>> welcome to "nevada newsmakers," on the broadcast today marlene lockard and i talk with the chairman of the board of regents, rick trachok, and the power pundit panel, dorie guy, pat hickey and rew goodenow, coming up next on all new "nevada newsmakers." >> "nevada newsmakers" is brought to you in part by the tahoe reno industrial center,

retail association >> closed captioning of "nevada newsmakers" is brought to you by the nevada trucking association, trucking moves america forward. this is "nevada newsmakers" with host sam shad, a no holds barred political forum. now from the "nevada newsmakers" broadcast headquarters, here is sam shad. >> and back on "nevada newsmakers," we are pleased to welcome back to the program the chairman of the board of regents, rick trachok, pleasure

>> pleasure to be here. >> we were chatting on the break before we got started, i thought i would bring it up right away and deal with it. the headline in the las vegas review journal a month or so ago, they said northern regents shouldn't reject land for unlv stadium deal and i was trying to figure out who in northern nevada will be trying to stop a stadium deal that unlv wants, makes sense? >> well, the short answer is no one. the vote took place on our board meeting on friday, i think, december 3 or 4. there are two issues when we talk about the land acquisition. one is there's 42 acres, almost conto my knowledgeuous to the unlv campus, which was quite a good price. and the second thing that has been an issue in some circles in southern nevada is a stadium,

anywhere from $700 million to a billion dollars of covered stadium. and the -- what we've voted on as a board was the acquisition of the 42 acres and i think we drove -- what drove me personally as one of 13 and my colleagues on the board, was the plan to develop the academic and industry partnership functions of the university on those 42 acres. for instance, with the medical school and your different medical outreach programs and engineering and things like that. so the vote was 13 -- excuse me, 12-0, i think there was one regent who wasn't present, it was unanimous, no northern or southern regent that opposed it. we specifically removed the stadium portion of the discussion and so any use of the land has to come back to be

board of regents. >> it does make sense, i know mgm was supportive a long time, maybe 10 years ago, of redeveloping that whole area and putting in housing and shopping. it seemed like a major redevelopment project that could be beneficial to southern nevada. >> and i happen to agree with that. that is why i supported the project, i was initially against the project, i thought that we had so many other important issues to focus on at unlv and to commit another $50 million in the midst of starting up a medical school, in the midst of raising money to build a hotel college, in the midst of carnegie initiative to increase the research capabilities of unlv, i thought the discussion of a stadium was premature. >> along those lines, it's

session was dedicated to trying to fund nevada schools properly. and the next upcoming session will focus on the university system. so you have that issue, but what would be -- i know you are working budget wise, but what do you think will emerge as the top tier needs for the system statewide? >> the most important thing and number one on my list and number one on the board's list is funding for workforce development and funding for the community colleges. 90% of neva dans access higher education through the community college system and the -- we have to make sure we're committing the state funds wrshgs we need them most and where we need them most right now, workforce development and two is strengthening the community colleges.

increasing the research capabilities at our two universities. >> the community college in southern nevada was in the news substantially over recent controversies within the system. and the core issue of problems with the community college system sort of got overshadowed by other issues so have those issues and problems with legislature had concerns with the community colleges, the governance model, etc, has that issue been addressed adequately aside from the other issues that emerged around them? >> the short answer to your question is yes. >> can i have the long answer, please, we have a lot of time here. >> what we've done as a board is focused on the community colleges and governance of

opinion they have been give short drift in the past. years ago we did a couple things as board. number one, we created a separate committee to govern community colleges and i call it the regent for the community colleges. and we -- they meet off cycle, don't meet during the same cycle as the full board and their focus is on governance of community colleges and we have strong individuals on that committee, the chairman, dr. anderson, she's been involved in community college education her entire career. the kevin melcher, dissertation away from phd in governance is the vice chairman. number one, we created governance structure focused exclusively on community colleges and their issues. the second is, we've directed the chancellor to hire vice

