The Associated Students of NMU (ASNMU) voted on whether to send a memorandum to NMU’s Parking and Traffic Sub-Committee about extending parking for University Center (U.C.) student employees.

The proposal failed to receive a majority approval from the board members present at the meeting Monday, March 15. Of the nine voting representatives present, three voted yes, three voted no, and three abstained. According to the ASNMU Constitution, a vote resulting in a tie requires the Chair of the Assembly to cast the deciding vote. There was some confusion about the procedures relating to a tied vote, and Justin Brugman, the current Chair of the Assembly for ASNMU, did not vote on the issue.

The memorandum would have allowed student employees to park their vehicles in Lot 33, a parking lot now reserved for residents of Spooner Hall. Students would have to have their vehicle registered to be able to use the expanded parking zone.

Director of External Affairs, Drew Janego, said he wrote the memorandum in hopes of cutting down the amount of tickets issued at the U.C.’s Lot 8 due to its two hour parking limit. Student employee shifts typically run longer than two hours, leaving them vulnerable to a $25 fine if they choose to park there for their entire shift, Janego said.

“There are spots that aren’t being utilized in Lot 33,” said Janego. “If they were registered vehicles, student employees wouldn’t have to face a time limit if they parked in that lot.”

Josh Corbat, the vice president of ASNMU, said that the organization had to keep in mind the interests of Spooner Hall residents as well when considering whether to open up the lot to student employees who work in the U.C.

“Spooner Hall residents have spoke out against opening (the lot) to the public before,” he said.

In other news, ASNMU Treasurer, Mitch Foster, reported that the Student Finance Committee (SFC) had a deficit of approximately $1,100 in the organization’s funds. Foster said that he expects that the SFC will earn the money back after the Ted Nugent “Kill It and Grill It” event.  ASNMU also unanimously approved the resignation of Amanda Bazemore as an Arts and Science representative.