… and How She is Manipulating the Media to Promote Her Career
By Tommy McGuire
(June 3, 2016)
Citizens and reporters have many unanswered questions about Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens and her qualifications for county supervisor to replace Supervisor Chip Davis. Yet because of Joens’ controlling relationship with the media, reporters and voters will never get a chance to elicit more detailed information from her.
Since her election to Cottonwood city council in June 2003, Mayor Diane Joens has relentlessly controlled the local media ‘1,000 percent’ by limiting access and information unless she provides a commentary or script to the media or has complete control. By limiting access and information, Joens has manipulated the media to always get enough favorable press coverage to keep herself in Cottonwood’s government, and keep her in the limelight for 11 years, despite years of fiscal misconduct.
In May 2016, the City of Cottonwood’s double-dipping former development services manager-turned consultant stirred controversy and now Joens is using political spin to control the local print media during her 2016 election campaign, in an effort to mask her decision to rehire Dan Leuder — the former Cottonwood Development Services General Manager in a closed executive session with Vice Mayor Pfeifer, City Manager Doug Bartosh, and City Attorney, Steve Horton. The decision was made without a quorum. It was a decision she may soon regret as it was a move strongly opposed during several council meetings by a majority of city council members who wanted to rein-in Leuder. Leuder retired in April 30, 2015 after a lengthy history of caustic, aggressive behavior and was alleged to be in anger management therapy. But Leuder had been secretly working without a contract since November 2, 2015. City council members said they did not know the executive session was held, did not participate and are dumbfounded by notable elements of the secretive proceedings that led to the deal Joens, Pfeifer, Bartosh and Horton made to rehire Leuder.
Joens doesn’t officially oversee the media like dictators of third world countries, but the outcome in big cities like Chicago and cities in New York is pretty much the same. Cottonwood politics has an unspoken golden rule:”Follow Joens or else.” The potential threats from Joens are to make sure elected officials in the city government always carry out her wishes. Or else. Same for local newspapers. When the local newspaper editor from the Verde News or a reporter from another local media, or a citizen posts an unfavorable social media comment about Joens or her crony city officials, the mayor typically orders the city manager or finance director–her press surrogates — to go after the media ‘to set them straight’. She has even used members of the city police force to track her adversaries. It is all part of Mayor Joens’ master public relations modus operandi to handle those who dare to challenge Joen’s fiscal catastrophies. But Joens’ actions are never subject to media scrutiny. By showing up everywhere for photo-ops, ribbon cuttings and award ceremonies, and submitting only carefully crafted commentaries which promote herself as the ‘model mayor’, she has never subjected herself to news interviews so she won’t have to answer questions about her multi-million dollar debt spending sprees.
Mayor Joens limits the media’s access in at least three ways: Mayor Joens only meets with the media to deliver her scripted commentaries. 2. Mayor Joens doesn’t sit down with print media journalists for lengthy one-on-one interviews. 3. Mayor Joens has refused to participate in a political debate during her election campaign and will only participate when she has questions in advance so she can use canned scripts. 4. Joen’s appearances are so thoroughly scripted and memorized, that journalists covering the mayor in person are not allowed to ask probing questions.
When Mayor Joens shows up to promote her election campaign for county supervisor at a public event, meeting or dedication of a school or park, she expresses her remarks like a publicist at the events with the same script starting with, “Hi. I was born in Sierra Vista. It was called Fry back then…then I moved to Iowa and became a farmer.” “I guess I am a strong person.” Joens knows it only takes a few sounds bites for her to provide people with enough information to help her get reelected. ‘Just enough information’ which is highly favorable to her, so Joens intentionally provides as little information as is necessary. She wagers, the less they know, the better I will be.
The sad thing is: if people could see who she really is and the damages she has inflicted to taxpayers, they would be horrified.
5 Comments
She learned from her mentor in media, Jan Brewer. Her people would never allow her to be interviewed if the questions were not pre screened and approved with Jan getting answers from her people. When the media fails to follow up on these issues it is as much their fault as the general media for failing to take notice. Joens does the same.
As a Business owner in Old Town I will tell you Cottonwood has a lot of problems for the last 8 years from Mayor Joens not having any financial experience running a City (Just the opposite of former Mayor of Sedona Rob Adams). The spending spree has virtually done in their finances as now they are just covering the basics. Cottonwood has income from Walmart sales tax vs a huge pile of expenses from loans, the Recreation Center, New sewer plant, salaries, the list is huge. The point made that the local media coupled with how Mayor Joens and Manager Bartosh control what the public knows is correct.
