Corrections to this story were made Sept. 28, 2005 at 3:01 p.m. CDT. The corrected version appears bellow. The Daily regrets the error.

A proposal to create a City-Council sanctioned Student Affairs Commission met resistant and slight set backs from council members during Tuesday night’s Ames City Council meeting.

Government of the Student Body representatives introduced the proposal to the Council last night, discussing the possible benefits such a council could have in improving city-student relations in Ames.

Student representatives emphasized during the meeting that the commission would be in line with recommendations made by the two Veishea task forces in the spring to create long-term dialogue among students and the city.

GSB President Angela Groh said the commission would help bring student input to issues considered by City Council, which it would have to be created and sanctioned, if approved.

“It would be a symbolic measure that shows the city supports the importance of student involvement in the city,” Groh said. “It’s an opportunity to increase the level of policy making and bring more people into the process.”

Students also focused on the potential for the commission to be one piece of a large picture to improve relations in an attempt to gain the Council’s support, but were met by several concerns from council members.

Matthew Goodman, at-large councilman, expressed concerns that the commission would represent only student interests if more community members weren’t on it.

He said most council committees do not require members to be part of a certain demographic.

“Students are kind of a special circumstance,” Groh said.

Borich said it would diminish the effectiveness of the commission in representing students if it were not composed of mostly students.

Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco said it would damage the credibility of the commission if it did not include residents.

Tony Borich, ex-officio council representative, said similar commissions created at the University of California, Davis and Michigan State University have been successful. “The UC-Davis student commission has been successful in collaborating and dialoguing issues before they get to council,” he said.

In her arguments before the council, Groh said the commission would have to look at long-term and innovative ways to improve dialogue and awareness of student issues.

She said the commission, however, would not have to be composed of only students and could represent the views of ISU faculty and staff and could even include Campustown merchants. Borich said the commission could even involve high school students.

“We all believe to further implement the idea of one community,” said Chris Deal, GSB vice president.

Groh said members of the commission would be appointed by the mayor with recommendations from GSB and approval by the City Council.

Further discussion on the creation of a student commission was postponed until the council could get more information on the subject.

 

Cy’s Roost

The Ames City Council also approved a conditional six-month outdoor liquor license for Cy’s Roost, 121 Welch Ave. The license includes provisions that owner Andy White – who also owns Sips and Paddy’s, 124 Welch Ave.; Reign, 2522 Chamberlain St.; and Tip Top Lounge, 201 E. Lincoln Way require his employees to attend training with the Ames Police Department on Oct. 13 on checking IDs, as well as meet with a representative from the department to outline Ames Police expectations of the bar and establish regular training of White’s employees. If the conditions are not met, approval of the license could come back before the council. A vote on the license was tabled at the last council meeting Sept. 13 because of the high number of violations issued to White in August. Cy’s Roost had been cited seven times this year for having underage persons on the premises. Six citations for minors on the premises had been issued in August. Five of those were issued in one night.