Assuming reported claims about the meeting are correct, at least $28.8 million of Sedona/Verde Valley taxes have been shipped over Mingus Mountain to Prescott for use in their development projects during the last dozen years, which is considered by Prescott administrators as “equitable”

According to various sources, Yavapai Community College claimed at the private meeting held with local politicos March 22 that on average it annually on average receives around $15.3 million in cash from Sedona/Verde Valley. Of that amount, and according to the sources, on average over a 12 year period the College claims  it spends about  $12.9 million annually in Sedona/Verde Valley.

Assuming that these College figures are relatively accurate, they show that at least $2.4 million of Sedona/Verde funds are  being shipped to the Prescott side of Mingus Mountain each year where they are invested in projects primarily for use over there.

Moreover, if this data is correct, over the past 12 years Sedona and the Verde Valley taxpayers have contributed $28.8 million in cash to the Prescott Community College executives that has been used for  investments on that side of the Mingus.

The Community College administrators apparently believe that this is “equitable.”

The Blog notes that various documents supporting the  alleged equity claim were floated by the College among the local politicians at the private Sedona meeting. Curiously, the College had an opportunity to openly introduce these documents to the general public during the regular Board meeting  on Tuesday preceding the private meeting because the preliminary capital budget was an agenda item along with  consulting reports on the 8-10 year future development plan.  However, the College did not choose to do so. Why not?

The Blog also notes that meetings such as the private one held March 22 with local officials raise serious accountability issues associated with public officials whose salaries are paid by taxpayers. One cannot help but be somewhat curious where taxpayer paid officials hold  meetings  outside a legally announced executive session where the public is barred, no minutes are taken, and no audio or video record is provided. Moreover, such meetings make a mockery of claims by public officials that  they are open and transparent about how public funds are being used.

Development plan adopted 4-1 by Governing Board in December 2013 with phases one and two shown below unequivocally anticipates the sale of the Sedona Center and leasing property in Sedona

When the Governing Board began a brief discussion at the March 22, 2022 Governing Board meeting about efficiency, too much space, closing campuses, centers, etc.,  it is no wonder that the Sedona/Verde Valley representative Paul Chevalier was immediately moved to react strongly. 

After all, it was only eight years ago that the same Governing Board (with only one member from the 2014 Board still on it) that voted to sell the Sedona Center.

For proof, one need only look at the charts prepared for the Governing Board back in 2013-14  showing the sale. They are reproduced below.

You might note  the enormous amount of money the Governing Board was prepared to use on the Prescott area improvements when compared to Sedona/Verde Valley.  The charts are the clearest evidence of the mindset of the Governing Board at the time of where and how money was to be allocated.  The east side of the County was not seriously considered.

College certain to use terms such as “little need,” “no interest,” and “growing west side population” as excuses for not investing in east side of County via the Campus Master Plan | Camp Verde not mentioned so far

If the current development charts produced by Yavapai Community College consultants are any indication, the prospects for major investment on the east side of the County over the next decade by the College appear pretty dim. That is not good news for the almost 70,000 residents living on the east side of Mingus Mountain. 

The charts strongly suggest that programs such as nursing and allied health will be expanded and enhanced on the west side of the County. There is no indication that similar enhancement will occur on the east side, despite the fact the College publicly claims that it has 600 applicants on a waiting list for its nursing program.

The Career and Technical Education campus at the Prescott airport appears to be in line for new electric car programs and development.  The 3D construction program on the west side will be expanded while nothing appears planned for the east side.

A new media studio is planned for the west side, which will complete the Prescott total take-over and transfer of the once thriving film school located at the College’s Sedona Center.  

Improving the athletic fields and indoor space for the burgeoning athletic programs appear to have been given  priority on the west side of the County.  In addition, student dining areas will be enhanced on the west side only. (There is a recommendation that the cafeteria at the  Verde Campus be reopened.)

Possible truck driving training and collaboration on use of the Sedona Performing Arts Center are the only two projects that clearly appear on the horizon for the east side of the County.  They will cost little.

Camp Verde is so far not mentioned in the documents the Blog has been able to obtain.

It would seem that the input at public meetings on the  Verde Campus had little impact on the consultants.  At those meetings there was strong support from east side residents for expanding the nursing program, creating housing for students and possibly faculty, and enhancing the small Career and Technical Education Center.  None of those east side views are reflected in the  data so far.

One can hope that the Blog is wrong.  But take a look at the charts prepared by the consultants and posted on the College Master Plan website – click here to go to the Master Plan website.  

Forum attracted less than two dozen including faculty, staff students and former attendees who heard Smithgroup consultants indicate most major development will likely end up on the west side of the County

Yavapai Community College held its second Master Plan public forum on the east side of the County November 14 on the Verde Campus in a one-hour afternoon session. The purpose was to  share  information about the progress of the Smithgroup’s efforts to generate an eight-year development plan for the entire District. And to gather additional public input about the plan.

Attendance was small with a majority of those present having attended the first forum or were College administrators, staff, and faculty. The tiny turn-out may reflect what some fear as a continuing deep-seated apathy about community colleges and  post-secondary education at these institutions.

The Smithgroup consultants provided the attendees with a PowerPoint presentation regarding current room usage, location and number of internet student users, and projects under consideration as part of the eight-year plan. As anticipated, the west side of the County led the east by a wide margin in terms of potential project enhancements.

