A proposed 150 percent hike in the cost of renting vans from the Oregon motor pool next year may cost the Club Sports program thousands of dollars, although using state vehicles would remain cheaper than using commercial car rental companies.
The increase, the largest facing an EMU program, would cost Club Sports a projected $37,000 more in 2007-08 because some teams often travel using 12-person vans.
The EMU Board, which funds Club Sports, will be forced to make cuts to some program budgets because it is impossible for it to maintain current service, even with the maximum yearly budget increase allowed by student government guidelines, EMU business manager Jean Sun said.
If approved by the Oregon Legislature, the increase would change the daily cost of using a state van from $26 to $65.
“It’s the largest increase that will impact the EMU’s operating budget, based on current information,” Sun said.
Department of Administrative Services Fleet Manager Dan Clem, who manages the Eugene branch of the state motor pool, said many factors caused the increase.
Prior to this year, the state motor pool used debt financing to purchase vehicles, but it now buys them with cash.
The motor pool also buys alternative-fuel vehicles and hybrid models, and demand for these types of vehicles has made them more difficult to obtain, Clem said.
“We still feel we’re competitive to other options,” Clem said.
Budget car rentals offers a 12-passenger, full-size van for one day at a rate of $169 plus tax. This rate includes 150 miles of travel, and additional miles are 30 cents per mile, according to the company’s Web site.
Avis rents a 12-passenger van for $99 per day plus tax. After 150 miles of travel, additional miles are 25 cents per mile, according to its Web site.
In July 2005, the motor pool eliminated its mileage charge, and it has not increased rates in six years, Clem said.
He said Oregon State University operates its own motor pool.
“These are University decisions,” said Clem. “(University administrators) obviously don’t want to buy and operate their own motor pool.”
Club Sports Director Sandy Vaughn said using the state motor pool instead of students’ personal cars is a Club Sports policy.
“It’s primarily for safety,” she said.
Some Club Sports teams travel along the West Coast to events. Although not all teams travel, the baseball team, Oregon Pit Crew, the hockey team, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s rugby and the sailing team all took multiple trips in 12-passenger vans last year.
Club Sports raised more than $300,000 in funds during the 2004-05 school year. The group is required to raise about $20,000 of its budget, and if the group needs additional funds, it may approach the Student Senate.
The University could permanently lease vans from the motor pool, Clem said. The cost for a one-month rental is currently $240, and will increase to $315 in the next biennium.
Because the motor pool provides new vehicles, the vans would be 2008 or 2009 models.
Vaughn said she hopes Club Sports will not be forced to reduce the number of trips teams take. Because many teams belong to leagues, it is important for them to travel to competitions, she said. Either teams would not be able to compete in certain leagues or they would need to “dramatically increase the amount of fundraising” they do to support the trips, Vaughn said.
“When you’re already fundraising extensively, it would increase the burden,” she said.
Sun said it is too early to tell what will happen to Club Sports’ motor pool budget.
“We don’t know how they’re going to be funded at this point,” Sun said. “It’s too early to say yet, how we fund this and where is the funding from.”
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