Accomplishments

As Mayor of Sedona, I have accomplished many changes that have benefitted our residents.I support initiatives that meet our needs and anticipate our future, such as:

SR 179 Underpass- In Progress

As the issue of traffic continues to be a major issue in our city, I have supported the Sedona in Motion project to build an underpass under SR 179. This project was created to help reduce pedestrian crossing. The projected completion date is Fall 2024.

Brewer Road Ranger Station – In Progress

The Ranger Park project on Brewer Road has been expedited so that it can provide a community space showcasing our history and the arts while having unique play structures for children and fun games such as horseshoes and bocci ball for adults.

Expanding Sedona's Dog Park with new sunshades – Completed

On Sept. 13, 2022, City Council approved a $155,000 expansion of the Posse Grounds Dog Park, to include a new 20,000 sq. ft. field area, comprised of a non-irrigated dog-friendly surface with shade structures

Pickleball – In the design phase

A vibrant group of pickleball players has been asking for eight new pickleball courts. This project is now under the design phase at Posse Grounds Park. On July 11, 2023, City Council approved the site selection near the current tennis courts, for eight new pickleball courts to be constructed at Posse Grounds Park. The design will cost approximately $81,880.

Trash Can Ordinance – enacted by the Council in 2021

With more and more of short-term rentals being owned by corporations out of the city, the community became outraged by the number of overturned trash cans with no one to clean up the trash. A new trash can ordinance requires restrictions on when cans can be brought to the street and when those empty cans must be removed.

Public Availability and Outreach

Mayor Jablow has made great strides in public-outreach by being responsive to questions on social media, holding individual meetings with residents and having "Coffee with the Mayor" at a locally owned coffee house.

Cultural Park - Purchased for Future Development

Mayor Jablow supported the purchase of the 40-acre Cultural Park for future multi-use rentals, market-rate rentals, workforce and elder care. A community outreach program is planned for the Fall/Winter of 2024 in order to gather the community's input for the remainder of the property.

Off-Highway Vehicles - Safety and Volume - Ongoing

Mayor Jablow spearheaded a group comprised by Vice-Mayor Ploog and Council-member Fultz to work with the Off-Highway Vehicle rental companies to make safety changes to their vehicles; to reduce muffler noise, ensure that each OHV has directionals, reduce maximum speed to 35 m.p.h. and to mandate better training and education to their customers.

Uptown Parking Garage – In progress

November 2023 Mayor Jablow supported to move forward with the Uptown parking garage. While the funding phase has not yet been approved, the garage will provide much needed and safer customer parking. Once built, the parking garage will replace several existing surface parking lots and allow the property owners to redevelop those lots. Also planned, is a resident parking permit system and the streamlining of on-street neighborhood parking to streets that are over-saturated with parking from visitors and employees causing an unsafe evacuation path. The new parking garage will include a new satellite police station that will have officers spending more time in Uptown. Also included are EV charging stations and solar panels. Mayor Jablow supported having the parking garage serve as a staging area for a circulator shuttle which will transport residents and tourists alike to Tlaquepaque, Hillside and Hozho's Distinctive Shops and Galleries allowing people to park once while spending time throughout our tourist district.

Bringing Tourism "In-House" – In progress

In July 2023, Mayor Jablow supported separating our tourism program from the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. Bringing this program "in-house" allows the city to have full control of how our city messages are received across the United States and beyond. Mayor Jablow also supported seating an 11-member Tourism Advisory Board comprised of our residents and local business owners who will review marketing ideas and messaging and advise the City Council.

Building relationships with elected officials and Local Leaders– Ongoing

Mayor Jablow, along with Vice-Mayor Ploog, spent the past year meeting and building relationships with:

State Senator and Representatives and the Arizona Speaker of the House on such topics as OHVs.
David Chaney, CEO of Northern Arizona Healthcar
Representatives from Polaris
Kicking off the 2023 International Film Festival
Fr. Ignatius from the Chapel of the Holy Cross, USFS Ranger Tinderholt, Vice-Mayor Ploog & Councilor Fultz to discuss parking issues.
Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega to discuss a partnership on short-term rental reform.
Welcoming the new ADOT Director, Jennifer Toth, to discuss future road projects.

Managing Short Term Vacation Rental Impacts

Senate Bill 1350 removed local control to regulate Short Term Vacation Rentals. The recently passed Senate Bill 1168 has made minor adjustments to address neighborhood nuisance issues. As your Mayor, I voted on three resolutions for the League of Cities and Towns to once again try to implement a cap on future Short-Term Rentals, cap the number of Short-Term Rentals in individual neighborhoods, and cap the number of Short-Term Rentals next to each other.

Scott supported working with the League of Cities and Towns to regain our local control on this issue. In the interim, Council has:

Hired a legislative advocate to concentrate on making Sedona's case with the state Legislature and stop the proliferation of STRs.
Established a program to track STRs, require emergency contacts and manage a complaint hotline.
Updated the city's trash and noise ordinances to address complaints regarding poorly managed STR properties.

Housing For Residents of All Incomes

Lack of housing affordability and availability threatens the vibrancy of our community. I am working to encourage workers to return to Sedona as residents and retain them in our community. So far, we have:

Partnered with public/private partnerships for workforce apartment complexes.
Launched a downpayment/closing cost assistance program for local employees.
Launched a Rent Local pilot program to incentivize conversion of STRs to long-term local rentals.
Partnered with Hope House to provide federal dollars for the remodeling of transitional housing for families with children.
Purchased lots for future public/private partnerships.

Sustainability Actions

The city needs to be a leader in preserving Sedona for future generations. I have taken the following steps for our residents and intend to build on these:

Completed one year of the Home Energy Retrofit Program with a second year underway - $54,000 has already been allocated for 14 households so far.
Established a Community Food Scrap Composting program which has diverted approximately a half-ton of food waste as of July with 44 households engaged.
Partnered with Northern Arizona Solar Co-op to offer reduced rates for solar conversion with 38 contracts to date.
Completed the initial plan with continual updates for an Emergency Evacuation modeling project for all neighborhoods of Sedona as well as preparation of a Community Resiliency Guide.

Prioritizing Residents, Balancing Tourism and Preservation of Natural Resources

Mayor Jablow continues to work to meet the needs of our residents. Recreation opportunities and mobility in our community while protecting our land and most precious resources are a top priority. Accomplishments include:

Completed multi-use paths and trailhead tie-ins along Sanborn/Thunder Mountain, Dry Creek, Sunset Drive, Soldiers Pass and a new parking area at Posse Grounds.
Approved a plan for upgrading Posse Grounds Park to include eight new pickleball courts and revitalized playground equipment.
Designed the Forest Road extension which is under construction.
Launched an entire trailhead shuttle program which has boarded over 500,000 passengers as of November 2023.
Designed a Los Abrigados to Brewer Road connection to ease exiting traffic.
Accelerated the Brewer Road Ranger Station Park buildout with a shared-use path and house/barn exterior restoration, with the completion of a restroom, lawn, plaza, parking and gardens scheduled for the next fiscal year.
Completed Shelby Drive roadway improvements, including drainage and sidewalks.
Working with a newly formed group, Greater Sedona Recreational Collaborative to study the issues caused by Off-Highway Vehicles.
Brought Destination Marketing in-house. Bringing this program "in-house" allows the city to have full control of how our city messages are received throughout the United States and beyond. Mayor Jablow also supported seating an 11-member Tourism Advisory Board comprised of our residents, and local business owners who will review marketing ideas and messaging and assist in advising the City Council.
Working to bring broadband to our city utilizing federal funding to help each resident have better connectivity to cultivate home based businesses.