In their first meeting of the new semester, the Associated Students of Madison saw the Green Fund’s bylaws for the first time on Wednesday.
The Green Fund
ASM Sustainability Chair Will Mulhern presented bylaw changes to the Green Fund, a grant funded effort to promote sustainability on campus, that included the creation of an advisory board.
The advisory board would evaluate and recommend grants to the finance committee for approval, Mulhern said.
Rep. Jamie Wheeler said the language of some of the bylaws should be rewritten because the goals were not clear.
Wheeler raised concerns about the ability of the advisory board to override the decision of the finance committee with a three-fourths vote.
The only other body with the authority to do this is the Student Judiciary, ASM Chair David Gardner said.
Wheeler also raised concerns with bylaw amendments that allow the advisory board to vote by phone or by email.
Gardner said there was no precedent for voting on issues by phone or email.
Mulhern said it is important for the entire advisory board to have the ability to be heard even if a member cannot attend the meeting.
“I do not want the absence of board members to be an issue,” Mulhern said.
ASM will vote on the bylaw amendments next Wednesday.
New secretary appointed
Andre Hunter, a freshman representative, was elected as the new ASM secretary in a unanimous decision. Hunter said he was a motivated and driven person who was a good fit for the position and repeatedly said he was ready to be a leader.
