In the News

City of Sedona commits $22M for wells – Sedona Red Rock News

The Sedona City Council, with Councilwoman Kathy Kinsella absent and Councilwoman Charlotte Hosseini attending virtually, directed staff on Dec. 10 to move forward with a $22 million plan over the next two to three years to add recharge wells and explore supplying water to the Dells.

The city will abandon 200 acres of irrigation and construct up to four additional recharge wells.

The plans include two new recharge wells now, with two additional wells planned for future capacity.

“I should note that that $22 million is just for the two wells,” Sedona Wastewater Director Roxanne Holland said. “If we need two more for capacity later, that would be an additional, probably over $22 million, because it will be far in the future. So that $22 million is not for four wells.”

Both irrigation and injection wells are methods cities use to dispose of treated wastewater from the reclama­tion plants.

“From an operational standpoint, my preference would be to abandon [irrigation],” Holland said. “It’s diffi­cult to manage effluent management with irrigation that is unpredictable. Injection wells, they’re tested … and they have been very predictable for us. Every day, our recharge well will take 360,000 gallons” whereas “there are some days that irrigation will take zero.”

Council considered five total options for wastewater, with the cheapest calling for the construction of two recharge wells and keeping irrigation disposal, to the most expensive option of $161 million for the construction of an Advanced Water Purification facility that could purify recycled water back into drinking water that meets federal and local drinking water standards.

“AWP does not seem cost-effective under any circumstances, we’ve got assured water supply,” Interim Vice Mayor Brian Fultz said.

Arizona Water Company representatives reiterated their October presentation to council that AWC’s groundwater modeling shows Sedona’s groundwater meets current Adequate Water Supply Requirements and is reasonably expected to be available for at least the next 100 years.

The “predictive scenarios show: 100-year depth to water ranges from 420 to 790 feet below land surface. A 100-year drawdown of up to 200 feet,” AWC stated.

AWC’s models ran four scenarios with annual ground­water pumping ranging from 2,049 acre-feet per year to 4,361 acre-feet per year that also accounted for a decrease in water availability because of climate change.

Councilman Pete Furman was a dissenting voice, stating that, while advanced water purification is costly, he could see a possibility of a municipality downstream being interested in Sedona’s treated water. His comments come as communi­ties across the Southwest grapple with increasing aridifica­tion — including Phoenix, which received $179 million in federal funding in August for its North Gateway Advanced Water Purification Facility.

“We got a good assured water supply for a while,” Furman said. “What I really believe is the value of our effluent is increasing every day. If we pay attention to the news … folks are trying to figure out how to get new water sources every day … but someone’s going to come knocking on our door to want to … take that effluent, get it into the Verde River, and they’ll pull it off downstream,” and compensate Sedona.

Council’s decision doesn’t preclude a future council from investigating an AWP for the city.

AWC’s existing infrastructure doesn’t go out to the Dells, and while the city currently has a well at the administration site for the wastewater treatment plant for city services, it is not sufficient for development at the Dells and additional water infrastructure is needed to support the buildout of the Dells.

The council’s decision came after environmental and geotechnical studies were conducted on the Dells land, as requested in July. These assessments included testing for 37 specific contaminants. Testubg found no contamination or environmental issues exceeding established standards. The soil was also determined to be suitable for construction, and no remediation was required, confirming the land can be developed without concern for contamination.

The city is looking at building a new maintenance and transit center at the Dells, and is looking at the potential of building residential at the site as well. The December deci­sion help clears a path for eventual development of the Dells property, though a master planning process for that land remains to be completed.

Sedona City Council may create an independent auditor – Sedona Red Rock News

The Sedona City Council’s annual retreat gave some early direction for 2026. Council could potentially add crisis shelter Hope House of Sedona as a city Community Service Provider, create a Council Audit Subcommittee, create a citizens’ committee to look at increasing the compensation for council members and bolster city public relations.

Council Pay

Currently, the monthly salary for city council members is $550, and the mayor receives $800. Councilman Pete Furman is seeking to raise these amounts in an effort to attract younger and more working-class candidates to run for office, with a citizens committee recom­mending to the council whether or not to increase salaries.

