NUGSS Spending Rose In 2015/2016

Spending on the rise over the years

On March 20th and 21st student are being asked to go to the polls to vote in a new NUGSS executive for 2017/2018. While they are at the polls, they will also be asked about increasing student fee's by $6.50 to cover the Thirsty Moose Pub deficit which in June 2016, according to audited report by KPMG, was ($38,565). NUGSS spending that year increased by 11% to the tune of $129,972 from $1,048,686 to $1,176,658. This is not new; the Moose has for years been a failing business, unable to sustain itself on its own.

Students are being asked to give more money to NUGSS to help alleviate the deficit of the Moose. However, in the year 2015/2016 the spending of NUGSS appears to have gone up. Expenses for the pub went up by $16,195, which is only a 3% increase from $410,291 to $426,486. One of the biggest increases was in the line item called "Insurance," that went up by 52% or $17,665. Other increases were: "Bank charges and interest" which increase by 29% or $2015; "Office and general" which increased by 52% to $7,273. However, not all items increased. The line item "Equipment" decreased by 95% it went from $1,072 to $48.

This year 2016/2017 NUGSS has been focused on reducing costs, however at the EGM they stated that even this year they will still be running deficits. It is likely the deficits will be covered by other funds. The financial statements for this year will not be available till after June 2017. Only time will tell whether spending went down this year or if costs are still sky high. CFUR reached out to NUGSS for comment and clarity on the increases of various line items, and this is what NUGSS they had to say.

NUGSS Response

Comments by Duncan Malkinson, General Manager of NUGSS:

Quote: "I just wanted to put the disclaimer out there that if the intent is to demonstrate the fragile financial state of the Thirsty Moose Pub, or NUGSS generally, you should find ample evidence in the historical statements that demonstrate that. The purpose of the referendum as the Board of Directors ordered me, through a combination of fee increases and price increases, to find a way for the Thirsty Moose to stay under the management of NUGSS, so that students could make the decision on whether or not to keep the Thirsty Moose as is.

If the referendum question is endorsed by the student body, the Board has mentioned that it will either; if yes, ask me to continue to build a business plan to improve financial performance in the Moose and across all NUGSS’ businesses; or if no, have myself identify leasing options or keep the pub closed come September.

There some are strong arguments for the Thirsty Moose to be attempted to be leased. Financial Liability to the society would decrease, a lot of existing effort by NUGSS staff to ensure the operation of the commercial side of NUGSS, with 40 employees and all the obligations to maintain that come along with that.

Since coming to my role, I’ve noted the importance of focus on financial analysis and saw some areas that were particular vulnerabilities for the society. This led me to recommend that the society hires a bookkeeper to ensure that NUGSS was keeping up to its financial obligations in a timely way and that I’d have enough time to scrutinize current vulnerabilities and do some financial planning.

So generally, you’ll see some variances between the years because some of the items were coded differently, and I came into my role four months before the end of the fiscal year end, which made it hard to find what expenses from the previous months were. Regardless, I’ll try my best here to answer these questions.

Also, these statements are consolidated. They mix certain expense accounts into broader categories to allow people to see what matters are like generally. The consolidation is work that KPMG performs, not I, so it is a little challenging to see what the exact components of each of the increases or decreases are."

[Original questions about KPMG audited report for 2015/2016 sent by CFUR]

NUGSS General

1. NUGSS had an 11% increase in spending this year from 2015 to the tune of $129,972. Revenue only increase by .037% or %38,685. What factors contributed to the increase in spending?

Quote: "As mentioned at the AGM in November, some of the components of the increase in expenses are Health and Dental remittances being higher than normal [39,356] because of the preservation of plan benefits; high expenses in the pub [16195][ ranging from minimum wage increases to high repairs and maintenance expenses, increased food and liquor costs]; in degrees [16856] [increased labour and food purchases because of the rollout of some different food plans]; and in Wages and Benefits [24043] which are discussed a little further down."

2. What expenses are under the line item "Committees"? This line item had a 60% increase or $8,175 what factors contributed to this increase?

