November 16 workshop at CTEC also generates expressions of unhappiness by some with east side press coverage and Sedona Counsellors asking questions about taxes. | Chevalier eventually threatens to leave workshop unless Fourth District Representative ceases perceived personal attack on him
Governing Board meeting at CTEC.
[BLOG EXCLUSIVE.] On November 16 the Yavapai Community College District Governing Board gathered at 9:00 a.m. at the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) at the Prescott airport for an all day Workshop. Representative Paul Chevalier had driven 75 miles to attend the workshop from his home in Sedona. Fourth District Representative Chris Kuknyo, who was apparently recovering from Covid with oxygen support – or so it appeared – was participating via video connection from his home. The remaining members of the Governing Board, Dr. Lisa Rhine, the Board lawyer, plus a couple others, were huddled around a long, rectangular table in a small room at CTEC.
The information the Governing Board provided the public before the Workshop via an original and then revised agenda was unusual because of the significant differences in language between the two. The first public agenda stated that “Because of space constraints and increasing COVID community spread, the public will be able to observe the College District Governing Board Workshop meeting online only via YouTube Link: . . . There will be no Call to the Public on the agenda for this Workshop meeting.” However, when the revised agenda was published, any reference to COVID was stricken and an Open Call to the public added along with an issue involving a faculty future compensation complaint. The revised Workshop agenda resembled more closely a general monthly Governing Board meeting than a workshop.
The purpose of the first portion of the Workshop, according to the revised agenda, was to be a discussion about “Board Self-Assessment” with the first item “Board Overall Performance.” The Workshop began smoothly with an eight-minute overview/introduction by the Workshop moderator, Dr. David Borofsky. After that, matters began getting rocky.
Mr. Paul Chevalier, Third District Community College District Representative, opened the Board member discussion with an illustration he chose to contrast past and present equitable issues between the east and west sides of the County. The illustration was based on a presentation given two weeks earlier at the monthly Board meeting where Dr. Craig Ralston explained the successes of the fall 2021 performing arts programs. Chevalier innocently commented that “at our last meeting, we had a wonderful presentation about Performing Arts – 564 people but less than a dozen of those people were getting instruction on the east side of the mountain. That’s the past.” He then continued saying, we need to look at the future.
Astonishingly, Chevalier’s use of this illustration provided the catalyst for a half hour firestorm of suggestions, criticism and analysis directed at him about how, when, who, and what he should question as a Board member. In addition, Mr. Chevalier perceived that Fourth District Representative Chris Kuknyo was personally attacking him.
Occasionally, the rhetoric wandered from a focus on Chevalier to condemnation of others on the east side including press coverage and the Sedona City Council seeking information about taxes paid by its citizens to support the Community College. The fact that Mr. Chevalier asked Dr. Ralston a simple question about where each of 11 programs was taught during a public meeting seemed to trigger deep indignation in some (not all) of the Board members.
The fact that Mr. Chevalier had lauded Dr. Ralston for his work with the performing arts seemed unimportant to the Board critics. Recall that Dr. Ralston is the Director of Programming and Development, Associate Dean of Performing Arts and in charge of the Performing Arts Programs and knew all about the programming and the location of programs. The exchange at the previous Board meeting between Dr. Ralston and Mr. Chevalier lasted only a minute or two. A review of a video of the exchange at the previous meeting does not appear to suggest that Dr. Ralston was either surprised or upset by the questions – but see it for yourself and make your own decision (see exchange on earlier Blog post).
Fourth District Governing Board representative Chris Kuknyo appeared emotional as he accused Chevalier of “grilling” Dr. Ralston. According to Kuknyo, Dr. Ralston underwent a grilling “by the guy who always grills about the Verde Valley.” Kuknyo opined that Ralston was taken “by surprise” by Chavlier and exclaimed that it was “embarrassing on my part to watch.” Kuknyo also said, among other things, that Dr. Ralston should have avoided answering Mr. Chevalier’s simple questions by declaring that “every one of the classes is available on the east side, they all were available to anyone on the east side.”
Chevalier, for his part, was at a loss to understand how asking Dr. Ralston, who is in charge of programming and development for the Community College Performing Arts Center, and intimately involved in programming, was either surprised or otherwise adversely affected by his questions.
Some Board members also seemed to believe that it was inappropriate for Chevalier to be so continually focused on the Verde Valley. It was suggested that he should understand that courses in the Verde Valley will never match in number those in Prescott. Some on the Board appeared to dislike his style of asking questions. Eventually, some of the Board strongly indicated that they believed that Mr. Chevalier should not ask such questions of faculty in public, rather, he should ask them in private of Dr. Rhine.
Although the Board continued to focus much of its criticism on Chevalier and his determination to represent the west-side and other underserved residents of the County, there were occasional off-hand comments directed at others in the Verde Valley. For example, Mr. Kuknyo appeared upset with the City of Sedona’s Counselors, a couple of whom had requested information about the property tax contributions of east side residents to the Community College’s annual revenue. He commented critically, “there is also a city government over there that now wants all the records on what is being spent in their community. I’ve never heard of a municipality calling on another central municipality to start showing its records on what is spent. This is getting crazy.”
Kuknyo also was unhappy with press coverage suggesting that the Board needed its own advocate on the east side of the County and that “there’s a gentleman putting out and electronic newsletter on Yavapai that I have read and it is filled with half-truths, misinformation, and misguidance on what’s going on at the college.” He offered neither proof nor a single example to support his assertions.
There was much more to the tense half hour; too much for here. For example, and to the surprise no doubt to some, Dr. Lisa Rhine expressed concern that if faculty were asked questions about their presentations by Board members they may not show up to do them. She also alluded without out explanation to “elitism” on the east side and felt the press, in particular the Blog, looked for “opportunities to slam the college.” Furthermore, she indicated that “negativism” on the east side might have reduced contributions to the Foundation.
For another example, Chair Deb McCasland observed that Mr. Chevalier was trying to make a point at Governing Board meetings that there was inequity in classes between the east and west sides of the County. She commented that it “is always going to be that way.” She also urged Chevalier to take any questions to Dr. Rhine privately and to send any questions he might ask to her prior to a Governing Board meeting.
After around a half hour, Mr. Chevalier, obviously agitated, asked, “So far, I’m the one being attacked. . . . Chris keeps attacking me. I’m not going to sit here [and be attacked]. I’m leaving right now unless we have an agreement that it ceases.” Kuknyo agreed and the focus of the discussion turned to other matters.
Later in the afternoon session Mr. Chevalier notified the Board that he would no longer ask questions of faculty presenters. However, he said he would continue to ask questions of the President and Vice Presidents.
A video clip of the half hour appears below. (Sorry for the poor quality of the audio but the stream was not consistent.) The Governing Board may later post the entire meeting on-line once the Board minutes are approved.