“There’s never a good time for the council to consider raising its compen­sation,” Furman later said, when asked if he thought the potential to raise sala­ries is counter to council’s general direc­tion to staff for this budget cycle to not increase the number of staff positions and to project essentially flat revenue. “But I thought it would be a good effort to start a community conversation with a citizens work group and kind of think through all the issues and come back to council with a report.”

Increasing the compensation would require an ordinance amendment and can not take effect until after the 2026 elections.

Independent Auditor

Additionally, following the recom­mendation by Furman, Councilwoman Melissa Dunn and Vice Mayor Brian Fultz, council agreed to create another subcommittee to look at the creation of an independent auditor to monitor city spending and operations.

Phase 1 would involve hiring a consultant with the subcommittee and staff to create a committee to develop city performance metrics and use the Enterprise Resource Planning to create publicly available dashboards.

Phase 2 would involve the “creation of an office of independent perfor­mance auditor whose function would be to hold government accountable, both elected officials and city manage­ment; recommend ways to improve services; report how government funds are being spent; assess emerging risks and showcase successes; ensure compliance with policies, laws and regulations; and identify cost savings,” the council packet reads.

No timeline has been set for the creation of either committee.

Hope House of Sedona

Dunn submitted a discussion request to potentially add Hope House of Sedona, which provides transitional housing services for homeless local families, and the Sedona Community Food Bank to the city’s Community Service Providers — organizations that receive city funding through formal contracts to deliver social services on behalf of the municipality.

For example, for city fiscal year 2026 the Sedona Heritage Museum’s city service provider contract is for $167,050, according to museum Executive Director Nate Meyers.

“I spend a large chunk of my job fundraising … that’s one of my main priorities,” Hope House Executive Director Turiya Weiss later said, adding that she is “cautiously excited.”

“Having another piece of our funding secured for fiscal year 2027 means that it frees up a small amount of my time to … ensure that we are able to expand in a conscious way,” she said.

Dunn wrote that her intention for adding them is to bolster the city’s response to homelessness.

“I do not believe the community has any interest in creating a drop-in center, or any additional services already being provided by non-profit organizations already within the community,” Dunn wrote in the council packet. “Based upon this assumption, I would like council to consider adding Hope House and [Sedona Community Food Bank] as current Sedona contributions to help the homeless within the community as service contractors, if those facilities are interested in such a contract.”

Councilwoman Charlotte Hosseini requested that staff develop environ­mental sustainability performance measures in the Community Service Provider contracts and “Update on any county owned streets within the city limits dating to annexation in order to understand the city’s intent” such as with repairs the packet reads.

Fultz’s retreat proposal could expand public participation through semi-annual listening sessions. The new Communications and Public Affairs Manager Tyler Maffitt who started on Monday, Dec. 22, would develop an engagement plan potentially including weekly podcasts.

Liaison Roles

Interim Mayor Holli Ploog serves as liaison to the Greater Arizona Mayor’s Association, League of Arizona Cities & Towns, Sedona Historical Society, Sedona Wastewater Municipal Property Corporation, Verde Valley Mayor/Manager Group and Yavapai County Mayor/Manager Group.

Furman was named as the liaison with Councilwoman Kathy Kinsella as the alternate to the recently formed Yavapai County Water and Open Space Committee that is slated to start in January. Furman will serve as liaison to the Airport Advisory Committee, Coconino Plateau Water Advisory Committee, Keep Sedona Beautiful, Northern Arizona Municipal Water Users Association and Public Safety Personnel Retirement.

Kinsella is liaison to the Sedona Community Center Board.

Dunn is liaison to the Greater Sedona Area Recreation Collaborative, Community Library Sedona and the Verde Valley Caregivers.

Fultz serves as liaison to Northern Arizona Council of Governments and the Sedona Lodging Council.