The Smithgroup experts were asked a wide variety of questions that sometimes appeared challenging for them. For example, when asked whether the 13,000 residents of the Verde Villages were included in their east-side analysis, they appeared not to recognize the purpose of the question. Without  directly responding, they said  they used recent census data, which left the question hanging. The concern, of course, is that the Verde Villages have historically been ignored or omitted in discussions by the Community College when determining east County development —the College appearing to  not understand the population of Cottonwood is around 11,000 and the adjacent unincorporated Verde Villages has a population of around 13,000.

To a question about its survey process, the Smithgroup admitted it had not surveyed the general population of the Verde Valley regarding their post-secondary needs. Rather,  it said its focus was on current users and current uses.

It appears, at least at this time, that housing, a major issue for the Verde Campus and the Sedona Center, may not be addressed in the eight-year plan. Moreover, the Smithgroup did not seem to grasp the importance of a question put to them from the public about the relationship between  destination programs in Sedona and the Verde Campus, overall east campus enrollment, and housing needs.

When the question of enhancing the nursing program on the Verde Campus came up the College Administration said there are about six hundred applicants on a waiting list seeking  training. However, the Administration explained that there is a problem finding sufficient clinical experiences for the current enrollment. There was, however, an indication that the College may look to the Prescott Campus for more nursing training. Nothing suggested the nursing program on the Verde Campus would be enhanced despite the long waiting list.

The best news coming out of the meeting was a tentative indication that the College may attempt to enhance the Performing Arts Program on the east side of the County. How much enhancement and where and how was yet to be determined.

(More when slides as posted as promised so you can analyze the presentation for yourself.)

Fourteen of 16 members from Prescott; Verde Valley  Dean Dr. Tina Redd not included on Committee

Yavapai Community College is in the process of developing a ten-year Capital Master Plan (CMP).  One of the first steps has been to set up a steering committee.  The CMP  sixteen person Committee is completely dominated by Prescott based executives and employees; only two of the members come from the Verde Valley. (See list below.) 

Absent from the CMP  was the Verde Valley Campus Dean, Dr. Tina Redd.  (See list below.) 

According to the College, the CMP steering committee consists of members who also serve on the Facilities and Technology Committee, which meets once a month to provide input and receive feedback on the progress of the College’s planning partner. In addition, members of the Executive Leadership Team meet monthly with the SmithGroup team to monitor progress, serve as a checkpoint and provide feedback as to the direction the CMP is taking.

During November, the SmithGroup team has been analyzing information provided by various departments throughout the College. Information includes past, present and future enrollment and trends, class schedules and student/community member space utilization, information related to the College’s two libraries, strategic, academic, and staffing plans, economic and demographic trends and other data.

The SmithGroup’s first tour of the campuses and centers is scheduled for December 6, 7, and 8 which will include meetings with stakeholders and conducting public forums at the Prescott and Verde Valley campuses. Prior to the arrival on campus, a survey will be sent out for you to provide input into the development of the campus master plan. Stay tuned for future announcements regarding the campus master plan which, is anticipated to take seven months.

Steering Committee Members (as listed by the Community College):

1. Tom Aldridge Assistant Director, IT/TSS, Prescott
2. Patrick Burns, Chief Officer, IT, Prescott
3. James Crockett, Assistant Director, Facilities, Prescott
4. Clint Ewell, Vice President, Finance and Administration, Prescott
5. Marie Hardman , Early College Prog (Dual Enrollment) Advisor II, Prescott
6. Rodney Jenkins, VP – Community Relations, Prescott
7. Karen Jones , Director, REDC, Prescott
8. David Laurence, Director, Facilities Planning, Prescott
9. Sonya Liadis, HR Business Partner, Prescott
10. Holly Molina, Specialist, Learning Center, Prescott
11. John Morgan, Dean, CTEC/Agribusiness, Prescott
12. Brian Moultrup, Student Leadership Team, Prescott
13. Heather Mulcaire, Asso. Dean, VV Campus, Verde Valley
14. Diane Ryan, Vice President, Acad. Affairs, Prescott
15. Tania Sheldahl, Assoc. VP, Stud Dev, Prescott
16. Linda Shook, Assoc. Dean, Sedona/OLLI, Sedona

Interested residents can gather in room M-137 on the Clarkdale Campus to address planning team; no open forum scheduled for Sedona Center

Yavapai Community College has announced that the Strategic Master Plan  team it has hired will spend one hour on Monday,  December 6 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to hear the “thoughts” and “concerns” of local residents about the future of the community college on this side of the Mountain. The meeting will be held on the Verde Campus in room M-137.  The Verde Campus is located at 601 W Black Hills Drive, Clarkdale, Arizona 8632. It has also planned other avenues of possible input (see announcement below).  

Recall that about ten years ago the College executives based in Prescott hired a planning team to create a Community College Master Plan. That resulted in a  $103.5 development plan coming from the planners being adopted by the College Governing Board with more than 95% of development aimed at the Prescott (west side) of the County along with the possible closing of the Sedona Center. Verde Valley residents also spoke to that planning group years ago but apparently made no dent in their decision to allocate virtually all major development to the West side of the County and to shutter programs and support staff on the east side of the County.

Sedona/Verde Valley residents have been politically fighting that $103.5 development plan ever since with occasional but grudging success.  It is hoped that with a new administration there will be a serious effort to begin diverting  millions on the east side to seriously develop educational opportunities.  The history of the College is that for 50 years development and funding has been poured into the west side where the result is a heavily financed small college or university-like institution.