A proposal to expand the Red Rock Road Enhancement Maintenance District received support from Village of Oak Creek leaders, but was shot down a week later by the district’s board.

The idea was taken to both the RRREMD and the Big Park Regional Coordinating Council by Dave Norton, president of the former and vice president of the latter.

It would have greatly expanded the area for which the RRREMD maintains the median on State Route 179.

Much of the median through the Village — outside of the RRREMD area — is overrun with weeds, sometimes blocking motorists’ sight lines.

There have been occasions when animals, who cannot be seen in the weeds, emerge into the path of vehicles.

The RRREMD is a special taxing authority formed to provide maintenance of the landscaping, pedestrian lighting benches and trash receptacles and banners along State Route 179, according to its website.

The limits of the RRREMD project are along SR 179 between milepost 305.45 and 307.08, from the Coconino National Forest boundary near Rojo Drive, to the boundary near East Bell Rock Boulevard.

Residents of Big Park and the Village of Oak Creek petitioned Yavapai County in 2007 to create the district. The county managed the district until it was transitioned to the citizens board in 2013. Board members are elected officials.

Norton acknowledged that it would likely be a long, difficult task to expand the boundaries — including disbanding the current district and re-establishing it under the new parameters, and determining the tax implications of the expansion. He said that he was floating the idea to see if there was support for it.

And while members of the BPRCC, in a show of hands, were in favor of at least looking into it, some members of the RRREMD board were put off by the amount of work it would take to make it happen.

In other business at the Jan. 14 BPRCC meeting:

• William Larew was unanimously elected new president. Former president Steve Nelson moved to Prescott.
  At the December meeting, Norton was re-elected as vice president and Harry Hirsch treasurer. The council is still looking for a new secretary.
• Sgt. Dan Winslow, of the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, reported that a drug-related bust had taken place in the Village the previous night. He said four people were arrested on search warrants after an incident that started as a family fight. The SFD did not subsequently provide details requested by the Village View.
  Winslow also said that heroin, as well as methamphetamine, has gained a foothold in the Village, although the core group is just a small handful of people. SFD is continuing to investigate.
• Council officials will look into moving meetings to a local church in the wake of the Sedona Fire District seeking an increase in rent. The council meetings are held in the SFD Station No. 3 on Slide Rock Road. The proposed increase is from $420 to $520. Norton said he would contact SFD Chief Kris Kasian to see about a reduced rate. Hirsch will look into the alternative meeting location.  
• The council agreed to recommend approval of request for a short-term rental permit from one of five former model homes hear the Sedona Golf Resort.
  The resort opposed the request out of concern that it would set a precedent, but the homes are not part of its homeowners association.
  “Council has taken a hard stance against use permits, but this is a unique situation [because] these are already commercial time shares,” said Bill Kusner, of the council’s P&Z committee, adding that the request sought 10 years, but the committee cut it to five years.
  The recommendation for approval will be forwarded to Yavapai County officials for a final decision.
• The council agreed to recommend approval of a request by the Factory Outlets mall to increase the number of outdoor events from 10 to 15, with the caveat that the tents used in the shows be set back farther from the roadway due to complaints.
• The council received word that an announcement on VOC’s request to be designated a Dark Sky Community is expected in February.
  Some signs at The Collective that had been in violation will be in compliance with standards within a week or two.
  The Village would join Sedona and Flagstaff as designees by the International Dark-Sky Association.