Quote: "This is an account that KPMG Consolidates. It’s made up of three accounts:

• Acct #5050 Student Handbook expense- $11,409.08 (PY- $5,236.88)

Because BCFS, who provides these services to NUGSS, made the decision to go ahead with the organization of these services solely in BC, there were some price increases on the components. 14-15 was the last year that the BCFS benefited from the Canadian Federation of Students' scale, and 15-16 these services were organized solely in BC; driving expenses up.

• Acct #5068 Board Social event expense- $97.12 (PY- $0)-
• Acct #5234 Orientation expense- $1,905.33 (PY- $0) This difference was because the purchase of Jars and Stickers for orientation were put into this account, as opposed to office supplies or some similar account."

3. The line item "Wages and benefits" also increase by 16% or $24,043 what factors contributed to this and were more staff hired this year?

Quote: "No more or extra NUGSS staff were hired this year compared to 13/14. If you’re referring to the last fiscal year [15/16] The answer would be yes, there were extra staff hired in September, as our front desk person moved into an education program, and NUGSS struggled to keep the 9-4 front desk business hours on a reliable basis. Because of this, two people were hired to fill the front desk position, where the total hours would be split, and the previous front desk person continued to fill the role of Ombudsperson while front desk persons were trained. I don’t believe these changes were expected to greatly impact the budget.

On the other hand, given that there was no Food and Beverage Manager in the Moose for over half a year, some of the duties expected of that position fell on NUGSS staff, so some hourly employees needed to come in on weekends to do some pub tasks, and keep up with the traffic that the Ombudsperson normally sees, as the front desk staff were not able to fill that role yet. There were some vacation payouts that had built up over previous years as well, but they had a minimal impact on this.

As well, there was a servers' minimum wage increase that took place in the fall of 2015 and another in the fall of 2016. This is important to consider because an adjustment made by KPMG after the audit for 26,096.87, was “to adjust Payroll Taxes payable for April, May and June payments that were made in July.” A portion of these remittances are related to TMP/Degrees wages, which would help explain why the TMP wages were down $19,557 from 2015 and NUGSS wages were up $24,042; an overall increase in $4,485 for the Society as a whole."

Thirsty Moose Specifically

1. A 52%, $17,665, increase in the line item "Insurance" was noted this year what was the cause of this increase? 

Quote: "Insurance expenses generally increased for the Society from 2014/2015, but part of the increase that you see is that some more Insurance expense was assigned to the Thirsty Moose, instead of the NUGSS society as a whole, as management felt that more fairly reflected the costs of the Thirsty Moose, rather than the Society.

In 14/15, a portion of the NUSC Insurance was reallocated by KPMG to the general insurance account, and in 15/16, this reallocation wasn’t made.

Looking back to 13/14, the total insurance was $50,112, so the 15/16 amounts seem to be more in line with 13/14 than 14/15."

2. A 29%, $2015, increase in the line item "Bank charges and interest" was also noted this year what was the cause of this increase?

Quote: "Bank Charges and Interest had some Moneris (Debit Terminal) charges from the other degrees locations rolled into the moose. Normally they’re separated out, but challenges with the changeover from the previous manager to myself made it more difficult to separate them across all the revenue centers.

An adjustment by KPMG [6201.96] made at year end reallocated a lot of these debit terminal charges to this category."

3. A 52%, $7,273, increase in the line item "Office and general" was also noted this year what was the cause of this increase?

Quote: "Components of this account are:

Liquor Licenses: $2405.00

Business Licenses: $1148.00

Praxair: $6876.07

Hosting and Meetings: $3486.46 this account had some expenses for programming and catering expenses coded to it that would be more accurately recorded on other areas for the pub.

The Moose had some big breakdowns in 2015/2016 that caused staff to have to contract out to have fixed. As well, there was a leak noticed in one of our compressed lines rather late, causing us to order more compressed gas than normal for a period."

4. A 95%, ($1,024), decrease, in the line item "Equipment" was also noted this year what was the cause of this decrease?

Quote: "This is because a greater focus was placed on repair and maintenance over the year."

Were these increases taken into consideration before deciding to move forward on a referendum on increasing student fees?

