Citizen Advocate Reviews Role of Verde Valley Representative at Board meeting

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, April 1st, 2017

Joel Staadecker reminds Dr. Connie Harris that she reports to the “citizens,” not the Governing Board

At the March 7, 2017 Governing Board meeting held in the Verde Valley, Sedona resident and Verde Valley activist Joel Staadecker reminded newly appointed third District Governing Board representative Dr. Connie Harris that the College is “owned” by the citizens and that she reports to them, not the Governing Board. Dr. Harris, who has not lived in the Valley a year, was appointed in December to fill the seat of Al Filardo, who resigned in frustration with the Board’s treatment of the Valley. Her entire constituency is the Verde Valley.

You may view Mr. Staadecker’s short reminder to Dr. Harris below.

 

 

Categories : Politics

TENTATIVE 2017-18 CAPITAL BUDGET: WEST COUNTY $4.2 MILLION; EAST COUNTY $1.34 MILLION

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, April 1st, 2017

Capital spending inequity between the east and west sides of Yavapai County continues

The College reviewed its tentative 2017-18 capital development budget with the District Governing Board on March 7, 2017. It appears that the Board will approve spending  a total of $5,547,000 on capital projects in 2017-18.

The revenue for the projects will come primarily from property taxes, Proposition 301 sales taxes, and income from investments. About 24% of the expenditure is on the East side of the County for the Sedona Center.  The remaining 76% will be spent on the Prescott Valley Center and improvements on the Prescott Campus.

Here is the breakdown:

  • Prescott – building one – visual arts phase 2:                      $304,500

  • Prescott – building 15 – arts/music design, construction  $1,692,400

  • Prescott – open space improvements –                                $320,000

  • Prescott Valley – renovation design, const.                          $1,086,000

  • Prescott Valley – land adjacent to building 40                     $460,000

  • Prescott Valley – building 40 – second floor                        $180,000

  • Sedona Center renovation and construction –                    $1,345,000

  • On-campus signage – campus unknown –                            $160,000

  • Total capital projects:                                                                 $5,547,900

The discussion during the District Governing board meeting on March 7, 2017 that focus specifically on capital development spending is reproduced below.

Categories : Budget

COLLEGE TO PLANT FINAL ACRE OF ACADEMIC VINEYARD

By R. Oliphant
Friday, March 31st, 2017

The Community College is inviting you to help plant the final acre of the vinyard on the Verde Campus in Clarkdale. For more information about how you can help or to become a sponsor, please call (928) 776-2359 or email foundation@yc.edu. Register Online Now

Categories : Foundation

KIRCHGRABER FOUNDATION APPOINTMENT FIRST STEP IN DEALING WITH CONFLICT OF INTEREST ISSUE

By R. Oliphant
Friday, March 31st, 2017

Community College operations and Foundation are now “somewhat” independent

The appointment of Paul Kirchgraber to Executive Director of the Yavapai College Foundation, which was announced March 22, 2017, was a good one. Among other things, it begins the process of separating the interests of the independent Foundation from the wishes and desires of the Yavapai Community College administrators desires and wishes. However much needs to be done.

Kirchgraber’s predecessor, Mr. Steve Walker, was hired in 2006 as both the Executive Director of the Foundation and as a College Vice President. He resigned earlier this year. The conflict of interest with Mr. Walker wearing two hats simultaneously is obvious. While the Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, and operates to support the Community College, it may at times have goals that are not necessarily in agreement with Community College administrators. With Mr. Walker as Executive Director and a vice president of the College, his ability to influence Foundation members in the direction of the wishes and desires of college administrators was enormous.

A Conflict Remains:

Although Mr. Walker has retired, College President Dr. Penelope Wills remains as an elected member of the Foundation directors and sits on its executive committee. Vice president Clint Ewell also sits as a director on the Foundation. These two individuals carry enormous weight and influence within the Foundation. It makes it difficult, if not almost impossible, for the Foundation to operate independent of their influence. Hopefully, that will change in the future.

You may find a list of the current Yavapai College Foundation board members by clicking here.

Categories : Foundation

EVENING CONCERT OF FINE MUSIC—SPARSE ATTENDANCE

By R. Oliphant
Wednesday, March 29th, 2017

Yavapai Community College Chorale and Chamber Singers provide songs from Oklahoma, My Fair Lady, and others 

The Yavapai Community College music department presented a one-hour concert March 28, 2017 on the Verde Campus at 7 PM.  It was entitled “Broadway Melody’s.” The College Community Chorale chose songs by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II in addition to selections by Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner. The Chamber Singers chose songs by George and Ira Gershwin and Stephen Schwartz.

The program was under the direction of Scott Neese. He is an adjunct professor at the College and has directed, music directed, or performed in over 40 musicals. The accompanist was Peter Mueller, an adjunct professor at the College with an extensive musical background.

The Community Chorale had 46 singers, most of whom were from the Prescott area. There were 16 Chamber Chorale singers, with most of them also coming from the Prescott area.

The audience in building “M” was small, about two dozen attended the free event, but they were  very appreciative. Kudos to the Community Chorale and the Chamber Singers for their Tuesday evening concert.

