Student Finance Council approves athletic budget

The student Finance Council approved the athletic program budget Monday and indicated it would pass the co-curricular programs’ budget at the student Finance Council meeting.

The finance council has said that essentially all that remains is to allocate the remaining funds not spent by existing budget items for other projects or ideas they feel could use the money.

The co-curricular finance council also brainstormed ideas to allocate their remaining funds, which includes $74,626 for a special project of their choice. They will spend Monday’s meeting in another brainstorming session.
Athletics has $143,366 for use on a special project this year. Money not spent by the programs will be put into a contingency fund and will be put to use by next year’s finance council.

Some of the co-curricular special project ideas thus far include an ASG recreation center, scholarships for students, water bottle refill stations and renovating Barney’s Pantry, a food bank available to students on campus.
Another idea introduced was the creation of a Diversity Resource Center, a project that ASG and the Diversity Council have been contemplating for several years.

According to ASG, the diversity resource center, if realized, would be a place to provide students with resources and information in regards to diversity on campus as well as a ‘safe place’ for students of different ethnicities, cultures, religions, genders or sexual orientations to gather without prejudice.
In the proposal for the center, the Lake Room would be converted into the center’s headquarters.

Costs included in the project amount to $89,000. $54,000 is slated for a full-time staff member who would run the center and the rest of the funds would go towards a renovation, including furniture and
computer installation.

ASG representatives have said they will ask the board of education to create and pay for the full-time position for the proposed Diversity Resource Center.
If the board does not agree to pay for the position, ASG has stated it’s intent to pay for the position themselves.

During the athletics finance council, the baseball program stated its need to have the infield resurfaced.

The track and field representatives brought a proposal to the table to resurface the track. The estimated cost for replacing the track is $140,000-$240,000, according to finance council members.

They said the track is in dire need of resurfacing, emphasizing the fact that the track is not only used by the track and field team, but also used by the community and other students and classes on campus.

“Simply said, the track is in dire need of replacement,” said Matt Hart, head track and field coach. Hart also spoke of the track’s importance to both the school and community. “We not only host our Mt. Hood track and field meets but we also host Special Olympic meets, masters meets, community meets, high school meets, middle school meets, football games, soccer events and the Scotland Highland games, he said.

“The current surface is the same surface that was poured in 1994 when it was installed,” said Hart.

Hart said that since then, they have painted the track to act as a sort of “band-aid” but no resurfacing has been done. “It would have been nice to resurface the track after 10 years. 12 years is pushing it. 15 years is neglecting it. 18 years is…well, it is just way too long,” said Hart.

Hart said the current condition of the track has even led to some injuriesamong athletes.

“I can tell you that having a functional surface would decrease how many shin splints and other training specific aches and pains we have,” he said, “The surface is less able to absorb the impact from running as it is less flexible. Wear and tear to the body increases and performances are not optimal.”

Robert Cox, dean of student success, said the college would most likely not fund this in the future if resurfacing is needed again and said that the funding for future resurfacing would likely fall back on the students and the finance council.

Both athletic programs said that in order to get more precise estimates, price quotes would have to be obtained before making a final decision. ASG Director of Finance Nathan Harris said Monday that athletics decided to either use their money on resurfacing the track or the baseball infield. They will be getting quotes on the prices and will base their decision on frugality. If both options are too expensive they will place the money in a contingency fund and save it to be combined with next year’s excess money.

The finance council’s next meeting will be on Monday from 5 to 7 p.m.