Monday night’s PFC hearings proved to be the calm after the OSPIRG storm, with the budgets of KWVA, Campus Recycling, the ASUO Executive, Assault Prevention Services, the Lane Transit District, the Asian Pacific American Student Union and the Black Student Union passing with minimal controversy.
KWVA, the campus radio station, received $83, 941 — an 11.8 percent increase from last year. This increase takes into account its new studio and an increased stipend for its program director.
“There’s been a remarkable improvement overall (in the PFC process),” KWVA General Manager Charlotte Nisser said. “The people involved are much more understanding.”
Campus Recycling’s budget received a boost from the initial ASUO Executive recommendation when PFC Sen. Mena Ravassipour made an amendment to increase its training allocation. The group received $126,500, a 2.6 percent increase from last year.
The Executive’s hearing was by far the lengthiest, spanning 90 minutes. Two items in the proposal — the creation of two stipend positions for the newly created International Career Networking Committee, and annual dues to the Oregon Student Association — were topics of major debate. Some members of PFC expressed concern about sending money off-campus with OSA when the association could not produce an audit, even though ASUO President Maddy Melton sits on the board that monitors OSA’s spending.
Additionally, PFC was hesitant to fund the two stipend positions because it doesn’t typically fund stipend positions for brand-new organizations.
Ravassipour, however, urged the committee to reconsider.
“As a PFC we have to look at progress, and by funding … these positions we’d be helping them grow,” she said.
Both provisions of the proposal eventually passed, putting the total budget at $305,689, a 5.65 percent increase from last year.
Assault Prevention Services then passed its $12,550 budget, which included provisions for repairs, gas and advertising for the new organization.
The Lane Transit District put in its bid next, and PFC went with the Executive recommendation of $583,250 — a 10.79 percent increase.
“We’re getting a good deal,” ASUO Controller Mike Green said of LTD’s funding increase.
APASU received $16,682, an 11.7 percent increase to account for three increased stipends and money to put out its annual publication.
BSU rounded out the night. PFC allocated the student group $18,979, a 6.4 percent increase from last year. PFC decided to allot $100 for the revival of the BSU’s community newsletter.