BUILDING 34 APARTMENT CONVERSION ON PRESCOTT CAMPUS REMAINS A MYSTERY TO COUNTY RESIDENTS

Construction of new apartment is well under way; College refuses to respond to emails requesting purpose and cost of project

Of the many Yavapai Community College  construction projects now underway on the Prescott side of Mingus Mountain, one of the smallest in terms of relative cost is the construction of an apartment in Building 34 on the Prescott Campus. Yet, details regarding the tiny project remain under a blanket of secrecy.

Copyright © Robert E. Oliphant

Email requests simply asking the purpose and cost of the new apartment sent to the Community College Public Relations department, which is charged with answering residents’ questions about the Community College, remain unanswered.  This is now a typical response from the PR boys as the College makes as much effort as possible to hide from residents and even the Governing Board members its operations.

An email request to the Facilities  Management also went unanswered. This was despite a specific statement on the College website saying, “If you have questions about the items listed, please email me at [email protected].”  The apartment construction was listed along with a photo.

Transparency is a fundamental principle that underpins the functioning of any democratic society, and tax-supported educational institutions like Yavapai Community College are no exception. Keeping secrets from the public is certain to encourage claims the College is neither accountability to Yavapai County taxpayers who support it nor can it be trusted. Only when Yavapai Community College decides to be transparent about its operations, finances, and decision-making processes, can it build any  trust within the County and allow the public to hold it accountable for it actions.