Campus Press Staff Writer George Plaven is at the second reading of the the final budget and will be updating throughout the evening. Topics will include CU Gold and the UCSU cost centers.
11:49
Chair reports finish up and after nearly five hours, the meeting is adjourned by President Postma.
11:39
Discussion now shifts to the presentation of the final budget package.
A motion is made by President Postma to approve the final bill, containing all CU cost center budgets. This would seal their approval, and have them set to move on to review by the Tri-executives. If it is approved, there would be a student fee increase of $18.80 per student, about $2 higher than the $16 total that prevailed before the start of the meeting.
It is approved. The process which began on Feb. 5 has just taken a giant step forward to coming to its conclusion. Excepting any last minute changes or recommendations, these will be the budgets that UCSU will be funding.
11:22
As the evening goes on later and later, council members and Tri-executives are getting the giggles in anticipation of the meeting’s adjournment.
There is another amendment on the table for the UCSU budget, this time bringing into question whether student leaders and Legislative Council members themselves should recieve a salary for their work.
School of Education Senator Childs asks why he should lose his salary, considering that he is an out-of-state student and depends on that income.
Ramos is also opposed to this amendment.
“We fund cost centers to pay people, and I feel like this is kind of a weird amendment,” he said.
This new amendment is brought to the roll call vote, and not surprisingly, it does not carry.
There are no more amendments to be addressed for the UCSU budget. The final cost center has been addressed.
11:17
President Postma calls the meeting back to order once again, and the rule is clarified that the Legislative Council president does have the authority to cast the tie-breaking vote. He casts an affirmative vote for the amendment, thus lowering SGFB’s budget to $400,000.
Another amendment is brought to the table to raise SGFB’s new budget of $400,000 to $425,000 as proposed earlier by Tri-executive Brown. This separate amendment is brought to a roll call vote, and is passed by a final count of 9-8-0. Now, at this point, SGFB’s budget is raised to the compromised value of $425,000.
Ramos has yet another amendment to offer for the UCSU budget, focusing on the Distinguished Speakers Board. His amendment would give DSB a budget increase of $10,000 to aid in its bringing high profile speakers to campus.
“DSB was put on this campus to bring in speakers of this caliber,” Ramos said.
Roll call vote is brought to this latest amendment to the UCSU budget. If passed, it would give an extra $10,000 to DSB. The amendment does not carry, losing 6-10-1. No extra money for DSB.
10:58
Discussion continues as to how much money will be placed in the budget for SGFB.
President Postma has one closing remark.
“When groups come off referenda, they almost always have fund balances,” he said. “You’re finding groups coming off of referenda … offsetting this increase.”
Postma still believes that $425,000 is too much for SGFB. If this amendment passes, it will bring SGFB’s budget down to $400,000 total. The roll call vote sees the amendment tied at 8-8-1. President Postma calls a five minute recess to determine the rules as to whether he is allowed to cast the tie-breaking vote.
10:43
The UMC’s budget is brought to its conclusion, including Night Ride’s budget, which is approved without discussion.
Two budgets now remain on the agenda, those of SOFO and UCSU. There are no amendments to be made by the SOFO budget, and it also passes without discussion.
The UCSU budget is all that remains at this point. President Postma has one amendment to this budget, concerning the Student Groups Funding Board. The amendment would lower its budget from $450,000 to $400,000.
School of Journalism Senator Lingo is not in favor of this amendment, arguing that some student groups are getting ready to come off their referenda budgets and into the SGFB process. The money will be needed in the SGFB budget to continue funding for these groups when this happens. There is also a proposed compromise from Tri-executive Brown of lowering the budget at $425,000 instead of $400,000. President Postma tells her that she can propose this as a separate amendment if his amendment goes on to fail.
10:34
Talks resume on whether CU GOLD will be funded at all, through student fees.
Contention remains as to whether the benefits found in CU GOLD are overlapping with other programs on campus.
“GOLD does do a lot, and I see their advertising everywhere … It’s a very visible program, and I think we should support it,” Ramos said.
President Postma has a few final items with regards to CU GOLD.
“Our other cost centers, I feel, do the same thing that GOLD is going to be doing,” he said.
This brings the most contentious item to a roll call vote. If the amendment passes, CU GOLD will be funded under the UMC budget. The amendment passes 12-5-0. CU GOLD is now funded under the UMC budget, overriding the recommendations of the Finance Board and bringing the issure to a close. Martin leaves the room, quite excited, seemingly on the verge of tears.
10:25
Heath said that this program has done amazing work, speaking of CU GOLD. He said he would advise that this group will be a student fee eventually, and that the council should avoid delaying the inevitable.
In short, Heath opposes the amendment to his amendment. He thinks that CU GOLD should be funded through student fees and not through SOR. He also said, however, that he would support that CU GOLD get some funding through SOR as opposed to no funding at all.
Martin addresses a question from the School of Education Senator Joshua Childs, that CU GOLD can serve about 492 students. With an increase in funding, she said the number could be doubled.
Vice President Farivar calls that the amendment to the amendment be brought to a vote. But before that can happen, President Postma reiterates his stance that the group should not receive any funding at all.
His statement is brief, and the vote is made. The amendment does not carry, meaning the group would be funded through student fees and not SOR.
Ramos, who initially called for this amendment, winds up voting against it.
10:18 p.m.
Ramos is now proposing an amendment to the amendment, to fund $26,000 of CU GOLD through SOR, instead of student fees.
“This would be to keep them afloat, and work with the curve ball that’s been thrown to them,” Ramos said.
It is a question of whether the student fees should support CU GOLD, yet. Ramos said SOR should be used to keep the program at the level it is at now, until they can find more secure sources of funding for the group.
Cate Greguras, the Finance Board chair, said that her board did not feel comfortable funding CU GOLD at the time it made its recommendations for Legislative Council.
Discussion is briefly interrupted as Tri-executive Gilford accidentally knocks a glass bottle over on the table. It does not break, but bangs down loudly.
“What a strong wind,” Gilford said.
Discussion quickly refocuses on CU GOLD.
“We should be looking at our student fee increases,” Tri-executive Brown said. “By funding the program through SOR, that’s already a big deal. They’re getting their foot in the door.”
“This program is supported by other leadership classes,” Ramos said.
10:05
Martin continues her argument on behalf of CU GOLD.
“We are trying to serve that population of students who don’t have the opportunity to enroll in a formal leadership program,” Martin said.
School of Journalism co-senator Lingo voices a concern, that the mission statement for CU GOLD is not consistent with the overall mission statement of the entire UMC. She is curious why the program is associated with this particular cost center.
“The leadership program is very much within the mission of the UMC,” Garcia said.
Vice President Farivar asks how CU GOLD compares to other leadership programs offered to students on campus.
“I think the important thing is that it is open (to all students), in some fashion,” said Megan Bell, the CU GOLD adviser.
9:54
President Postma calls the meeting back to order. It is time for the council to discuss the UMC’s budget, and Representative Heath’s amendment to have the CU GOLD student leadership group funded under the UMC.
Mallory Martin, the CU GOLD student coordinator, returns to discuss the amendment with the council. She said that the consistent source of funding would be used for the group’s very survival. It would cost about 47 cents per student.
Heath said that the money to fund the group could potentially come out of the UMC’s fund balance as well, as opposed to raising student fees to cover this cost. This idea is not met with much approval.
It is restated that past funding for CU GOLD has come from the CU Bookstore and the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. Carlos Garcia said he is unsure whether the Vice Chancellor can continue to support the group, and said he will approach the bookstore to see if they will continue their end of funding.
“We’re trying to acheive a consistent source of funding for the program,” Heath said. “It’s not about expansion as much as trying to maintain.”
9:30
With the E-Center done, Legislative Council moves on to discuss the first of the “Big 3” cost centers, the Rec Center.
One amendment would move the women’s locker room expansion to be funded by student fees, and not through the SOR request. This would total a $29,500 increase in student fees to do this. Essentially, this is an argument over which source of money is going to go and fund this enhancement.
The roll call vote takes this amendment, to move the funding to student fees instead of SOR, and passes it at 15-2. There will be no further discussion to the Rec Center budget.
Wardenburg’s budget is up next. There are no amendments to be made, it is passed without discussion, thus bringing up the UMC’s budget. Onyeali calls for a five minute break, which President Postma approves.
9:11
Legislative Council has finished with the budget for SORCE. It moves on now to the Environmental Center budget, which is set to be amended by President Postma. This amendment would cut a requested position from the E-Center that had been previously approved by the Finance Board.
