It’s all about people!

 

 

Community members and City government work together to attain a high quality of life for our children, youth, families, seniors and veterans, who make up a diverse community of individuals. It is important to work for a vibrant economy and high quality of life, within the boundaries of the public budget. It is important that Cottonwood's natural and cultural resources are protected for current and future generations.

 

“We want 2008 to be a year when our nation’s families and businesses take steps to prepare for emergencies,” says Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “Setting a clear goal to be prepared in 2008 is an easy way for all Americans to be as ready as possible if an emergency occurs. The Ready Campaign Web site at www.ready.gov provides individuals, families and businesses with a variety of tools and check lists to help them get started.”

Cottonwood, Arizona

 

City of Cottonwood-- Zero Tolerance for Illegal Drugs

 

Mayor is Member Yavapai County Methamphetamine Task Force Steering Committee- [MATForce]
 

The Mayor's vision is to have the City of Cottonwood known far and wide for its no-nonsense stance against illegal drugs. The Mayor is a member of the Verde Valley Methamphetamine Task Force (MATForce) Steering Committee. Vice Mayor Karen Pfeifer also joined the Steering Committee. The Cottonwood City Council  passed the first City ordinance in Arizona prohibiting over-the-counter sales of pseudoephedrine, a main ingredient for home-cooked methamphetamine.

MATForce seeks solutions to methamphetamine use and its consequences.

YAVAPAI COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION’S

MISSION STATEMENT 

With determination and integrity, we the citizens of Yavapai County, commit to working in partnership to build healthier communities by eliminating substance abuse and its effects.

The approach adopted by MATForce consists of three prongs: 1. Reduce the market for methamphetamine in Yavapai County by educating the public on the dangers of meth and experimentation; 2. Improve the effectiveness of treatment of methamphetamine users; and 3. Aggressively prosecute the manufacturers and dealers of methamphetamine. 

The MATForce Steering Committee is working to expand effective treatment options, develop evidence-based information, educate targeted groups and heighten public awareness. Diane has been trained for the MATForce Speakers' Bureau. Presenters are available to talk to community groups about a variety of topics related to meth, the drug-crime connection and about MATForce. 

Learn more at www.matforce.org (Leaving this Web site)

 

Verde River
 

The Verde River is an invaluable resource to the people of the Verde watershed, including the communities in the Verde Valley, Paulden, Chino Valley, Prescott and to the entire state of Arizona. The river provides an economic engine for the people and businesses within its watershed. It provides one of the few remaining Arizona migratory paths for birds traveling between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and is a lifeline for abundant wildlife. People have relied on the Verde River since prehistoric Native American tribes made their homes in the area.

 

The Verde River belongs to each person who lives in its watershed. Because it is an integral part of life here, it affects each resident, landowner, business and tourist in some way. Planning for the wise use, protection, and enhancement of the Verde River and its associated natural, cultural, scenic, agricultural, economic and recreational resources is a high priority.

 

The river is in peril and state laws were not designed to protect this magnificent natural resource. Mayor Joens pledges to continue work to encourage coordinated decision-making for the continued health and sustainability of the Verde River. Diane is committed to Verde River issues and will speak up on behalf of the river.

 

Rivers and Streams

 

Mayor Joens believes the Verde River, its tributaries, and associated riparian areas are vital resources and must be protected. Cottonwood's economic vitality relies on the Verde River. Real estate agents sell homes because of the Verde River, open spaces, and the general beauty of the Verde Valley. Travelers spend money in the Verde Valley because of the river's greenbelt. Tourism is an economic engine for the City of Cottonwood. What would Cottonwood be like without a river, or without its canopy of trees?

 

Yavapai County is fortunate to have a significant percentage of Arizona’s perennial (about 15% of total by length, 1993, Arizona Game & Fish) and intermittent streams (about 24% of total by length, 1997, Arizona Game & Fish). The 40 miles of Verde River below Camp Verde is the State’s only designated wild and scenic river.

 

As a rare resource in dry environments, these stream resources provide key habitat to wildlife and become even more important during drought periods. These ecological resources are also important to the economy. Hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching and other outdoor recreation activities often center around or are dependent upon county streams. A 2001 survey of expenditures for hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing revealed that this is a $1.5 billion per year industry in Arizona. 

