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| Sedona City Manager Timothy Ernster's opening presentation to City Council on July 28, 2009 regarding staff's proposal to redeploy a previously received Heritage Fund grant. |
Sedona city staff finds home for previously spent grant money
by Carl Jackson
SEDONA, AZ (July 29, 2009) -
At last night's City Council meeting, newly appointed City Manager Timothy Ernster explained to the council staff's plan to redeploy a $586,000 Heritage Fund grant given to the City by the Arizona State Parks in 1995-96 to invest in the now defunct Sedona Cultural Park.The center piece of the park was a 5,000 seat amphitheater named after St. Louis Rams owner and accomplished soprano, Georgia Frontiere, who helped launch it in May, 2000 with a $1 million donation. A requirement of the grant was that the site be available to the general public for outdoor recreation use for a period of 25 years, and be subject to periodic on-site inspections.
After the park filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and the grant money was lost, the City faced a quandary: return the grant to the AZ State Parks or find another qualifying public use. In 2004, the City of Sedona commissioned a feasibility study for a Sedona Performing Arts and Conference Center that ranked the Sedona Cultural Park first in the evaluation, but the project never moved forward.
According to a source, the City never officially notified AZ State Parks that the Sedona Cultural Park declared bankruptcy in 2003. It was allegedly discovered in 2007 by an AZ State Parks staffer on a routine visit to the site in Sedona.
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According to Assistant City Manager Alison Zelms, the AZ State Parks has finally reached the end of its patience and has given the City until August 14, 2009 to either commit to a qualifying use for the grant money or repay it.
City staff presented the perfect proposal: invest the money in the Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park Pavilion, a 300 seat domed amphitheater available to the public and already approved by the City for the Posse Grounds Park.
Even better, the City has entered into a public/private partnership agreement to divvy up the roles and responsibilities between the City and the park's sponsor, the Friends of the Posse Grounds, on its construction and ongoing management since the amphitheater will be built on City land.
As an added bonus, the City can tap into $1.7 million of developer impact fees that it has collected over the years that under State law may only be used for specific Parks & Recreation projects, for which the Barbara Antonsen Park qualifies.
According to Zelms, only two additional caveats are required by the AZ State Parks: The City of Sedona has to be serious in its commitment to construct the park and has 3 years to complete the project.
When Councilor Cliff Hamilton raised concerns, however, it looked liked the grant deal might get derailed. Asked Councilor Hamilton:
Do we have any detailed plans for the park?
Do we know how much it will cost to construct?
Do we know if we can construct it within the 3 year time frame?
Is there any conflict with naming rights?
City staff did not have the answers.
Said City Manager Tim Ernster, "Remember that the City can always choose to repay the grant money, so if the project doesn't meet our guidelines, we're in no worse a position."
What likely went unsaid: "And since the only alternative is to repay the money, investing in the park is the best solution."
This presumes that the City doesn't spend the money first on the new project before it decides to return it, like it did with the Sedona Cultural Park.
The council passed the motion 7-0 in favor of investing the Heritage Fund grant money in the Barbara Antonsen Park.
Readers' comments
#1 Since the City has $1.7 million in Development Impact Fees why don't they "contribute" the $586,000 back to the AZ State Parks so State Parks can keep Sedona Red Rock State Park operating? I am sure that the Red Rock State Parks attracts more tourists to Sedona, than a venue that will accommodate 300 people sitting on blankets.
The "Friends" should be encouraged to use their $200,000 to build a simple open stage for use by the Sedona community, or several gardens; meditation and community vegetable plot.
#2 The money should be returned immediately and the Cultural Park property should be returned to national park status.
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