Council OKs arts & culture grant funding – Sedona Red Rock News

The Sedona City Council unanimously approved the recommendations of the Arts and Culture Grant Review Committee on Tuesday, Dec. 9 — award the Sedona International Film Festival and the Sedona Arts Center each $100,000 in the city’s first disbursement of the recently created Arts and Culture Grant Program.

“We have two very fine organizations,” Councilman Pete Furman said. “I don’t like the process. We developed a competitive grant process. [But] it’s not really competi­tive. I would prefer that we do contracts for services for these two fine organizations.”

Council approved the creation of the grant program 5-2 during its Sept. 9 meeting, with Furman and Councilman Brian Fultz opposed. Subsequently, the Arts and Culture Grant Committee reviewed applications on Nov. 17, forwarding recommendations to council.

ACOG eligibility is limited to Sedona-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits focused on arts and culture with annual budgets of $1 million or more. Qualifying organizations must offer year-round programming for residents, expend awarded funds within the fiscal year, submit outcome reports and forgo other city grants during the same period.

SIFF and SAC were the only applicants that satisfied these requirements.

“We are really honored that the city has recognized us and the Sedona Arts Center for the value and the arts and the culture that we bring daily to this community,” SIFF Executive Director Patrick Schweiss said. “This is a huge step in support for arts and culture on behalf of the city, for two very well established longtime organizations.”

Among SIFF programs that ACOG will support are: The Sedona Professional Theatre Company that brings profes­sional actors and directors to the Mary D. Fisher Theatre, the “Movies on the Move” outdoor screening program, a new live music series with four dates and the continuation of the annual festival’s closing night free concert.

A portion of the funds from this grant are earmarked to help support four programs at the upcoming festival taking place from Sunday, Feb. 22 to Monday, March 2: “Marilyn Monroe at 100: A Celebration” with film screenings and a live tribute; “Right In the Eye: Movie Concert on Georges Méliés’ Films” featuring a small live orchestra from France; “From Broadway with Love: Part II” with Megan Hilty.

Finally “‘Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground:’ Live one-man stage production starring Tony Award-winner John Rubenstein as Dwight D. Eisenhower,” SIFF”s grant application reads. This production would be staged as the preevening kick-off event of the festival, in celebration of launching of the Sedona Professional Theatre Company.

ACOG is “something that Patrick Schweiss and I have both been working toward for the past year and a half, just laying all the groundwork to make it happen,” SAC CEO Julie Richard said. “We really need this funding, and it is going to go a long way in helping to support our programming.”

The $100,000 will go towards supporting SAC’s Creative Aging program, the The Sedona Entrepreneurial Artist Development Program a two-day program in March that teaches business skills to artists, Gallery 928 a summer art apprenticeship program for teens, and the “Faces” exhibit series.

SAC and SIFF originally applied for and were awarded $30,000 and $27,300, respec­tively, under the city’s Small Grants Program, on June 24.

With the creation of ACOG, those funds will be redistributed to other area nonprofits under the Small Grants Program: The Sedona Symphony, $19,500; Low-Income Student Aid, $6,065; Chamber Music Sedona, an additional $4,500; the Sedona Chamber Ballet, $4,500; Gardens for Humanity, $4,500; the Sedona-Oak Creek District Educational Foundation, $3,225; Piano on the Rocks, $2,500; the Rotary Club of Sedona, $2,000; the Sedona Arts Festival, $2,000; St. Vincent de Paul, $2,000; the Sedona Sister Cities Association, $1,000; the International Hummingbird Society, $1,000; and Wisdom Age Metaverse, $5,000.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to accurately state Sedona City Council’s prior vote in September.

Yavapai County hopes water talks flow – Sedona Red Rock News

Yavapai County Supervisors Nikki Check [D-District 3] and Chris Kuknyo [R-District 4] were tapped by their fellow supervisors to join the newly formed Water Resources and Open Space Committee during the board’s Dec. 3 meeting in Prescott.

In “January, myself and our county manager at the time, and several Yavapai County directors attended a Growing Water Smart conference, where we brainstormed amongst ourselves: What could the county do to make progress on water?” Check later said. “We coalesced around the idea that we’d like to see a more regional conversation, and that Yavapai County would be the most appropriate and best facilitator for [that] conversation.”

