In the Mayor's
experience, behind each leader's accomplishments is a team of people working
together to make things happen. Among a city leader's responsibilities is
bringing people together for the betterment of the community...to envision the
community's future and work in the present to get needed tasks completed.
Police and Fire Protection & Cottonwood Fire Department Alternate Pension and Benefit
Plan Board (for Volunteer Firefighters)
Mayor Joens supports Cottonwood Public Safety
Departments. She has been supportive of both Departments in her decisions on
the City Council. The Mayor keenly understands the importance of excellent
Public Safety services to the citizens of Cottonwood.
The Mayor is President of the Cottonwood
Volunteer Firefighters' Alternate Pension and Benefit Plan Board. In
July of 2005 the Board met multiple times to rewrite the pension plan.
Training is rigorous for the City's volunteer firefighters. It is estimated
that volunteers provide 7,300 hours for responses to emergencies, wildland
fires response, training, shift coverage, station staffing, prevention and
education, and safety standbys.
Stewards of Public Lands
Mayor Joens is a founding member and co-chair of
the Stewards of Public Lands. Community members working together, the Stewards
have built excellent working relationships with partners including the U.S.
Forest Service, cities and towns of the Verde Valley including the
unincorporated areas, local law enforcement agencies, Yavapai County, Arizona
Game and Fish and the State Land Department. The Stewards work to bring multiple
governmental agencies, businesses and community volunteers together to pool
resources and work across jurisdictional boundaries. The Stewards have worked
extensively in the upper Verde Valley and Cornville, and just recently expended
their service area to Camp Verde and Beaver Creek. The Stewards of Public Lands
have been active in the community for more than three years.
Diane Joens is publisher and editor of a community project entitled the
Verde River Almanac. The purpose of the book is to help friends,
neighbors, community members and visitors learn more about and appreciate this
special natural resource. Very few communities in Arizona have
the multiple benefits of a river running
through their community.
Water Advisory Committee
Mayor Joens is the City
Council's appointee to the Yavapai
County Water Advisory Committee (WAC). She also served on the WAC's Water Management
Subcommittee.
The county WAC has studied historic uses of water and new demands for water that may have created changes to the
conditions of the water resources of the region. Water levels have declined in
some local aquifers, pointing to a change in the water resource system. It is
imperative that measures are taken to obtain a better understanding of the
county’s water resources and to ensure the good heath of its surface water and
groundwater systems. The Yavapai County Water Advisory Committee is a
committed coalition of communities and selected stakeholders that are dedicated
to developing a management plan for the sustainable use of Yavapai County's
regional water supply. WAC is committed to preserving sustainable water
resources for future generations while enhancing the economic viability of the
county. Mayor Joens and other members are dedicated to meeting the long-term water
resource needs of their customers - the citizens of the Yavapai County
region. Members work to accomplish their goals by developing and enacting a
total water management strategy through a consensus of coalition members.
State Parks Verde River Greenway CommitteeThe Verde River Greenway has been extended 26 miles
to Beasley Flat, south of Camp Verde, and this committee, made up of local
leaders, will work to ensure the Greenway extension's success. Mayor Joens
understands that the Verde River Greenway in the upper Verde Valley, is already
a national treasure to be protected as well as enjoyed by recreationists. The
Verde River and its riparian areas should be appreciated for their wildlife
values and economic importance, and preserved for future generations.
Cottonwood Parks & Recreation's Motto