April 13 event  on Verde Valley Campus has College inviting mayors and other public officials to share impressions and ideas but public and press barred as observers

Commentary

Yavapai Community College will hold an invitation only forum described as an effort to obtain “local feedback on the College’s performance and role it can play in their communities” on April 13 in the Community Room, Verde Valley Campus from 10 AM to 11:30 AM. The College is inviting a select group of public officials and is controlling the agenda for the meeting.

The Community College refuses to allow anyone from the public or the press to attend and observe the meeting. One Governing Board member, Connie Harris, thinks this is a good idea. She said it is a good idea because it provides a “safe with anonymous feedback.” So much for open discussion about the College.

The College understands that running a closed meeting like this allows it to avoid anyone with knowledge of College operations from challenging the report of the meeting that it will later issue. It also prevents anyone with knowledge of College operations from raising questions about the efficacy of views and statements made. This kind of approach, however, is consistent with the Colleges iron-fisted control over all of its operation.  It views itself more as a private corporation; not a taxpayer public institution accountable to the citizens of the County.

The College will limit the number of Board members who can attend this meeting to two. Otherwise, it would require the meeting to be open pursuant to Arizona’s Open Meeting Law.

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McCasland argues “transparency” means public discussion

The question of transparency of Board decisions and the affect of private Board discussions with President Penelope Wills came up during the February 2018 Board meeting.  Representative Deb McCasland has consistently argued that the Governing Board should discuss more issues openly during Board meetings.

President Wills urged McCasland to call her about concerns she has saying that she hears from Board members privately on areas such as music, athletics, budgets. When McCasland replied that such discussion should be transparent, Wills’ agreed but equated the private discussions to “transparency.”

See if you agree after viewing the short clip below.