Quote: "Generally speaking, the increases seen from year to year have fluctuated as the Moose has existed. For example, Insurance expenses changed from $46,768 in 2009 to $22,403 in 2010. The consistent piece that is very obvious, however, is the poor performance of the Moose. What’s been obvious since coming into my current role, is that many of the societies resources are poured in to ensuring the operation of the Moose. It drives professional (accounting, bookkeeping, insurance, payroll) costs up and takes a significant portion of the General Society wage expenses to run. As I’ve mentioned to my bosses and the Students in attendance at the AGM, poor performances outlined here demonstrate that the society is overstretching itself to be doing anything very well at all.

But to answer your question, the increases seen last year were taken into consideration, as the Board of Directors, in an attempt to be conservative in its fiscal estimates given the fragile state of the cash flows of the society, and with a focus on break even at the end of the year included the increases seen last year in their budgeted estimates for this year. The budgeted amounts for the Moose provided a basis for the revenue needed for students to be able to decide on whether the Moose should stay under the management of NUGSS so that NUGSS can continue to find a more sustainable operating model that reduces the financial drain on the society as a whole."

Referendum question

It is clear that the Moose is a huge part of campus culture. Students utilize the Moose often to let off steam and relax. It is also clear that the Moose is an economic drag on the organization. The question students need to ask themselves in this upcoming referendum is simply should NUGSS continue to run a pub. Historically they have not been able to make it a successful business. However, the opposite position might state that to make a pub work in a location like UNBC you almost need it to be run by a non-profit like NUGSS.

Regardless of where you stand the question will be posed to you on March 20th and 21st. For more information go to CFUR.ca.

**Update NUGSS Audit Financial Report 2015/2016** https://nugss.unbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2016-final.pdf

By Grant Bachand, News Director of CFUR Radio, Twitter @grantbachand

New Country, new rules

When we are new in a country, everything is a little bit hard at the beginning. It 's hard to find out how to deal with the simplest day to day tasks. How does the public transportation system work? How to get a driver’s license? Where to look for a job? What neighborhood is better for me to live? What are the fun things to do here? What should I do if I need to see a doctor? Those questions are easy to answer if you are a local, but common doubts if you are not from town and even harder to find the answer if you are a foreigner to the community. I’m experiencing this situation right now in Prince George. I’ve just arrived from Brazil with a work permit visa and a student husband. As a journalist, I’ve decided to share some information that I found out, and that can be helpful for other foreigners, like a big part of UNBCs students.

Because health must be a priority, let’s start from there:

What to do if you need a doctor for some reason?

The first step when you arrive in British Columbia is to apply for the Medical Service Plan (MSP) provided by the Health Insurance BC. It takes three months after the immigrant arrives in BC to be covered by the health system and receive an insurance card. Until then, it is a good idea to get private insurance, since medical care can be expensive here. It costs around $160 for three months of coverage.  

In the city of Prince George, the Immigrant & Multicultural Services Society (www.imss.ca) can help with the applications. The organization has been working in Northern BC for more than 40 years and provides several services for immigrants: such as English classes; knowledge skills and connections related to the work environment; and information about Canadian laws and a citizens rights and responsibilities. “To be served by IMSS is necessary to phone our society to arrange an appointment with our practitioners,” said the IMSS representative.

Students that have a Study Permit can contact the International Department in the university or college for any inquiries. Those that are studying in Canada with a Temporary Resident document are not allowed to require the Medical Service Plan. But if you are here with a work permit, you can apply for that directly by the Health Insurance BC.

Getting the health insurance:

Step 1: Print and fill the application form that can be found on the website: www.health.gov.bc.ca/exforms/msp/102fil.pdf

Step 2: Get copies of the Work or Study Permit, Passport (page with the photo and with the visa)

Step 3: Send all documents by mail to the Health Insurance BC. You can go to any Post Office and ask for a registered letter. That way, you will receive a number and can check whether your documents arrived or not. The address is:

Health Insurance BC, Medical Services Plan,

PO Box 9678 Stn Prov Govt,

Victoria (BC)

V8W 9P7

It’ll take from 6 to 9 weeks to receive the BC Health Card and the invoice, which can be paid in any bank. The BC Insurance costs around $75 per month.

Finding a family doctor:

When you have your MSP, you’ll need a family physician. To find one that is accepting new patients you can research on the website www.cpsbc.ca. It can be helpful to ask friends for indications or visit some walk-in clinic to know if there are any vacancies for new patients as well.

