The city of Sedona will use regular herbicides to combat unruly weeds in its right-of-ways after a three-year trial of alternative herbicides failed.
On April 28, Sedona City Council approved, 6-1, an integrated vegetation management program which will allow a combination of regular Environmental Protection Agency-approved herbicides, alternative herbicides and mechanical tactics. The integrated method will save the city $85,000.
Although he agreed with the need for regular herbicides, Mayor Rob Adams was the lone “no” vote after other councilors wouldn’t agree with his proposal for a program that recognizes businesses along State Route 89A that tend to their right-of-ways, without city help, using alternative methods.
The vote came three years after the city began a trial period of alternative herbicides, that according to Street Maintenance Superintendent Dan Neimy, was a failed attempt.
In July 2005, the city began a weed control program with a $15,000, one-year contract with Verde Valley Weed Control to use EPA-approved regular herbicides.
In November of that year, a group of chemical sensitive residents complained to the city, objecting to the spraying along State Route 89A.
City staff met with the group several times and stopped spraying November 2005 to March 2006. Spraying resumed in March 2006, but in June 2006, City Council directed staff to use
alternative herbicides for a trial period.
The city street crew focuses on State Route 89A from Upper Red Rock Loop Road to Brewer Road. With alternative herbicides, by the time crews got to Cook’s Hill, weeds were sprouting up again three miles back, Neimy said.
The city paid $80,600 a year for a Phoenix company to spray alternative, vinegar and vitamin C-based herbicides.
It cost the city $127,000 per year for an alternative weed control program along State Route 89A and at the wastewater treatment plant. The first year of the newly approved integrated program will cost the city $35,000, saving the city $85,000.
After the first year, maintenance is expected to drop to $15,000 per year once the overgrown weeds from the alternative trial are gone.
The integrated vegetation management program calls for the use of regular EPA-approved herbicides restricted to the months of February, April, June, August and October so the area isn’t saturated with chemicals. The use of alternative herbicides, however, is permitted anytime between February and October.
The use of either type of herbicide will be allowed any month at the city’s wastewater treatment plant subject to the city engineer’s approval.
Just because council approved the use of regular herbicides doesn’t mean that’s all the city will use, Neimy said.
Along with both types of herbicides, the city will send out  mowers, weed whippers and hula hoes.
“We’ll use what we deem will be the most beneficial. Sometimes it’s mechanical means instead of herbicides,” he said. “By using the regular herbicides it’s going to take care of a lot of landscaping. The alternatives just
don’t work on large areas of weeds.”
According to Neimy, the use of regular herbicides doesn’t just mean cost savings, it also means labor savings for the city.
Since regular herbicides will prevent weeds from growing back, street crews will be free for other duties, he said.
The city was set to begin spraying regular and alternative herbicides and preemergents the week of May 4.

Alison Ecklund can be reached at 282-7795, ext. 125, or e-mail
aecklund@larsonnewspapers.com