Carleton’s Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) committed to passing its budget on time in the first council meeting of the year over Zoom Sunday evening.
For the past two years, RRRA failed to pass its budget before the end of the first semester, despite organizational bylaws requiring it to be presented by the second council meeting.
“As the budget has been presented late the past few years, I wanted to ensure that during my term as president, it was done and shown to the community on time,” RRRA president Jaden Slawter said.
The 2019-20 RRRA budget was delayed because of an ongoing financial audit, according to former RRRA president Douglas Cochrane. It eventually passed in the March meeting, the same meeting in which the writ of election was dropped.
Council also voted to form a COVID-19 committee to discuss the issues and solutions for classes transitioning online.
The COVID-19 committee will meet monthly and work to “ease the transition to university amid the global pandemic,” the motion to form the committee read.
In a council update, Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president Kathleen Weary said more than 200 CUSA jobs have been terminated because of COVID-19. However, she said the association added 10 new positions as “brand ambassadors” for the new CUSA merch line, Capital Collective.
Council voted to change floor representatives to building representatives. Members of council will now represent buildings, with the number of representatives determined by the number of floors a building has.
Vice president (administration) Sash Mahara said the previous system prohibited some students from getting involved with RRRA.
“A lot of decisions made in council affect everyone in residence, and everyone in their building as a whole,” Mahara said.
Residence is only at 30 per cent capacity, but Slawter said that students have remained engaged with RRRA.
Council also voted to dismiss the disability and sustainability committee.
“We don’t have any accessibility students on campus, due to housing not being able to offer attendant services,” Mahara said. “We feel that this committee won’t really deal with any issues this year.”
The attendant services program is on hiatus this year because of the close conduct necessary to implement it, Slawter said in an email.
The residence issues committee will continue to address accessibility issues in residence, Slawter said. Sustainability issues will also continue to be addressed in the political action and sustainability committee.
While operating RRRA during the pandemic, Slawter said communication will be key.
“It’s definitely a very different year,” Slawter said. “From someone who was an executive last year on RRRA, it has been a very big shift … I think it will be great to have student input.”
