It may also subject future students to rising tuition and fees to pay the bond debts. Analysis: DeVarti has voted against some of the most inflammatory and divisive measures the Administration has brought to the Board, including a 5-year catering contract for WCC executives; a tuition increase in 2015; an appointment extension and salary increase for the College president in 2016; the Revenue and Expense analysis for the 2017-18 budget; the establishment of an armed police force on campus; and the $26M, no-bid outsourcing contract for IT services. DeVarti, Fleming, and Hatcher are incumbents. Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner Evan Pratt. By Iván Flores Staff Writer Scott Hilden, chief of public safety, presented a proposal to implement a fully certified police… He served on the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority Washtenaw County Commissioner Conan Smith. Addtionally, he mentioned the upcoming Student Art Show and Official Election Results Northfield Township, Precinct 3 This report created: Thursday, Nov 12, 2020 03:44:37 PM While his vote on the Advanced Transportation Center funding contradicts his initial position, DeVarti offers hope for providing the authentic oversight that WCC so badly needs and deserves. Commission in the 1980's. Yesterday, I looked at the impact of COVID-19 on recent high school graduates. If you believe the WCC Administration, Ann Arbor is a rich community. Vote for not more than 3. He has been a part-time student at Washtenaw Community College occasionally during the past … DeVarti describes himself as a progressive political activist and finds the current Board of Trustees responsible for the current state of affairs at the college. “My argument was let’s make it as inexpensive as possible for in-county residents to get access to post secondary education. WCC ranks near bottom in Academic Influence rankings, Recovering from COVID-19 in Washtenaw County, Administration’s argument for the institution of a $10/credit-hour “facilities fee”, he cast fewer than a dozen “No” votes over five-and-a-half years, the $26M, no-bid outsourcing contract for IT services. David DeVarti also completed a brief questionnaire at Vote411, which you can see here. He advocated for putting WCC’s planned capital projects in front of the voters for approval. That’s less of a commentary on David DeVarti than it is on the fact that the WCC Board has styled itself as an “advisory” board. Academic Influence released its first-ever ranking of US community colleges, and WCC ranked near the bottom of community colleges in Michigan. He routinely displays interest in the College budget and monthly financial reports, (despite its byzantine presentation), and occasionally asks the hard questions that most other Board Members avoid. On Nov. 4, 2014, DeVarti was elected to the Washtenaw Community College board of trustees. He typically attends and participates in the monthly meetings, special meetings and Board retreats. Close. Mr. DeVarti declined to respond to my invitation to speak directly to prospective voters, so I’ll examine his record as a WCC Trustee over the last 5½ years. from 1991 to 2008. DeVarti rejected the Administration’s argument for the institution of a $10/credit-hour “facilities fee” to pay for construction projects on campus. (Photo courtesy of The Ann Arbor Chronicle.) ***Data reflect meetings through June 30, 2020. The pandemic has put a temporary halt to construction on campus, but these expenditures will rise again. Analysis: Since 2015, all WCC Board members combined have missed 7.51% of the votes they could have cast, had they been present at the time of the vote. Washtenaw Community College Vote for not more than 3 Ruth Hatcher Martin J. Thomas Dave DeVarti Christina Fleming Local School District Board Member Ypsilanti Community Schools Vote for not more than 2 Yvonne Fields Maria Goodrich M. Jeanice Townsend District Library Board Member At his first meeting, DeVarti suggested that the Board meetings be televised on CTN. It was moved by Trustee Hatcher and seconded by Secretary DeVarti that the Board ratify the proposed three-year agreement effective July 1, 2019, continuing through June 30, 2022, between Washtenaw Community College A.F.S.C.M.E Local 1921 and … Secretary DeVarti spoke about the National Legislative Summit he attended in Washington . WCCWatch: Martin Thomas | WCCWatch: Christina Fleming | WCCWatch: Ruth Hatcher. This table shows the reimbursement requests submitted by David DeVarti for Board-related business, through December 31, 2019. or by email