People ask why the city purchased Cottonwood Water Works. The company was not in a good place to deal with arsenic remediation, the growth that was happening in the communities of Cottonwood and Clarkdale, and fire flows. They had not raised their rates for 20 years, and had little capacity for the ensuing federal mandate on arsenic remediation. At the time there were frequent notices from the company for the public to stop using water to allow the reservoirs to refill.
By CHARLES GARRISON
My turn 1-31-05
For 90-plus years, our family has had the pleasure of providing water for many of the citizens and businesses in Cottonwood and Clarkdale. This has been a privilege that we have never taken lightly and have always strived to live up to the trust that has been placed in us by our neighbors.
As most of you are aware, Cottonwood Water Works has been in acquisition discussions with the City of Cottonwood and the Town of Clarkdale for the past several years. This past week, we came to an agreement to transfer our ownership to the municipalities.
Some of our valued customers will be happy, while others will be upset that changes are afoot. Most of the comments I have received all mention the increase in their water bills as a result of the change in ownership. We felt that this was the right time to share certain facts that will help you, the customer, understand the direction we are taking.
For 20 years, we have done everything in our power to keep from raising water rates, and we were successful. In fact, the last time rates were raised was 1985. I can also share that we most likely are the only, or one of a select few, utilities that have been able to accomplish this.
But reality is reality, and as a result of the new arsenic regulations taking effect in 2006, increased regulatory compliance, the need for additional water to support the current customers and future customers we have and adequately provide for the growth in our area, we were at a crossroads. This year, we would have had no choice but to apply for a substantial rate increase. Additionally, with the demand for increased fire protection and greater demand in general, we were looking at the replacement of a considerable amount of the older pipe in the ground and most likely would have to file for an additional rate increase in a couple of years.
I share this because I believe that the public has a right to know what the economic realities would be if we did not elect to sell to the municipalities.
This has been a very hard decision, but in the short and long term I believe that the municipalities are in a strong position to affect the changes that are coming. We sincerely felt that it was the right time for the utility to be owned by the communities.
Rest assured that nothing will change over the ensuing months. We will be here, manning the company and addressing your issues just like we have for 90-plus years.
Charles Garrison, a former mayor of Cottonwood, is the president of Cottonwood Water Works.
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A typical article in the newspaper at that time…there are others. These worried city leaders in Cottonwood and Clarkdale, who began a discussion about water security for their citizens.
Verde Independent
flash from the past , more to the story
steve
Steve,
Unfortunately you are brand new to this issue. Mayor Joens and city council members condemned FOUR PRIVATE WATER COMPANIES Feb. 3, 2004 in a city council meeting, and passed an Emergency Resolution to prevent a vote of the registered electors in violation of A.R.S. 9-514 which requires a special election, FOR EACH SPECIFIC WATER WORKS, breaking state laws — INCLUDING ORDINANCE # 441 TO CONDEMN COTTONWOOD WATER WORKS. I have a copy of the court transcripts in my possession. The city aggressively pursued the aquisition of Cottonwood Water Works since 2001, according to news archives but the Garrisons did not wish to sell the water company.
Arsenic Treatment Not the Issue in Soaring Water Rates says:
September 18, 2014 at 11:14 pm
City leaders’ used the threat of arsenic poisoning and running out of water to acquire the water company acquisitions. They grabbed all of the water supplies in the entire area (6 companies) and failed to lower the arsenic levels for more than five years after they bought the first three water companies in 2004:
Arsenic levels: Before and after the acquisitions, arsenic was found in Cottonwood’s water 49 times (2001,2007,2008,2009,2010). Fecal coliform and E.coli was found in the water 4 times spanning 5 years (2005,2010).** The EPA issued orders to the following Cottonwood municipal water systems or face penalties of up to $37,500 per day for each violation
· Cottonwood Municipal Water, 220 W. Mesquite Drive
· Verde Santa Fe Water System, 800 Santa Fe Trail
· Clemenceau Water System, 165 S. Candy Lane
· Verde Village 3, 2612 Pleasant Valley Drive
The City municipal water systems were granted a federal exemption for the new arsenic standard from the EPA in 2006. Under the terms of the exemption, all four water systems were required to meet the new standard by January 2009. All four systems failed to meet the deadline, and are currently out of compliance with the arsenic standard. The orders require the City to submit a plan and schedule to comply by 2011.”
