Wants VVBAC put under control of President Wills or set afloat as an independent entity

Commentary

It is no secret that the three members of the Yavapai College District Governing Board from the West side of the County are trying to neuter the efforts of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee (VVBAC).  The Committee has been methodically bringing into public view the enormous economic and educational offerings  discrimination that has been practiced on Sedona and the Verde Valley by the West County’s controlling majority for decades.  The West representatives, realizing that such pet projects as a new $45 million Allied Health campus in Prescott Valley are threatened by these disclosures, are searching for ways to silence the VVBAC.    

Here, using only the minutes of the Governing Board, you can clearly see the political efforts of the three West County Governing Board members as they pursue their goal of gagging the VVBAC.

August, 2015 Board meeting: Verde Valley representative Al  Filardo moved to continue the VVBAC for two years and was supported by Verde Valley Second  District representative Deb McCasland.  West County representatives along with President Wills’ strongly reacted in opposition to the motion.  Prescott representative and long-time protector of West County interests Ray Sigafoos suggested the VVBAC has met specific Verde Valley ownership linkage objectives, implying it should be terminated as a Board Committee.  Prescott Valley realtor Steve Irwin stated the VVBAC should be removed from the Governing Board and merged into a committee to be controlled by the Verde Campus dean. If his recommendation were followed, this would neuter the Committee and strip it of any power. In addition, it would remove  from public view the cover-up that has been going on for years. West County representative Pat McCarver, who appears to be in the pocket of President Wills,  agreed with Irwin. She then suggested that the future of the VVBAC be decided at the Board’s August retreat.  Seeing no hope of approval for continuing the VVBAC for two years, McCasland and Filardo agreed to give it life at least until the Board had enough information for strategic planning (which was anticipated coming at the August retreat).

August 31, 2015 Board retreat:  The Board retreat was devoted to propaganda efforts by West representatives and a paid consultant essentially selected by them to indoctrinate Verde Valley representatives into the use of the Carver model of governance.  The Carver model has the effect of shutting down College Board representatives from discussing important matters with faculty and students, or even speaking out unfavorably on controversial issues with the residents of the Verde Valley after a Board vote.   However, there was no  decision on the future of the VVBAC made at the retreat.

September 1, 2015:  To the surprise and no doubt chagrin of the West County representatives, there was a huge turnout at the Governing Board meeting on the Verde Campus of Sedona/Verde Valley of residents and politicians from every corner of the East County.  All were in strong support of VVBAC and were aware of the threat posed by  West County representatives to neuter it.  So many speakers signed up to support the VVBAC that the Board Chair  limited the presentations to 2 minutes each.  About halfway through the meeting, and long after the speakers had completed their presentations, West County representative McCarver blurted out the following:  “At the last board meeting, the board did unanimously vote to continue the Verde Valley Advisory Committee.”  This is, of course, a misleading statement and one would think that McCarver must have known it was misleading.  However, with such a huge turnout in support of the VVBAC, it was politically expedient and even had the effect of persuading the Verde Independent to run a headlined story suggesting the dozens of residents who spoke in favor of continuing the VVBAC didn’t know what they were talking about when it came to ending the VVBAC. (The story can be accessed by clicking here.)  

The Verde Valley residents, of course, knew exactly what they were talking about and knew exactly what the West County representatives were up to—that the West representatives and President Wills’ are desperately searching for a way to neuter the VVBAC. The Verde Independent apparently did not know what was actually happening.

October 7, 2015 Board meeting:  Near the end of the Board meeting Chair Pat McCarver criticized the VVBAC because of a statement in the minutes of a meeting of the VVBAC where the VVBAC Chair had politely apologized to a College staff member if any questions from the Committee made him uncomfortable.  As explained to the Governing Board by Mr. Filardo, this was merely a polite gesture—there was no actual need to apologize. (The brief discussion regarding the apology can be viewed by clicking here.)

After this explanation, West County Prescott  Valley realtor Steve Irwin again took aim at the VVBAC.  He asked that the Board once again  consider closing down the VVBAC as a Board Committee and asked that this issue be placed on the November agenda.  (The brief discussion regarding his request can be viewed by clicking here.)

