Ground Party Papers - First Sunday of July

In this issue…

<sub>1. Lifestyle - If You Can’t Beat The Heat, Join It
2. Local News - Alternative Building In A Border Town
3. Cochise News - County Proposes Property Tax Increase
4. Rural News - Riverview Backs Out Of Deal With Douglas IDA
5. Opt Out News - Progress On Sustainable Septic Systems
6. Local Politics - 2024 Cochise County Elections Homework
7. Water News - Film Review: “The Grab”</sub>

If You Can’t Beat The Heat, Join It

Humans have thrived in arid regions for millennia without the crutch of mechanical air conditioning. Here are three low-tech tips to help you stay cool and cut down on your air conditioning use.

1. Use Salt to Activate Your Body’s Internal Swamp Cooler

In arid environments, sweat is your body's best friend, cooling you down like a desert's own swamp cooler. As sweat evaporates, it pulls heat away from your skin, making "dry heat" far more tolerable than its humid counterpart. But to keep this cooling system running, hydration is key, and for that, your body needs salt. Some folks toss a pinch of "fasting salts" into their morning water, packing in sodium, magnesium, and potassium — essential electrolytes for hydration. But those fancy salts can set you back $2.00 an ounce or more. I, however, scored a deal with an 11-pound bucket of French sea salt, naturally rich in those same minerals, for just $0.37 an ounce.

2. Acclimate with the 40-40-40 Technique

Just got back from a family visit to cooler climes or gearing up for more outdoor time? Avoiding heat stroke is crucial. Try the 40-40-40 method for peak heat acclimation: Exercise outdoors for 40 minutes, then immerse yourself in a 40°C (104°F) bath for 40 minutes. Do this three days straight and feel your body adapt.

3. Keep The Sun’s Heat Out Of Your House

Sometimes you do have to fight the sun directly. Drawing blinds helps, but if sunlight hits your windows, it’s like inviting the heat in for tea. Consider installing awnings (perhaps topped with lightweight solar panels) over your windows, or covering them externally with sun screens or shade cloths to keep the heat at bay.

Your support keeps the ink flowing and the stories coming. Become a supporter of the Ground Party Papers and ride the desert dunes with us.

Alternative Building In A Border Town

While you can’t erect an earthen castle within city limits, Douglas is now greenlighting tiny houses. The city recently adopted International Building Codes for these compact homes, aligning with Arizona's new “casita law”, which permits property owners in cities to build small guest houses for family members. While these accessory units can't be rented long-term, short-term rentals like Airbnb are fair game, which makes it slightly less effective at addressing Arizona's housing crisis.

County Proposes Property Tax Increase

Arizona’s Truth in Taxation law mandates a public hearing on the proposed 2% property tax hike. County residents can voice their opinions this Tuesday. The savvy approach? Review the County’s '24-’25 budget and suggest cuts as an alternative to higher taxes. Remember, the County Supervisors recently adopted new rules requiring that you submit your Speaker Request form an hour before the meeting.

Riverview Backs Out Of Deal With Douglas IDA

At a recent meeting of the Douglas Industrial Development Authority, an IDA member read a letter from Riverview LLC, the mega dairy operation in Sulphur Springs Valley, announcing their withdrawal of their previously accepted application for a $15 million conduit bond with the IDA. At the same meeting three locals spoke in opposition to the bond: Victoria Sky, an artist and activist who is anti-Riverview and anti-AMA; Cheryl Knott, one of the lead 2022 campaigners for the Douglas and Willcox AMAs, and Kathleen Gomez, one of the below-mentioned supervisor candidates for District 2.

I had previously contacted Gary Fehr at Riverview (whom I know through my work with the Sulphur Springs Water Alliance and last year’s “Sulphur Springs Valley Exploratory Planning Workshop” which I helped organize) and let him know that I would be opposing the bond.  He followed up a few weeks later to say that their team was considering abandoning the request as they didn’t want to “pour more fuel on the fire” of their controversial public reputation.  He called again the day before the IDA meeting to let me know that they were withdrawing the application.

Progress On Sustainable Septic Systems

If you’ve designed your home to use composting toilets and gray water systems, you may know that county officials require septic systems to be sized to include gray water flows, even if those systems are not connected to the septic system.  I was told that this was a recent update to Title 19 of Arizona’s Administrative Code. When I reviewed the code myself it seemed to indicate that interceptors can be sized for kitchen water only, so I got in touch with Michael McGee and Zach Smith at the county.  They told me that the ADEQ issued a substantive policy statement which seemed to indicate this new interpretation of the code and that their subsequent communication with ADEQ confirmed this.

