROUGHT UP, I THINK SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY CONSIDERING THAT, IS WE SHOULD HAVE, AND I THINK, UM, LONNIE SAID THE SAME THING IN A DIFFERENT WAY, IS THAT YOU NEED A CONTINGENCY PLAN BECAUSE WE LIVE IN AN AREA THAT IS GONNA BE SUBJECT TO NATURAL DISASTERS, WHETHER IT'S FIRE OR IT'S FLOOD OR PICK ONE, HOPEFULLY NOT EARTHQUAKES, BUT YOU NEVER KNOW.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW, GIVEN VARIOUS SCENARIOS, GET THAT MESSAGE OUT QUICKLY.
AND TO DO THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO IS TO HAVE, TO HAVE THE MESSAGE SORT OF READY, UM, AT LEAST THE FRAMEWORK OF THE MESSAGE READY THAT YOU CAN PLUG IN WHATEVER THE RIGHT WORDS WOULD BE, UM, WHATEVER THE RIGHT IMAGES ARE, WHOEVER DOES THAT, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PUT THAT ON YOU, ANDREW, BUT I, I THINK THAT TO RESPOND QUICKLY, YOU ALREADY HAVE TO HAVE THAT SORT OF READY TO GO.
UM, OR THE MINUTE THAT POCKET FIRE HAPPENED SAYING, OKAY, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? BECAUSE
[02:50:01]
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MITIGATE THE VISUAL OPTIC IMPACT OF THIS.WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO RECOVERY FOR, UM, OUR COMMUNITY IN SOME, SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT FITS WHETHER THAT HAS TO BE YET ANOTHER CONVERSATION OR IF THAT FITS INTO THIS AS JUST PART OF YOUR STRATEGY.
UM, BUT I, I THINK THAT THOSE ARE, ARE REALLY VALID POINTS.
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY, KEVIN.
AS I SAID BEFORE, I STARTED OUT OPPOSED, CAME TO SUPPORT, CAME TO OPPOSE AND I BACK TO SUPPORT
AND FOR THIS PART OF IT, AND A PART OF IT IS BECAUSE SOMETHING THAT CHERYL SAID AS WELL, SOME OF THE IMAGES THAT ARE PLAYING ON SOCIAL MEDIA RIGHT NOW, TODAY ARE FROM THREE WEEKS AGO, FOUR WEEKS AGO.
AND THERE'S NO COUNTER TO THAT INFORMATION.
AND I THINK IT'S THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY TO PUT FORWARD ACCURATE INFORMATION.
SO I, I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK IT, I THINK THIS POLICY FOR CRISIS MANAGEMENT, $50,000 SPEND, UM, FOR MESSAGE CORRECTION IS GOOD POLICY.
SO THAT ON BASIS OF THAT, I WOULD SUPPORT IT AND I WOULD PROBABLY WORK THAT INTO A OVERALL MOTION.
IF, IF IT CAME TO THAT, BRIAN, I SUPPORT THIS, THANK YOU, UH, I SUPPORT AS WELL.
AND I DON'T SUPPORT CHANGING THE MOTION, I DON'T SUPPORT ADDING MORE RESTRICTIONS INTO THE MOTION THAT TIES THEIR HANDS.
LIKE IT HAS TO BE FOUR OUT OF SEVEN OR BECAUSE IT COULD NEEDS FLEXIBILITY.
WHAT IF YOU CAN'T GET ALL THAT INFORMATION? ALL YOU HAD TO DO IS DRIVE THROUGH TOWN AND KNOW WE WERE IN BAD STRAITS.
SO YES, RESPONSIBLE IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT THERE'S ALSO REALITY.
SO I, I LIKE THE WAY THE MO THE MOTION IS DRAFTED BECAUSE I THINK IT GIVES SOME FLEXIBILITY FOR THE FIRST PART AND THERE NEEDS TO BE ANOTHER MOTION FOR THE SECOND PART.