Categories : Verde campus events

HEY! FREE CONCERT ON VERDE CAMPUS TONIGHT (TUESDAY)

By R. Oliphant
Tuesday, March 28th, 2017

Categories : Verde campus events

GOVERNING BOARD TIES UP CHINO VALLEY; FRUSTRATES RESIDENTS AND COUNCIL

By R. Oliphant
Monday, March 27th, 2017

Board Refuses to comment on proposed motor sports raceway at Old Home Manor; Chair of Board refuses Council request to make presentation to Board

Yavapai College continues to put its head in the sand and hide from Chino Valley citizens on the question of whether a  proposed motor sports raceway on the Old Manor property in Chino Valley can be built.  The College has by contract a right of first refusal and can block the project.  The Town Council, frustrated at the refusal of the College to act, has decided to move ahead on its own and “force” Yavapai College to act.

A six minute video prepared by the Blog  of the 20 plus minutes of the Town meeting discussion held March 21, 2017 can be found below.  It focuses only on that part of the discussion by the Town Council that focused on Yavapai College’s refusal to say one way or the other whether it would use its right of refusal to block the project. 

Here is what the Blog has been able to discover so far:

(1) Dozens of emails from Chino Valley residents to Governing Board members have gone unanswered. In fact, an estimated 300 of them were simply dumped in the lap of the Chino Valley mayor by President Wills.

(2) President Penelope Wills addressed the Chino Valley Council on February 14 about the proposed project.  She did not tell members of the Governing Board during their meeting on February 14 she was going to do this. That night she claimed to be speaking for the College but not the Board at the Town Council meeting.  (Her speech to the Chino Valley Council can be found in an earlier post on this Blog.)  This is odd, to say the least.

(3) The Chino Valley Town Council voted February 14 to make a presentation to the College Governing Board.

(4) In a letter dated March 7, 2017 and signed by the Board Chair, Ray Sigafoos, he stated the Governing Board would not allow the Town Council to make a presentation to them as the Council had hoped. (See video below.)

(5)  The letter from Mr. Sigafoos was not presented during the March 7 Governing Board meeting so that members of the Governing Board could vote to send or not send it.

(6) The Town Council is frustrated, if not angry, by the College’s tactics.

 

The complete Town Council meeting of March 21, 2017 can be accessed by clicking here. 

 

 

Categories : Chino Valley campus

YAVAPAI-APACHE NATION EXPRESSES CONCERN; HOPE FOR COOPERATION

By R. Oliphant
Saturday, March 25th, 2017

Nation’s Chairwoman Addresses College Governing Board

The new Chair of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, Jane Russell-Winiecki, shared the Nation’s concerns about the direction of post-secondary education on the East side of Yavapai County at the March 7, 2017 Board meeting. She stressed her concern about the investment of large capital on the West side of the County while investing little in the East side.

She urged the Governing Board to meet with her and her Council to discuss the future of post-secondary education in the Verde Valley.  You may view her remarks below.

 

 

 

Categories : Ten year plan, Yavapai-Apache Nation

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR QUITS JOB FOR CALIFORNIA POST

By R. Oliphant
Friday, March 24th, 2017

March 22, 2017 was her last day at Yavapai College

The sometimes controversial Yavapai Community College Economic Director, Alexandria Wright, has quit her job at Yavapai College. She begins work in August at the Ventura County Community College District in California.

The full announcement of her departure can be viewed in the on-line Verde Independent newspaper by clicking here.

As noted above, Ms. Wright has at times been controversial. For example, on September 15, 2015 she was removed from her seat for a variety of reasons on the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) Workforce Development Board by a four – one vote of Yavapai County Supervisors. Scott Farnsworth, the College’s Dean of sciences, health and Public Safety, was subsequently appointed to that seat.

You may view more about her problems with NACOG in 2015 in an article in which she responded to beng replaced  in the Verde Independent newspaper by clicking here.

 

Categories : Politics

RED ROCK NEWS SAYS “COLLEGE BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO SPEAK FREELY”

By R. Oliphant
Friday, March 24th, 2017

Editorial attacks effort by President Wills to quash free speech by Board representatives

Christoper Fox Graham

The Sedona Red Rock newspaper contained a blistering editorial on March 17, 2017 about president Penelope Wills’ efforts to suppress Governing Board members from exercising their right to freely speak about important issues. If Will’s had her way, a representative could never speak to his or her constituents following a vote in which they dissented from the majority. From her perspective, only the leader of the West County voting bloc, Ray Sigafoos could ever brief the media. The elected representatives are to be seen but not heard.

The Sedona Red Rock newspaper Managing editor Christopher Fox Graham made the following analogy as he opened the editorial:

“Imagine the only voice from Congress that Americans heard from was the Speaker of the House. Members of the House of Representatives would not speak to their constituents and every question proffered to them, whether in their local offices, at public events, or before or after major votes was answered with, “I am unable to speak on the matter. Please direct your question to the Speaker of the House, the only person who can speak on behalf of Congress.”

“Insanity, right? Undemocratic? Illogical for an elected body?

“Unfortunately, that is how the Yavapai College Governing Board wants to run itself and is indirectly reprimanding Governing Board members who speak to the public and the press.”

Mr. Graham pointed out that information from the college via Penny Wills has been “nearly impossible to get.” He urged Governing Board members to fight for the First Amendment right to speak your mind and to defy the undemocratic and illogical effort to suppress free speech.

Mr. Graham’s entire editorial can be viewed by clicking here. 

Note. You may view the comment at the March 7, 2017 Board meeting on video that has caused the free speech concern by scrolling down this page (or possible clicking to go to next page.)

 

Categories : CARVER MODEL, Free speech
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