Prescott Valley has a huge stake in seeing to it that millions of tax dollars, tuition and state aid go to Prescott Valley for the planned $45 million Yavapai College Allied Health campus rather than go to the Verde Valley.  An effort by Mr. Filardo to have to meeting moved from Chino Valley to Sedona was ignored.  The Board chair, without discussion, immediately agreed to put the item on the agenda for the November meeting.  (You may view the video discussion of this part of the Board meeting by clicking here.)

In a story in the Verde Independent  of October 9, 2015 Mr. Irwin is quoted as saying:  “The committee was established to provide feedback from the various Verde Valley communities the college services. They have been successful at accomplishing their goal, end of mission.” He added:   “The committee is focused on operations, which may be of value to the president. If the committee continues, I would recommend it become independent or a committee of the president.” (The complete story in the Verde Independent can be accessed by clicking here.)

If Irwin’s effort is successful, the door will once again be shut tight insofar as obtaining information about the the College in a meaningful way.  In addition, the West representatives can rest easy that the $111 million capital plan for that side of the County will continue unabated. And that tax money from the Verde Valley will continue to pour into the coffers to support West County projects.

Robert E. Oliphant, Editor

More than two dozen citizens speak out on  concerns during open call to the public

The Tuesday, September 1 meeting of the Yavapai College District Governing Board saw one of the largest turnouts ever for such a meeting.  Those in attendance came from throughout the Verde Valley.  There were educators, high school and middle school superintendents, representatives of the Verde Valley County supervisors, mayors, city council members, and others.  The entire Tribal Council of the Yavapai Apache Nation was present.

They had come to the Board meeting to express their concern with the inequity in the allocation of tax resources and Community College development in rural Yavapai County and in particular the Verde Valley. They had also come to express their support for the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee (VVBAC) and concern it would be significantly weakened or eliminated.

Many were aware of the immediate reaction of President Wills and all three members of the Governing Board when at the August Board meeting Verde representative Al Filardo moved that the VVBAC continue for two (2) years with the members monitor the progress of their proposed recommendations. The motion was seconded by Verde representative Deb McCasland.

President Wills appears aghast on the video of the meeting when the suggestion was made and Chair McCarver immediately jumped to her aid.  The motion lost when it became clear there was solid opposition from the West County representatives.

Other attendees at the September Board meeting had read excerpts from the August Board minutes,  which strongly suggested that the Committee was about to be killed off or at least marginalized.  As the video of the meeting discussion about the Committee (posted by the Blog) and the approved minutes show, the three members of the Governing Board were less than enthusiastic about continuing the Committee.

For example, Ray sigafoos stated that “this committee has met specific Verde Valley ownership linkage objectives,”  clearly implying it was no longer of much use.  Member Steve Irwin stated that he believed the Verde Valley strategic plan is close to being completed,” implying when it was complete the role of the VVBAC was over. Mr. Irwin suggested that “combining the committees (VVBAC with the Perey Committee) may be more effective rather than duplication of work of developing the Verde Valley Strategic Plan and monitoring progress.”  The consequences of putting the VVBAC under an advisory committee now run by Dean Perey would be devastating.  It would essentially destroy the VVBAC’s effectiveness and return all meetings about the Valley to total college secrecy.  Moreover, and as a practical matter, the activities of Perey’s  committee are far different than those of the VVBAC.

Board Chair McCarver, who is no friend of the Valley,  agreed with the idea of effectively destroying the VVBAC by incorporating members from the VVBAC into the Executive Dean’s Verde Valley Advisory committee. McCarver suggested that during the August 31st Retreat the Board determine the VVBAC charge, implying it might be ended as it exists in its present form.

At the September meeting McCarver tried to cover up the real intentions and actions of the West County representatives a by stating “at the last board meeting, the board did unanimously vote to continue the Verde Valley Advisory Committee.”

VVBAC Chair Paul Chevalier replied during an interview found in the Verde Independent that “The board only voted to continue us through the strategic plan process. You have to read between the lines.”  Mr. Chevalier was more than correct!

Recall that the Governing Board has voted 3-2, with the West members voting together on each vote on at least three occasions, to reject important recommendations of the VVBAC (it has been announced the VVBAC may no longer make recommendations):  (1) Don’t raise tuition; (2) don’t raise property taxes; and (3) don’t continue the capital spending spree until there is a plan in place.

Sources:  Minutes of August meeting, which may be read by clicking here.  Additional background may be found in the Verde Independent by clicking here.