'CAUSE IT, THIS ONE WON'T IN, DOESN'T GIVE THE AUTHORITY TO AMEND THE DVA CONTRACT IN MY HEAD IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL RESOLVED LIKE, AND, AND BE A FURTHER RESOLVE THAT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ADDRESS THE SECOND PART.
BUT I, OH, OKAY, THAT'D BE FINE.
BUT I STILL LIKE THE RESTRICTION, SOME OF THE THRESHOLDS IN THE FIRST PART.
WELL, THEY HAVE THRESHOLDS PROVE THE TOURISM INDUSTRY MONITORING FRAMEWORK AND ASSOCIATED PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS.
I'D LIKE THE FLEXIBILITY, THEY COULD CHANGE THE THRESHOLDS IF IT'S WARRANTED AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING INTO THE MOTION EXACT THRESHOLDS.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ALL FEEL ABOUT THAT.
YOU'RE FINE WITH THE WAY IT IS.
YEAH, I'M FINE WITH IT AS IT IS.
I CAN READ THE WRITING ON THE WALL
SO YOU'RE NOT GONNA MAKE THE MOTION
I, I, YOU KNOW, I JUST, YOU CLOSING COMMENT TO THAT.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE GRAY AREAS.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, UH, IF YOU'RE READY, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION MM-HMM
UM, SO I MOVED TO APPROVE THE TOURISM INDUSTRY MONITORING FRAMEWORK AND ASSOCIATED PERFORMANCE THRESHOLDS THAT ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER, THE PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY TO AUTHORIZE UP TO $150,000 IN GENERAL FUND CONTINGENCY FUNDS EARMARKED FOR TOURISM PER FISCAL YEAR TO INCREASE THE PAID ADVERTISING SPEND FOR DESTINATION MARKETING CAMPAIGNS CONDUCTED BY THE TOURISM PROGRAM AND FURTHER MOVE, UM, THAT WE AUTHORIZE A PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY UP TO $50,000 OF THE $150,000 IN SITUATIONS OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT.
DOES DOES THAT DEAL WITH THE DVA? IT DOESN'T NEED TO, NO, IT DOES NOT DEAL WITH DVA.
SO WE NEED, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER MOTION.
OKAY, SO I SECOND ON THIS ONE? NO, THIS WILL, THIS WILL COVER BOTH MAYOR THE DVA IS NOT ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, BUT THAT WAS THE WHOLE REASON FOR THE IDEA.
THE ALL REASONABLY RELATED NEEDS TO BE SPENT IN ANY WAY.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DVA, THAT'S, IT CAN BE SPENT IN ANY WAY, BUT IT'S, THE WHOLE REASON THAT THE ITEM IS HERE IS SO THAT WE CAN ADD MONEY TO A DVA CONTRACT.
SO WE DON'T NEED A SEPARATE MOTION.
IT'S CAN BE SPENT AND IN ANY WAY, THE 50,000 IS, IS A NET AUTHORIZES.
THAT'S HOW THE MOTION READS RIGHT NOW.
SO YOU THINK IT WILL COVER, YEAH.
[02:55:01]
IT IN DV IF YOU WANT, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO.EVERYBODY READY TO VOTE? WHO WAS THE SECOND? BRIAN? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE ANOTHER BREAK.
YOU'RE GONNA BE HERE ANYWAY, RIGHT? YES.
[9.f. AB 3356 Discussion/possible action regarding the strategy for the 2027 and 2028 legislative sessions. ]
AB 33 56, DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING THE STRATEGY FOR 2027 AND 2028 LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS.LAUREN, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, IN ADDITION TO, UM, OUR, UM, UM, UH, PRIORITIES, UM, POLICY PRIORITIES THAT YOU ALL MAKE WITH ME, UM, BEFORE THE SESSION, I WANTED TO BRING SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO YOU TONIGHT.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR SHORT TERM RENTAL REFORM TO BE ABLE TO REGULATE HOW MANY ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME.