I hope that this information is helpful and make the beginning of the newcomers’ journey in the city of Prince George a little bit easier.

By Fernanda Salla, Volunteer Journalist with CFUR News

This Is Britt A.M., Episode 47, Black History Month and Black Lives Matter

February was Black History Month, and on this first day of March, I hope to continue the conversation of the importance of racial equality and black presence, history, and experience in our society past the month of February. I hope to present today’s tracks, and a Ted Talks interview with the founders of Black Lives Matter, from a place of support and solidarity, with acknowledgement of my privilege as a white person.  

 [mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com/britt-meierhofer/this-is-britt-am-episode-47-black-history-month-and-black-lives-matter/ width=100% height=120 hide_cover=1 light=1]

The BIG THAW: A CFUR Fundraising Event!

Get your tickets here ($25 in advance, $30 at the door, includes entrance to both The BIG THAW and PUDDLE STOMP after party) : http://www.cfur.ca/tickets/, at CFUR's Office 6-354 @ UNBC,  2nd Thoughts Records, and Handsome Cabin Boy Tattoo.

The BIG THAW is a fundraising concert designed to showcase and celebrate some of the region's finest talent! This all-acoustic evening of music will be housed at the Parish Church of St. Michael and All Angels, where the acoustics are phenomenal and the candles burn brightly. Featuring unplugged performances by regional artists Big Fancy, Khast'an Drummers, Lindsay Pratt, Nove Voce Choral Society and Samantha Scott, the parish will be alive with the sound of Northern BC!

After being awash with the powerhouse playing of some of the region's finest, put on your dancing shoes and head to The Legion 43 PG where Mad Loon is hosting the PUDDLE STOMP afterparty! Featuring indie dance-rockers Crones and the funky, groovy spins of DJ Fresh Princess, this segment of the evening will give you the opportunity to kick up your heels and check out the silent auction!

The BIG THAW and PUDDLE STOMP afterparty are together a CFUR Fundraising event. All proceeds will contribute to the sustainability of your local community radio, and improve their ability to support and promote Northern BC arts and culture.

Doors at 7:00PM, Show at 7:30PM

Silent Auction of Festival Passes and a whole lot more available to peruse.

Entry to the PUDDLE STOMP included in advance tickets. Separate entry tickets available.

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15th Annual Homelessness Marathon - Airs 3am Wednesday Feb. 22nd

The 15th Annual Homelessness Marathon

Airs 3am Wednesday Feb. 22nd to 4:30am Feb. 23rd

Scheduled times below are shown in AST.  Convert times to PST using this convenient online source.

7pm CiTR (Vancouver, BC): Profiles of folk who live and work in the Downtown Eastside live from Megaphone Magazine; along with discussion of the opioid crisis and the resilience/activism with which the community has faced it.

8pm CICK (Smithers, BC): A compilation of interviews from people living on the street and those who provide services to them.

9pm CJSR (Edmonton, AB): Intimate portraits of individuals in academia who have experienced homelessness.

10pm CJSR (Edmonton, AB): Exploring displacement, specifically the challenges faced by newcomers to Canada and the displacement of Edmonton’s homelessness population.

11pm CKUT (Montreal, QC): A discussion featuring the voices of women of colour on homelessness and communities of colour.

12am CKUT (Montreal, QC): An open format space for people to share their experiences.

1am Local-FM (Saint John, NB): The FEMCORE Collective interviews local figures about the role of gender in homelessness. Abigail Smith speaks with Jennifer Megeney from the Coverdale Women’s Centre, and Diane Kerns and Julie Dingwell from AIDS Saint John.

2am CIVL (Abbotsford, BC): A discussion of issues pertaining to homelessness on the West Coast.

3am CHUO (Ottawa, ON): Interviews with people currently experiencing homelessness in Ottawa.

4am CKXU (Lethbridge, AB): Interviews with support workers involved in Lethbridge homelessness initiatives.

5am CFUR (Prince George, BC): Interviews with people working on the front line and people who have, or are presently, experiencing homelessness.

6am CFUZ (Penticton, BC): Focusing on themes of “Sharing When You Have Nothing” and ‘Keeping Your Dignity When You Are Ostracized.”

6:30am Groundwire: A collaborative production of community radio producers across Canada present a collection of pieces relating to homelessness.

7am CFCR (Saskatoon, SK): Laundry List – Women & Gender Topics

7:30am CFCR (Saskatoon, SK): Civically Speaking – Local Saskatoon Civic Politics

8am CFCR (Saskatoon, SK): Snake Mountain Mixtape – Open Music Show

NUGSS under pressure to adopt Oversight Board

The Northern Undergraduate Student Society has been under pressure from a group of students to adopt an Oversight Board. NUGSS has been getting plenty of scrutiny after the AGM in October where they announced the student government body was in deep financial problems. Years of mismanagement of funds and unprofitable years of the Thirsty Moose Pub has led to NUGSS inability to pay certain debt obligations like $100,000 debt to BC Transit for the U - pass.

Related Stories

http://www.cfur.ca/nugss-hits-rough-waters/

http://www.cfur.ca/nugss-goes-into-more-detail/

These financial problems created many shocking announcements for the student body during that meeting. One announcement hit home for many students, and that was the possible closure of the Thirsty Moose Pub, a staple of UNBC life. This has motivated a group of students to ask "how has it come to this?"

Erike Searle and Chris King are two of those students, who plan to bring forward a motion on Wednesday, Feb 22nd's EGM (Extraordinary General meeting). The motion would effectively create a student elected board who would monitor the actions of the NUGSS  Executive Board to ensure they are complying with the wishes of students. The Oversight Board would scrutinize directors reports submitted by the NUGSS executive at the end of every month. According to the Facebook page "NUGSS Needs an Oversight Board" this is what they want to purpose.

"• 5 equal voting members elected by the student body at the same time every year as the regular NUGSS elections Powers: • To scrutinize and approve monthly director's reports • To under extreme circumstances, with sufficient grounds, and with the support of at least four of the five members of the Oversight Board bring a motion of censure, suspension, or impeachment against a member of the NUGSS Board of Directors Responsibilities: • To attend monthly meetings and hear monthly reports from the board of directors • To consistently act in the best interest of NUGSS Quorum: • At least four members of the oversight in must are in attendance to meet quorum" 

CFUR News sat down with Chris King one of the students heading Oversight Board Initiative 

According to King, the goal of this board is monitor what the directors are doing to ensure that proper usage of student funds are happening. There are concerns that current student representatives are claiming hours in their director reports which they are not doing. One of the most provocative parts of the proposal is the one to give powers to the Oversight Board to censure, suspended or impeach a member of the NUGSS Executive Board if the Oversight Board feels it is necessary. When asked about this part of the motion King said the only time a student would be impeached is if there was extremely unprofessional behavior, which has occurred. Example used was a past board where one student was coming to the meetings drunk.

Seth Jex Chair of Over the Edge and someone who is intimately involved in NUGSS spoke with CFUR stating "...this year we saw Johanne [Vice President of External Affairs] [experienced an attempted] impeachment, for missing board meetings. It is stated in the bylaws that if you miss three or more board meetings impeachment can be attempted." CFUR has learned though in the past NUGSS has given leeway to students in missing meetings to accommodate student busy lives. According to Jex if the use of this function is only needed in extream cases then it is unnecessary, this is because it is already in place and has been put to use by the current board.

CFUR has learned that NUGSS has been extremely dysfunctional this year with certain factions working against each other. Ana Saenz Vice President of Internal Affairs has stepped down from here position due to the dysfunctionality of the board. Ana Spoke to CFUR about the problems in NUGSS and why she and other board members are opposing the Oversight Committee.

Ana Saenz the Vice President of Internal Affairs, she is opposition to the Oversight Board

Arctica Cunningham, the President of NUGSS, sat down with CFUR to highlight the various issues being brought forward in the EGM and also the idea of the Oversight Board. When asked about the powers of censure, suspension, and impeachment which will be granted to this Oversight Board, she stated that is one of the areas which has divided the board.

"There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes of student government organizations. A lot of work happens that if you haven't held a position like that before you don't realize the amount of expertise it takes, mistakes you make before you figure out what you are doing. There are concerns that there wouldn't be an understanding of what has happened behind the sense before a measure [Censure, Suspension, or Impeachment] like that is brought in" Cunningham stated. "I know the students have tried to write this to ensure that these are last ditch efforts."

