The Yavapai College District Governing Board (DGB) has approved unanimously a Real Property Exchange Agreement with the owner of the Sedona Cultural Park that will make it feasible for the College to stay in its Sedona Center for Arts & Technology facility located in the Cultural Park.
The vote was taken at the Board’s June meeting held Tuesday, June 10 on the Prescott Campus. The agreement consists of a land swap between Yavapai College and Mike Tennyson, owner of the Sedona Cultural Park. Tennyson attended the meeting and told the Board that he looked forward to finalizing the agreement. “We’ve been working with Yavapai College over the last year to develop this land exchange, which also helps us moving forward with the development of the Cultural Park,” Tennyson said. “We’re excited about that.”
Board member Herald Harrington, the longest serving member of the Board, pointed out that resolving this situation has been an issue for about 12 years. He praised the current YC administration for its diligence in securing an agreement that meets the needs of all parties.
The agreement calls for the College to exchange five acres it owns elsewhere in the Cultural Park for land that is contiguous to theSedona Center for Arts & Technology facility. The contiguous property is needed for parking and direct access to the main thoroughfare, Highway 89A. The College plans to spend about $1.5 million to complete the agreement and add the needed parking and access road.
Other Board actions included:
The Board approved by a 5-0 vote a 5 percent pay increase for Yavapai College President Dr. Penny Wills for the coming year and extended her contract another year through fiscal year 2017. The vote followed an executive session during which the Board members reviewed Dr. Wills’s performance over the past year.
Reports/announcements included:
Dr. Wills reported that Matt Pearcy, a biology professor on the Verde Valley Campus, has been nominated for the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Outstanding Faculty Award.
Dr. Stuart Blacklaw, vice president for instruction and student services, reported that the College is continuing its evaluation of the College’s digital filmmaking program, which was sunset at the end of the spring semester. A report is due later this year on if and how the program could continue at a reasonable cost to students and county taxpayers.
Board members agreed that the topics for their September 8th retreat would be a review of structures for multi-campus Arizona community colleges and the Board’s ongoing communication with Yavapai County residents and taxpayers, which it refers to as “ownership linkage.”
The DGB, which is comprised of elected Yavapai County residents from five districts, is responsible for governing on behalf of and is accountable to Yavapai County taxpayers and residents. Board members Al Filardo, Dr. Dale Fitzner, Herald Harrington, Dr. Patricia McCarver and Ray Sigafoos (Board chair) were present at the June 10th meeting.
The Board’s next regular public meeting is Tuesday, August 12 on the Prescott Campus.
CableOne Access 13 records all regular board meetings for subsequent broadcast. The broadcast schedule is available on the Access 13 website at http://www.access13.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=17&catids=5
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