HOUSE BILL 24 29, SENATE BILL 10 76, THOSE WERE FROM THIS YEAR.
UM, IN PREVIOUS YEARS YOU HAD HOUSE BILL 2308, HOUSE BILL 2309, ET CETERA.
UM, NONE OF THOSE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN MAKING ANY MEANINGFUL CHANGE, UM, TO WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE GROUND IN SEDONA WITH OUR SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UH, AIRBNB HAS ADMITTED THEMSELVES IN MY MEETING WITH THEM THAT WE ARE DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER CITY IN ARIZONA.
UM, AND THIS LEADS US TO, IS IT TIME FOR A DIFFERENT STRATEGY? SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UH, AN IDEA, UM, TONIGHT, UH, AND THAT IS TO, IS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL WANTS TO DO? WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UM, HAVE STAFF PURSUE THE CREATION OF A BALLOT MEASURE TO PUT THE CONCEPT OF SHORT-TERM RENTAL REGULATION, UM, TO THE VOTERS? SO LET ME INTERRUPT YOU FOR A MINUTE.
WE APPROVED THE RESOLUTION, THE RESOLUTION GOING TO THE LEAGUE.
DO WE NEED TO DO THIS AS WELL? UM, I WAS GONNA GET TO THAT, BUT, UM, SO THE, THE, MY THINKING BEHIND THIS IS THAT WE DID APPROVE THAT RESOLUTION TO THE LEAGUE.
I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM COUNSEL THAT YOU WOULD LIKE, UM, TO PURSUE A TWO YEAR LEAD UP TO A 2028 BALLOT REFERRAL.
AND WHAT I DIDN'T WANT TO DO IS HAVE THE LEAGUE CONSIDER THIS AS A RESOLUTION IF I DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF COUNCIL UNDERSTANDING WHAT THIS MEANT AND, AND WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IF WE WEREN'T GENUINE IN THAT COMMITMENT.
BUT WE APPROVED IT UNANIMOUSLY ALREADY.
AND THEY APPROVED IT UNANIMOUSLY AT THE POLICY COMMITTEE.
AND IT'S GOING TO BE PRESENTED AT THE RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE OF THE LEAGUE.
IF, IF WE THINK THAT COUNCIL HAS BUY-IN, IN THE, THE IDEA OF A, UH, A POTENTIAL BALLOT MEASURE IN 2028 AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, NEEDING A FIGUREHEAD FROM CITY COUNCIL FOR THAT EFFORT.
AND, UM, AND THEN MY THOUGHT WAS THAT I WOULD BRING BACK A CONTRACT, UM, SOON THAT OUTLINED WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE FROM, UM, KATHY SENSEMAN, IF WE WANTED TO CONTINUE THAT.
AND, UH, THE PR FIRM THAT WENT WITH THAT.
UM, I IMAGINE THAT CONTRACT WILL BE BIGGER BECAUSE THE EFFORT WILL BE HARDER.
WELL, KURT, LET ME ASK YOU, DO YOU THINK WE NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER MOTION? IT IT DEPENDS ON IF YOU, IT'S THAT PART.
NO, BUT IF THERE'S ADDITIONAL IDEAS.
DID YOU, ARE WE GONNA DISCUSS THOSE IN THE AGENDA BILL ANYWAYS? THERE'S OTHER THAN WHAT JUST THE LEAGUE MOTION? OR IS IT ALL CONTAINED IN THE LEAGUE MOTION IS ALL THE EXACT SAME.
THE, THE MOTION IN THE AGENDA BILL IS JUST TO PURSUE A BALLOT REFERRAL.
DOESN'T SPEAK TO WHO, WHEN, WHY, HOW MUCH DOESN'T SPEAK TO ANY OF THAT AGENDA.
BILL TALKED A LITTLE BIT, IT WAS A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC THAN JUST THE MOTION.
