Delays the start of the business meeting by over an hour to accommodate a lawyer, disregarding residents and others who had driven long distances to attend
Once again, Yavapai Community College District Governing Board members were summoned by the Community College leadership into a closed executive session to discuss the potential land purchase or land lease in Prescott. This secretive meeting, which delayed the start of the general meeting by over an hour, required a last-minute agenda change, moving the executive session from its original position as the final agenda item.
Residents and other attendees, some who had traveled considerable distances, were left waiting while the Board deliberated behind closed doors. Notably, Third District representative Toby Payne cast the only dissenting vote against the abrupt agenda change.
This marks the third meeting in just over a month where land acquisition in Prescott has been quietly discussed in a closed session. At a similar meeting on October 17, the Board instructed Dr. Clint Ewell to proceed with negotiations for acquiring more property in the Prescott area.
Meanwhile, the community remains entirely in the dark as to why Yavapai Community College believes additional land in Prescott is necessary, especially given the existing campus facilities and the lack of any publicized plans for expansion or new programming. With no clear explanation from the College about how this purchase aligns with its mission or benefits taxpayers across Yavapai County, residents are left questioning whether their interests and those of outlying communities like Sedona and the Verde Valley are being fairly considered. This lack of transparency only deepens public frustration, as the College leadership continues to operate behind closed doors, making decisions with far-reaching implications without consulting or informing those directly impacted.