Session of March 24, 2022
March 24, 2022
Minutes Recorded by: Bethany, Secretary
Visitors: Matthew Strong, James Langley, & Steve Conn
Call to Order at 11:02AM
Senator prays
Roll Called
Minutes Approved at 11:05
Officer Reports:
Committee Reports:
Chairman Crowder: Great to see everyone back from spring break. Student life committee just finalized gifts for Bon Appetite workers.
Chairman Drebot: My committee will start working on senator elections so if you have input let us know.
Special Business:
VP Avent: We have a new senator swear in today.
PPT Moyes: I will get you info for contacting your committee afterwards.
Sergeant Rubingh: Can we bring up Matthew Strong and the appointment of VP?
VP Avent: Yes, we can bring that up. As you know, there was not a candidate for VP, so the President will nominate someone and then 2/3 of senators must approve that. We have to wait for the President to take office so what would be brought up is a resolution to confirm the new VP that Matthew would nominate upon his inauguration.
Chairman Drebot: With our plan, we will just try and make the process smoother later on into the semester. Otherwise, we would go into next semester without chairs, officers, or VP.
Old Business:
Senator Ko: We discussed that we might have straws. Update?
Chairman Crowder: Yes, we have metal straws I just forgot to bring them to session. There is a large straw, small straw, and a cleaning brush. I will update on the discord tonight and bring them next week.
New Business:
Senator Berry: Motion to bring the Baja Sponsorship Bill of Spring 2022.
Senator Naranjo: Didn’t we fund them last semester for this semester as well?
Senator Allen: They still have costs to get into tournaments for the summer. We did give some last semester, but we want to make sure they can finish the car.
Senator Berry: We are not competing this year. It is front loading so that we are ready for that because it is a lot of money to do at one time.
Chairman Drebot: Last semester they said that what we gave them was more than enough. How much do we have in the bank?
Senator Berry: We were doing a sustained sponsorship with money given every semester. We are around $9500.
Sergeant Rubingh: Do you have any other sponsorships?
Senator Berry: Yes, they get a lot of money from the school. I don’t know the exact amount, but somewhere around $8,000-$10,000.
Senator Hofer: How soon do you need this money? It might be better to table it.
Senator Berry: I am fine with tabling it until the end of the semester.
Senator Branch: I motion to table this bill.
Chairman Crowder: Is it tabled indefinitely or until next session?
VP Avent: Indefinitely.
Senator Allen: Motion to bring the Automotive Society bill to the floor.
Senator Bright: How much will this cover of the floor cost?
Senator Allen: I believe it is a little over 50%. They don’t want to do the whole shop, just the section under the lift.
Senator Hofer: It seems we tend to throw a lot of money at Automotive Society. Do they have other sponsors?
Senator Allen: I don’t know. I know that some alumni are helping contribute to some funding of the lift. I know they also do things like annual oil change for students. So, they seem to help around campus and doing this lift will help with that.
Senator Berry: I think we can give $500 and tell them to raise the rest. They have not asked alumni recently and the floor is not that essential.
PPT Moyes: I know they also have a car show that brings in revenue. I suggest we nominate someone to explain the situation to them and offer tips for fundraising.
Senator Berry: The car show is a charity fundraiser.
Senator Bright: Can we get some clarity on if this is covering half or the whole floor?
Chairman Drebot: I motion we table this until we get more clarity.
Senator Berry: Motion to bring the Opinion Act of Spring 2022 to the floor.
VP Avent: The bill that is brought to the floor is what you say not what is on the screen.
Senator Branch: What is in this survey and why do students need an incentive to take it?
Senator Hofer: Gabe Willis would do this semesterly to collect data about Saga, Senate, Dorms, etc. It is extremely helpful and interesting.
Chairman Drebot: Last semester I took this survey. There were personal questions included also that many students were upset about. I think some of them were even technically illegal.
Senator Berry: I think we should consider appointing a senator for oversight to check questions and security of data. It might be worth appointing someone.
Senator Naranjo: I can get in contact with someone about those concerns.
