Big Park Council Meeting: From the Supervisor

4/13/23 BIG PARK COUNCIL MEETING

Guest Speaker: Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor Donna Michaels

Supervisor Donna Michaels expressed her concern that people in the community were not aware of how to express complaints or comments to the county.

She noted that the Citizen Serve online portal (Citizenserve Online Portal) is the way to do this and urged people to utilize this online service. Another way to complain or comment is through the Land Use Enforcement Complaints section of the Yavapai County Planning & Development Department (Land Use Violations (yavapaiaz.gov)). At the bottom of the page is a link to register and file a complaint, which takes you back to the Citizen Serve log-in. There is also a Violation Hotline phone number (VIOLATION HOTLINE 771-3464) that can be used.

In answer to a question, Supervisor Michaels agreed that broadband strength and signal consistency were major problems facing the community, noting that even with communities such as Rimrock and Cornville who were designated as “underserved” by the Federal government and received funding to rectify the situation; there are difficulties. Last week the Board of Supervisors voted to terminate the CSC contract for not meeting the contract deliverables. A new RFP has been released to find another vendor. She noted that the City of Sedona is working toward receipt of federal funding and that she’d be speaking to Mayor Jablow regarding a joint venture. John Wichert reported that there is a Greater Sedona Broadband Initiative group working toward the same goal and that their efforts could be combined.

Flooding issues were also discussed next, in particular the Jacks Canyon wash between Las Piedras and the Patel property on the corner of Jacks Canyon Road and SR179. Concerns were raised regarding the proposed tarmac parking areas adding to the problem and Patel’s requesting federal flood mitigation funding. Many other areas in BigPark/VOC and elsewhere in Yavapai County are also prone to flooding and Supervisor Michaels noted that the whole area needs to be looked at for proactive and preventive flood mitigation, not just the immediate challenges. The situation now differs from the past and must be addressed. She further noted that this issue is so important that she is working closely with the Yavapai County Flood Department’s Lynn Whitman in more proactive measures which she is seeking Federal funds to provide.