Board disregards view that “we are missing an opportunity” with the VVBCA
Mayor Sandy Moriarty
In a letter received by the Yavapai College District Governing Board November 9, 2015 Sedona Mayor Sandy Moriarty emphasized the importance to her community of the Verde Valley Board Advisory Committee (VVBAC). She urged the Board “to use the VVBAC in the most productive and effective way possible.” She pointed out that the VVBAC is a “vital voice for residents in the Verde Valley.” It “plays a vital role representing the Verde and provides a real opportunity for positive progress.” In response, the Board neutered the VVBAC by giving it a directive to consider only a handful of softball self-serving questions it had made up and brought to the meeting.
The Mayor urged the Board to dispel any notion that the “VVBAC may be “diluted through consolidation within another committee.” In response the Board diluted the VVBAC by giving it a narrow, restrictive directive that is should consider only the softball-self serving questions handed to it by the Board.
The Mayor encouraged the Board to engage the VVBAC as “a resource to aid in strategic planning.” This request was totally ignored by the Board.
The Mayor asked that the 16 recommendations for improving post-secondary education created by the VVBAC and sent to the Board be “fully considered by the Board and the administration.” In response, President Penelope Wills produced a spreadsheet without details that she claimed addressed most of the recommendations. The Chair of the VVBAC, given a minute to respond to the document he had not been given before the meeting, said: “What we’re looking for in terms of this [referring to the Wills’ spreadsheet] is something more concrete.” “We’re looking for hard answers. That is what the communities are looking for.” The Board, urged on by the West County voting block, agreed to accept the spreadsheet as a draft.
A copy of the Mayor’s letter is attached.VVBAYC Sedona mayor’s letter11.15
A copy of the spreadsheet is attached. DGB response to VVBAC Recommendation