The ASUO Programs Finance Committee discussed a range of issues and exchanged bureaucratic attacks during an improperly called executive session on Jan. 13.
Governmental boards have the ability under Oregon Public Meetings Law to call an executive session — on which journalists are discouraged from reporting — in a narrow range of circumstances, such as discussing personnel matters.
PFC did not follow proper executive session procedure, however, ASUO Student Senate Ombudsman Mike Sherman said. Sherman declared the session “invalid” after the Emerald filed a grievance against PFC, and he opened the meeting’s record to the public.
After an intense discussion of PFC issues at the Jan. 13 meeting, the committee voted 5-0, with two members absent, to enter into executive session.
The executive session included discussion on a variety of topics, including the individual responsibility of each committee member to properly allocate incidental fees.
“I think every committee member should make it their own personal mission not only to approve budgets appropriately based on fiscal responsibility and stuff like that, but also to make sure that all the programs feel that this is a fair process and (a) comfortable process, or at least as comfortable as we can make it,” PFC member Toby Piering said.
PFC Chairman Adrian Gilmore said some issues should be dealt with outside of the committee’s time.
“It seems like there are issues with particular individuals,” Gilmore said. “I feel that instead of bringing those to the meeting or bringing them to me and me having to bear the weight of that, just talk to that individual in the office before the committee or something like that because my life’s stressful enough, and I don’t want to feel the wrath that is meant for someone else.”
However, ASUO Student Senate President Ben Strawn said that is part of Gilmore’s duty as chairman.
“I’m sorry to add stress to your life, but I do think that as chair you have some responsibility … if there’s a problem with an individual or a couple of individuals, to address that,” Strawn said. “And as chair who’s taken a fair amount of flack for various individuals at various times, I think that’s just part of the job.”
Also during the executive session, ASUO Controller Sara Henderson discouraged PFC members from commenting on the relative value of student groups. Henderson said remarks such as “I like this group” are “completely inappropriate” during a PFC meeting.
While Henderson continued talking, PFC’s tape of the meeting ran out and was not promptly replaced. As a result, several minutes of the executive session were not recorded.
Although the purpose of an executive session is to give governmental boards a private forum to frankly discuss sensitive matters, the committee and ASUO President Maddy Melton spoke bluntly before entering the session. The conversation revealed some tension between the executive and PFC.
“I’m not trying to be up in your business and no one else is trying to do those things, but … this is a full-scale process that makes the student incidental fee what it is, and I feel like that’s the process that needs to be taking place, and that’s where we need to be going, and it just seems like there’s so much else going on,” Melton said.
Gilmore responded to Melton’s comment before the meeting was called into executive session.
“I feel that — maybe perception on my part — that there’s a lack of respect,” he said. “And I feel like, as a chair, that I have done nothing but try to extend respect to everyone, as I should extend it.
“We all have exceptions where it’s a bad night or something like that, and you apologize, but I feel that the respect is not flowing down a two-way street.”