“Topics and reasons for convening this conversation would be to find areas of agreement where we could have some mutual coopera­tion to get some projects together, both in understanding our regional hydrology but also doing proj­ects like stormwater capture, and additionally looking at what tools are already in our toolbox that we can implement for being water conscious, but also identifying areas — specifics that we would like to see added to our toolbox as far as decision-making on regional groundwater.”

The Yavapai County Water Advisory Committee was first approved by the board on Jan. 25, 1999. Check served as appointed member through the Jerome Town Council when she was Jerome’s mayor, before the committee was disbanded in 2014. Check expressed support for reforming a committee at several points on the 2024 campaign trail.

“Here’s what’s different about the way things used to be,” Check later said. “We had a Water Advisory Committee. So yes, Yavapai County has kind of been in this position of facilitating a regional conversation before, but that was at a time when the state was not very active. Since then, the governor [Katie Hobbs] has really activated the [Arizona] Department of Water Resources.

“They’re analyzing basins. They are making progress and forming ideas about how our groundwater is going to be managed. So what I would like to see is our regional stakeholders be able to have a cohesive voice in that conversation with the state.”

Check said the new effort must focus on areas of agreement rather than disagreement if it hopes to be productive. She described the prior committee as prone to get “mired around misunder­standings and disagree­ments around the inter­pretation of the data that’s available.”

“I think that there is a regional desire,” Check later said. “Prescott … the Verde Valley communi­ties, they’ve all said they are committed to ensuring that the Upper Verde River continues to flow. But how to get there is an important topic. So that’s the area that I’d like to focus on — finding those areas of agreement. I don’t know why there wouldn’t be an area of agreement around doing some smart stormwater capture to help bolster that watershed. There’s so much around it, or preserving some open space to protect the hydrology there.”

The main focus of the committee’s conversation will be how to keep the upper Verde River flowing, Check said.

Calls for stronger regional coordination on water issues have been growing across the county. In May, Citizens Water Advocacy Group Executive Committee member Gary Beverly warned that cities within the Prescott Active Management Area continue to pursue new development while relying on a shared groundwater supply that is already in decline.

“The numbers are sobering,” Arizona Water Sentinels Program Manager for the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club Jennifer Martin wrote in a March blog. “Groundwater pumping and climate change have reduced the Verde River’s base flow by more than half compared to pre-development levels, “Del Rio Springs, once the historical headwaters, has been reduced to a trickle — just 5% of its original flow. Six miles of the upper Verde have already dried up, and projections suggest that the base flow at critical points could reach zero within a few decades. These declines threaten not only the river itself but the intricate web of life it supports.”

Sedona’s water supply is stable but declining, according to Arizona Water Company represen­tatives during their Oct. 29 update to City Council.

Assistant Yavapai County Manager Tyler Goodman told the super­visors that Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Dewey-Humboldt, Clarkdale, Cottonwood and Jerome have confirmed participa­tion, with Sedona expected to finalize its representa­tive by Friday, Dec. 19.

Sedona City Councilman Pete Furman told the NEWS he has an interest in being on the county’s new committee in addi­tion to his current roles on the Northern Arizona Municipal Water Users Association and the Coconino Plateau Water Partnership.

“The watershed in our particular area is in rela­tively good shape relative to the rest of the Verde Valley and the rest of the county,” Furman said. “So, it’s going to be very interesting to see what this county group wants to take on, but it’s really important for Sedona to participate as well.”

The Water Resources and Open Space Committee is expected to begin meeting in January. The committee will be supported by a two-year, $25,000 grant from the Growing Water Smart for professional facilitation services, with the goals of creating web-based mapping tools for water data by February and a county-wide open space plan by June.

Sedona City Council picks 4 for vacancy – Sedona Red Rock News

A Sedona City Council vacancy created by the resignation of former Mayor Scott Jablow and the eleva­tion of council members Holli Ploog and Brian Fultz to interim mayor and vice mayor, respectively, is slated to be filled by one of four finalists: Jean-Christophe Buillet, Charlotte Hosseini, Ernie Strauch or Allan Affeldt.

