Discussion during visit with staff may result in raising serious accreditation issues

Newly elected Yavapai Community College Governing Board member Bill Kiel raised a question during the Governing Board’s January 14, 2025 workshop about the meaning of a provision found in section A(1) of Arizona Statute 14-1444. This statute directs a District Governing Board to visit and examine the management, conditions, and needs of each campus under its jurisdiction. Representative Kiel queried whether, during such a visit, a Yavapai Community College District Board member could ask questions of any of the 500 to 1,000 persons now employed by the College.

The statute reads as follows:

The Community College Board attorney indicated that a Board member could not speak directly with a member of the staff. Rather, any question the Board member might have must go directly to the president of Yavapai Community College. Moreover, a Board member could never, for example, alone visit a campus or center and discuss a matter with a member of the staff, even inadvertently. 

The Board lawyer intimated in a somewhat confusing fashion that discussion with a staff member during a visit, or otherwise, could well raise serious accreditation questions.

Thus, the Board attorney’s opinion, as best the Blog can understand it, appears to tie the hands of any Board member learning or asking anything directly from any member of the staff during a Board visit to a campus or otherwise. One could argue that the 500 to 1,000 part-time and full-time employees and the District Governing Board are effectively muzzled when it comes to any interaction between them at any time. 

Please view the following video clip of the attorney providing a short response to Mr. Kiel’s question during the January 14, 2025 workshop for verification.

A first in Yavapai Community College District Governing Board history: Kiel encourages open dialogue with constituents through innovative platform

Yavapai Community College District Governing Board’s newly elected First District representative, William (Bill) Kiel, has launched a website to share his personal views about the community college with his constituents. The website also invites constituents to contact him directly.

This initiative marks the first time in the Board’s history that a member has established a system to foster direct communication with the district’s residents. Mr. Kiel’s effort aims to make his personal positions about the Community College widely accessible while encouraging feedback and dialogue from his constituents.

The website already features several of his personal views on key topics, including college finances, transparency, and concerns about potential wasteful spending. Notably, one of his most interesting posts outlines his goals for the first 100 days of his term on the Board.

William (Bill) Kiel

For many, Mr. Kiel’s approach represents a welcome change in how the Community College engages with its stakeholders. With an annual taxpayer-funded budget of approximately $125 million, the institution has grown far beyond its early “mom and pop” scale. In fact, it ranks among the highest County taxpayer property tax supported institutions in Yavapai County.

You may visit his website by  going to https://vote4bill.com/1st_100_Days.html.

Says that since he left as the Third District representative to the Board (Sedona, most of Verde Valley) that the Community College leadership with west side majority support has sought to erode its  power. Will new Board in January alter  these policies?

Paul Chevalier

Opinion:  When I was on the Yavapai College Board for four years the subject of the college silencing the Board was brought up at least three times at meetings I was at by the administration but never as a Board action. Each time it came up I stated it was unconstitutional under both the state and federal Constitutions. The college then said it had instructed its management not to answer Board members questions and that was the end of the discussion.

Since I left, the college administration has eroded Board power continuously, all with the consent of the four Board members who live on the west side of our county. Only the east side member who replaced me opposed it.  Four members of the five member Board, with two of them being lame duck west side members in their final Board meeting, have now agreed (by resolution) for the Board to be almost powerless under the control of the President and her senior management, That is the opposite of Arizona legislative intent. The Board by law is supposed to govern the college administration not vice versa.

 Unless three members of the next or some future five member Board decide to end this unconstitutional resolution the Yavapai College Board will remain what it has become, which is a meaningless entity. I expect Board members will follow the resolution even though, I believe, it has no legal standing. We, on the east side, can expect practically no educational classroom courses for our residents from this administration which has broken promises it has made to improve it. The college administration will do whatever it feels like doing and it doesn’t feel like doing much in the way of classroom education for the east side residents. Moreover it is continually raising taxes for all county residents through the roof for land purchases that make no logical sense.

Paul Chevalier

Elected Yavapai College Board member representing the east side 2018 to 2022

Deadline to show interest is December 2

Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter has initiated the process of filling the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board seat soon to be vacated by District 4 representative Chris Kuknyo. This District includes North Prescott, Chino Valley, Paulden, Ash Fork, Seligman, and surrounding areas. Kuknyo will remain on the Board until December 31, 2024, and the new appointment is expected to be finalized and announced by December 18, 2024.

Application Details
Individuals interested in serving on the Board are invited to submit a letter of interest and a resume to Superintendent Tim Carter at the Yavapai County Education Service Agency. Submissions can be sent to the following address:

• Mail: 2970 Centerpointe East, Prescott, AZ 86301
• Fax: 928-771-3329
• Email: Tim.Carter@yavapaiaz.gov

Applicants should include details about their background, including family, education, and work experience, as well as an explanation of why they wish to join the Board. The letter must also include the applicant’s residence and mailing address, email address, and home/work phone numbers. Additionally, candidates may submit up to three letters of recommendation.

The deadline for submitting all materials is Monday, December 2, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

Selection Process
A five-person committee will review all applications, resumes, and any letters of recommendation. The committee will include:

1. A taxpayer.
2. A faculty member.
3. A student.
4. An elected official.
5. A workforce development professional.

This committee will shortlist candidates for interviews, establish interview questions, and conduct the interviews on December 13, 2024. Afterward, they will recommend finalists for Superintendent Carter’s consideration.

