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University of North Florida
Student Government
2015-2016 Activity & Service Fee Budget Hearings
January 23, 2015
Call to order
- Meeting called to order at 9:40AM.
Roll call
- 4 members present.
Budget Hearings
a. Homecoming(402025)
- John Chwalisz, Homecoming Director: Homecoming hasn’t taken place yet for
this year, so we can only go off of last year’s numbers. The entire budget has
been put into Osprey Productions. We served on average 14,000 students last
year. There is usually no money left over. I am proposing an increase of $14,500,
Additional funding for a comedian is needed for a big headliner. Line item 3, I
added $500 for security. We can’t use some of our venues without security. For
proposed salary, $2,500, we do not have a choice if UPD is coming. For operating
expenses I am proposing only one increase in line 12 for the amount of $1,500.
No proposed changes for postage, printing, t-shirts, food, giveaways, dance,
awards, pageant, rentals, and novelties.
o Senator Johnson: The comedian line item, it went up from $50,000 to
$60,000 can you remind me about the special request? - $40,000 and we
received funds from SLS.
o Senator Johnson: Do you think you will come in for another special
request? - It depends on the next director.
o Chairman Kennedy: Increase in crowd management, is that for rates or
security? - It’s a little bit of both.
o Senator Johnson: Since you are going to be being with the new chief
police, if he is going to be there all the time, does the funding need to go
up for UPD?- We are meeting with the chief to determine their role.
o Chairman Kennedy: For crowd management, can you distinguish between
crowd management and UPD? - Crowd management are the ones
standing up at the stages, and UPD is more reactive.
b. Club Funding(402041)
- Katie Jackson, Assistant Director of Club Alliance: Our biggest goal is to be able to
sustain clubs, so that is what this is all about. We are proposing a new process.
Originally clubs got $300 and it was on a first come first serve basis. Last year
they decided to create CBC to propose their budget. We are proposing to
combine these together, which is more fiscally responsible. If we ask them if they
are going to use their $300 and what they will use it for. They can ask for money
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throughout the year. We are requesting $50,000, which includes the $300 and
whatever they want additionally. Later on we will ask for more in a Special
Request for $10,000. We have been working very closely with Matt and Morgan
to simplify things.
o Chairman Kennedy: Is the $10,000 just in case your budget doesn’t get
increased? - It would be a separate pool of money, if a club forgot to
request.
o Treasurer Wolf: To clarify, your books say they are requesting $70,000
but it should say $50,000.
c. Legislative(402061)
Chase Baker, Senate President: The only thing we added the budget was the
increase for the Senate Secretary. We cut our budget for senate programming in
the amount of $1,200. For the next senate orientation I would like to have it open
to all students, so that is why there is a lot in advertising.
d. Elections(402081)
Business Manager Knipe: I am speaking on behalf of the elections, since we do
not have a commissioner currently. The index used to be special projects for the
elections. Since elections used to be a part of the legislative branch. The only OPS
wages in there are for the Elections Commissioner, in addition there is a lump
sum for operating expenses. True Rains recommended that it be reduced of
$4,000. Moving forward his recommendation is that we will need more funds to
purchase supplies. There is a lump sum of $4,000, not broken into two
semesters.
o Chairman Kennedy: Did True leave any paperwork leaving how much
money he thinks we will need for the next election? - He didn’t leave
anything specific, but he said marketing had to be a big thing in the spring
election.
o Chairman Kennedy: You said he had leftover supplies for last elections,
are there more for this upcoming election? - Yes.
o Treasurer Wolf: Note that the spring elections are a lot bigger than the fall
elections.
e. Student Union(402010)
John Simms, Director of Student Union: We serve as facility managers, support
services, and we do programming as well. The Student Union currently has 64
student staff. We get a lot of usage of the facility from students, staff, and others.
Operational hours have been decreased for the facility. Market Days have been
very successful for the campus community. The Game Room is a big component
of our operations, and has constant usage. Overall budget request is an increase
of 8.66%. There is an increase of salaries due to some new hires. For OPS wages,
this drives the operation; I am requesting an increase in this. With the increase
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of minimum wage and the proviso cap, that is why there is an increase in that
budget. I suggest raising the proviso cap to $10. For operating expenses, we are
requesting an increase in telephones. Printing and reproduction is staying the
same. For the repairs and maintenance is set at this level, so we don’t have to
come to the senate each time there is a need for a repair. Office supplies and
dues are staying the same. For the t-shirt line, I am asking for an increase to
$5,000. There is a new line for software subscription, to support the system in
the Game Room.
o Senator Johnson: If you didn’t get the increase, would the Game Room
suffer? - Yes, we have already had to cut hours on that.
o Director McGuire: Do you know the direct effect on students for the cut
on those hours? - There are students who wait to come into the Game
Room.
o Senator Silberstein: You have a new game room marketing position, is
that necessary? - There is a difference between that position and the
marketing position in the Student Union.
o Senator Genao: For line item 8, you spent $6,000 on shirts, how did you
compensate from the $4,500? - We tapped into a different line item.
o Chairman Kennedy: As far as the telephone line, can you go into detail
why you are requesting such a large increase? - We all have a fixed cost in
telephones; the additional is for our radios.
o Chairman Kennedy: Are you buying a new radio system? - We currently
have the ones similar to OP, but they work off a network and sometimes
there is a delay. So we are looking into new ones that are more direct
contact. This is a one-time expense.
o Chairman Kennedy: As far as your auxiliary budget, will that be the same?
