COUNCIL BLUFFS — The Iowa State Board of Regents approved issues ranging from the Iowa State Athletic Department’s budget to the Department of Public Safety’s parking increases at last week’s meeting.

The regents, who met Wednesday and Thursday at the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs, voted unanimously to restructure the Iowa State Athletic Department’s budget, which is almost $2 million under budget, according to regents documents.

Expenses for fiscal year 1999 are estimated at $514,467 more than the 1999 budget, and an additional $1.5 million is necessary to make up for actual revenues that are less than the budgeted amounts for football and men’s basketball.

However, Laurie Gustafson, the department’s associate athletic director for business, stressed that the department is not in debt, but merely that “actual revenues were less than we had budgeted.”

Gustafson said university officials intend to draw upon department reserves to balance the budget and to “make up for not meeting our goals.”

“In ’95, we started building these reserve accounts,” she said. “It’s almost like a savings account. This is the first year we’ve used [those accounts]. In the past, we’ve been able to add to our reserves.”

As part of the bill, some sporting event ticket prices were approved for increases. The premium men’s basketball game ticket is projected to cost $22, up from $20, while the women’s basketball game ticket prices will increase from $5 to $6 a game.

Gustafson, who said the majority of the losses are due to a disappointing ISU football season, said season football tickets will remain the same price. Only the University of Iowa-Iowa State game ticket price will increase, from $32 to $35.

Regent Clarkson J. Kelly, Jr. agreed the budget modifications are to make up for falling numbers at sporting events.

“My understanding is that the attendance dropped, and it has been dropping, and if you don’t have high attendance, you still have to make up the cost,” he said. “About the only way you can do that is to increase the charges.”

Kelly noted that there was very little discussion about approving the department’s 2000 budget.

“The regents are so strong in supporting the different activities,” he said. “[However], the attendance at the events is decreasing. Utilization is down, but the costs are there.”

Gustafson said Athletic Department officials are confident fans will not be upset with the increases.

“I think they realize [the department] is going to only touch the places we’ve absolutely had to,” she said. “There was a lot of discussion when we realized we had not had a real positive season. I think we’ll be OK with the public.”

The board also voted unanimously to approve the parking rates and fines for the year 2000. According to regents documents, the increase includes a 1.85 percent increase in general staff parking, as well as a 8.57 percent increase for both ISU residence hall parking and stadium parking.

Peggy Biskner, office coordinator for DPS, said the transportation advisory council makes an increase recommendation to the board every year.

“We are funded solely by the income that we make; we don’t have any state funding,” she said. “The increase is used for parking lot renovations; it’s used for operating expenses and capital projects.”

Some of the capital projects in mind for the future include adding a large parking facility and repaving the area between Hilton Coliseum and Jack Trice Stadium.

“We have a lack of spaces here on campus, and the capital project fund is money that we have to put aside,” Biskner said.

ISU also is looking into building a new parking ramp. There currently is $400,000 in a fund for the project.

“We hope to get that up to $1 million,” said John McCarroll, director of University Relations.

In another major decision concerning ISU, the regents approved the resurfacing of the multipurpose floor in the Lied Recreation Center. The project will cost $730,000 and will be a roll-out floor instead of the current poured floor.

“This will be a superior floor surface for multipurpose recreation and sports,” said Larry Cooney, director of Recreation Services.

In other business, approval of a bachelor of science degree in applied physics and the creation of the Iowa State University Biotechnology Outreach Education Center were referred to the Interinstitutional Committee on Educational Coordination and the Board Office for review.