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Council OKs intergovernmental agreement for Uptown emergency siren pilot funded by FEMA
Summary
Sedona approved a resolution authorizing an intergovernmental agreement with Coconino County to accept and administer a FEMA grant for a pilot emergency siren (high-power speaker) system in Uptown Sedona; county will administer the award (~$269,200) and the city will assume ongoing annual costs (approx. $10,000) after year one.
The Sedona City Council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Coconino County to construct and administer a pilot emergency siren system in Uptown Sedona, using a FEMA-administered award allocated to the county.
Jessica Bryson, executive assistant to the chief, and Tim Carter, acting director for Coconino County Emergency Management, told council the congressionally funded award totals about $269,200 and will be administered by Coconino County for year one. The county issued an RFP and received nine proposals; staff are evaluating submissions. The award will cover purchase, installation and year-one warranty/maintenance costs. After year one, the city would assume ongoing annual maintenance and subscription costs estimated at about $10,000.
Staff said the system will emit acoustic warning tones and digital voice messages, can be programmed for multiple languages, and can be either rooftop-mounted or pole-mounted depending on vendor testing and siting. Presenters warned that pole-mounted devices on ground fixtures funded with federal dollars may trigger the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review process and a state historic preservation review; rooftop-mounted units may avoid NEPA review and have a shorter timeline.
Council discussed site selection, visitor and hotel outreach to ensure the public understands siren meaning and how it ties to the city's Nixle/mass-notification system, and potential expansion to other parts of the city if the pilot proves successful. Tim Carter said Coconino County received written confirmation from Senator Kelly's office and the state emergency management that the funding remains available.
Chief Foley (present) said Sedona will retain local access and administration to activate the system; the county-administered contract will build the system and provide redundancy to countywide notification. The council asked about timeline; county staff said the schedule depends on vendor selection and any required NEPA/historic reviews but aim to complete proposal scoring and an award process quickly, then perform acoustic testing on-site and submit necessary federal paperwork.
A council member moved to approve the resolution authorizing the IGA (resolution number read at the meeting as 2025-0606, as stated on the record); the motion was seconded and carried unanimously.
Votes at a glance: resolution authorizing IGA with Coconino County approved unanimously.