Ramos says that he thinks with the way the E-Center has grown and worked with other cost centers on campus, this position should be discussed before it is voted on to be cut. There is no discussion, and the amendment moves to a roll call vote. If it passes, the position will be cut. The amendment does not pass at 6-8-3. The position remains for the E-Center.
Though the position for the E-Center remains, President Postma has one more amendment to make to its budget. He is working to get rid of a $40,000 request from the Supplemental Operating Reserve to buy down expenses for the new position.
Postma does not like SOR being used in this way. New positions are usually funded through student fees, and the SOR request would not be a replacement for increasing student fees to pay for this ongoing expense. SOR requests are usually used to pay for one-time expenses, though its use would put off the student fee increase for a few years with this new position.
The roll call vote here will determine if the SOR request stands, or if the position will be funded next year through student fees. If the amendment passes, the SOR request will be eliminated. The amendment passes 14-1-1. The new position will be funded through fees, and not SOR.
9:03
Debate continues with the SORCE enhancement, though the majority of the arguments seem to be in favor of it.
President Postma now comes out with his vocal opposition to this cost increase.
“Just because these people are working more … doesn’t necessarily mean they should be paid more,” Postma said.
Finally, a roll call vote on the matter. If the amendment passes, the new full time position will be created with one student part time position would be cut. The student fee increase per student would total about 19 cents. The amendment passes with a vote of 9-8-0.
8:55
Discussion continues regarding the SORCE enhancement.
“The work that SORCE provides is so very vital, and the work that students put into SORCE is so very vital,” Tri-executive Gilford said. “This position will create some stability.”
Talks about the benefits for this new full time position are now being discussed. It is questioned whether the money, approximately $4,000, could be used as a potential bonus to the SORCE director. This idea is rejected.
Another concern is how many students are being left out every time there is an increase in student fees for cost center enhancements. This argument is countered with another, that with the thousands of dollars of debt that some students incur, a $4 increase in fees is relatively insignificant.
Mark Montoya, the events coordinator for SORCE, stands up to say that he is concerned about a paper that he has due tomorrow, though he is still here because this means so much to his job.
“Coming from a person on a tight budget, it is fully necessary to have this full time position,” Montoya said. “We need a second full time staff member that can serve as a liaison between SORCE and other cost centers.”
8:40
There are no further amendments to KVCU.
SORCE is up next. Ramos has put an amendment on the table, which would cut one student hourly position and create one full time position.
Already, some members of the audience have left and returned with coffee. The UMC’s budget, and the fate of CU GOLD, is still a ways down on the agenda.
Ramos continues with his argument.
“As we know, SORCE has a very high demand for its staff, and they may be putting more hours in than just a part time position,” he said.
Obi Onyeali, the senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, supports the creation of this new full time position. He says that students could not possibly do everything, and SORCE needs to have somebody around at all times to do the job. Vice President Farivar agrees with this statement.
Tri-executive Brown points out that there wasn’t enough time for the previous director to work with students on the staff of SORCE, emphasizing another point of support for this enhancement.
8:26
KVCU Radio 1190 is the next budget under discussion. President Postma brings one amendment to this budget, that would fund for them, among other things, a new mobile unit that would allow them to broadcast from remote locations.
The total for all these would be about $8,000.
“Essentially, what this does, is allow 1190 to get out to venues,” Postma said. He also said live shows could be broadcast over the station for students who cannot make it out to see the show live and in person.
Veronica Lingo, co-senator of the School of Journalism, expresses some concern over the benefits that these items would add to Radio 1190, including the risk that these items could easily be broken if handled by careless volunteers.
Ramos said that he thinks Legislative Council should fund these items to improve the health of the station. He said that Radio 1190 is a legit station, not just a bunch of kids playing in a basement.
Roll call vote for the equipment carries 16-0-1, bringing the new equipment at KVCU.
8:16
Discussion goes on. Volunteer Clearing House and Off-Campus Student Services pass with no discussion. This brings up the Women’s Resource Center.
An amendment on the table for the Women’s Resource Center would permanently increase its operating budget.
“The Women’s Resource Center typically has not requested many increases,” Tri-executive Brown said.
“I think we should support this amendment … so the WRC can continue to have great events and continue to bring in guest speakers,” Ramos said.
