President Susan Barber affirmed that a quorum was present and called the meeting to order at 8:59am and welcomed public agency speaker Sergeant Anthony Horn, Eastern Area Command, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO).
Public Agency Speaker: Sgt. Anthony Horn noted that he’d been asked to talk about the office in the Village of Oak Creek, staffing and plans for staying in that office. In preparation, he spoke with Lieutenant Prichard as well as with our Board of Supervisors (BOS) and can confirm that the YCSO are staying. (6446 Highway 179, Suite 217, Sedona, AZ 86351, PH: 928-649-6449) He affirmed that a location in the Big Park School has been discussed, but it is unlikely that will happen, and if it does, it would be years out. They’ve had a lease redrafted for the VOC location, which is currently on the BOS agenda for approval. Once the lease is approved and signed, they will fix the internet service at that location and more Sheriff’s cars will operate from there. Currently he and 4 deputies are assigned to the VOC, although that is not the only area they patrol. If there is an emergency elsewhere, they’ll leave and then come back as the VOC is their major area to patrol. They also still have Michael Eich as their administrative assistant and Mike welcomes visitors to the office M-F, 8am-5pm. In answer to a question on response time, Sgt Horn clarified that it depends on the situation and location of the deputies, but they strive to be prompt. Other inquiries centered around the crime and squatters in the area and Sgt. Horn was pleased to report very little in the Village itself – parking issues on Verde Valley School Rd., occasional theft/fraud and only minimal squatters this year. Other areas are not so fortunate.
Roll Call: Secretary Mary Pope called the roll, confirming 16 member organizations and 5 guests present.
Approval of Agenda: The agenda was approved unanimously on a motion by Pat Robles, seconded by Paul Sullivan.
President’s Report: Susan noted that due to Executive Board travel schedules, the October BPC Meeting will be moved from October 10 to Thursday, October 17.
Secretary’s Report: Minutes from the June 13 and July 11 BPC Meetings were approved unanimously on a motion by Don Groves seconded by Carolyn Fisher.
Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Patty Reski reported on the July financials, noting a $170 expense for the Post Office box rental and a $675 payment for directors and operators’ insurance with no deductible. The deductible was removed two years ago after extensive research of policies by then VP Duane Thompson. Patty also mentioned an upcoming $997.50 expense from Earthrise Law Center and a small charge from GoDaddy for the domain name rental. One comment noted that PO Box rental costs continue to rise and we should plan on that for the 2025 budget.
Unfinished Business: Susan recapped the Executive Board’s meetings, presenting the results of their hybrid meeting format pilot tests and equipment research conducted by Fred Lenz. The EB found the Meeting Owl 3 to be the best technology option, offering clear audio and video, and noted it was portable and could be used in various locations. The total cost of the Owl 3, with a two-year warranty and service plan, was just over $1,000, with no ongoing fees. The EB recommended using a portion of the budgeted outreach events funds to purchase the Owl 3. They also addressed the scheduling of meetings with the Village library, which John confirmed had been given approval to start at 9 o’clock. A $50 fee was mentioned for use of the Javelina room, with one month free for regular renters. Susan recommended holding a full council test hybrid meeting on September 12th, and quarterly hybrid meetings with a budgeted amount of $200 for the rental room in 2025. Other monthly Council meetings will continue to be via Zoom. Purchase of the Owl 3 was approved unanimously as recommended on a motion by Pat Robles, seconded by Don Groves.
New Business: Susan announced that 3 people had volunteered for the 2025 Nominating Committee. Bylaws require that the committee be made up of 3 or more representatives, alternates or members of a member organization who are not officers. Margie Gershtenson, Mary Morris and Gay Chanler have volunteered. Susan called for additional volunteers, and hearing none, asked for a motion to approve. Carolyn Fisher moved that the Nominating Committee be approved with the three volunteers and Pat Robles seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
Committee Reports:
APS Subcommittee: Joe Skidmore reported that the meeting yesterday (8/7) with the USFS (CNF) was productive, with the APS team providing detailed explanations about their proposals for the first time in three years. APS had program managers, field maintenance reps, their fire mitigation manager and others present to provide a wide gamut of information about what they’re doing and why. Members of the BPC Executive Board and APS subcommittee were also there, as were several USFS (CNF) representatives including the NEPA Coordinator, Acting District Ranger and Fire Fuels Specialist. A lot of good information was exchanged. The final environmental assessment from the Forest Service is still pending, set to be released in September. Mike Dechter, the NEPA Coordinator, expected to issue the environmental assessment by September 12th, but it might be delayed to October due to the need for a thorough review by the regional forester in Albuquerque. Mike is open to a future objection meeting to reach compromises with objecting parties. He also offered to speak at a BPC meeting after the EA was issued, as part of their public information processes. Joe noted that he will give a more detailed report in September after the meeting summary was released and the BPC team had a chance to discuss their meeting impressions.
Joe also mentioned that the final “long” memo from Earthrise has been received and will be reviewed in detail by the committee and executive board.
Membership Committee: John Wichert reported on the Membership Committee’s efforts to identify and recruit new member organizations, mentioning a forthcoming list from the Arizona Corporate Commission, which would incur a (budgeted) fee. He also announced a new member, Antoinette Beiser, and the resumption of the “Coffee with Big Park Council” event in the Fall.
Planning & Zoning Committee: Bob Marriott reported that committee members have been trained on the Yavapai County Development Services Citizenserve website. Three projects are currently being tracked with respect to Dark-Sky compliance. Bob discussed proposed outdoor lighting projects for the Hilton Garden Inn, an outdoor wedding venue for the existing Hilton Hotel, and the Collective shopping center. Bob, John Wichert, and possibly Dave Norton and Nancy Maple plan to meet with development services to address these issues. He also mentioned a recent meeting with the Forest Service at the request of Acting District Ranger, Alex Schlueter with the purpose of getting to know and understand the BPC better. Mary Pope noted that he mentioned the possibility of clearing areas adjacent to communities for fire safety, with Alex offering to look into a potential way to clear dangerous deadwood using the wood cutting permit process, as formal action by the USFS will take a long time.
VVTPO (Verde Valley Transportation Project Organization) Liaison: Jeff Swan provided an update on the Sedona (I-17 SR179) traffic interchange, mentioning that ADOT was conducting a field review for a rural safety audit and was expected to present a draft in a couple of months. However, the status of the project was still pending. Bob Marriott raised concerns about the redoing of the deck of the southbound lane, suggesting it might deter future projects. Jeff acknowledged the issue, stating it was a result of different funding cycles for various projects.
Announcements:
Red Rock Trail Plan: Mary Morris reported that the Forest Service and the Red Rock Trail plan have been approved and will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase focusing on a wide area including the village and Sedona, and the second phase addressing equestrian access concerns in the Turkey Creek area. (See USFS link in Community News above for additional details) Mary noted an improvement in dialogue with the Forest Service, leading to commitments to install a special parking area for horse trailers and engage with the equestrian community.
Rotary Club of Sedona Village: Mary Pope, announced a local Rotary Club meeting featuring International Exchange students, Thursday August 15 at 7:30am at the Village Library.
Sedona Winds – Forget me Not dinner: Carolyn Fisher shared that Terry Williams was organizing a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association on September 19. (See Community News above for details and links to RSVP)
Refrigerator Storage: Bob Marriott asked if anyone could store a large refrigerator from the VOCA restaurant. It is useable while in storage.
Reminders:
