BOT Passes Revised DPS Budget Proposal Via Mail

Although some mail-in ballots are still outstanding, only seven votes are required for a quorum, said Marsha Ferrin, who tallies votes for the BOT.

The vote follows unanimous approval of the plan Thursday by the BOT's Audit, Business and Finance Committee.

The plan, set to be ratified by the trustees May 23, compensates for the $566,650 of the $2 million DPS budget deficit that administrators originally hoped to raise through a night parking plan.

On March 28, the BOT sent back the administrators' original plan that would have charged more than $100 per semester for a night parking permit.

The revised proposal makes up the money by eliminating the new EU bus route, reworking the University's contract with Chapel Hill Transit and making internal cuts within DPS.

The remaining money, about $1.5 million, is made up by increasing prices for day parking permits and gating several campus lots to trim enforcement costs -- parts of the original proposal the BOT did not reject.

Trustee Richard Stevens, who supported the revised proposal during last week's committee meeting, said he was pleased administrators had come up with a plan most people can accept. "Everybody worked very hard to find a workable solution," Stevens said.

Student Body President Jen Daum, who said she did not vote in the ballot because she will not be installed until May, said she nonetheless supports the new recommendations. "I gave this my enthusiastic endorsement," she said.

The BOT's approval of the revised proposal puts an end to an eventful yearlong process to patch up DPS's budget deficit.

The Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee was unable to come up with a solution acceptable to University officials.

One plan, considered in late February, called for increasing student fees $10 per year to make up part of the deficit. But because the deadline for increasing student fees for the following year had passed, the plan would have required UNC to make a one-time $265,000 contribution to fix the budget deficit.

Because of budget constraints, University officials said they were unwilling to make the payment. Instead, officials released a plan that included charging for night permits -- a plan student government objected to, saying that it denied students access to campus and that the decision-making process did not include enough of a student voice.

Nancy Suttenfield, vice chancellor for finance and administration, announced at Thursday's committee meeting that a group of faculty, staff and students will begin forming a long-term plan soon. Daum said a meeting will be held today to ensure that next year's parking process runs more smoothly.

She said she will stress the importance of student involvement in the future. "We are going to ensure that student input continues to be important."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.