No details were released regarding the exact nature of the embarrassing failure to activate the link
The Yavapai Community College Governing Board unexpectedly rescheduled its zoom meeting set for March 25 to March 26. The change occurred when Board member William Kiel informed the Board’s lawyer on the morning of March 25 that the electronic link to the Board agenda had not been activated on the Board’s website. Because the link was not properly activated, members of the public were unable to access the agenda at least 24 hours before the meeting, as required by law.
Arizona law mandates that Board agendas be made publicly available at least 24 hours prior to a meeting. However, the Board’s lawyer believed that the March 25 meeting could have proceeded despite the web notification failure because paper copies of the time, place, and summary agenda were properly posted elsewhere. However, she advised the Board to reschedule the meeting to ensure that the public, particularly those relying on the website link, had an opportunity to review the agenda and the topics to be discussed at least 24 hours before the event.
The written explanation offered by the Board lawyer is set out below:
“The Governing Board’s legal counsel learned late on the morning of March 25, 2025 that the link on the College’s website to the District Governing Board’s March 25 meeting agenda was inadvertently not activated until the morning of March 25. The agenda was posted more than 24 hours in advance, but the link was not made “live” at the time. Therefore, members of the public attempting to access the meeting agenda from the College’s website could not do so at least 24 hours in advance.
“The College physically posted the meeting agenda more than 24 hours in advance of the March 25 , 2025 meeting.
“The Open Meeting Law allows a governing board to proceed with a public meeting if a ‘technological problem or failure’ prevents the posting of the agenda on the website 24 hours in advance, as long as the agenda was physically posted in compliance with the Open Meeting Law. Although the March 25 District Governing Board meeting could therefore proceed despite the technological agenda posting issue, the Board has been advised to reschedule the meeting to ensure that the public receives adequate notice of the meeting.”
OPINION: In a perplexing display of opacity, the chairperson of Yavapai Community College’s District Governing Board, Ms. Deb McCasland, has repeatedly insisted that unspecified “safety concerns” prevent the Community College’s District Governing Board from holding in-person public meetings. (For example, in-person public meeting on the Verde Campus once scheduled for this month.) Yet, despite weeks passing since announcing there were “safety concerns,” she refuses to elaborate on what these concerns entail or provide any evidence to substantiate them.
The sole spring exception was supposed to be the March 25 meeting, which had been scheduled as an in-person session at the Verde Valley Campus. However, the Board has now changed that meeting to a Zoom-only format—without offering any explanation.
OPINION: Some members of the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board seem to harbor a strong dislike for the newest elected member, William Kiel. (Most likely viewing him as asking too many questions; being too persistent, wanting greater transparency, and doesn’t necessarily agree with all their views.) That animosity became evident at the outset of the February 18 Board meeting when Kiel attempted to speak to a motion before it had been voted on. In response, the Chair McCasland employed a sleight-of-hand maneuver to pass the motion, bending procedure just enough to disguise what some feel was her real intent, which was to muzzle Kiel.
The Yavapai Community College Governing Board’s first order of business at its February 18 meeting was to call a secret executive session to discuss “Facility Safety and Security Measures.” Only three of the five Governing Board members attended the secret meeting in addition to College president Dr. Lisa Rhine.
On Thursday afternoon, February 6, 2025, members of the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board were notified via email that, due to unspecified “safety concerns,” future Board meetings would be held on Zoom. The notice stated that Chair McCasland “believes this will allow all meeting attendees, including the public, to participate in a safe setting.”
Deb McCasland was re-elected as the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board Chair by a 3-2 vote, defeating Third District Representative Toby Payne. In the same meeting, District 5 Representative Steve Bracety was chosen as Board Secretary. The election occurred during the District Governing Board’s workshop January 14. McCasland will have served as chair for seven years when she completes this term in 2027.