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The Daily Tar Heel

Student Congress allocates small sum

Speaker Pro Tempore Peter McClelland had to overcome a few obstacles before the meeting could even begin. Deep cleaning on the upper floors of Gardner Hall forced a last-minute relocation to the basement, and until a few late arrivals trickled in, the group seemed unlikely to meet quorum.

With clerical duties complete, McClelland asked Student Body Vice President Kyle Villemain to explain how new rules for night parking will affect students.

“The second, third, fourth years are just paying their ($10.40) fee, and I believe they automatically get their permit,” Villemain said. “You have to register your car, and I don’t know how, logistically, that’s going to happen. I would guess DPS doesn’t know how that’s going to happen just yet.”

Villemain said the executive branch also hopes to streamline the process of applying for and approving hardship parking, which currently involves a student committee of seven that must process about 2,000 pages of paperwork per year.

“It’s a very grunt-work task, and students don’t get paid for it, so it’s hard to recruit the right people,” he said. “We’re trying to incorporate some administrative support that will take some of that load off the students.”

The administrative support would likely involve a DPS representative and a student affairs representative, he said. Since the current committee is codified in the Student Code, the Executive Branch will need Congress’s support to make changes.

Villemain said moving the process online would be ideal, but working to do so through ITS will take time.

Finance Committee Chairman Joshua Aristy opened the floor to representatives from student groups requesting money. The lightly populated room applauded after each funding request was approved.

“Do we have enough money to fund the full request for everybody in this room?” asked representative Elise Rosa.

With some quick calculations, Aristy said the total requested sum would indeed be lower than the $2,500 available.

When Aristy confirmed the extra money would total about $500, Speaker Pro Tempore Peter McClelland offered a celebratory fist-pump.

“Surplus!” he said.

Congress allocated the extra money to pay for more of GlobeMed’s travel expenses and cords to accompany audio equipment for the comedy troupe False Profits.

Aristy reminded the representatives from student organizations that their treasurers must pass a new treasurer’s test.

The deadline was technically July 1, but Aristy said he would be flexible, since the new test is not yet available.

“The new treasurer’s test should be up in mid-July, maybe late July, maybe August. We’re working on it.”

Contact the desk editor at university@dailytarheel.com.

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