Chairman Drebot: That could work. My committee will be happy to take a look also before it is sent out.
Senator Hofer: I can also speak to Gabriel Willis. I know the data was not shared on a personal level,
VP Avent: The data was posted online.
Senator Berry: We will have it checked before it is sent out.
Senator Bright: To clarify, unless we give money, we have no grounds to step in as oversight.
Senator Hofer: For that reason, we should talk to Gabe Willis, or the other citizens involved.
Senator Allen: Then, do we want to fund the gift cards before getting more information?
Senator Naranjo: Can we amend the bill to include us having oversight?
Sergeant Rubingh: I motion to amend this bill to have it say senate shall appoint an oversight officer over this project.
Senator Berry: The oversight officer must see the chain of custody process and the questions.
Senator Ko: I have heard some bad things about gift cards so can we add something so that anyone involved does not get a gift card?
PPT Moyes: How do we keep track of these changes?
Senator Ko: I am typing them right now.
Bill is amended.
Senator Berry: I think we should wait until the amendments are added.
Senator Allen: Any volunteers for overseeing stipulations? I move that Senator Naranjo be that person.
Sergeant Rubingh: Isn’t that an appointment and he has to accept it technically?
Senator Allen: I move to add Senator Naranjo to the bill as the overseer.
Senator Bright: I motion to table this.
Senator Hofer: Motion to bring this bill to a vote.
Senator Naranjo: Can we fix my name?
VP Avent: PR&R will fix the typo.
Bill approved.
Senator Allen: Do you know how the gift cards are funded? Like how much money?
Senator Berry: I was told it was for the gift cards generally, it is up to who buys them how many with how much one each.
Announcements:
Chairman Crowder: Friday ice cream is back. We will do an ice cream run if you’d like to join. Floor snacks have been ordered. We will pick up some today and the rest by Monday at the latest. Our official unofficial ice cream scooper will be gone so if anyone wants to do so, please come.
Open forum:
Chairman Drebot: Can we discuss the two bills, Baja and Auto Society. Who is going to get more info?
Senator Berry: I will talk with Jacob and bring him to session. We will talk to Auto Society and get more info.
Senator Bright: When you talk to Jacob could you make sure he brings numbers that show what they are covering and what we are covering. Earlier in session, it was mentioned GoPro will work on senator elections. Will this standardize how this is handled?
Chairman Drebot: Yes, the plan is to standardize it. Commuters are a little different but that is okay. We have thoughts and conversations started, but no solid ideas.
Senator Berry: Who is genuinely needing an election on their floor?
Chairman Crowder: We had three people going for it on my floor.
Chairman Drebot: This is what we want to fix. Because on my floor, me and a few other people signed a paper and gave it to our RA. We are trying to resolve this.
Senator Berry: GoPro needs to be working on Exec Cab pay. That is a constitutional thing.
Sergeant Rubingh: If you have more ideas, you are free to join GoPro.
Senator Ko: If we have a bill involving over $1000, can we agree it would be helpful to have someone from the club present with numbers and answers to questions?
Senator Branch: Also, when Senator Berry brings a bill, can we agree it needs to be more thought out?
Senator Bright: Are there any consolidated places where the long-term trends are tracked for how much money went to a club? Specifically, when we are promising more later or less later by front loading or waiting to give funds?
Senator Allen: We do have records for the last couple years. However, there is no written record about specifics or nuance. It is just numbers is spreadsheets. If something is said like that, it is said in a meeting and the secretary writes that.
Senator Berry: I completely agree with you, and we will keep notes on those things. Over the summer I’ll work to compile that information.
VP Avent: You can create a shared drive that old and new people can be added and removed from and the information stays.
Chairman Crowder: Do you have an update on Senate polos?
Senator Berry: Orders got delayed because they are out of XXXL. However, we do not need that anymore, so I just sent the email today.
Senator Hofer: I motion to recess.
PPT Moyes: Motion to adjourn.
Senator Allen: I motion for a division of the house.
Meeting is adjourned.
Meeting Recessed 11:51