After public opposition, matter returns to City Council meeting Aug. 23

During Sedona City Council’s Aug. 9 meeting, council pulled an item from its consent agenda — items normally approved without
discussion — regarding Mayor Sandy Moriarty asking council’s permission to join the Climate Mayors Network.

Moriarty pulled the item by public request, so residents could speak on the matter prior to a council vote. The Climate Mayors Network is “a bipartisan network of more than 470 U.S. mayors demonstrating climate leadership through meaningful actions in their communities.”

Moriarty’s participation in the group would terminate when she leaves office in November — she lost a reelection bid on Aug. 2 to Vice Mayor Scott Jablow and candidate Samaire Armstrong, who are heading to a runoff on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Seven residents spoke on the matter, most in opposition. Statements included:

■ “I am not in favor of what the Climate Mayors Network stands for,” resident Loriane Coutin stated.

■ “Members are asked to lend their names to the Paris Climate Agreement. That position is politically-charged,” resident Savas
Sosangelis said, referencing a 2015 international treaty on tactics to fight climate change.

■ “I’m just trying to find out what our policy is? Is it up to Enterprise Fleet management to determine what our policy is. I see we’re about to buy some transit vans that are gasoline-powered. Not electric-powered,” resident Steve Schliebs said.

■ “It took the [COVID-19] pandemic for me to become aware of how far removed our values are and that of the mayor and
the City Council,” resident Sylvia Sepielli said. “It’s eerily similar to mask mandates and the vaccine push in that it fails to specify or honor the informed aspect of consent.”

■ “This is the kind of issue that can divide a city,” resident Valarie Wood said.

■ “Slipping in Item 3C, the signing of Sedona into the Climate Mayors Network as a consent item is either naïve, malicious or not very bright,” Armstrong said. “Either way this is a perfect opportunity to point out to you and illustrate the council’s own lack of self-awareness. This is precisely what our community has been saying for so long now.”

“This council lacks transparency and accountability,” Armstrong continued. “Offering no public presentation on what it would entail to be a part of the Climate Network is sneaky, dangerous and seriously needs to be reconsidered. Perhaps you are not aware that you are going to lend the city’s name to an agenda that will support global policy.”

“What does Sedona have to do with global policy?” Armstrong asked council. “What does tightening fuel economy standards in order to advance electric vehicles which use volatile elements that require unethical practice of mining and destruction of land using machinery of mass carbon emissions to procure them, construct them, and ship them, have to do with Sedona?”

“Do not sign Sedona up for any global agendas,” she said. “Stay focused on what is happening here within our city, and do not be lured by grandiose plans from outside entities. But if you must, place this as a proper agenda item so that this can be debated, and provide a record vote by the council members for accountability.”

Council members did not discuss the issue. Councilman Jon Thompson made the motion to approve Moriarty’s membership into the Climate Network, seconded by Councilwoman Kathy Kinsella.

Council approved the motion by a vote of 6-1; Councilwoman Holli Ploog voted no.*

Since the Aug. 9 meeting, the item has been added for reconsideration to the Aug. 23 meeting.

“I voted for the Climate Mayor’s Network as a professional courtesy to Mayor Moriarty, who had requested council support for her participation in this organization,” Jablow wrote in an email Aug. 15.

“From what was indicated in the agenda materials, her participation serves largely as a symbolic gesture, does not obligate
the city to any specific actions, is revocable at any time, and it would be up to the next mayor to decide if they wanted to participate or not.”

“It also provides access to things like an electric vehicle co-op program that leverages the buying power of these cities to
purchase electric vehicles for the city’s fleet at a lower cost, and access to other funding opportunities, which I saw as beneficial,”
Jablow wrote. “At the same time, if residents have additional questions about the mayor’s participation in this network and wish for the council to discuss this issue further, I support having those conversations and am open to changing my perspective if new information is presented.”

* CORRECTION: The initial version of this story reported that the motion was approved with a 5-2 vote, with Councilman Tom Lamkin and Councilwoman Holli Ploog voting no. Lamkin voted in favor, via Zoom. Ploog voted against in person at the meeting. We apologize for the error.