at [email protected]. One one hand, DeVarti has cast the second-highest number of “No” votes by current Trustees. David DeVarti is often vocal at meetings. While this did not occur, the Board did eventually agree to record their meetings and make them available on YouTube. — WCC’s current financial problems may force the Board to seek additional funding from the voters or abandon the ATC project. Dave was the founding publisher of the Michigan Football Guide and the Current Entertainment Monthly, transferring ownership to another publisher in 2007. Washtenaw County Clerk Larry Kestenbaum. Overall meeting attendance record through June 30, 2020: DeVarti attended 53 of 59 monthly meetings; 11 of 12 Special Meetings and 8 of 9 Board Retreats. Issuu company logo. But what if it weren't? The... What if Ann Arbor weren’t a rich community? The three candidates where chosen based on their responses to several interview questions that in our belief, provided a measure of the necessary leadership qualities that will play a key supportive role in the decision making process involving the future of Washtenaw Community College. Dave DeVarti for Washtenaw Community College - Home | Facebook studying art. His attendance record at WCC Board Meetings was as follows: * Meeting notes are not available for the April 28, 2016 meeting. Unfortunately, he was absent from meetings with loaded agendas, so he has missed a comparatively large number of votes in his term. Issuu company logo. Dave was elected to the WCC Board of Trustees for  his first six-year term in November He is unfailingly supportive of the students, and has argued (to no avail) for a tuition freeze. DeVarti’s first term as a WCC Trustee began January 1, 2015 and expires December 31, 2020. DeVarti also meets distantly with Ann Arbor's Zoning Board of Appeals, the Ann Arbor Film Festival--he's on the boards--and Washtenaw Community College (WCC), where he is a trustee. Through careful planning, DeVarti and Rabinowitz visit grocery stores less often now, even though they eat at home more. Ypsilanti Township Trustee Stan Eldridge Dave DeVarti at a September 2012 Ann Arbor city council meeting. Christina Fleming. is also a board member of the Ann Arbor Film Festival. https://www.washtenawdems.org/election-resources/local2020a D.C. and highlighted the conversations he had with Legislative Offices. He attended the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources in Features Fullscreen sharing Embed Statistics Article stories Visual Stories SEO. He argued against the sale of revenue backed bonds and a planned $10/credit-hour “facilities fee” to pay for the “Advanced Transportation Center” and other campus construction projects. The student publication of Washtenaw Community College. Published in 2020 WCC Trustee Candidates, Board of Trustees, Christina Fleming, David DeVarti, Martin Thomas, News, WCC Budget, WCC structural deficit and WCC Watch. The possibility of a "recovery" from COVID-19 in Washtenaw County is exciting. At 10.25%, DeVarti’s “missed vote” percentage is higher than the combined Board average during his term. The votes delivered a clear message: Taxpayers want change at WCC” (Jim Blochvoice). Each won six-year terms as incumbents. transferring ownership to another publisher in 2007. at Washtenaw Community College occasionally during the past several years, primarily stated that she was proud of WCC and the efforts the College is making to ensure students are on the path for success. You can learn more about the Trustees , view meeting schedules and agendas and documents and find a … The student publication of Washtenaw Community College. This is a bad deal for taxpayers, it puts 31 local community members out of a job, and, if approved, it puts WCC in a position of long-term financial peril. DeVarti currently serves on the Ann Arbor zoning board of appeals. Close. There are four candidates for these seats. Washtenaw Community College Trustee Dave DeVarti. Washtenaw County voters should return DeVarti to the WCC Board of Trustees on November 3, 2020. Washtenaw Community College’s plan to outsource IT services By Mark | June 10, 2019 Over the past week or so, I’ve had several discussions with people at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) about declining enrollment and what it might mean for the future of the institution. **There were 2 additional Special Meetings in 2018, but the minutes were not published. They are incumbents David DeVarti, Christina Fleming, Ruth Hatcher and challenger Martin Thomas. ... Dave DeVarti; Christina Fleming; Ruth Hatcher; Martin J. Thomas; So far, as of September 18, 2020, I have found no endorsements, campaign web sites, or evaluations of any of the four candidates. Official Election Results City of Saline, Precinct 3 This report created: Thursday, Nov 12, 2020 03:44:37 PM DeVarti remains active in Ann Arbor with business cards that read: “Creative Person” and “All-Around Good Guy.” He serves as a trustee on the board at Washtenaw Community College. He has also taken classes at WCC. Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees, More posts in 2020 WCC Trustee Candidates », Yes, the 2020 WCC Trustee election matters, WCC Board of Trustees Candidate Ruth Hatcher, WCC Board of Trustees Candidate Christina Fleming, WCC Board of Trustees Candidate Martin Thomas, Student loan regulations argue for free community college, WCC Trustee oversight more critical than ever, The mixed messages of free community college tuition, WCC’s survival depends on Trustee oversight, A reckoning is approaching higher education, WCC should not miss enrollment opportunities, Retract the WCC press release on IT outsourcing, Community college as infrastructure takes on new significance, ACCT Conference: Becoming a Disaster-Resilient College. “We have a very strong support for community college across the county,” DeVarti said. the 1970's. Dave DeVarti, Christina Fleming and Ruth Hatcher were elected to the board after running on campaign promises of increased transparency and collaboration with the college’s employees. Among the four candidates for the three available Board seats, David DeVarti comes closer to being an advocate for students and taxpayers than most current WCC Trustees. Dave was the Washtenaw Community College (WCC) is presently considering a contract to outsource all of their IT work to Ellucian, which is a for-profit company based in Reston, Virginia. In the November 3, 2020 election, three Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustee seats are open. The top three vote-getters were elected to the board: Ruth … Board of Trustees votes to begin hearings on WCC police department. DeVarti, Kunin, and Hesterberg left U-M prior to completing degrees. Last month, I provided WCC Board of Trustees candidate David DeVarti with a series of questions, which you can see here. Try. 2014 and reelected in 2020. When it came time to vote, however, he authorized the Administration to sell revenue backed bonds – putting added pressure on an already-overtaxed General Fund. Working as volunteers, board members are dedicated to the good of our community through committing time, energy, and personal resources to the work of the College. His overall meeting attendance record is 90.0%. He served as an Ann Arbor City Councilperson and a member of the Ann Arbor Planning Wayne State University Board of Governors Member Dana Thompson. Unfortunately, he cast fewer than a dozen “No” votes over five-and-a-half years. Martin Thomas. Try. Dave DeVarti for Washtenaw Community College October 22 at 7:33 AM Washtenaw Community College engages the community in ways other than ... traditional classes enable to … Ruth Hatcher. I read an article a few weeks ago about a town in Colorado that's counting on its community college to save it. founding publisher of the Michigan Football Guide and the Current Entertainment Monthly, Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton. Features Fullscreen sharing Embed Statistics Article stories Visual Stories SEO. David DeVarti is a lifelong Ann Arbor resident and community activist. Among the four candidates for the three available Board seats, David DeVarti comes closer to being an advocate for students and taxpayers than most current WCC Trustees. Oakland Community College … Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees (three seats, nonpartisan) Dave DeVarti. Dave DeVarti was the owner and publisher of Current Magazine until the sale of that magazine to the Adams Street Publishing in 2007. Washtenaw Community College Board of Trustees (three seats) Dave DeVarti: Christina Fleming: Ruth Hatcher: Martin Thomas: Ann Arbor school board (three seats) Krystle DuPree: He currently serves on the Ann Arbor Zoning Board of Appeals. For the most part, the WCC Trustees now refuse to do the actual work the voters have elected them to do. It will also require a lot of work, especially on WCC's part. the authentic oversight that WCC so badly needs and deserves. Meeting attendance (including timely arrival) is a significant problem for certain WCC Board of Trustees, but this does not generally describe David DeVarti.