Gregg Ensminger has applied to fill the city council seated vacated by Marc Sterling.

Sedona.biz interviews candidates for open council seat:  Gregg Ensminger

By Tommy Acosta, Associate Editor

SEDONA, AZ (June 22, 2009) - Because there will be no election for the currently-vacant council seat left open by former Sedona City Council member Marc Sterling, Sedona.biz has invited the four council applicants to express their position, qualification and vision for Sedona.

Applicants Jerry Frye, Mark DiNunzio, Mike Ward and Gregg Ensminger have all been provided with the same questions and their responses will be printed, un-edited, regardless of length, on Sedona.biz.

Understanding the public will not get a chance to become familiar with the candidates and their positions due to the council holding a one-day interview 9 a.m. July 2 in the Vultee Room at City Hall, we hope to give the public a glimpse of the candidates so readers can better understand the motivation behind the council’s final choice for Sterling’s replacement.

Our first interview is with applicant Gregg Ensminger, who moved to Sedona from Phoenix in 2005 to attend film school.

Since then, he graduated from two filmmaking programs at the Zaki Gordon Institute for Independent Filmmaking at Yavapai College.

His motivation for applying for the open council seat is direct and to the point.

“To serve the community, and to help get citizens more involved in civic affairs,” he responds.

The following are the questions and his responses:

Sedona.biz: What challenges do you see Sedona facing, long and short term, including the budget and the affect the economy is having?

Mr. Ensminger: Maintaining the budget, finding new streams of revenue that rely on sources other than tourism alone, and planning for future growth. With growth comes the need to prevent future problems such as traffic congestion -- and it's important to address these issues before they become a major headache.

Sedona.biz: What is your position on the streetlights for 89A?

Mr. Ensminger: Whether it's a good idea or not, we can all agree that the lighting proposal actively imposes an undue burden on citizens --that burden being light pollution. That alone makes the issue too contentious to be decided by seven people sitting on a council. If it were up to me, the issue would be decided by the voters on Election Day.

Sedona.biz: What is your position on a National Scenic Area for Sedona and on an alternate route through Red Rock Crossing?

Mr. Ensminger: It's sad (though not surprising) that our Senators and Representatives in the last session of Congress failed to keep their promises to push for NSA designation. As far as an alternate route is concerned, SR 179 is known for having long lines of tourists driving on it, yet the recent construction on this highway hasn't added any additional lanes to the highway, other than a few short stretches with passing lanes. Therefore, we should have some kind of alternate route, to make access to VOC easier for residents. But it's important that such a route does not ruin the scenic views which make Sedona the great tourist attraction that it is.

Sedona.biz: What skills do you bring to the table that make you the better choice?

Mr. Ensminger: I have served this community in many ways, including volunteering at the Sedona Film Festival and working with the adult-softball league. Plus, at my age, I can get our younger citizens more involved in the community, and on the issues, I can offer the fresh perspective that is sorely needed in our city.

Sedona.biz: What is your vision for Sedona?

Mr. Ensminger: To maintain its status as a world-class destination for visitors, while helping local residents, both rich and poor, thrive here.

Sedona.biz thanks Mr. Ensminger for responding to the interview and giving the public and opportunity to know where he stands on important issues. We look forward to responses from the other candidates as well.

The empty seat’s term will run until 2012 and the public will not be able to vote on who fills it until the term expires.