Suggestion for joint meeting to resolve Verde Valley issues ignored; VVBAC neutered by Wills’ and attack on VVBAC led by  West side respresentatives 

The Blog told readers weeks ago that this would happen.

Mr. Paul  Chevalier, speaking for the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee (VVBAC), suggested at the November 9, 2015 Governing Board meeting that the Governing Board, College administrators, and the VVBAC hold a series of joint meetings to work out solutions to the VVBAC’s 16 recommendations for improving post secondary education in the Verde Valley. As he pointed out at the meeting, the Board has erected a barrier to effectively deal with these issues by delegating virtually all operations to the President. She is shielded by the Board from any significant involvement by the public in how millions of taxpayer dollars are spent.  Mr. Chevalier stated that to resolve the post secondary educational issues raised by the VVBAC, it would take cooperation among everyone to solve them–the Board, the administration, and the VVBAC. 

Little did Mr. Chevalier realize at the time of his speech that Dr. Penelope Wills and the West County voting block would insult him and the VVBAC by totally ignoring his polite request. Instead, the West voting block, aided by Wills’ sought to neuter any further serious efforts by the VVBAC.  

The neutering was accomplished by giving the VVBAC a single charge: they may now  consider a half dozen essentially self-serving questions handed to them by the Board at the meeting. They are to discuss these questions among themselves and with residents.  But nothing else is to be done by the VVBAC if West County real estate developer Irwin’s comment, made when the motion regarding this directive was seconded, is followed.  

The goal of the West County representatives, and Wills, as the Blog has been telling its readers for weeks, has been to suppress the activities and voice of the VVBAC.  They accomplished that goal November 9—unless the VVBAC is prepared to ignore what was clearly intended and stand against the effort to suppress its voice.

Given the history of the College, the 16 recommendations for improving post secondary education in the Verde Valley, made by the VVBAC, will be smothered in broad community college administrative double speak, academic self-serving rhetoric. They  will find a dusty shelf in the administrators closet where they will be stored.

If you click here, you will be taken to Mr. Chevalier’s two minute speech asking for cooperation from the Board and the College administration.

His speech may also be read here.

November 9 to the Governing Board

Madame Chair and members of the Yavapai College District Governing Board.

My name is Paul Chevalier and I live in Sedona.   I am here today on behalf of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee to make a suggestion to the Board.

When our committee members were asked to join the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee to give advice to the Governing Board we did it with the belief that our advice would be listened to and acted upon by the Board.

We understand now that the Board delegates all decisions on ‘means’ to the College President and that some of the Board members consider our recommendations as ‘means’. Yet this hands off approach by the Board is not solving the concerns of the Verde Valley.

An acceptable way out of this dilemma needs to be found and we believe that there is one.

Read More→

Obvious goal to neuter VVBAC’s strong voice coming from the Verde Valley

President Penelope Wills and the three West County members of the College Governing Board launched a three-pronged attack at the November 9 Board meeting on the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee (VVBAC). The goal was obvious. It was to significantly weaken, if not eliminate its voice and effectiveness.
The West County representatives were led in their charge to neuter the Committee by 4th District Chair Pat McCarver, who has repeatedly stated over the past several months her irritation at the Committee’s activities.

Phase 1: The first phase of the attack was orchestrated by Wills and apparently the Board President. Wills pulled out and distributed a draft document she claimed was a spreadsheet showing that she and the Governing Board had considered most, if not all, of the 16 recommendations made by the VVBAC. (The VVBAC would strongly disagree with Wills.) The document, prepared ahead of the meeting, was not included in the agenda material posted to the website prior to the meeting. One suspects that Wills’ withheld it from public disclosure so it would have an impact on the discussion regarding the future of the VVBAC by supporting the West County Block on the Board. Copies were not provided to the public at the meeting.

VVBAC Chair Paul Chevalier, stunned by the sudden appearance of the Wills’ crafted spreadsheet, was provided as a courtesy a minute to comment on it. (It had been kept secret until the meeting.)  He said that: 

“What we’re looking for in terms of this [referring to the Wills’ spreadsheet] is something more concrete.” “We’re looking for hard answers. That is what the communities are looking for.”

There was no response to Mr. Chevalier’s comment.

