Archive for Secret meetings
Yavapai Community College’s District Governing Board was hastily called into a one-hour secret executive meeting on Thursday, December 14 to discuss and consult “with College Representatives Regarding Potential Lease and/or Purchase of Real Property, or Properties, in Prescott.” Governing Board reviews salary and votes increase but sets no goals for College president — keeping the public in the dark
It is hard to believe, however, the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board has not publicly set an annual goal of any kind for its president for the last several years. The result is that the public is kept completely in the dark about the goals and objectives of the college during its fiscal year. It allows the College to operate with minimal accountability and essentially in secret.
There are no public goals set for the president of Yavapai College; therefore, the public is kept in the dark.
By comparison, when the salary of Northern Arizona University President Rita Cheng’ was set, the Arizona Board of Regents included a number of specific goals or incentives for her to achieve. They included reaching out to Arizona’s Native American communities and developing a plan to increase Native American student success rates; retaining at least 75 percent of NAU’s freshmen class in 2016-17, spending at least $39.2 million on research, awarding at least 4,625 bachelor’s degrees and having at least 3,200 community college transfer students enroll at NAU.
Without specific goals and objectives, the Yavapai Board relies on the obscure and little understood Carver model of governance. It is another way the Community College continues to operate in secret.
Wills’ receives 1.7 percent increase in base salary and retention of existing expense account and other benefits (Exact salary details remain closely guarded secret)
By a 4-1 vote, the Community College District Governing Board approved a 1.7% increase in the base salary of Community College president Penelope Wills’ at its June 9 meeting for one year through 2018. It also approved retention of existing perks such as expense accounts and other unnamed benefits.
Wills’ salary a closely guarded secret.
Under Arizona law, a community college president’s contract must run for three years. Therefore, to continue Wills’ in her position for more than the initial three years, the Board must approve adding another year onto her contract every year to maintain a consistent three year agreement.
The amount of the base salary of the nature and extent of the perks the president received were not disclosed and remain a closely guarded secret from the public. Representative Deb McCasland voted against the increase stating she believed the salary should remain at its current level.
Because of the secrecy surrounding the terms of the contract, no data comparing whatever her salary is with that of other community college presidents in Arizona was not available to the public.
Wills’ again avoids acknowledging presence of Prescott Valley Town Council at March 26 meeting
The question is this: What is President Penelope Wills hiding about the March 26 meeting with the Prescott Town Council? Recall that on that date she hosted a private meeting with Northern Arizona University and the Prescott Town Council at the Prescott Town library. She later claimed it was “historic.”
What was she talking about when she mentioned “salaries for these positions” when providing a brief report to the Governing Board? And what did she mean when she said “we established some task forces?”
Recall that the media was not invited to the March 26 meeting. When a reporter asked for permission to attend, he was flatly refused. When Wills’ was asked later by the media about the meeting, she provided a curt response that omitted any reference to the Prescott Town Council. Here is her reply to the media request.
At the April 14 Governing Board meeting she reported to the Board on the March 26 meeting. Once again, she avoided any reference to the Prescott Town Council. She went so far as to claim that Yavapai College and Northern Arizona co-sponsored the event, although the invitation does not suggest that it is. She also mentioned without explanation “salaries” and “task forces.”
Through sources, the Blog was able to obtain a copy of the invitation sent out for the March 26 meeting by Wills’ administration. It is reproduced below. Clearly, the Prescott Valley Town Council was invited.
The Blog has also determined that a quorum of the Prescott Valley City Council was present for the meeting. Moreover, a web notice of the meeting was posted by the Prescott Valley Town Council.
So the question remains: What is Wills’ hiding? Her statement to the Governing Board regarding the March 26 meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
With millions of dollars of public money at stake, Yavapai Community College bars media from attending Health Summit meeting with NAU and Prescott Valley
Yavapai Community College President Penelope Wills is convening a “Health Summit” in Prescott Valley this afternoon at the Prescott Valley library. The summit apparently involves the construction of a $45 million dollar campus to be paid by the College and other matters related to the project. At least a dozen staff are attending the event from the College.
The College is barring the media from attending the event. When the blog’s videoreporter asked the Community College for permission to attend, he was turned down. “No media allowed.” Apparently, College President Penelope Wills doesn’t want the public, especially those on the Verde Valley side of the County, to know about her scheme to spend their tax money on this project.
The College is always claiming that its actions are “transparent.” Here is the kind of “transparency it practices under the leadership of Dr. Penelope Wills.