Municipal Water

The Cottonwood City Council adopted a Drought and Water Shortage Preparedness Plan in November of 2006. The plan has three demand reduction strategies which are triggered based on the amount of water pumped, with the exception of  the months of May, June, July, August and September when demand reduction strategy one is mandatory irregardless of the amount of water pumped. The three demand reduction stages are:

 

• Stage one is effective when water demand exceeds safe production level (75% of total capacity) for five consecutive days.
• Stage two is effective when demand exceeds safe production by more than 20%.
• Stage three is effective when demand exceeds the maximum production capacity.
•  

City staff members have been monitoring compliance with the mandatory stage one restrictions beginning in May of 2007 and overall the customers' compliance with the restrictions has been very good, reports Utilities Director Dan Lueder. Drought Management Plan.

 

The City recently formed a Water Conservation Program Committee. Mayor Joens requested that members of this committee include those who are served by Cottonwood Municipal Water Utility outside of the city limits (Verde Santa Fe, Verde Village). The committee is comprised of Utilities Director Dan Lueder and five citizens representing a cross section of the City's customer base. The committee is tasked with developing a conservation program to enhance the City’s current efforts and promote new ideas for both voluntary and incentive based water conservation policy. The committee's goal is to present their program to the City Council in a work session late in 2007 or early 2008. 

 

The next task for water management is the City's commitment to creating an Integrated Water Management Plan. This plan recognizes the need for a vibrant economy while protecting the Verde River and riparian areas that Cottonwood residents enjoy. Protecting the Verde River and its tributaries protects the economy of the Upper Verde Valley region.

The City's Most Valuable Resource

People are the City's most valuable resource. City employees are tasked with providing the many services requested by community members. Mayor Joens expects employees, through the City Manager, to provide the highest quality of service to the exceptional residents of Cottonwood. She supports City employees and believes they should be fairly compensated.

Public Safety

The Mayor of Cottonwood firmly believes that Cottonwood's Fire and Police Departments must not be simply a training ground for other cities and counties. In the past, recruits often left employment with the City just as soon as they were adequately trained.

Fire: In this year's budget (07-08) the Mayor is happy to announce that the City Council increased the firefighters' pay and their pay ranges.

Police: The City Council increased ranges for officers, sergeants and commanders. The Council added incentives to police officers by creating a vehicle take-home policy that increases the visibility of the Police Force in the community and increases the safety of our citizens. It also decreases the officers' travel time to emergencies and crime scenes. The City Council also authorized final funding for the replacement the Police vehicle fleet. Chief Doug Bartosh has done excellent work in his leadership with MATForce and the Crime-Free Multi-housing program that has reduced police activity by an average of 47 percent in the participating complexes.

Mayor Joens believes that technology provides an efficient way to provide information to the public. The City Council's goal is to provide more extensive outreach to the public, and ensure that information is available electronically. 

Agendas and minutes for Boards and Commissions are now available on the Web site:

http://www.ci.cottonwood.az.us/BoardsComm.htm

(By clicking on this link the viewer is leaving the Mayor's Web site)

The past year the City has updated its Web site, adding the General Plan, Sewer Policy, Subdivision Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance, Municipal Code, Recreation Center Study, City Tax Code, Minor Land Division, and the Drought Management Plan.

The Web site is a highly important link between the City and its public. www.ci.cottonwood.az.us (Clicking on link means viewer is leaving this Web site)

Volunteers and Volunteerism

Valuable Resource

 

Volunteers make a world of difference! Volunteers are valuable, outstanding, enthusiastic and sensational – what more can the Mayor say?

 

The City of Cottonwood benefits from volunteers' help in the following departments: Fire Department; Police Department; Library; Parks and Recreation; as well as multiple Boards, Commission and Committees. About 24,300 volunteer hours per year are donated to the City for an estimated equivalent of about 12 full-time employees.

Who to call to volunteer in the City of Cottonwood

Mayor's Committee 

The Mayor is exploring the creation of a Mayor's Advisory Committee.

The Cottonwood Youth Advisory Commission provides leadership in the community. Dream Big!

American Journalist Ed Bradley grew up in a tough section of Philadelphia, where he once recalled that his parents worked 20-hour days at two jobs apiece. "I was told, `You can be anything you want, kid,'" he once told an interviewer. "When you hear that often enough, you believe it."

Cottonwood, Arizona