colleges, the community colleges will have their own chancellor, on the governance side, i think we have addressed the concerns that the legislature or some of the legislators from southern nevada had. when you have a community college with 40,000 students that is -- that is a huge number to -- for one college and for one president to govern and we've been focused on the things that we can do from a management level or from administrative level to make sure that we're successful, colleges in southern nevada. >> let me ask you this, do you think you have done enough, it sounds like you have done enough to address the concern of former presidents of the community colleges in north and south to head off their desire to have a separate governance? >> i do think we have. the -- i think anybody

concerns have been addressed. you have to take a look at the state of nevada, who we are, how we fund education. and the -- we have an opportunity here to have a seamless system from post-high school through the phd and post-doc programs and so for instance, with the -- if we were two separate system, then we don't have the money to fund it. we would have entire new administrative layer that costs money. we don't have that kind of money in nevada. but more importantly, i think as integrated system, we have tremendous advantages, unr and unlv are working right now on these programs where students that might not qualify, might not meet the minimum requirements for university start off at the community college with what we call the

first two years at community college with the goal of obtaining bachelor degree at either nevada reno or nevada las vegas, difficult to do if we had two separate systems. so we're able to integrate and articulate courses from

or to our state >> closed captioning of "nevada newsmakers" is brought to you by the nevada trucking association, trucking moves america forward. >> and now back to "nevada newsmakers" with sam shad. >> back on "nevada newsmakers," we continue our conversation with the chairman of the board of regents, rick trachok. >> this morning northern nevada residents woke up to the bleak headline that nevada schools washoe county has moved below the state of mississippi and,

terrible news for our education system. and it impacts, of course, the university when so many of our students are moving on and graduating, but they're not prepared and so much has to go from the university and community college system into -- remedial work. how can you help k-12 and how can we get beyond that? because this has been an issue for a long time now. >> the first thing, the governor took the long-needed step of number one, raising the revenue and committing the funds to k-12. we cannot continue to live in the cellar of education in the country. that can't be. we as a system are doing now, is helping and we have two

one is the we call the jumpstart program and that's where our colleges, community colleges, are working together with the school boards, the superintendents and the high schools and so students are taking college courses and high school courses and their focus on what remediation needs to be done during the last two years in high school. when they graduate from high school in some of the programs, they not only get their high school degrees, they get a certificate or possibly an associates degree, which enables them to move straight into the workforce. we have number of programs, both at csn, college of southern nevada, at western nevada and here at truckee meadows, that is the first thing we're doing. mark johnson, president of the university, and the ex-president, worked together

pedro, and they were focused on testing in the beginning of the senior year in high school to identify those students that needed remediation and work together with the high schools to make sure that they got the focus, those students got focus they needed so when they started in college or started at the university, they didn't have to spend time in remedial classes. on the other side, you've asked me to give long answers, on the other side -- >> i have a knife ready, ready to cut you off when we need to. >> okay. the education colleges at nevada state college, university of nevada las vegas and nevada and reno focused on training teachers, they are focused on certificate certificating teachers military, retirees who have bachelors degree, so they can go through a one-year program to receive the certification they need to teach

done in the classroom. it's a huge problem for the state of nevada. we have 2000 teachers a year that teaching positions in clark county that are filled with part-timers, it's a huge challenge for us. >> to say the least. that is where we have to leave it. we appreciate you being here, as always, we'll be right back. >> "nevada newsmakers" is brought to you in part by the tahoe reno industrial center,

retail a >> this is "nevada newsmakers." >> back on "nevada newsmakers" we have a great power pundit panel, rew goodenow is here, an attorney with parsons, behle and latimer, assemblyman pat hickey is here and dorie guy with emerge nevada. i want to pick up on the conversation with rick in the prior segment. dorie, you feel the university system is not doing enough to head off the potential attacks here from the former presidents

