Chevalier gets  Board to agree to a mid-July information meeting saying going four months without a meeting is “not doing our job”

The last regular monthly meeting of the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board until September was held May 12.  The scheduled August retreat was scrapped by a 3-1 vote.  Although the Governing Board  will not convene in a regular monthly session until September, it will, hold a public informational meeting with the College President in mid-July.   

At the May meeting, representative Paul Chevalier initially proposed that because of the  present unique circumstances, the Board should consider holding  regular monthly meetings in the summer.  “To go four months at this time of crisis without a regular meeting, I think, is not doing our job,” he said. He later changed his motion to a single mid-July informational meeting.

Ray Sigafoos opposed adding regular summer meetings to the Board schedule saying “some people have travel plans, which includes some things out of the country, like me.”

Pat McCarver also opposed adding regular summer meetings. She said that because changes at the Community College will most likely not occur until after July 1 that a June meeting was unnecessary.  She suggested something in July or August as an informational  meeting where the College President would provide  the Board with an update. McCarver noted that she had some commitments in June. She also suggested the meeting should run an hour or less.

Dr. Lisa Rhine, College president, said that a June meeting would not provide a great deal of new information.  She said that if the Board  added  a meeting that  one in July made the most sense to her. She also suggested that as an alternative to a public meeting that she could communicate the updates to the Board via reports.

In response to Dr. Rhine’s suggestion that she communicate to the Board without a public meeting of some kind, Chevalier pointed out that he is barred under existing Board practice  from directing any questions to the President unless it is done at a public Board meeting.  Without being able to ask questions about information provided by the College administration was troublesome to him. He indicated he was being forced into requesting a public meeting by current Board practice and procedure.  

Chair Deb McCasland said the Board could get together on zoom and reminded everyone that the Board is required to announce any meeting as an official meeting.  However, she noted that a July meeting  would not require the various reports from the President that are required at other official monthly meetings.  The Governing Board attorney agreed with McCasland.

When discussion had finished and it was clear he didn’t have support for a meeting every month in the summer, Chevalier moved to hold an information meeting online  in mid-July at “everyone’s convenience.” The motion carried unanimously.

The Board also voted 3-1 (McCasland dissenting) to defer the August retreat to another date to be decided.

You may view the Board discussion on the video below.