Fall Kickoff Concert gets the go-ahead

After much dispute at last week’s board meeting over two different concert proposals, this week a motion was passed to approve VP student services Zied Masmoudi’s proposal of hosting a Fall Kickoff Concert in a similar style to last year’s event. The motion was amended to include appointing Masmoudi as project lead, as well as to “aim to incorporate other facets of the SFSS.”

The question was raised by VP student life and birthday boy Kayode Fatoba as to how financially accessible the event will be for students. VP finance Adam Potvin replied that tickets will be subsidized as much as possible and that “the goal is to break even,” as it has been for previous concerts hosted by the SFSS.

Call for external chair

The SFSS board of directors is placing a call for candidates interested in becoming their new external chair. The hired position would involve acquiring a good knowledge of Robert’s Rules, used to lead weekly board meetings for the remainder of the summer semester. The call-out will be brought to a close on June 19.

To cover the cost of hiring someone as external chair, board has moved to reallocate $900 from the year’s unrestricted surplus of about $3,000. The chair would be paid $75 per meeting. As for the selection of the chair, a group of board members has been tasked with choosing an appropriate candidate whereupon the decision will be brought to board and put to a vote.

Financial plan presentation

Potvin presented his financial plan for his term to board for preliminary discussion. His plans include filling the restricted surplus to $1.2 million, increasing the 2014-2015 operating budget by $120,000, repaying the space expansion fund the $2.44 million debt from the general fund that is owed from years of Highland Pub deficits, and giving the Student Union Building $2.22 million more than originally planned.

He hopes to accomplish this by using the repaid space expansion money for Build SFU, as well as some of the money made from the pending sale of the MBC to SFU — $650,000 of what is expected to be $3 million — to add to the operating budget and restricted surplus.

Potvin also brought up the idea of reducing the space expansion student levy, saying that as it stands, the SFSS is amassing $400,000 more than necessary each semester.