Before making the final selection, Carter will consult individually with the currently seated Yavapai College Governing Board members to gather their input on the finalists. However, this process raises a notable issue: outgoing Board member Ray Sigafoos, who was defeated in the recent election, will participate in candidate discussions, while newly elected Board member William Kiel, who begins his term in January 2025, will not.

Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the District 4 seat, applicants must meet the following qualifications:

• Be a registered voter residing in District 4.
• Be a U.S. citizen at least 18 years of age.
• Have civil rights intact.
• Neither the applicant nor their spouse may be employed by the college district.

This is a non-partisan seat, and the appointment process will adhere to the statutory requirements.

Second secretive meeting appears to be on the same topic, which is purchase or lease of land in the Prescott area. Urgency suggests College execs want to quickly close a land deal of some sort.

The Yavapai Community College Governing Board was summoned by College leaders to a closed one-hour meeting on Thursday, October 17. The secretive session, held via Zoom, was scheduled to discuss the potential purchase or lease of new land in the Prescott area.

The sudden urgency of the meeting raises suspicions that the College is rushing to close some sort of property deal. Notably, just three weeks ago, the Governing Board held another secret meeting, also at the request of College leaders, to discuss a similar or possibly the same matter.

As usual, local residents remain completely in the dark.

It’s worth noting that the College has never publicly indicated a need for additional Prescott area property in recent meetings. Yet readers may recall that the same secretive approach was used when the College suddenly purchased the 42-acre church camp just outside Prescott for millions in May of this year with a goal of converting it into a major housing and training facility.

This is yet another instance where the taxpayer-funded institution shows little to no accountability to the Yavapai County residents who finance it. 

Last business meeting was May 21; last  workshop May 28; one meeting at Clarkdale campus is on fall schedule

The Yavapai Community College District Governing Board has announced its fall schedule.  Its first business meeting is set for September 24, which is almost four months since it last met on May 21. Two of the fall meetings are scheduled at the Prescott Campus Rock House while one will be held on the Clarkdale Campus.

The December meeting on the schedule is a Governing Board dinner.

While fall meeting agenda not yet posted, first business meeting probably will not be held until September

The five-member Yavapai Community College Governing Board appears to be on a three month break.  Its last publicly scheduled meeting for 2024 was the workshop held on the Prescott Campus May 28, 2024.  Although the meeting schedule for the remainder of the year has yet to be posted, it appears that the first business meeting of the Board will not be held until sometime in September.

It is noteworthy that that the official minutes of the various May meetings held by the Governing Board  will lie dormant until the Board formally meets to discuss and approve them, most likely in September. Until then, residents must rely on the video records posted on the District website, which act as temporary minutes.

Joined by Board lawyer who says it is a “terrific idea” and will lead to greater “transparency; gets unanimous approval

District Governing Board member Ray Sigafoos

County residents must once again thank 81-year-old Yavapai Community College District Governing Board member Ray Sigafoos for his dedication to enhancing transparency in District Governing Board meetings. At the March 19, 2024 Governing Board meeting, he successfully persuaded the Board, with the assistance of the Governing Board attorney, to include a single line on the agenda, informing Yavapai County residents that the meeting would be live-streamed.

Mr. Sigafoos received support in his endeavor to persuade the Board to include the notification from Board Attorney Lynne Adams. She applauded Sigafoos’ request, recognizing it as a “great idea” that would significantly enhance the “transparency” of Board meetings.

Initially hesitant, Chair Deb McCasland eventually embraced the suggestion and joined the rest of the Board in unanimously consenting to add the one-line notification to the Agenda when it is published.

Kudos to the longest-serving member of the Board for advocating openness and transparency in Governing Board meetings!

It is noteworthy that Mr. Sigafoos was able to persuade the Governing Board to begin live-streaming the Board meetings in February, 2024 after they were cut off in January by President Dr. Lisa Rhine.  Dr. Rhine appears to be a strong opponent of transparency when it comes to the streaming Governing Board meetings.

You may view Mr. Sigafoos’ request for adding the line to the agenda in the video below:

Obtains formal approval by a 4-1 vote at January 16 meeting; a major victory for transparency,  accountability, and democracy

Mr. Ray Sigafoos

Mr. Ray Sigafoos, the longest-serving member of the Yavapai Community College Governing Board, successfully persuaded the Board during its January 16 meeting to initiate live streaming of its meetings, including all workshops and budget sessions. Following a discussion, the Board approved his motion to live stream the meetings with a 4-1 vote.

The sole dissenting vote came from Toby Payne, the Third District Governing Board member. While he expressed no objection to the concept of live streaming, he raised concerns about specific language related to the open call to the public.

The Governing Board mandated the Community College to commence live streaming as swiftly as possible, marking a significant triumph for advocates of transparency and accountability. This decision aligns the Board with other major public entities that have adopted live streaming for years, reinforcing the principles of democracy and public accountability. It represents a substantial win for those advocating for governmental bodies to operate openly and be accountable to the public, underscoring a milestone achievement for democracy.