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20060904 Minutes

SAFC Meeting Minutes
Monday, September 4th, 2006
5:00 p.m. � 6:00 p.m.
163 Day Hall

I. Call to Order

The Meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m.

II. Roll Call

Present: Samuel Bendix, Adam Castle, Jeffrey Catalano, Luke Chernosky, Jeffrey Cohan, Mary Depalma, Adam Dix, Jeffrey Douglas, Maddie Ehrlich, Erica Fischer, Varun Gehani, Lisa Gilbertson, Jennifer Hsu, Kim Lewis, Michael McCormack, Scottie McQuilkin, Adrian Nunez, Nadia Ormsby, Spencer Pepper, Jonathan Raymond, Alex Saltman, Eric Schulman, Joey Zielinski

Absent: Jillian Dorans, Colin Heath, Brittni Levinson, Rajivan Maniam, Samuel Miller-Little, Ashwin Phadnis, Dana Sckolnick, Anastasiya Sidorova, Evan Walker

III. Business of the Day

Budget Hearings/Changes in Policies/Liaison program

J. Zielinski passed around the budget hearing sign-up sheets. He said that each commissioner needs to sign up for a total of 4 sessions (Thursday-Sunday).

S. Pepper added that if a commissioner misses their hearing time, they will be charged three unexcused absences. He also said that if any commissioners are thinking of running for E-board, it might be a good idea to think about signing up for more than 4 time slots.

S. McQuilkin said that the new SAFC t-shirts are all in 109 Day hall which is locked due to Labor Day, so the commissioners will receive them at help sessions. She also said that she would send out an email about the help session signups to remind people about said help sessions. Additionally, she passed around the sign up sheet for the help sessions to remind people when their time slot was. Finally, she asked that all commissioners bring their schedules for next week�s office hours.

J. Zielinski said that there is not a Saturday evening time slot for budget hearings, but added that this was subject to change. He also said that he is in charge of the sign up sheets so if any commissioners had questions/problems they should email him. Lastly he said all the new commissioners came to the training so all of the commission should have completed the President and Treasurer�s Test (P&T) and signed the ethical conduct statements.

E. Fischer listed the updated policies as well as some key points: Updated Policies: 1) No funding for phone use 2) 1,000 copies max 3) Every semester every President and Treasurer must take the P&T 4) Only one co-org. budget per semester 5) No funding for office supplies 6) Groups must prove that books are not in Cornell library Key Points: 1) No funding for events over spring break unless there is proof that the group can only go to the event during that time 2) The SAFC will only fund for 4 people per travel event without proper proof 3) $0.445 per mile for speaker 4) $0.15 per mile for students

S. McQuilkin said that all commissioners will get a �quick reference guide� at the budget hearings to help them out. She added that if any commissioners have any problems they should call over an E-Board member. Also, she said that all flat rates that the SAFC funds for are predetermined by the I.R.S. Lastly, she reminded that commissioners that the SAFC cannot fund for office supplies no matter what.

E. Fischer reminded the commission that groups have to have more than 60% of their members be undergraduates.

J. Zielinski said that the mileage rate per student is actually a mileage rate per car load. He also said that all of this is in the P&T handbook so the commissioners should read up on it.

S. McQuilkin said that the �quick reference guide� will help, but it should not be used as the only reference. She also asked that commissioner be on the lookout for any groups offering even the option of credit for being in the group because the SAFC cannot fund for that type of group.

E. Schulman explained that the liaison program is where each commissioner is assigned a couple of groups to be in contact with in case those groups have any questions. He added that he would be sending out an email with a template to contact the groups with. Finally he asked that each commissioner, upon receiving the list of groups he/she is responsible for, should find the President�s and Treasurer�s email addresses to contact them.

S. McQuilkin asked that all commissioners �actually fill in all the blanks� in the template.

E. Schulman asked that if any commissioners had conflicts of interest, they email him and he would change the groups that person was in charge of.

S. McQuilkin added that a formal conflict of interest sheet would be circulated at the next meeting.

A. Nunez asked if there was a problem with commissioners being treasurers of groups.

S. McQuilkin responded by saying that the only way a commissioner is allowed to be a treasurer of a group is by appointing someone else in said group to do all of the work so that the commissioner has no input for the budget submissions. Lastly, she reminded everyone to sign up for sessions during the budget hearing weekend.

IV. Adjournment

Meeting ended at 5:30 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,
Daniel Kantor
SAFC Clerk, Office of the Assemblies

Contact SAFC

Willard Straight Hall Main Lobby
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

ph. (607) 255–9610
fx. (607) 255–1116

safc@cornell.edu