Chevalier had earlier urged that the Governing Board meet with the VVBAC, the College administrators, and together thoroughly discuss and review the 16 point proposal coming from the VVBAC to improve post secondary education in the Verde Valley. He urged a cooperative “working together” effort. His plea for cooperation was ignored by the Board and no doubt further rankled the feathers of the West side voting block who were out to weaken, if not eliminate, the VVBAC.

Phase 2: The second phase of the attack was led by Board President McCarver who was joined by Prescott representative Sigafoos and Prescott Valley real estate developer Steve Irwin.

McCarver repeatedly and somewhat irritably stated that the VVAC was a Governing Board Committee, implying it was acting too independently. She also stated in an apparent response to the plea for cooperation and discussion of the 16 recommendations coming from Chevalier and the VVAC that “you shouldn’t have to negotiate with our own committee.”

Representative Steve Irwin has clearly been on a path to neuter the VVBAC for some time. He said at the November 9 meeting that the VVBAC should have a “ very small, narrow scope.” He also said he felt the VVBAC was “more of a watchdog group sometimes,” which no doubt irritated him greatly.

Prescott representative Sigafoos stated his concern that the VVBAC “has an overriding part of the agenda.“ Apparently, actual effective input from community residents is not really welcomed in his camp if it comes from the Verde Valley.

Representative Filardo bobbed and weaved in response to the attack; trying to save some portion of the VVBAC from the West side barrage. Representative McCasland likewise attempted to thwart the effort launched by Wills’ and the West County voting block.

At the end of phase 2, McCarver and her West County voting block seemed to have forced Filardo and McCasland somewhat into a corner. A motion was made by Irwin that the VVBAC focus on a series of 4 or 5 very broad questions that might be used by focus groups in the spring.

McCasland asked whether the motion meant eliminating the current work of the VVBAC but received no clear answer.

Irwin seemed to believe that his motion meant that the four or five broad questions to be asked of Verde Valley residents was the only work the VVBAC was to do, which leaves it a neutered Verde Valley voice. Filardo and McCasland seemed to believe the VVBAC could continue its present work. The vote was unanimous in favor of the West block’s proposal.

McCarver stated after the vote that it didn’t preclude future direction; it was the “direction as of today.” McCarver concluded by adding more confusion about the vote by stating:

“We made a decision on something.”

Phase 3: The third phase of the attack to further weaken the VVBAC came from Wills’ at the end of the meeting. She said she was pulling all administrative support from the Committee. Since the rooms had been scheduled through December, the Committee was on its own. She saw no reason why the VVBAC couldn’t operate on its own without any administrative help.

Pulling administrative support from an effective group is the same modus operandi used by Wills’ when she decided to shut down the Greater Verde Valley Chapter of the Foundation over two years ago. The GVVC’s voice was becoming far too strong for the Prescott folks and Wills’ so she cut out desperately needed effective administrative assistance.

In the end, the orchestrated attacked meant that democracy in terms of the people’s right to be heard about how the College spends their taxes suffered a serious wound. Whether it is fatal remains to be seen.

(Note. The Blog will provide a video of this part of the meeting as soon as it is available.)

Wants VVBAC put under control of President Wills or set afloat as an independent entity

Commentary

It is no secret that the three members of the Yavapai College District Governing Board from the West side of the County are trying to neuter the efforts of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee (VVBAC).  The Committee has been methodically bringing into public view the enormous economic and educational offerings  discrimination that has been practiced on Sedona and the Verde Valley by the West County’s controlling majority for decades.  The West representatives, realizing that such pet projects as a new $45 million Allied Health campus in Prescott Valley are threatened by these disclosures, are searching for ways to silence the VVBAC.    

Here, using only the minutes of the Governing Board, you can clearly see the political efforts of the three West County Governing Board members as they pursue their goal of gagging the VVBAC.