I wrote to ADEQ and asked about the issue and, after some exchange, they’ve agreed that interceptors for compost toilet septic system can be sized for kitchen wastewater only.  I’ve made the argument that the code indicates that leach fields can also be sized for kitchen wastewater only, but they’ve not agreed to that yet.  In the meantime, people can at least cut costs on their interceptor.

As a side note, I’ll mention that the county officials and ADEQ officials have all been great, no one has tried to brush me aside.  Granted, I always try to approach everyone with patience and respect rather than taking an adversarial or demanding stance.  In my estimation, this cordiality has gone a long way in having effective conversations with our neighbors and fellow citizens who work in government offices.

In other septic news, the Governor Hobbs’ Water Policy Advisor has agreed to meet with me this summer to discuss the septic opt-out proposal.  If we can get support from the Governor’s office, the chances of passing a bill should increase greatly.  I also have a meeting tomorrow with the writer of the HB2096 and HB2097, the Tiny House Opt Out and Septic Opt Out bills.  We’ll be working on a winning strategy to get similar bills passed in this upcoming legislative season.

2024 Cochise County Elections Homework

It’s a bustling year for Cochise County elections, with pivotal races in all three supervisor districts, spicy mayoral elections in Douglas and Bisbee, and incumbent County Recorder David Stevens’ faceoff with Anne Carl.

Rather than focus on the spectacle of battle, the Ground Party Papers will be doing what we can over the coming months to keep everyone informed about the pertinent policy positions on the local candidates, state legislative candidates, and state ballot items.  To that end, I recently sent out a survey to all our supervisor candidates to get their stances on opt-out permits and groundwater issues. 

Ten of the thirteen candidates have responded so far, and we’ll publish the results in the next edition of this newsletter, ahead of the July 30th primary elections.  Below I have some links to articles about the candidates, mostly from the Herald/Review who are closely covering all the local elections, so readers can do some of their own homework ahead of our upcoming coverage.

District 1 Supervisor Candidates

Incumbent Tom Crosby is challenged by fellow Republican Clint Briseno and Democrat Theresa Walsh.  Walsh is a former Army Colonel, Briseno has the backing of local organizations like the Fraternal Order of Police, and Crosby is currently fighting election interference charges alongside outgoing supervisor Peggy Judd. The Herald/Review looks at all three candidates.

District 2 Supervisor Candidates

In District 2, which covers Douglas and Bisbee, Democrats Joni Giacomino and Mitch Lindemann are joined by Republican Kathleen Gomez in a race for the seat being vacated by Ann English.  Giacomino has served on the Bisbee City Council, Lindemann the Douglas City Council, and both have served as public servants in other capacities.  Gomez, a former political campaign professional, is from Douglas and has recently returned to her hometown where her father was previously mayor.  The Herald/Review looks at all three candidates and the Democratic primary, and Cool FM Live broadcast a discussion with the candidates.

District 3 Supervisor Candidates

The biggest contest in District 3 where seven candidates are running for the seat vacated by Peggy Judd.  The four Republican candidates are Nancy Olmstead, Frank Antenori, Sonia Gasho, and Katie Miller, the two independents are Patsy Nyberg and Jacob Kartchner, while Joy Banks is the sole Democrat taking on the pack.  The Herald/Review shares some brief biographies and interview excerpts from the candidates.

Cities, Courts, and So On

KGUN9 interviews all three candidates for the Bisbee mayoral seat.  The Herald/Review covers the two Douglas mayoral candidates, elections in Willcox and Benson, and the Stevens/Carl race for County Recorder. They’ve also got recordings of live panel discussions with candidates for County Attorney and the District 4 Judge.

(A Short) Film Review: “The Grab”

“The Grab” was directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite who previously directed Blackfish (a documentary which exposed the tragic legacy of orcas and trainers at Sea World). With all the sheen and dramatic editing you’d expect form a high-budget documentary, the film follows a team of investigative journalists as they dive deep into the corporate takeover of water and agriculture around the world.  It starts by looking at Smithfield pork selling out to a corporation in China who will now own 1-in-4 pigs in the US, then Saudi Arabia buying up agricultural land in La Paz, Arizona, and Russia importing American cowboys to assist with their efforts to become a cattle-producing nation.

But then the doc zooms out and looks at how big players like Erik Prince (founder of paramilitary organization Blackwater) have begun offering military assistance to developed nations for the forceful taking of agricultural land from rural communities in Africa. Along the way it features interviews with high-ranking military officials, local activists, agricultural investors, and even a paramilitary commander who was willing to go on camera.

I transcribed some quotes from the film as I was watching it:

Link to the film: The Grab

Note: While I was hoping that The Grab would have a stronger focus on our water and agricultural situation in the US, another new documentary appears to fit the bill.  MIRASOL: Looking at the Sun is about a “rural farming community in Pueblo, Colorado, as they fight to protect their water and land, and in turn, their culture and livelihood.”  

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