It’s budget season for Students’ Association. Monday night’s meeting focused on Tier 1 budgets for the Student Union and Wellness Center.

Tier 1 budgets take precedence over Tier 2, which will be discussed next week. Tier 2 budgets consist of items such as special allocations to student organizations.

SA unanimously approved the proposed budgets from The Union and Wellness Center. The Union requested about $1.13 million from SA for fiscal year 2018, a $17,498 increase from last year. Union representatives at the meeting highlighted maintenance and repair expenses as primary factors for the increase, and some salary discrepancies.

The Wellness Center sought an $898,792 budget from SA for FY18, which is consistent with their base allocation of last year. 

Last semester, an emergency $20,000 was allocated from SA to support the Student Health Clinic from a rainy-day reserve for GAF-funded (General Activity Fee) entities that encounter substantial, unexpected budget shortfalls.

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Doug Wermedal reported how the clinic has benefited from these funds. He said the added funds helped offer 208 additional counseling appointments and the clinic reached 70 consistent clients. By the end of this semester, more than 330 individuals are expected to have received counseling at the clinic, he said.

President Ally Helms reported university administration rejected SA’s proposal of a mixed-fee method for the bond and utility fee (approved by SA 18-8), dividing it between its current meal plan costs and GAF costs. University officials instead chose a four-year transition of the food service bond and utility fee to be entirely added on to GAF costs paid by all students.

SA also approved a special allocation request to KSDJ of about $1,500 for the May Day Music Festival. KSDJ requested these funds to support a third band and production of T-shirts to sell at the event.

The next SA meeting will be at 7 p.m. April 3, in the Lewis and Clark room of The Union.