ASUSU campaign sign ordinance changed
Logan Municipal Councilman Steve Thompson visited the Associated Students of Utah State University Executive Council Tuesday to discuss changes to the city’s temporary sign ordinance.
During the 2003 ASUSU elections, a number of candidates’ signs near the Alpha Chi Omega and Kappa Delta sorority houses violated the Logan ordinance. The city required the signs be removed.
Since the 2003 elections, the Logan council has worked to find a middle ground with the ordinance that all parties can be happy with, Thompson said.
“My politics falls on the side of, I think we have too much government intrusion in our lives,” Thompson said. “This one was very easy for me to carry your banner.”
According to the updated ordinance, USU election signs and banners cannot be placed on public property or within the public right-of-way. The ordinance also says signs must be removed within 24 hours of the last election that the candidate is listed on the ballot or a candidate for a write-in vote.
ASUSU President Duke Di Stefano said the city’s election laws will be upheld in the 2004 election.
“In the election packets there is a place in the by-laws for signs, banners and et cetera,” Di Stefano said. He said a copy of the city’s ordinance would likely be included in the candidates’ application next spring.
Parking Terrace update
Student Advocate Vice President Les Essig updated the executive council on the status of the Parking Terrace. On Sept. 2, the Parking Terrace started charging for parking until midnight. The change prompted many students to approach Essig with concerns over safety issues leaving the Fieldhouse after midnight, and concern over potential negative impact to student activities.
“I commend the students for vocalizing,” Essig said. “The issue is still being tabled.”
Essig said the parking committee will meet with Assistant Vice President for Student Life Gary Chambers in the coming weeks to discuss the issue.
The meeting will be open for all students to attend. Essig said student attendance at the meeting would be mandatory for any changes at all to come about.
“These costs are to improve the Parking Terrace,” Essig said. He said Parking and Transportation Services currently has $400,000 to make improvements to the terrace; they need $1 million.
Essig said that Parking Services views the Parking Terrace issue as partly ethical.
“They believe that if students park there, they should pay there,” he said.
Distance education
Extension Vice President Tagg Archibald completed a trip last week to visit all Extension teaching sites.
“The Extension program is moving forward, despite setbacks,” Archibald said. “We doubled the enrollment down in Moab.”
Archibald said an Extension retreat was scheduled at USU for Oct. 7.
A numbers game
In an effort to inform other executive council officers where budget money was going for programming, Activities Vice President Tara Bradshaw read some of the costs for various activities put on by ASUSU.
Bradshaw said she will spend $1100 on wristbands and $900 on tickets for the HOWL. Security for the HOWL will cost between $3000 and $5000.
A significant amount of that money will be recouped through ticket sales, Bradshaw said.
– str@cc.usu.edu
Steve Thompson, a member of the Logan City Council, asks ASUSU members for student input on the city ordinances for ASUSU campaign signs. (Photos by John Zsiray)