Funding for the Sloss House will be debated, for the second time this semester, at Wednesday night’s Government of the Student Body meeting.

The GSB initially funded $29,886.99 to the Sloss House, which was matched by the provost’s office.

The money from the GSB was to be used to purchase new furniture for the Sloss House, and the money from the provost’s office was going toward creating structural renovations on the building.

A new bill, written by Vice-Speaker Jacob Wilson, was written proposing that the funds allocated to the Sloss House carry over to the next fiscal year so it can wait to buy the furniture until its renovation project is underway this summer.

If the Senate doesn’t allow the money to carry over, the Sloss House has nowhere to store the new furniture, and will therefore probably not receive the money that was allocated by the senate, or the money from the provost’s office, Wilson said.

Wilson said the Sloss House has been examined by facilities planning and management and needs the renovations, or it will most likely have to change its location.

A response to an external review report completed by Sloss House Director Penny Rice in 2005 and 2006, listed some of the things Wilson said were causing the issues with the structure of the Sloss House.

The Sloss House needs to “repair/replace immediately any aspects of the facility that pose a liability to the university. Immediate facility repairs are needed to address cracking walls, maintenance of hardwood floors, energy efficiency and attention to excessive heat in the summer and cold in the winter,” according to the report.

“The floors in the house require the most attention. The hardwood that is exposed needs to be refinished and sealed. The areas that are carpeted need to have the carpets removed and hardwood floors refinished, or have the carpets replaced completely. The floors have not been a priority since the center opened 25 years ago and reflect this neglect. The second floor possesses a potential liability in the areas that the carpets are frayed. In addition, all carpets produce environmental hazards in the mold and dust present due to age.”

The Sloss House currently has about 800 students using its space each week.

The Sloss House currently offers sexual assault services and counseling referrals, and also holds dishes and food donated from a food drive for students who are in financial need.

Senior in mathematics and GSB Senator Tyler Albaugh wrote a bill titled, “Putting Our Money Towards Student Groups.”

The bill, Albaugh said, was to generate conversation against the Sloss House bill.

The bill states that “an amount not to exceed $29,886.98 can be transferred from the Capital Projects Account to Regular Allocations for Fiscal Year 2011.”

Albaugh said he wasn’t seated when the bill was first read, but believes the GSB should fund student groups instead of furniture.

Wilson said $30,000 is a lot of money, but it is a wise investment for the GSB. He said the senate has spent more than this previously without blinking an eye, and that this is 10 times more important than the Web site it funded last week for events planning.

“This project will show the priorities of the GSB,” Wilson said.

Also on tonight’s GSB agenda:

• The Diversity Network is an organization that aims to promote and establish diverse networking while breaking down racial barriers by increasing communication among various cultures. The group is asking the GSB for $380 for groceries so they can host an ethnic food night to promote diversity.
• Senator Tyler Albaugh wrote a bill titled Closing a Nonexistent Loophole. “Senators are currently able invent arbitrary fiscal year definitions to preferentially give funds to ineligible groups, be it therefore enacted that bylaw 11.3.3.2 be replaced with the following: Curriculum and Pre-Professional Organizations shall meet one or more of the following criteria in a given fiscal year,” according to the bill. The line in the current bylaws reads, “Curriculum and Pre-Professional Organizations shall meet one or more of the following criteria.”