Cottonwood City Council is down from seven to four members, as of the June 7 council meeting.
“It’s quite serious to only have four people on the council,” Mayor Diane Joens said after the council approved the resignations. She added that finding replacements for council members Jesse Dowling, Timothy Elinski and Randy Garrison would be quick but also “definitely a public process.”
Dowling has departed due to a move that took him outside the city limits, while both Elinski and Garrison are running for office: The former for mayor of Cottonwood, the latter for Yavapai County District 3 Supervisor.
If elected, Elinski would replace Joens as mayor. Garrison is running against Joens for the supervisor position.
A third member of the council, Terence Pratt, is also running for mayor. Neither Joens nor Pratt have announced their resignations.
The departure of three council members places the council in a bit of a tight spot — one Cottonwood City Attorney Steven B. Horton called “a confluence of absences” that forces the city to fill two long-term spots and wait for a third to be filled this election cycle.
“I think we really need to put out a public service announcement,” Pratt said before volunteering to develop appropriate questions for any applicants to the positions. “That seems simple and fair, and doable in the short amount of time.”
Joens stressed the importance of serving as a council member, but also accentuated how much time and effort goes into the position: “It’s a lot of work to serve on the City Council,” she said.
By Friday, June 10, the city had sent out its public service announcement asking for applicants.
Council members also considered a $23,277 a waiver requested by the Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District. The money was used for interior and exterior work at Cottonwood Elementary School, Cottonwood Middle School, Mountain View Preparatory School and the district office.
Prior to the vote, Joens reminded the council that the money would be paid by someone — namely, the taxpayers of the city.
“There’s no free ride,” she said. “Basically, the citizens of Cottonwood would be gifting it to the school system.”
“I’m hesitant on this one because of the taxpayers, but I’m also biased because I’m an educator,” Pratt, a long-time Yavapai College instructor, said.
The council asked Administrative Services General Manager Rudy Rodriguez for his perspective.
“The budget is already set,” Rodriguez responded. “We were not anticipating this …. Luckily, $23,000 is not a huge amount.”
The motion to approve the waiver passed unanimously.
In next Wednesday’s edition of the Cottonwood Journal Extra, look for an update on the approved tentative budget for the city for the 2016-20 fiscal year.
| Seeking City Council Applicants |
| As per a Cottonwood City Manager Office public service announcement, “Notice is hereby given that the city of Cottonwood invites applications from qualified electors residing within the city for appointment to two vacancies on the city council. The individuals appointed to these positions will be eligible to serve until qualified successors are elected in the Fall 2018 election cycle.”
To be eligible for appointment, a candidate for appointment must be 18 years old, a qualified elector residing within the city, and must have resided within the city for at least one year immediately preceding the appointment. Applications may be obtained from the City Clerk’s office located at 824 North Main Street. Completed applications, along with a resume and letter of interest, must be returned to the clerk’s office by 5 p.m., on Thursday, June 16. The City Council will consider the applications at its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 21, at 6 p.m. at the Cottonwood City Council Chambers, 826 North Main Street. |