President Postma is advising that the additional travel budget be funded, but not the funding for the guest speaker.
This, also, goes to roll call vote. The amendment passes 15-1-0, meaning the Women’s Resource Center budget will see the increases it had requested. This includes about $2,000 for travel and $5,000 for their operating budget.
8:08
Student Legal Services is next, though no amendments to their budget are requested. It carries without argument. This brings up Cultural Events Board.
President Postma moves to cut Cultural Events Board’s $2,000 enhancement for a new hourly student position. Representative-at-large Daniel Ramos is opposed to this, saying that the new position would mean a lot to Cultural Events Board.
Gilford is also opposed to the amendment to cut Cultural Events Board.
“[This will] help them function more efficiently,” he said.
With opposition to his amendment apparent, Postma takes a moment to defend his stance by saying he does not want Legislative Council to create any precedent for Legislative Council creating new positions in cost centers.
The amendment is going to a vote now, another roll call vote. This will be whether to pass the amendment that would cut Cultural Event Board’s new position. The motion ties at 8-8-0, which is broken by Postma, who votes yes. It passes, 9-8-0. The position is cut.
7:55
Falbo continues by saying that big concert venues depend a lot on alcohol sales, while at Program Council events, they sell Red Bull.
UCSU Tri-executive Hadley Brown said that the fee increase per student to fund Program Council’s request would only be about 12 cents. She said it would be very modest, and would mean a lot to Program Council.
The amendment is now being voted on. Farivar takes the roll call vote. The amendment carries, 13-1-0.
7:49
The council begins with the budget for Program Council, which falls under the UMC budget. An amendment is on the table, authored in part by Heath. Program Director member Jake Falbo is aiming to gain a 2 percent increase for employee salary, and a 3.5 percent increase for operating costs.
“Our employees are very passionate about music,” Falbo said. “We want to be competitive because, this is not only our job, but our passion, also.”
UCSU Tri-executive Charles Gilford agrees with this assessment, saying that the work that happens within Program Council needs to be recognized.
“We’re all college students. And we all know what it feels like to be involved, but have to pay rent,” Gilford said.
7:34
Open hearing continues, with representatives from groups and cost centers making their case before the council moves on to discuss the budgets and their amendments. The Women’s Resource Center and SORCE make their statements. The speaker on behalf of SORCE has brought her son with her, who waves to everyone and says “Hi.” People in the room laugh, which encourages him to repeat his greetings.
Open hearing has now ended. The floor yields back to President Postma. The child says “bye” to everyone on his way out the door. Walking down the hall, he can be faintly heard repeating his goodbye.
7:24
Open hearing continues with members of Cultural Events Board making their appeal to the council, and followed by the Finance Board Vice Chair Collin Lesser, a senior finance major. Lesser says he will be at the meeting all night to answer any questions about the funding philosophy adopted by Finance Board, and says that the board’s chair, Cate Greguras, a senior accounting major, will arrive around 8:30 to do the same.
7:17
Open hearing begins with CU GOLD making its case to the council. Senior international affairs major Mallory Martin speaks on behalf of the group, flanked on both sides by members holding gold poster boards with any number of signatures from students supporting the group. Martin tells the council that an amendment will be put on the table later in the evening, to be proposed by Representative-at-large Chance Heath, to add CU GOLD as the primary enhancement for the UMC’s budget. She emphasizes the fact that CU GOLD currently has no consistent source of funding.
7:15
Legislative Council President Boyce Postma calls the meeting to order, 15 minutes late. It is a packed house, with the audience spilling over from the back and along the side of the room. Legislative Council Vice President Dustin Farivar takes roll, and the meeting is officially underway.
6:58
Members of Legislative Council are still filing into the room and setting up and waiting for the meeting set to start in a few minutes. Tonight is the second reading of the final budget package for campus cost centers. Sitting in the audience is Carlos Garcia, director of the UMC, and a small group of students clad in bright gold CU spirit shirts. They each wear a large tag across their chest, reading “I am GOLD,” referring to the CU GOLD student leadership program. Tonight is the last chance they can argue to receive funding from UCSU under the UMC budget. They were not among the recommendations from the Finance Board.
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Contact Campus Press Staff Writer George Plaven at george.plaven@colorado.edu
