Office of Mayor Diane Joens

COMMENTS & EVENTS

Click here for photos of the Willard Extension Grand Opening.

My Turn: Opportunities Still Exist Even in a Down Economy

Cottonwood City Council 2008 Mission and Vision Statement, Strategic Initiatives

At our meeting on Dec. 2, the Cottonwood City Council approved mission, vision and strategic initiatives from our Aug. 2008 retreat. Read the Mission and Vision Statement. Read the Strategic Initiatives. Please note that the economy and city budget may necessitate adjustments to the initiatives and their timelines.

Finally, the City of Cottonwood will conduct a Vote by Mail Election!

The Cottonwood City Council has voted to conduct the City's first Vote by Mail Election by a 5-2 vote in the March 2009 primary. All other cities and towns in Yavapai County have been successfully conducting Vote by Mail Elections for some time. Vote by Mail Elections enfranchise voters. Our turnout increased from about 12 percent to approximately 36 percent.

Letter to the Editor that the Mayor wrote in 2005 supporting Vote by Mail Elections.

State of the City Click here to read .pdf of written speech

Cottonwood’s Mayor, Diane Joens, presented a State of the City

address on Oct. 3. The event was held at the Verde Valley Senior Center on 6th and Cherry in Cottonwood. The event was sponsored by the Clarkdale-Verde Kiwanis. (Mayor's Note: The written speech was not followed verbatim during delivery.)

Cities have the highest public approval rates among Arizona governments because they remain the most accessible to the people they serve. Average people are more likely to influence decisions of their city council members than to change what happens in Washington or even at the state Capitol.

See the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and the Mayor honor businesses in the community.

Council Agendas www.ci.cottonwood.az.us Click on "Agendas & Minutes"

See the Mayor's PowerPoint Presentation for the Arizona Riparian Council (1.88 mb .pdf file)

Mayor's City Reports and Newsletters

Click for Photo: Diane & Tessa, the Verde River Dog, at Perkinsville, Ariz.

"Things We Do"

Cottonwood's City government is devoted to enhancing the quality of life for its residents and visitors. City projects that have been completed by the City Council and staff since 2003 include the purchase of four water companies that have been consolidated into one, Mingus Avenue Extension, Aspen Street improvements, Riverfront Park Improvements, Old Town Streetscape Improvements, a Veterans' Memorial at Riverfront Park, and the Cottonwood Equestrian and Animal Event Center. The City Council revised the subdivision code to require minimum width streets in new subdivisions. The Council also created a Youth Advisory Commission, Airport Commission, Senior Commission and completed the 10 year General Plan.

"Townspeople are diverse in opinions and where they want the town to go. But everyone wants what is best for the city even though opinions vary."

Veterans' Survivor Benefits

Learn about our Community's Volunteers Here!

Shop for best gas prices in the area. By entering your ZIP code at GasBuddy.com, you can find the gas stations offering the lowest prices for gas in Cottonwood. And a reader of the Web site, "Jordan's Ma-Ma," shares this link for checking gas prices: http://www.motortrend.com/gas_prices/34/86326/index.html

Community Information and Referral

Got a problem? Need help with health, human or emergency services in Cottonwood? The Mayor and City Council participate in the Community Information and Referral program. Their mission statement says, "Community Information & Referral is the key source of integrated information that brings people and services together every day with ease, compassion, and quality to meet vital needs." If you need references for financial, health, tax information, legal, housing, advocacy, employment, food, adoption, AIDS, emergency services, environmental concerns, parenting skills, military services, youth or senior services, voter services, weather and road information, and myriad other needs for information and referral, just call their hotline 1-602-263-8856 or 1-800-352-3792 as your "first call to help." This is a 24-hour bilingual referral service. Their Web site is www.cir.org. Let me know how this service assists you by emailing me at, mayor@dianejoens.com.