Currently, NUGSS polices themselves regarding appropriate conduct of the board. However, in the current state of NUGSS, the board is prone to infighting and use of the impeachment mechanism.

CFUR sat down with Arctica Cunningham President of NUGSS

Cunningham also states in the interview that NUGSS was able to pay the $100,000.00 debt to BC Transit with help from UNBC. NUGSS also put in place a debt management police and others to ensure that NUGSS is not spending money or borrowing money without greater consideration. NUGSS also wants to reduce the board size from eleven to eight people. A possible increase of $6.50, to student fees at the Prince George Campus, is also on the table.

The impacts of the EGM are likely to have a bearing on the upcoming NUGSS election. Already CFUR has heard that the position of President will be contested. It is unsure what the outcomes of the EGM will be but it is sure to have students divided.

NUGSS EGM 

Wednesday, Feb. 22 2017

NUSC Space at 11 am

Theo Fleury visits Prince George February 6th, 2017

The legendary hockey player & motivational speaker Theo Fleury will be visiting UNBC & CNC on February 6th. He will be visiting UNBC in the morning to speak at the UNBC Timberwolves Legacy Breakfast and from 7 pm to 8:30 pm he will be giving a speech in the Gathering Place at CNC. A CFUR Arts & Culture correspondent interviewed Mr. Fleury and this Interview can be listened to by clicking on the Mixcloud link.

[embed]https://www.mixcloud.com/cfurvolunteer/theo-fleury-interview/[/embed]

Disability Insurance as a Financial Strategy

We talked to Kevin Plouffe of MPY Financial Strategies here in Prince George to discuss how insurance can actually be used as a financial strategy. Good to know if you're striking it out on your own, you've finished school, starting a new business, are in the work force, or heading into the work force. Whatever industry you're in or headed towards, there is likely a risk associated with it. The opportunity to learn how to mitigate it is here.#howtohedgeyourbets!

You can catch a free seminar on the topic on March 6th @ UNBC's Senate Chambers 1-3 pm @ CNC's Rm 1306 4-6 pm It's open to the public, questions are welcome, with snacks and refreshments provided.

Email or call Wendie to register: wendie@mpyfs.com 250-563-1212

[embed]https://www.mixcloud.com/cfurvolunteer/20170201-ian-interview-with-kevin-plouffe-mpy-disability-insurance-as-a-financial-strategy/[/embed]

SHOW REVIEW: Songs Carry On; Remembering Musicians Lost in 2016 - January 7, 2017

Last Saturday at The Legion, took place the show Songs Carry On, to pay tribute to some of the great world-known musicians that died last year. Conceived by musician Britt Meierhofer, the concert brought together local artists to perform their favorite songs by legends like David Bowie, Prince and George Michael. “I chose songs by artists that have impacted and influenced me to some degree,” said Britt, who played The Bottle Let Me Down by Merle Haggard, 100 Days 100 Nights by Sharon Jones and Modern Love by David Bowie, among other songs. The Juno Lounge of the Legion Branch 43 is a place dedicated to the military veterans and their families. Everybody that enters the place is asked to take their hat or cap off in respect to those people who served the country. This act, in a certain way, helped all present demonstrate their respect for the amazing dead artists that contributed to transforming the music scene. “I think the show went well, the turnout was better than expected and everyone was very kind and supportive,” evaluated Britt.

Some of the poems by Leonard Cohen, such as My Mother Is Not Dead and This Isn't China, were read by Jordan Tucker between performances. Tucker opened the night with one of them and handed the microphone to Sean Wesley Wood, who created a melancholic atmosphere during his performance, playing his versions of songs like The Heat Is On by Glenn Frey. Nathan Kelly animated the audience, singing some of Prince’s, David Bowie’s and George Michael’s songs with great success, like TVC 15 (Bowie), Faith (Michael) and I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (Prince). Naomi Kavka kept up the vibrant climate by singing Life on Mars by David Bowie and Careless Whisper by George Michael. At some point, all the local artists played together making the crowd dance. The show that began minimalist and intimate ended joyful and vivacious, like a big part of the awesome musicians that were honored that night. 

- Photo and article by Fernanda Paulilo