Members of the CUSG Legislative Council meet Wednesday, March 5, 2014, in the UMC. The council approved a hike in the University Memorial Center’s budget for new expenditures. (Alison Noon/CU Independent)
CU Student Government Legislative Council unanimously approved an increase of $265,933 to the University Memorial Center’s budget for new expenditures on Wednesday.
On the second-to-last night of annual budget allocations, the council voted for the UMC to receive student-wage increases, a new multimedia position and funding for maintenance projects — augmentations outside standard budget increases for utility fees, staff support, interest and bonds.
Student wage increases totaled $42,632. That included about $20,000 for an increase in minimum wage last year, $15,000 dollars for the minimum wage increase this year and about $5,000 for merit and continued employment.
A new audio and visual manager will be paid about $23,000.
Carlos Garcia, executive director of the UMC, said some of the work that will be performed by the A/V manager is being handled by various UMC staffers.
Roxanne Ruggles, assistant director of UMC events planning and catering, said the A/V manager would expand basic services that are already provided. The manager will oversee student use of technology in the UMC, increase revenue into the Glenn Miller ballroom and modernize UMC technology.
“They will incorporate the technology into the century that we live [in],” Ruggles said.
The position will not be funded by student fees. Instead, it will come from revenue already garnered by UMC sales and from revenue expected to be generated by the new position.
The UMC’s building capital fund was awarded $183,318 for current and future maintenance projects.
Senior ecology major Keegan McCaffrey, chair of the CUSG Finance Board, said capital funds will go toward a $30,000 renovation of the Aspen rooms, to complement the renovation of the Glenn Miller Ballroom.
Capital funds will also go toward a $23,658 replacement of UMC catering china, a $40,000 replacement blast chiller and a $35,000 replacement of catering ovens.
“It’s a 60-year-old building, and we have to take care of it,” McCaffrey said.
Student government approved a total UMC budget of $6,795,141. Legislative Council is expected to vote on a final 2014-2015 budget Thursday night.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Samuel.klomhaus@colorado.edu.
