Sedona’s new city attorney Kurt Christianson had always planned to go to college and get a business degree. But that all changed thanks to one college instructor.
“In my senior year I had a professor who had a law degree and would bring a lot of law into the course on judicial activism,” Christianson said. “So it opened up a whole other world to me that I had never really considered before. I put things on hold and worked as a clerk for a law firm just to rub shoulders with some attorneys to see if it was something I’d be interested in — and it was. I haven’t regretted it at all.”
Fast forward more than a decade and a half later. On Aug. 31 Christianson began his first day as Sedona city attorney.
“I’ve been attracted to the city for a couple of years now,” he said. “It just seemed like a match made in heaven. It was a continuation of my career and something more challenging. I’ve always enjoyed working for municipal government and the challenges that come along with the job. That opportunity, plus the great natural beauty here, as well as the great staff and council, made me want to apply and I was delighted when I was offered the job.”
Born in Mesa , Christianson has spent the majority of his life in Arizona. He attended undergraduate school at Brigham Young University in Utah and went to law school at University of Arizona. The last eight years he served as assistant city attorney in Glendale and before that a year for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, which was right out of law school.
While only on the job for less than a month, Christianson said things have gone well.
“Like any new job there’s going to be a learning curve,” he said. “It’s been a pretty seamless transition and a lot of that is thanks to the great staff.”
Coming from another Arizona city has made things a bit easier in terms of already knowing a lot of the state statutes and laws, he said. So for now he’s focusing on the ins and outs of the Sedona city codes while focusing a lot on learning the recently-revised Land Development Code.
“I jumped right into it,” he said of the LDC. “My first week they [Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission] were discussing 40 to 50 changes to it so I got a crash course in what it’s all about. From here on out it will be a primary source of reference for all planning and zoning activities in the city.”
Christianson feels city attorneys have the best roles within a municipality, as they get to support city councils, commissions and staff with their jobs. They provide timely legal advice, review contracts and answer any legal questions.
“It’s just a great support role to make sure their job’s easier in order to provide better service to the citizens,” he said. “City council and the citizens of Sedona should be very proud of the organization that’s been developed.”
Former City Attorney Robert Pickels announced his intention to retire earlier in the year. He was looking to do so in May but then agreed to stay on until a replacement was found. Pickels stayed on for two weeks after Christianson came on board to help with the transition before moving to Oregon.
“It’s been very, very helpful,” Christianson said. “When it comes to a lot of city attorneys or managers, there is no overlap like that. In this case, having that smooth transition has been great. Robert is still available by phone or email, He’s been a great resource thanks to his institutional knowledge of the city from the last five years.”
Following the announcement of Christianson’s hiring, Pickels said, “It’s a real comfort to know that the city’s legal representation will be left in good hands after my retirement. I have learned a lot about municipal government and the city of Sedona during my time here and I feel quite fulfilled by what we have accomplished. I’m confident that Kurt will have a similar experience and help guide the organization well into the future.”
