The Government of the Student Body will vote on a bill to increase its funding support for the $400,000 commuter bus shelter, a bill that would act on the government’s commitment in the face of over-budget bids.

An additional $50,000 will be needed to complete the project, which is slated to be done by early spring, said GSB President Andy Tofilon. The original plans for the shelter did not include restrooms, and adding the facilities upped the price substantially, he said.

GSB originally budgeted $125,000 for the project, which initially was estimated to cost $250,000, split between GSB and the university, Tofilon said.

“We need to finish the commitment that we started to give . [the shelter] the financial support it needs,” he said.

If the bill failed, the shelter would still be built – but with funding from the parking division, Tofilon said.

“If the parking division were asked to pick up the difference, they would have to delay parking improvements on campus,” Tofilon said. “Our concern is not the bus shelter getting finished; it’s that other projects wouldn’t get finished around campus, because there won’t be money.”

Due to the recent budget cuts – with more on the way – the parking division cannot give support to the shelter and continue with parking and lighting improvements on campus, Tofilon said.

“I don’t like the fact that we have to do this, but we are delivering on a commitment,” said Tony Luken, LAS. “I will vote for it.”

If the funding bill is approved, the extra $50,000 will come from the special projects account, which now has more than $320,000 in it, Tofilon said.

The shelter will include restrooms, which are expensive because of the location, he said.

“The restrooms are the most important thing in the shelter, and we might as well do the job right the first time,” he said. “Construction costs will go up later.”

The restrooms were added to the shelter blueprint because some students commute a substantial distance to attend classes at Iowa State, Tofilon said.

Commuting students have requested the restrooms as an important part of the project, Luken said.

“Are the restrooms absolutely necessary? No, but it is a nice touch,” Luken said. “If we are going to make it good, make it last.”

The Government of the Student Body Senate will meet as 7 p.m. in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union. The following will be discussed:

General Orders

A funding bill to fund an additional $50,000 for the commuter bus stop. By Darr, Weaver and others.

A bylaw bill fixing the Finance Bylaws (Part 7 of X). By Tinder, Mitchell and others.

A funding bill on special allocations recommendations that all remaining funds in the special allocations account be transferred to the regular allocations account. By Kothenbeutel, Luken and others.

A funding bill to line-item transfer $809 from Conference I to a new Conference II for SANKALP. By Kothenbeutel, Darr and others.

A bylaw bill to cut the criteria dues and keep the money in the student organizations’ pockets, starting Dec. 1. By Luken, Medanic and others.

A funding bill to send the ISU Entrepreneurs Club to the Fall 2001 CEO Annual Conference in Chicago, Ill. By Kallaher and Kothenbeutel.