Source:
Amount of bond revenue set aside for arsenic remediation ($3,325,000) was a tiny fraction of the city’s massive bond debts:* The 2004 and 2006 revenue bond principal + interest = $72,000,000 which must be paid by the 9,000 water customers the next 25 to 30 years (added on to their regular monthly water bills). Debt service for the two bonds is more than $3,000,000 a year. Add that to thee water utility’s maintenance, operating and delivery costs:
https://sedona.biz/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/20140721_cottonwood-bond-revenue-chart.pdf
*In a Verde News article at city manager, Doug Bartosh, said a portion of the funding that was borrowed in 2004 and 2006 was set aside for capital improvements and repairs to the system including $3,325,000 for arsenic remediation. But the City municipal water systems were granted a federal exemption for the new arsenic standard from the EPA in 2006. Under the terms of the exemption, all four water systems were required to meet the new standard by January 2009. All four systems failed to meet the deadline. The orders require the City to submit a plan and schedule to comply by 2011.”
**”EPA orders four Cottonwood water systems to decrease arsenic in drinking water – October 6, 2009
!OpenDocument
SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered four Cottonwood, Ariz., public drinking water systems to reduce arsenic levels in their drinking water systems or face penalties of up to $37,500 per day for each violation.
The EPA’s orders require four City of Cottonwood public drinking water systems serving over 15,000 residents combined, to develop and meet a schedule to comply with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act’s arsenic standard of 10 parts per billion.
“Public water systems are responsible for providing safe drinking water,” said Alexis Strauss, the Water Division director for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. “We’ll continue to oversee the Cottonwood public water systems as they take the steps necessary to comply with all federal standards.”
The EPA issued orders to the following Cottonwood municipal water systems:
· Cottonwood Municipal Water, 220 W. Mesquite Drive
· Verde Santa Fe Water System, 800 Santa Fe Trail
· Clemenceau Water System, 165 S. Candy Lane
· Verde Village 3, 2612 Pleasant Valley Drive
The City municipal water systems were granted a federal exemption for the new arsenic standard from the EPA in 2006. Under the terms of the exemption, all four water systems were required to meet the new standard by January 2009. All four systems failed to meet the deadline, and are currently out of compliance with the arsenic standard. The orders require the City to submit a plan and schedule to comply by 2011.”
Debt And Water Rates, Part 1: Cottonwood Municipal Water Utility …
https://www.sedona.biz/…/debt-and-water-rates-part-1-cottonwood-municipal-water-utility/
Jul 21, 2014 – 9000 water utility ratepayers on hook for more than $31 million in bond debt & millions of dollars in interest Cottonwood routinely used.
Debt And Water Rates, Part 2: Water Under the Bridge | Sedona.Biz …
https://www.sedona.biz/news-from…az/debt-and-water-rates-part-2-water-under-the-bridge/
Jul 29, 2014 – By Sherry Twamley Ratepayers get stuck footing a $38 Million Bill Cottonwood AZ (July 29, 2014) – It was a watershed moment when Suzanne, …
THE SELF ENTITLED MAYOR JOENS IS AT IT AGAIN. She tried to manipulate the Verde News editor by going around the rules for her Q & A at
Now she wants to make her OWN RULES. She wants the newspaper to bend the rules for her responses to the county supervisors’ Q&A 150-word responses. Outrageous!!!
6/16/2016 12:15:00 PM
Editorial: Political rules and the way candidates play the game
“Nothing surprises us. We’ve already received our first customer complaint [this complaint had to come from Mayor Joens because Randy Garrison did not file a complaint and there were only two candidates interviewed] about how a particular candidate came across in a question-and-answer interview published in one of our newspapers…”We are sending them a series of three questions and a fill-in-the-blanks questionnaire for basic biographical information. They all receive the same IDENTICAL QUESTIONS via email at the same time. They are LIMITED TO 150-WORD RESPONSES to each question and they are given a deadline to return the questionnaire.”
“In some cases, we’ve already had to tell certain candidates that they ABUSED THE 150-WORD limit on their responses. That’s unfair to the other candidate and they have the option to do it again, or we will simply cut off their response (not in the middle of a sentence, of course) at or about 150 words. If a candidate chooses to not use 150 words, that’s their choice.”