UM, I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT THE LEAGUE REFERRAL WAS AS IT WAS ON THE EXACT SAME THING.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED A DIFFERENT, ANOTHER MOTION FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, MARY, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FOR
[03:00:01]
A LITTLE MORE CLARITY ON HOW MUCH OF A LEAD ROLE CITY OF SEDONA IS GONNA TAKE ON THIS.SO IF THE LEAGUE, UM, AT THE RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE, IT GETS PASSED AND YOU KNOW, SO NOW IT'S, YOU KNOW, CITIES ACROSS THE STATE ARE SUPPORTING IT.
UM, ARE YOU EXPECTING US TO LEAD THE CHARGE OR BE MORE OF A SUPPORT ROLE TO THE LEAGUE THEMSELVES IF THEY'RE GONNA TAKE IT ON? AND I AM THINK THAT MIGHT BE PART OF WHAT LAUREN'S LOOKING FOR AS A LITTLE MORE GUIDANCE ON HOW MUCH OF A LEAD ROLE WE TAKE AS THE STAFF, OUR CONTRACT WITH PDG.
WELL IF, IF IT'S NOT, IF IT'S NOT US, I DON'T KNOW WHO IT IS.
UM, CAN I ASK A REMEDIAL QUESTION PLEASE?
ADDITIONAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION WORK? BOTH.
THERE'S TWO SEPARATE RESOLUTIONS.
ONE IS TO DEAL WITH THE OAK CREEK HOSPITALITY ISSUE, MOBILE PARK, YOU KNOW, MOBILE HOME PARK.
AND THE SECOND ONE WAS A BALLOT REFERRAL.
AT LEAST THAT COMMITTEE FOR WHICH BALLOT? 28.
WELL, THE, THE ONLY BALLOT COULD BE ON IS 2028.
KATHY, DO, DO, DO YOU, COULD THIS POSSIBLY THIS LANGUAGE AND EMOTION TONIGHT BE NECESSARY? BECAUSE THIS SPECIFICALLY IS DIRECTING THE DIRECTION OF OUR LOBBYIST TO CHANGE ACCORDING TO THIS.
IS THAT PART OF WHY? BECAUSE OUR LOBBYIST HAS BEEN WORKING TOWARD ONE GOAL AND THIS SORT OF OUTLINES A VERY SPECIFIC OTHER GOAL.
SO IS THAT WHY I THOUGHT MAYBE WE NEED TO DO IT THIS WAY.
IT WILL ALSO BE A, MY, MY MAIN PROJECT FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND A BIG LIFT FOR, UM, WHOEVER THE FIGUREHEAD IS WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE WAIT TILL THE LEAGUE MEETING, SEE IF IT PASSES THE RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE AND THEN PUT A PLAN TOGETHER AND THEN BRING YOUR PLAN TO US FOR CONSIDERATION.
THEN WE'LL KNOW MORE, I THINK THEN WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO MEET WITH LEAGUE PEOPLE.
'CAUSE THE RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE IS ON TUESDAY, I BELIEVE.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST ACTUAL DAY OF THE CONFERENCE.
AND THEN WE CAN GET TOGETHER AND, AND DETERMINE WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS.
WHETHER WE TAKE THE LEAD, THEY TAKE THE LEAD.
I'M ASSUMING THAT IT'S US, BUT WE, WE DON'T KNOW THAT.
WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK? I THINK EXACTLY THE SAME THING.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.
I THINK YOU SHARED WITH ME, MAYOR, THAT ISN'T THERE ACTUALLY A, A VIEW IN THE STATE THAT THE LARGER MUNICIPALITIES ACTUALLY DO WANT TO BE PART OF THIS EFFORT? 'CAUSE LIKE THE AGENDA BILL TALKS ABOUT IT BEING FOR CITIES UNDER A CERTAIN SIZE RANGE, BUT ISN'T THERE ACTUALLY INTEREST FOR EVERYBODY TO, TO GO AFTER THIS? MM-HMM
THEY DON'T WANNA BE LEFT OUT, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT THAT MEANS WHEN RUBBER HIT ITS THROAT, SO TO SPEAK.