Interviews of the applicants is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m.

The four were advanced to a round of public interviews during the City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 28, with all of the selected appli­cants except Affeldt receiving unani­mous votes. Affeldt advanced on a 4-2 vote, with Ploog and Councilwoman Melissa Dunn not advancing him.

“My criteria [was] thinking about this is a year position [so] coming up to speed quickly is important,” Councilman Pete Furman said, explaining his vote. “So I was really interested in folks who have demon­strated recent engagement with the city and the city council through commis­sions or work groups or [are] active. … I felt strongly about engaging in commissions or work groups … because I like to see how they think and how they act and how they treat staff or members of whatever body is that they [are] on, so it was an active demonstration.”

Andrea Christelle, Chase Norlin, Henry Silbiger, Gary Whitehil and Scott Ross were the remaining applicants that council chose to not consider further.

Finalists

▪ Affeldt is a former two-term mayor of Winslow and has served on the New Mexico Economic Recovery Council that represents the hospitality industry and the Arizona Humanities Council.

“I restored and own La Posada Hotel and the Turquoise Room restau­rant in Winslow, so I know the hotel and restaurant industry. … I have restored many historic properties in Arizona and New Mexico,” he wrote in his application. “I have served on many non-profit boards, from Lowell Observatory to [the] Museum of Northern Arizona. I created my own nonprofit — the Winslow Arts Trust — to promote art and artists along Route 66. I built a museum — the Affeldt Mion Museum — in Winslow, so I know how to design, fund, build and operate cultural institutions.”

▪ Buillet was a member of the Citizen Budget Work Group, a 28-year resident and father of four and his family have built and oper­ated A Sunset Chaetau over the last 20 years, his appli­cation reads. Along with his businesses, Buillet Tax & Consulting and Devstar Realty & Buillet Real Estate, he studied computer and electrical engineering at Northern Arizona University “before completing two years at Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry, which shaped his heart for service and integrity.”

▪ Hosseini is the current vice chairwoman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, where she has served since 2018 after relocating to Sedona in 2015. She also served on the Citizens Healthcare Work Group in 2022, the Fiscal Sustainability Work Group in 2017, the Citizens Budget Work Group from fiscal years 2017 to 2020. Her professional career centered on 24 years of service starting in 1989 to the state of Arizona where she held various roles from the special projects admin­istrator for the Attorney General’s Office and deputy director of finance for the Arizona Department of Administration.

▪ Strauch was Sedona vice mayor in 2006 and served on council from 2002 to 2006. He is a 27-year resident who has also served on the Sedona Sustainability Commission from 2010 to 2013, the Sedona Community Plan Advisory Group in 2014 and the Sedona Community Plan Working Group in 2022.

“Unfortunately, I believe the most important imme­diate issue is the … re-establishment of trust in city government,” Strauch wrote in his application. “I do not have specific ideas to propose here, other than desiring to participate in a significant collabora­tive effort to effectuate an obvious public distin­guishing event/activity that promotes the concept that the city is truly listening and cares.”

2026 Election

The applicants that were not chosen for interviews can also make their case to voters along with any other qualified elector for the 2026 Sedona City Council election on Tuesday, Aug. 4, in which the mayoral seat will be determined along with three seats on council. A runoff, if necessary, takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

Candidate packets will be available at the Sedona city clerk’s office at 102 Roadrunner Drive on Monday, Nov. 3.

“It is highly recom­mended that those inter­ested in running schedule an appointment to pick up and review a candidate packet,” a city press release reads. Candidates must be a quali­fied elector, at least 18 on or before the election and have lived within the city limits for at least one year.

Fultz announced his intention to run for mayor while Ploog is not seeking to run for mayor and will continue to serve on council until 2028. Furman will not be seeking reelection while Dunn will be asking voters for another term.

Contact City Clerk JoAnne Cook at (928) 282- 3113 or by email jcook@sedonaaz.gov for more information on how to run for City Council.