A segment of the Sedona popula­tion that is not often heard was very vocal in their request to the Sedona City Council to help make an area of the city safer for them and their loved ones.

Last September the city received a $15,000 grant designed to increase equity in city engagement processes and support resiliency-building proj­ects in the immigrant community in Sedona, a city report states.

According to data from Yavapai College, Hispanic residents account for 14.6% of Sedona’s community.

“However, the immigrant commu­nity in general and the Harmony neighborhood in particular, are consistently underrepresented in city planning processes, resulting in their voices not being reflected in city planning,” the report states. “With transit, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and climate action planning underway, there are several opportunities to redesign engage­ment processes and shift city projects to reflect the needs of the immigrant community.”

For the project, the city partnered with Northern Arizona Institutions for Community Leadership to design and implement community-orga­nizing strategies in the Harmony neighborhood. Community-led organizers have trained a group of 20 leaders in the Harmony area and designed engagement processes that identify barriers to climate action and participation in city planning processes.

Roxana Cardiel, community orga­nizer for Northern Arizona Interfaith Council, said NAIC is hoping to open more doors when it comes to interaction between the city and the Hispanic community of Sedona.

“We want to make sure there is a space for our community to be able to come and share why this is important to them, their experiences of being part of Sedona and really being able to uphold their ability to exercise their civic engagement muscles,” she said.

Community-led organizers surveyed 60 Harmony neighbors about their priorities. While building trust and new relationships between NAIC leaders and the city, Harmony community leaders and members have identified three main climate action needs:

■ Education and assistance to save water and energy at home.

■ Public transportation for children to get safely around the community to sports and after school activities.

■ Sidewalks and lighting to safely walk home from the bus at night.

The final request is what received the majority of discussion during the council meeting with a half-dozen residents of the Harmony area asking council to consider putting in a side­walk along Andante Drive.

Those residents of Harmony who spoke to council were assisted by Dr. Karen Schairer, who served as a Spansh language interpreter. Each said they were speaking not only for themselves, but other neighbors who could not attend the meeting because they were working.

“The reason for me being here is because of my experience on Andante Drive, the traffic and the lack of a sidewalk,” said Rosa Garcia, adding that it is not safe for adults and chil­dren to walk along that roadway. “I’m worried about our commu­nity who every day have to use this street without adequate lighting or a sidewalk in which to walk while putting themselves at risk for a traffic accident.”

Mayor Sandy Moriarty, who said she drives on Andante Drive often, concurs with the concerns of the residents.

“I know how badly it’s needed,” she said. “It’s been needed for years. We have addressed it in the past. We’re happy to hear that you want it and we’ll do what we can to pursue it.”

Vice Mayor Scott Jablow said he was saddened to hear that some of those residents who spoke felt as though they are not valued within the community.

“They shouldn’t feel they’re not valued, especially in Sedona or anywhere else for that matter,” he said. “They are valued here. They contribute to our community and I’m sure many of them are working in our stores and shops, which vitally need their services. They contribute a lot and we definitely value them.”

The city had an opportunity to place a sidewalk along Andante in 2012 as a result of a grant. However, some resi­dents of that area balked at the idea and thus the project was scrapped and the funding was lost. The price tag at that time was nearly $1.7 million.

“We definitely would be willing to pursue some kind of pedestrian or multi-model improvement,” City Engineer Andy Dickey said following Tuesday’s meeting.