Current and former students working on the City Council believe the Student Affairs Commission will pass even with the underlying fear that the commission won’t stand the test of time.

“I see it going through. There is support for it,” said Ryan Doll, member of the Ames City Council. “We’re still kind of curious. We’re wanting to make sure this is something that will last.”

The resolution approving the commission was shown approval in a 5-1 vote during the City Council meeting Feb. 14. In order for this commission to actually be approved, it still has to be passed an additional two times by the council.

Doll said this gives time for people in the community to learn what the commission is and the opportunity to voice any concerns.

The second reading had not could be passed Tuesday night at the council meeting, but had not been voted on at time of print. The commission could be approved as early as March 7. According to the City Council Web site, the meeting in March was moved up a week to allow time for the city to get the budget certified.

Doll said he was one of the five who was in support of the commission because it includes ISU students and community members.

“A lot of the issues that affect students overlap with the community,” he said.

Doll said one of the main functions of the commission will be to gather facts on the city on issues such as parking regulations south of campus.

“We want them to let us know what they think parking regulations should be,” he said. “They’ll get together and meet with the community and come back and say what the community wants for parking, and we’ll be able to make a resolution on it.”

When and if the commission is approved by the council, it may only be able to meet once this semester because of the upcoming student elections. Doll said all of the groups that participate in the commission will elect their leaders soon and, consequently, their representatives to the commission.

For example, according to previous Daily reports, one of the proposed members of the commission will be the Government of the Student Body president. Students will vote to select a GSB president in elections from Friday to Monday.

The only councilman to vote against the commission said he felt using leaders such as the GSB president is one of its problems. Matthew Goodman, Ames City Council member, said the commission’s benefits would be negligible.

“My main concern is that it is another commission that I don’t believe will have the desired effect,” Goodman said. “I think it puts the same people who are already communicating together, which are the traditional leaders of the community and the student body.

“This commission would have been great if it would have used different methods to get representation by students who aren’t currently involved in leadership positions.”

Goodman said another way the commission could be improved is to make the number of students and residents equal, instead of the current one-student advantage, to foster discussion and compromise. If this were to happen, controversial issues would not be decided along residential-style lines, he said.

Tony Borich, ex-officio student liaison said the commission will be important in raising controversial issues that city may have glazed over in the past.

“I support bringing the commission together, and I think it can do positive things for the community,” Borich said.

He said this committee is part of the ongoing effort to improve student-city relations and feels things are getting better because of these efforts.

Borich also pointed out the fact that Doll had been elected to the council and annual meetings exist between the GSB and City Council, both of which are good for the community.

“I think the way to improve city-student relationships is to actually build relationships and connections between students and the city,” Borich said.

GSB president Angela Groh, who co-wrote the proposal with Borich, was unavailable for comment.