Sedona planning commissioners vote to recommend monthly meetings to city council

The City of Sedona Planning and Zoning Commission voted Sept. 16 to recommend that the commission’s operating rules be amended so regular meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. The proposed change (an amendment to Article 9.2 of the commission’s rules) will be forwarded to Sedona City Council for final action.

Why it matters: The commission currently has two meetings scheduled monthly in its rules. Commissioners and staff discussed changing to one meeting each month given an observed average of one meeting per month in recent years, the administrative workload of holding two meeting slots, and changes in state law that shift development-review hearings from commissions to staff.

What commissioners discussed Carrie (city planner) presented staff research showing the commission’s average meeting frequency over the prior year and described how a permanent calendar change would ease scheduling for staff, commissioners and applicants. Commissioners debated trade-offs: a single monthly meeting could add up to a month to a developer’s timeline if filing deadlines are missed, but staff noted the commission can still call special meetings when necessary.

Motion and vote Commissioner Will Hurst moved to recommend the amendment to the operating rules clarifying that meetings be scheduled on the first Tuesday of each month at 4:30 p.m.; the motion was seconded. The commission recorded the motion as approved by a 6–1 vote. Staff said the recommendation will be taken to city council, which has authority to adopt or reject rule changes that alter the commission’s schedule.

Process and implementation notes If the council approves the change, staff said the effective implementation would likely align with the next calendar cycle and staff will schedule any necessary special meetings for urgent items. Commissioners noted holidays and quorum issues can be handled by calling special meetings; staff also noted that appeals and statutory timelines for specific land-use applications remain in effect and staff will manage those deadlines.

Ending The commission’s recommendation is a non-final action that will be considered by City Council; staff asked commissioners to notify the planning office of scheduling conflicts and said they would propose the change to council in time for a likely November calendar update.