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.
At the October 277h meeting of the Sedona City Council Dr. Wills said that she had encouraged the Board to take formal action on our recommendations. Dr.Wills also said that the VVBAC might invite her to a meeting to discuss these recommendations.
The sensible course of action is for all parties – Board-College-Committee – to work together to find the best solutions.
We suggest that all of us -Board-College-Committee- begin a series of half or full day meetings as soon as practicable. At these meetings our end goal would be to find a consensus agreement on each VVBAC recommendation. We suggest that the first of these meetings take place in the Verde Valley so that Verde residents can see our collective good faith efforts to work together.
If you are willing to meet and everyone comes to the meetings willing to compromise without breaking there will be win-win solutions. The fact is we have nothing to loss by trying this and much to gain.
Respectfully,
Paul Chevalier on behalf of the VVBAC