Sedona residents will not be able to vote on the upcoming Community Plan due to a population decrease.
The Community Plan, which will determine the direction the city grows and plans for the next 10 years, has begun its initial meetings for the next update in 2023. In the past, residents have been able to vote on the final goals and plans for community growth that the City has adopted. The new updated plan will only have to be approved by City Council to be in effect.
According to the Arizona Revised Statutes, public participation in the development and amendment of general plans for geography, ethnic and economic areas of the city is only allowed for cities with certain population and growth statistics.
“There is no authority in ARS Section §9-461.06 for voter ratification because Sedona’s population is under 10,000 and has been growing at less than 2% per year,” said Kurt Christianson, the city attorney.
The 2020 US Census reported that Sedona sits at 9,684 people with a growth rate of 0.18% annually. Much of this can be attributed to the decrease in affordable housing and the consequential growth of Sedona’s neighboring towns across the Verde Valley.
Sedona was the only incorporated city or town in the Valley with a decrease in population, with Yavapai County’s population going up by 25,176 and Coconino County’s population going up by 10,680.
During the previous 2013 community plan update, Sedona’s population just made the mark with a population of 10,031 and a 2% growth rate. On March 11, 2014, the Sedona public ratified the plan that was adopted by the City Council in the fall of 2013.
But the 2014 vote was also marked by smaller participation from the public than in the past. The plan had 23.6 percent vote in favor of the new community plan, 14.7 percent vote against, and 65.7 percent did not vote at all.
The Community Plan originally has been consistently updated and reviewed since the city’s incorporation. But previously the Community Plan fell under the city’s planning and development code.
The plan has a three-year process of workgroups, planning, and pubic engagement. City Council approved starting work on the community plan back in 2020, for its final approval in 2023. City Principal Planner Cynthia Lovely and Senior Planner Mike Raber have been the key figures in amending the plan.
But according to city staff, the city is dedicated to keeping residents involved in the process with public hearings and meetings.
“The city is committed to ensuring this plan is a reflection of Sedona residents’ vision for the city’s future,” the city’s Public Relations Manager Lauren Browne said. “The public input process will be just thorough, and perhaps even more extensive as the last update and will include new innovative methods of engagement that weren’t considered 10 years ago.”
The update to the Community Plan will most likely consist of many solutions to the traffic and short-term rental issues that have plagued the city since even the 2013 adaptation, staff said. It will also continue to add on for different Community Focus Areas, such as Oak Creek and Uptown.
Community Plan workgroup meetings have begun to meet at City Hall. Drafts for the plan will begin to be released in Summer 2022. Plans are required to be fully approved and ratified by 2025.