YEAH, SCOTTSDALE WAS DEFINITELY, YOU GOTTA INCLUDE US BECAUSE I THINK AS I MENTIONED, THERE WERE FOUR RESOLUTIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO THE, TO THE SPECIFIC COMMITTEE.
ALL FOUR WERE ABOUT SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
SO DO WE WANT A MOTION TO DEFER THIS ITEM TILL AFTER THE LEAD CONFERENCE? I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED THAT.
DO WE NEED A MOTION TO DEFER? NO, JUST DIRECTION.
MAYOR, COUNSEL, ANNETTE, UH, SKIP DOM.
I HAVEN'T BEEN IN SEDONA FOR TOO LONG, MAYBE A YEAR AND A HALF.
BUT I AM VERY INTERESTED IN THE SHORT TERM RENTAL SITUATION.
UH, CURRENTLY RENTING HAVE BEEN EVER SINCE I GOT HERE.
JUST BRIEFLY BY WAY OF BACKGROUND IN SACRAMENTO, I RAN AND WAS THE LEAD ADVOCATE FOR 30 ODD NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, SEVERAL OF WHICH WERE IN REAL ESTATE.
THAT 50 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TELLS ME SOMETHING, THERE'S GONNA BE A CHANGE IN PHOENIX.
THIS ELECTION'S GONNA MOVE, MOVE THE NEEDLE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
WHETHER YOU WANNA DO A BALLOT OR WHETHER YOU
[03:05:01]
WANNA CHANGE THE LAW, WHICH IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE.I KNOW IT'S BEEN BLOCKED POLITICALLY, BUT IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
AND I'VE RUN GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS INVOLVING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
SO PERHAPS A DUAL PRONG APPROACH.
NOT DANCE AROUND THE, THE TOP OF A PIN, LIKE CHANGING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PER NIGHT THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA HACK IT.
YOU GOTTA REPEAL THAT LAW AND THERE'S WAYS TO DO IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE ELECTION'S OVER AND THEN YOU SET IT UP AS A GRASSROOTS EFFORT, PUBLIC RELATIONS EFFORT OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN.
SO I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF NOT NECESSARILY REGULATING STR, BUT CAPPING THEM.
AND, UH, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR CONSIDERING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
AND I, I, ONCE THAT RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE IS OVER, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S, IF THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE REALLY BUSY AT THE CONFERENCE, IF WE COULD GET A MEETING, YOU KNOW, WITH RENEE OR TOM OR BOTH, JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE, AT LEAST SET IT UP AND THEN WE PROBABLY WON'T TAKE PLACE THERE, BUT GET A MEETING SET UP TO TAKE THE NEXT STEPS ONCE THE RESOLUTION PASSES.
LAUREN, ARE YOU COMING TO THE CONFERENCE? MM-HMM
EVERYONE GOOD WITH THAT? ALL RIGHT.
[9.g. AB 3066 Discussion/possible action regarding future meeting/agenda]
AB 30 66, DISCUSSION, POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING FUTURE MEETING AGENDA ITEMS. ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING? OKAY.UM, MADAM ANNETTE, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU DID SCHEDULE A SPECIAL MEETING TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH AT 1230 TO CANVAS THE ELECTION, WHICH WOULD NOT BE A NORMAL MEETING DATE FOR YOU.
JUST SO, JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU REMEMBER TO NOTE THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR.
EVERYBODY HAS THAT ON THEIR CALENDAR.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A SHORTENED TIMEFRAME THIS YEAR.
'CAUSE IT'S, EXCUSE ME, WHAT WAS THE TIME AGAIN? 1230 IN THIS ROOM, AUGUST 4TH.
AND THAT WILL BE THE ONLY ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[11. ADJOURNMENT]
IT SHOULD NOT TAKE VERY LONG.