With the 2020 election season in full swing, Jessica Williamson and other candidates for the Sedona City Council were asked a variety of questions about themselves as well as why they’re running.

Q: How long have you lived in Sedona?

My husband and I moved to Sedona in the fall of 2003. We live in West Sedona.

Q: What do you or did you do for a living?

Before moving to Sedona, I worked for the city of New York. My last job in New York City was as the director of Departmental Affairs for the city of New York’s Department of Design and Construction, a 1,500-person agency responsible for the design and construction of public build­ings and infrastructure. I reported to the commissioner and worked with senior staff to establish policy and operate the agency efficiently. Our agency was responsible for the recovery work at the World Trade Center after 9/11.

Q: What do you enjoy most about living in Sedona?

When I came to Sedona I was captivated by the big sky, the fresh air and the landscape. Those still resonate with me. I also cherish the friends I have made, each and every one.

Q: Do you have any hobbies or interests?

Before COVID-19 I went to classes at the gym every day. Now I hike every day and enjoy the wondrous and spectacular trails just minutes from my front door. I’m doing a lot of reading and spend way too much time on the computer. I am a fan of classic black and white movies.

Q: Why are you running for Sedona City Council?

I am committed to doing what I can to ensure a healthy and vibrant future for our community. It is imperative that we face issues and not kick the can down the road. This council has tackled a number of the most pressing challenges facing Sedona and I want to ensure that those initiatives continue to move forward.

The council sets priorities and votes on proposals to implement those priorities. The reality is that every proposal is controversial to some degree. There are always people who agree and people who disagree, often vehemently. It can be chal­lenging to make decisions in that environment, yet that is council’s job. I am willing to make those decisions in a timely manner where others might be reluctant to decide. I am very careful about the decisions I make. I read the information in the packet, I listen to residents who support the proposal and those who oppose it, I raise issues with staff and suggest changes. I ask myself, “What is in the best interests of Sedona” before I decide. I look forward to continuing to do what’s right for our community to ensure our future.

Q: How will you help lead the city through the current COVID-19 pandemic?

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has brought us to an extraordinary place. Most of us have not expe­rienced a crisis like this in our lifetimes. There are no silver bullets, no magic formulas for getting through this fast and without conse­quences. Our human desire for answers and for assur­ance is being sorely tested. Conditions change daily, sometimes hourly, and it is challenging to adapt quickly to the way the virus is moving through our society.

Public health remains my primary goal. It makes sense to me to listen to scientists who are working with the virus every day and adopt prevailing scientific public health recommendations. We can’t run away from this pandemic and it’s reckless to deny the risks it poses. It is prudent to face the realities of COVID-19, recognize the dangers posed by the virus and take reasonable and measured steps to contain its spread. We have to be flex­ible as conditions change. That’s the approach I will take.

Q: Aside from COVID-19, what do you feel are the next three biggest issues facing Sedona?

Traffic has remained a top community issue for some years now. The city is just completing the Uptown traffic project, the first of 12 strategies to improve the flow of traffic in our commu­nity. Preliminary analyses indicate that the project has resulted in reduced travel time from the canyon through Uptown. Design is underway for future proj­ects, including a pedestrian crossing under [SR] 179 by Tlaquepaque and connecting Forest Road from Uptown to [SR] 89A. I look forward to moving ahead with those initiatives.

One of Council’s priori­ties is sustainability, which is finding ways to meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. The city has installed solar panels covering the parking lots at City Hall, adopted a sustain­ability program for city facilities, installed an elec­tric charging station at City Hall and is working with the community on a Climate Action Plan for the city.

The lack of housing for our workforce has been a long-standing issue in Sedona. The scarcity of rental apartments was exacerbated a few years ago as rental properties were converted to condo­miniums and the rental inventory was further reduced recently as rental units were converted to short-term rentals. The city recently changed the Land Development Code to encourage construction of apartments and provide for smaller home development, and worked with Habitat for Humanity to facilitate the development of a three-unit condominium, now completed in Uptown.