August, 2015 Board meeting: Verde Valley representative Al  Filardo moved to continue the VVBAC for two years and was supported by Verde Valley Second  District representative Deb McCasland.  West County representatives along with President Wills’ strongly reacted in opposition to the motion.  Prescott representative and long-time protector of West County interests Ray Sigafoos suggested the VVBAC has met specific Verde Valley ownership linkage objectives, implying it should be terminated as a Board Committee.  Prescott Valley realtor Steve Irwin stated the VVBAC should be removed from the Governing Board and merged into a committee to be controlled by the Verde Campus dean. If his recommendation were followed, this would neuter the Committee and strip it of any power. In addition, it would remove  from public view the cover-up that has been going on for years. West County representative Pat McCarver, who appears to be in the pocket of President Wills,  agreed with Irwin. She then suggested that the future of the VVBAC be decided at the Board’s August retreat.  Seeing no hope of approval for continuing the VVBAC for two years, McCasland and Filardo agreed to give it life at least until the Board had enough information for strategic planning (which was anticipated coming at the August retreat).

August 31, 2015 Board retreat:  The Board retreat was devoted to propaganda efforts by West representatives and a paid consultant essentially selected by them to indoctrinate Verde Valley representatives into the use of the Carver model of governance.  The Carver model has the effect of shutting down College Board representatives from discussing important matters with faculty and students, or even speaking out unfavorably on controversial issues with the residents of the Verde Valley after a Board vote.   However, there was no  decision on the future of the VVBAC made at the retreat.

September 1, 2015:  To the surprise and no doubt chagrin of the West County representatives, there was a huge turnout at the Governing Board meeting on the Verde Campus of Sedona/Verde Valley of residents and politicians from every corner of the East County.  All were in strong support of VVBAC and were aware of the threat posed by  West County representatives to neuter it.  So many speakers signed up to support the VVBAC that the Board Chair  limited the presentations to 2 minutes each.  About halfway through the meeting, and long after the speakers had completed their presentations, West County representative McCarver blurted out the following:  “At the last board meeting, the board did unanimously vote to continue the Verde Valley Advisory Committee.”  This is, of course, a misleading statement and one would think that McCarver must have known it was misleading.  However, with such a huge turnout in support of the VVBAC, it was politically expedient and even had the effect of persuading the Verde Independent to run a headlined story suggesting the dozens of residents who spoke in favor of continuing the VVBAC didn’t know what they were talking about when it came to ending the VVBAC. (The story can be accessed by clicking here.)  

The Verde Valley residents, of course, knew exactly what they were talking about and knew exactly what the West County representatives were up to—that the West representatives and President Wills’ are desperately searching for a way to neuter the VVBAC. The Verde Independent apparently did not know what was actually happening.

October 7, 2015 Board meeting:  Near the end of the Board meeting Chair Pat McCarver criticized the VVBAC because of a statement in the minutes of a meeting of the VVBAC where the VVBAC Chair had politely apologized to a College staff member if any questions from the Committee made him uncomfortable.  As explained to the Governing Board by Mr. Filardo, this was merely a polite gesture—there was no actual need to apologize. (The brief discussion regarding the apology can be viewed by clicking here.)

After this explanation, West County Prescott  Valley realtor Steve Irwin again took aim at the VVBAC.  He asked that the Board once again  consider closing down the VVBAC as a Board Committee and asked that this issue be placed on the November agenda.  (The brief discussion regarding his request can be viewed by clicking here.)

Prescott Valley has a huge stake in seeing to it that millions of tax dollars, tuition and state aid go to Prescott Valley for the planned $45 million Yavapai College Allied Health campus rather than go to the Verde Valley.  An effort by Mr. Filardo to have to meeting moved from Chino Valley to Sedona was ignored.  The Board chair, without discussion, immediately agreed to put the item on the agenda for the November meeting.  (You may view the video discussion of this part of the Board meeting by clicking here.)

In a story in the Verde Independent  of October 9, 2015 Mr. Irwin is quoted as saying:  “The committee was established to provide feedback from the various Verde Valley communities the college services. They have been successful at accomplishing their goal, end of mission.” He added:   “The committee is focused on operations, which may be of value to the president. If the committee continues, I would recommend it become independent or a committee of the president.” (The complete story in the Verde Independent can be accessed by clicking here.)

If Irwin’s effort is successful, the door will once again be shut tight insofar as obtaining information about the the College in a meaningful way.  In addition, the West representatives can rest easy that the $111 million capital plan for that side of the County will continue unabated. And that tax money from the Verde Valley will continue to pour into the coffers to support West County projects.

Robert E. Oliphant, Editor