>> i think so, too. i happen to be a big fan of the community college. i went to the community college, got my degree and went on to the university system where i got my bachelors n. many respects, i feel like i got a better education on the community college. i really think they need to do a lot to fire up the community colleges and get these kids ready to go to the universities. >> do you not feel the steps the system is taking, putting in vice chancellor in charge of community colleges, looking for extra funding from the legislature is enough? >> no. no. absolutely not. >> pat. >> i think very important step and we heard from regent rick trachok today saying community colleges are going to be high on the list of next session's legislative priorities. i don't think we want to decouple the system for the sake >> right. >> i've taught in the community

more in them for workforce development as rick trachok said. i think it needs to be one system with the size of the state that nevada is. >> rew. >> trachok's focus on community college sounds appropriate to me, that is something we badly need to develop the industry here. >> that is correct. >> marlene lockard? last word on that. >> i agree. with the new industry moving into nevada puts spotlight on the community colleges and more important than ever. >> changing topics, we had reid hamilton on the program yesterday talking about how the firm gos from 35 employees down to three employees because of the action of the puc, so the city right behind that announces they are cutting 550 nevada jobs, blaming the rate. your thoughts -- add one more thing, the governor jumped in yesterday and said he was more than willing to talk and wanted

are losing jobs and there has been a miscommunication between he and the head of solar city. it appears the governor is well aware of the situation but doesn't want to get involved in the commission. your thoughts on this? >> my thought, it is not like we didn't see this coming. everybody involved knew this was going to happen. i have clients that contacted me and wondered what was going on over here and said they weren't coming because of what was happening with the metering and shouldn't come as a surprise to everybody. i have solar panels on my home, i love them, i was aggravated they lowered my rate. >> what hamilton said, they knew it was coming, it didn't have to happen at once. >> yes, it did. when else is it going to happen? >> it could be out of five or 10 years, pat, a lot of people have solar panels based on the idea over the lifetime of the panel they would get enough back from

is it fair to go back on homeowners and say sorry, charlie, you are out of luck. >> they got significant, they thought they were, they purchased them, abate sxment rebates at the time and anything but energy expert, even the abatements extending to the tesla and farradays, limited shelf level on those breaks. i would only add to it that we have seen decreases, both in the north and south in public utility rates, so solar customers and others benefit from those things, as well. at a certain point, i agree. you can't keep those things going on forever. >> i agree with the assemblyman, i think in the beginning they got a lot of rebates and different things for doing this and i do feel bad for those who thought they were going to get lower rates. >> in a way, it doesn't seem totally fair. >> i have to disagree with all

role here, i think. the fact they made it retro active is like unprecedented, these folks had a contract and to go back retroactively, i think raises numerous legal questions that the state will have to deal with. the cost now in litigation are going to increase and something that isn't said, everybody is saying, oh, we've been subsidizing, subsidizing, how long and we continue to subsidize oil in this country and what's wrong with trying to subsidize clean energy product that is the wave of the future? we haven't decreased or eliminated oil subsidy. >> okay. let's --

agree with marleen as far as going back retroactively, that is totally unfair. >> if you look at your contract when you put solar panelos your roof, you saw no promise of future rates of any particular nature, so i don't see that -- >> the future rates, but the point is they went retroactively, rew, that is the issue. >> i'm kind of familiar with this, because i have them. and i don't -- we'll see what the litigation goes, i don't see it going anywhere. >> pat, the last word on this? >> well -- let's wait and see. i don't know enough to say, but look, the puc reflects the public, the consumer advocates weighed in, seems like we're going to extend the conversation. the governor was surprised at the reaction was swift and i think maybe somewhat public relations motivated. it's a give and take process.

>> more to come on this topic. we'll be right back. >> the 12th annual nevada newsmakers teen edition is brought to you by pro group management, the nevada trucking association, the nevada builders

of nevada and the el >> on the broadcast next week, we'll have amy tarkanian.