Rec Center special election may be delayed

The special election to decide on student fees for the proposed recreation center may be delayed until spring.

In the next 10 days a draft of the proposal will have to be reviewed by the University Union, the student fee advisory committee, ASI, President Donald Gerth and then back to the CSU Chancellor’s office.

The proposed recreation center could cost students an additional $120 per semester. Those fees would go towards building and maintaining a state-of-the art fitness center to which students would have unlimited access.

Members of ASI and the Union University Board argued Thursday over who would draft the referendum language

The University Union board wants the legal review of last semester’s referendum language to be incorporated into this elections language, said Don Hinde, outgoing director of the Union. That legal review was done by the chancellor’s office.

On the opposing side, Geoff Sakala, ASI president and rec center project champion, argued that ASI should write the language because they have been at the forefront of the project.

Members of the Union board expressed doubt that the project would meet all the deadlines but Sakala is still pushing for the referendum to go forward.

When queried by the Board if he would be willing to move the election to sometime after winter inter-session Sakala said, “ I’m not prepared to make that decision.”

The Union board estimates it will cost at least $10,000 for the election.

The additional $5,000 for promotion of the election would be picked up by ASI.

An independent consulting firm was brought in to gauge student interest. Their study of 500 surveys will be presented at the next Student Rec Center and Multipurpose Planning committee meeting next week.