WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR ABOUT THE RV PARK PROJECT ON THE VERDE CAMPUS

Community College ignores Blog’s most recent request for information to update RV park’s status as Fall semester begins August 12

Obtaining information from Yavapai Community College can be quite challenging, as the institution seems to uphold a strict policy of confidentiality when it comes to its internal operations. Regrettably, despite requests from the Blog to the College’s public relations department, our recent inquiries about the current status of the RV park have gone unanswered. As a result, the residents of Yavapai County are left uninformed about a variety of matters, including the RV park’s readiness status by August 12, the rental costs of a student parking an RV in the park, lighting and security measures for the park, or the type and cost of the four purchased RVs (if any were purchased).

To address this issue and shed light on these matters, the Blog remains dedicated to pursuing any available channels of information and will strive to keep the community informed as soon as we receive any additional information.

The Blog understands the importance of transparency in the decision-making processes of an institution like Yavapai Community College, and it will continue its efforts to ensure that residents have access to the information an institution should normally furnish its taxpayers.  Rest assured, the Blog’s commitment to delivering accurate and up-to-date information remains unwavering.

The following is  what the Blog has learned so far from a wide variety of reliable sources about the RV park on the Verde Valley Campus 

Here is what the Blog knows so far:

1. The Blog is unable to find in the Community College budget for the past or present years an entry clearly identifying by name the Verde Campus RV park and its estimated budgetary construction cost.

2. On October 18, 2022, at the Community College’s District Governing Board  meeting the question of an RV park at the Verde Valley Campus of Yavapai Community College was discussed for about two or three minutes.  During the brief discussion,  then Third District Yavapai Community College Representative Paul Chevalier, in whose district the RV park would be constructed, said he opposed the idea. He was concerned that using RVs for housing might  “lower the quality of the look of the campus.”  Board Chair, Deb McCasland fully supported the idea. No formal vote was taken.

3. During March 2023, without public notice or a formal Governing Board vote on the project the Blog can identify, construction was discreetly started on the Verde Valley Campus to build a ten vehicle RV park for staff and students. Heavy equipment began leveling the surface for the RV lot on Campus land adjacent to the vineyard.

4. On May 17, 2023, through its own press release, the College belatedly publicly announced its decision to construct a 10-space Recreational Vehicle Park on the Verde Valley Campus. According to the press release, the College intends to purchase four RV units and initially offer them for rent to employees and possibly students. Additionally, the remaining six pads will be exclusively reserved for employees and possibly students who already possess their own RVs. Employees will have priority over students.  It will have such amenities as a patio, gazebo, and dog run. Occupants will have access to an onsite laundry facility and, “along with their neighbors,“ a well-maintained gravel road.

5. In an article dated May 17, 2023, which appeared in the Verde Independent,  it reported it was told by the College that “The RV Park is a Yavapai College District Governing Board-approved project.”  It also told the Independent that the RV park  will have “electrical hookup and septic available.” It appears that the decision was made to forgo connecting the RV park’s sewer system to the neighboring Cottonwood (or Clarkdale) sewer system and install a septic system because it would be too costly.  It will drain sewerage into a septic system in the desert area adjacent to the park.

6. On May 30, 2023, Clint Ewell granted an interview to Phoenix  Channel 3 News  reporter Casey Torres about the RV park.  She reported the College will rent the RVs on the Verde Campus for $500 a month for “RV owners.”  It was unclear what the College would charge for renting one of the remaining six spaces. Some viewers were surprised that during this interview College Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, Dr. Clint Ewell, appeared to emphasize the projects as being aimed at  student housing rather than employees although he noted at least three employees had shown an interest in the RV park.

7. In a story posted on Azcentral.com on July 5, 2023 (updated July 21, 2023) Clint Ewell is quoted as saying: “It’s really been in the last maybe two to three years that we’ve started to feel like (the cost of housing) is starting to influence our ability to attract new people.” “Over time, I think this becomes a great way for us to onboard new employees and give them a place to land and get the lay of the land before they go out looking for a house to buy or rent,” he said.

8. Present: Recent requests from the Blog to the College’s PR department to provide Yavapai County residents via the Blog an update on  the status of the park as fall semester approaches have been ignored. All of the news stories indicated the goal was to have the park ready by the start of the fall 2023 semester.