Sedona City Council will discuss and consider possible action regarding approval of filing an annexation petition with the Yavapai County Recorder to annex approximately 3,422 acres of land, including the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant and neighboring city-owned property, known colloquially as “the Dells,” into city limits.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The annexation discussion is the fifth item on that night’s agenda.

According to the agenda, “City staff believes it is in the best interest of the city to annex the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant property to facilitate the development of the city’s transit maintenance and operations facility and later the Dells, and also to better establish the city’s planning area.”

The city of Sedona’s jurisdictional boundaries have not changed since the City was incorporated in 1988.

The annexation process is controlled by Arizona Revised Statute §9-471. The proposed annexation area must meet contiguity, size, and shape requirements which prevents the city from annexing a narrow stretch of land directly to the City’s wastewater treatment plant. The annexation process is as follows

• Prepare a map and legal description of the proposed annexation area.
• Request from the Yavapai County Assessor’s Office and the Arizona Department of Revenue the name and address of each owner and the assessed value of all property within the boundaries of the proposed annexation.
• File a blank annexation petition with Yavapai County and a sworn affidavit verifying that territory is not subject to an earlier filing for annexation commencing a 30-day waiting period.
• City receives value data from the Yavapai County assessor and Arizona Department of Revenue. Post notice of the public hearing
• Publish in the local paper and Post Notice in at least three conspicuous public places in the territory proposed to be annexed the proposed territory to be annexed.
• Provide notice by mail to chairperson of county board of supervisors and to each owner of real and personal property within territory proposed to be annexed at least 6 days prior to the public hearing.
• Public Hearing on the proposed annexation. 8. Prepare a plan, policy, or procedure to demonstrate how services and infrastructure are to be provided to anticipated development within the annexed area in the next ten years.
• Within one year of the public hearing, obtain signatures on annexation petition representing:
  1. One-half or more of the persons owning real and personal property that would be subject to taxation by the city in the event of annexation. (assessed valuation).
  2. More than one-half of the persons owning real and personal property that would be subject to taxation by the city in the event of annexation. (ownership).
• Once annexation petition is complete, present signed petition with a copy filed with city clerk and the original filed in the office of the county recorder.
• Post notice of public hearing regarding annexation ordinance.
• Public hearing and adoption of annexation ordinance by City Council.

City Council can stop the proposed annexation at any step during the annexation process. According to the agenda, “The city does not anticipate there being any assessed real property within the proposed annexation area subject to taxation by the city, only assessed personal property.”