Finance 4-21-17

September 18, 2017

MEETING START TIME: 3:03 PM

ATTENDANCE:

Committee: Chairwoman King, Vice-Chair Mattern, Senator Keene, Senator Vu, Senator Guerra

Absent: None

Non-Committee: Senator Howard, Senator Strassfield, URI Dressage Team, URI Humans vs. Zombies

 

COMMITTEE DISCUSSION:

 

  • URI Dressage Team Continency Grant for $1,000.00
    • URI Dressage Team presented the finance committee with a continency grant for $1000.00. The Dressage Team explained to the committee they were requesting the grant to pay a $3000.00 bill for their operational cost that comes due at the end of the spring semester 2017. The group explained that their budget of $18,575.00 does not cover all the expenses that the groups must have to probably function as a Dressage Team. The group depends heavily on fundraising. The group indicated to the committee that their total yearly costs are $28,600.00 dollars and they make up what their senate budget doesn’t cover through fundraising, donations, and per-semester dues from members. The group this semester had fewer members then in previous semesters and did not have the projected dues and fundraising totals to pay their operational costs for the end of the semester. The group indicated that they raised an additional $2,000.00 to help pay their $3,000.00 bill. They requested the $1000.00 from Student Senate contingency to help them reach the amount of $3,000.00. It was also indicated that the group would work on recruitment numbers next semester to get back to the usual amount of money raised from donations, fundraising and member dues. Chairwoman motioned to grant URI Dressage Team $1,000.00. Vote (7-0-1)
  • URI Dressage Team Category Transfer Request
    • URI Dressage Team presented Finance committee with a category transfer request to move $500.00 from their Registration Line to their operational line. The group did not have as many members this semester so their registration costs were lower. The group wanted to take the money from their Registration Line that was not going to be used this fiscal year and move it to their Operational Line to help pay for their final operational cost for this semester. Chairwoman King motioned to granted URI Dressage Teams category transfer request for $500.00 from registration to operational. (Vote 7-0-1)
    • As a final note, URI Dressage indicated to the committee that their operational costs were projected to go down by half next budgeting cycle because of the barn they use using cheaper housing options for the horses.

 

  • Humans VS. Zombies
    • The organization Humans Vs. Zombies came to finance committee to present a contingency grant for capital improvement for $273.06. The group wanted to purchase addition nerf blasters and blaster darts to make the groups events more accessible to prospective members or current members who did not have a blaster to use during events. The group stated that they were trying to restructure how events were planned and carried out for next year. They wanted to purchase these blaster with the intend of setting up a rental system for them. The blaster would be labeled and numbered so the group could keep track of the blasters. Club members could sign out a blaster using their student ID for short events. For longer events the group discussed establishing a point system for its members based on meeting attendance. Members who attended meets regularly would be awarded points they could then use to sign out a blaster for prolonged club events. The group said that they hoped this would encourage members to attend meetings regularly.
    • The group also wanted to purchase as part of the contingency grant a peg board and pegs to hang the blasters from in their office. This was explained to help keep the office more organized. The pegs and peg board estimated costs together were $52.89. The size of the peg board was planned to be four feet wide by eight feet tall. The group said they planned to purchase these items at a local Lowes Hardware Store
    • Senator Vu raised concern with peg boards as a potential safely hazard because the boards would not be affixed to the office walls. Furthermore, the group indicated they had not spoken to the Memorial Union about affixing or having the boards in their office. Chairwoman King raised concerns with the possibility of the new blasters, which would be Student Senate assets, getting lost in the possible confusion of space allocation in the Union over the summer months. Chairwoman King did not feel comfortable granting the group’s request based on the unknowns with the boards and space allocation in the Union. The recommendation to the group was to find out if they could put the peg board in their office and to come back at the start of next school year once space allocation in the Union was settled. Chairwoman King motioned to grant Humans VS. Zombies $273.06 for capital improvements. Vote: (1-3-3)

 

  • Extra
    • The rest of the meeting was used to make changes to the Student Senate Finance Handbook. The committee finished going through the whole Finance book.

 

MEETING ADJOURNMENT TIME:  4:59pm