- We don’t know about that yet.
f. Spinnaker Media(402400/402500)
John Timpe, Director of Spinnaker Media: We are asking for $100 more in the
food line for the open events for students. That is the biggest change other than
changes in minimum wage.
o Chairman Kennedy: With the food, is that something you didn’t have
before? - We have asked for it, but it wasn’t funded.
o Senator Johnson: Can you describe the dues? - Those go towards affiliated
organizations.
o Senator Johnson: Do you use all $600 for office supplies? - Yes that all
goes towards printing and ink.
g. Spinnaker Print(402501)
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Shannon, Publisher for Spinnaker Magazine: *Talks about history of Spinnaker
Print.* We are expecting $41,800 for this upcoming year. For this upcoming
budget we are proposing a 6% increase.
o Chairman Kennedy: What is attributing to the loss of on campus
advertising? - There are deadlines for elections that couldn’t be met. As
for OP, I have no idea why they stopped.
o Senator Silberstein: Looking at FAU statistics, are they delivering the
same as spinnaker? - I would have to get with FAU about that. But
spinnaker has been winning a lot of awards. I could contact and see about
their prints.
 Senator Silberstein: If they are selling more, than it isn’t a fair
comparison.
o Treasurer Wolf: Can you provide more clarification for the increase to
bring you back up to past revenue? - They are striving for fairness. They
know there will be cuts. They are asking for restoration before cuts are
applied
o Treasurer Wolf: How did you the amount you requested? - We went off
the 2009-2010 levels.
o Chairman Kennedy: if you had to re write the budget with you in charge,
would you request with the 104% increase? - Yes. For us to operate and
to have that many issues printed out. We have been printing 8 issues a
year, but we should be doing 9.
o Chairman Kennedy: How many do you plan on printing? - We will
continue with 8.
o Chairman Kennedy: As far as the amount, 12,000 printed, how many do
you see around campus and how many are being thrown out? - Last year
was the first year of the magazine. The pick-up rate is 4,500-6,000; it just
depends on the issue. It depends on the advertisers as well. The proviso
requires the 12,000 issues.
o Chairman Kennedy: What would be a good amount to print if there was
no proviso? - I would want to print less.
o Director McGuire: In an ideal world, how many actual would you want to
print? - 6,000 would be a more realistic goal.
o Chairman Kennedy: Upon switching to magazines, have you seen an
increase of readers? - Yes according to the survey we conducted.
h. Spinnaker Radio(402502)
Annie Black, Spinnaker Radio Manager: We should be an LPFM by mid-February.
We are asking for a 6% increase in our budget. We are asking for additional
money for equipment. We are also asking for an increase in rights to allow songs
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to play on the air. This past year you increased our budget $12,000, and it was
extremely helpful.
o Treasurer Wolf: Did line 16 increase? - Yes it did, they are taking some
auxiliary funds for this.
o Chairman Kennedy: With switching to the LPFM, do you think
sponsorship will grow? - We think so. But since it hasn’t happened yet we
don’t know. It is a 10 mile diameter around campus.
o Chairman Kennedy: If the equipment line wasn’t increased, could you use
revenue from sponsorship? - We could, but we don’t know.
o Senator Silberstein: Line item 1, for advertising and t-shirts, but based off
of your 14-15, you didn’t spend that? - We will use that to advertise the
LPFM.
i. Spinnaker TV(402502)
Connor Spielmaker, Spinnaker TV Manager: We did have an increase last year
which allowed us to have the on-demand option for online. We are requesting
$71,328 for 15-16. We are at about 59% of our operating expenses now. With
wages we are a little behind there, because the recourses were directed on the
news. We have hired two additional students. We are asking for increases for
$150 more in food line. We are requesting an increase of .25 cents for the station
manager. The other increase is for the increase in minimum wage. If we were to
not get the funding, we would have to cut titles. We want to get back to levels
that we were at before.
o Chairman Kennedy: What is your current wage? - Minimum.
o Treasurer Wolf: What is the percentage of entertainment as opposed to
news? - Mostly it’s the movies that are playing. We want to have a show
on the TV called “Dorms”.
o Treasurer Wolf: You are doing less than an hour of news, so how much
work goes into putting a movie onto TV?- It takes about 5 to 6 hours a
week scheduling, and other hours go towards maintaining the ondemand. There is a lot of work that goes into it. I am not requesting any
increase in pay; it’s just for the minimum.
o Chairman Kennedy: Do you plan on using the advertising? - Yes for ondemand.
Connor Spielmaker: We were hoping to ask for one lump sum, so we could
allocate within spinnaker. We could maintain and do damage control. It’s easy to
look at a line item and decrease something, but not knowing what that is cutting.
We feel the best way to handle that is to give us one big lump sum.
o Chairman Kennedy: Who would be in charge of allocating that? - The 5
leaders and John would be overseeing. It gives more control and freedom
to those actually using the money.
o Chairman Kennedy: What about three per index? - One total is best. It is
more efficient and easier.
o Senator Silberstein: Looking back at wages, why are your wages .25 cents
higher? - That was how it was before the annual minimum wage
happened.
IV.
Final Roll Call
- 3 members present.
V.
Adjournment
- Meeting is adjourned at 1:26PM.
Minutes taken by: Leah Tolisano, Senate Secretary