The city is going to court over the Uptown garage
A garage bill headed to court, a SWAT drill Monday, and chip seal through October.
A hole in the ground in Uptown ended up costing the city $1.2 million. At its Aug. 11 meeting, the council approved paying McCarthy Building Companies $1.194 million for cost overruns on the Uptown Parking Garage. The trouble started underground. Excavation problems pushed the job back five months, and the delay is what ran up the bill. Now the city and McCarthy both want to recover part of that money from Fann Contracting, the company that did the digging. That means the garage's real final price is still an open question. Litigation moves slowly, so expect this one back on a council agenda.
Chip seal season runs into October
Earth Resources Corporation is doing chip seal, fog seal and striping work for Yavapai County through Thursday, Oct. 29. In Sedona, the list includes Boynton Pass, Long Canyon, Dry Creek and Red Rock Loop roads. Roads in the Village of Oak Creek and Jerome are also included. Crews work from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. One lane will remain open, but drivers may see lane restrictions, shifts, lower speed limits and flaggers. The affected list changes by location, so check the county map before traveling through a work zone.
Sedona Innovation Summit returns Oct. 1
The Sedona Innovation Summit runs Thursday, Oct. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Enchantment Resort, 525 Boynton Canyon Road. The Chamber event will bring together business and community leaders, entrepreneurs, elected officials and other speakers from across Arizona. The program includes talks, networking, lunch and the presentation of the 2026 Sedona Innovation Award. Tickets are $179 for members and $199 for nonmembers. Tables for eight are also available. Speakers and more program details will be announced later.
If Uptown looks alarming Monday, it is practice
On Monday, Aug. 24, expect a heavy public safety presence in Uptown from roughly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Sedona Police Department, the Sedona Fire District, and the Verde Valley Regional SWAT team are running a full-scale, multi-agency training exercise there. The point is to practice how the three agencies work together during a serious public safety event. It is a drill, not an emergency, and it runs most of the workday. Worth keeping in mind if you had errands planned in Uptown, or if you would rather not spend your Monday explaining it to visiting relatives.
A solar webinar tonight, from your own couch
The city is hosting a Solar Energy Virtual Webinar Thursday, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m. The session runs online. Registration is required before joining. Contact the event organizer for access details.
Plein Air paint outs return in October
The Sedona Plein Air Festival paint out at D.A. Ranch Winery runs Monday, Oct. 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. Guests can watch festival artists work across the ranch grounds from 4 to 6 p.m. Awards and a sale of the new work begin at 6:30 p.m. The ranch is at 1900 Dancing Apache Road in Cornville. Tickets cost $45 and are available online through Oct. 16. They will not be sold at the door. Contact the event organizer for tickets and details.
Two seats open on the Planning and Zoning Commission
The city is looking for residents to fill two seats opening on the Planning and Zoning Commission. The commission is seven volunteers, appointed by the city council, and it carries real weight. Members advise the council on land use, growth, and development. They make recommendations on Community Plan updates, Land Development Code amendments, and zone change applications. On some matters they make the final call themselves rather than passing it upward. If you have opinions about how Sedona grows, this is the room where those opinions turn into recommendations that land on somebody's street.