2019 General Meeting

Date: Sunday 4th week, Trinity 2019 (2019-05-19)

Agenda

Trinity Term 4th Week Agenda

 

1. Matters Arising
1. JCR Accounts (DG)
2. Amendments to Governing Documents
3. Motions Relating to Financial Matters
1. Funding wheelchair accessibility for Plush (MY)
4. Any Other Motions
5. Appendices

 

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1. Matters Arising

 

a) Daniel (the treasurer) will go through the JCR accounts.

 

2. Amendments to Governing Documents

3. Motions Relating to Financial Matters

 

 

1. a) Funding wheelchair accessibility for Plush (MY)

 

This JCR notes that

1. Plush is Oxford’s only club for the LGBTQ+ community and provides it with a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to be themselves.
2. Prior to its move, Plush was the only level-access club in Oxford, not to mention the only level-access LGBTQ+ venue in Oxford.
3. LGBTQ+ people already struggle to find safe spaces, adding disability to the mix makes this even harder.
4. Although efforts have been made to increase Plush’s accessibility where it can, in light of limited funds, such as providing a ramp indoors and a disabled toilet, a key piece of infrastructure is missing - a chair lift.
5. Plush was forced to move premises recently and repurposing the new venue to make it accessible inside cost a lot of money. Despite this, it has already put £5,000 towards the new chairlift, which it has got the Oxford Union to match.
6. Even with this huge contribution, Plush is financially unable to fund a chair lift for over a year as £8,500 is still needed.
7. Extensive discussions with Plush, in consultation with LGBTQ+ Society, LGBTQ+ Campaign, including our Disability Reps, have come to the conclusion that accessibility for wheelchair users is indispensable and an immediate priority.
8. This has led to the decision for a fundraiser to put in a chairlift as soon as possible, as otherwise there would be a delay of over a whole year.
9. Money raised in this motion will go towards building the chair lift and buying house wheelchairs for those whose wheelchairs can’t go down the stairs.
10. ‘'Wheelchair users constantly have to ask "but is it accessible?" whenever invited out, and choose whether to be left out of the nightlife or risk injury trying to get into an inaccessible space, either by climbing, being carried, or walking. Adding a stair lift to Plush’s new venue will mean no wheelchair user or ambulatory disabled person in Oxford has to sit out another night, or be hurt trying to get in. Inclusive spaces are invaluable to the queer community, and too often disabled people get left out of the equation. Not in Oxford.’ - Testimonial from Quin, LGBTQ+ Society Rep, and wheelchair user
11. ‘Much of the fundraising initiative has been about whether the LGBTQ+ community should be required to pay for accessibility. What this fails to grasp, though, is that able-bodied people who are allies to the disabled community - including LGBTQ+ able bodied people - should help their disabled peers remove structurally oppressive barriers to their full participation in social life. This is not about whether the LGBTQ+ Community should be paying for accessibility. It is about whether able-bodied allies to disabled people should be willing to contribute to the removal of a major obstacle to disabled people. To that question, the answer is an unequivocal yes.’ - Testimonial from Alex, LGBTQ+ Campaign Disability Rep

This JCR believes that

1. Diversity and inclusion are core values of this JCR and worth striving for.
2. Disabled people should not be excluded from LGBTQ+ spaces, and that making these spaces accessible once again is a priority.
3. That showing solidarity and support for a wheelchair-friendly Plush would benefit both students and the local community and be in line with Balliol college’s core principles and beliefs.
4. Given that it would take Plush over a whole year to raise enough funds by itself (after its expensive forced relocation), able-bodied and LGBTQ+ allies need to show solidarity by donating, so disabled people are not forced to pay for their own accessibility.
   
   
   

This JCR resolves

1. To make a gift of £400 to Plush for this specific purpose.

 

(An amendment has been submitted by Will Wilkoff to add clause 2 to the ‘This JCR resolves’ section :

‘To Direct the Chair to reject as vexatious (as per the constitution) any further motion calling for funding Plush's accessibility until we have thoroughly discussed whether such money could be better spent on internal matters, including for the benefit of the same demographic in Balliol, assuming that the current motion fails.')

(A second amendment has been submitted by George Cooper to

strike clause 1) of the ‘This JCR Resolves’ section and replace it with :

‘To contribute approximately £400 to Plush Properties (Oxford) Ltd. (company number 11670308) for the sole purpose of contributing towards the installation of a chairlift, solely via the means of an optional one-off levy of £1.50 per person.’

 

4. Any Other Motions

5. Appendices

 

 

Minutes

 

Treasurer’s Report:

Daniel presents his report, highlighting persistent bar and Pantry losses, which alongside other costs to the JCR have over a number of years reduced the unrestricted reserves significantly, and the restricted reserves to a lesser amount.

Answers a question on how long the decline has been.

Answers a question on what circumstances / whether college would take over pantry and / or the bar.

Answers question as to what happened last time the reserves ran out.

 

Plush Motion:

Mick introduces the motion, stressing it’s to improve accessibility in Plush.

 

Will Wikoff moves amendment 1, which Michael moves to be discussed now as it does not affect the substantive motion itself, unlike George Cooper’s amendment, which Michael also reads out.

Will introduces his amendment, highlighting that the motion has been brought before, and that he believes it wrong to keep bringing up motions even after they’ve been voted down.

Short factual questions:

A question was asked as to for how long this would apply for – Will clarifies this would apply until a discussion had been had over the use of the money internally to benefit the same demographic.

Another question highlights that the chair can currently reject vexatious motions already, and has freedom to do that. Will reiterates that this amendment requires the chair to do so rather than just giving them the option to do so.

Move to debate on amendment 1:

Dan Gonsalez speaks in favour of the amendment, and how it would be good to have some final decision on this for the sake of solving future issues like this.

Elijah raises the point that the discussion on better spending this money is a positive thing, should this motion fail, and supports the amendment.

Mia says that this is an over-the-top response to this motion, and is a pointless amendment assuming questionable motives. Will responds that the minutes did not reflect some of the circumstances that had been discussed, and this was a response to that. Michael says he will look at the minutes. Kyle asks whether Will would therefore like to withdraw the amendment in view of this. Will wouldn’t. Conor raises that Will’s proviso about discussion is very clear, and that best intentions are at heart here, surrounding the best way to spend the money for the relevant groups. Will says that he would in future like to bring a constitutional amendment to more generally apply too.

Mick asks how substantively different a motion would be that would be deemed vexatious. Michael raises that any funding (no matter amount or method) would be rejected as vexatious prior to the specified discussion.

Mick is concerned that the relevant group for the Plush motion doesn’t exist in Balliol (presumably a certain subcategory of disable students). Will says in this case it therefore doesn’t make sense to pass the motion, as the JCR should promote Balliol students’ interests over others.

Joe moves an amendment to Amendment 1 to specify that the discussion on how to better spend this money be brought to a GM. Will accepts this as friendly.

Cerian asks whether the discussion proposed could include funding for Plush. Will says it could.

Amendment 1 moves to a vote. Amendment 1 fails 24-10.

 

George Cooper moves Amendment 2, explaining that this is to address JCR concerns over money going to private companies, and the parlous state of JCR finances, while reconciling it against those who wish to contribute. He states that the size of the optional levy should produce a little more than the originally suggested gift.

Amendment 2 questions:

Art points out that £500 was given to House of Improv at the last GM. George raises that they’re entirely non-profit and running at a large loss, so that is a separate issue to Plush.

Kyle raises that there is a private fundraising amount on the optional levies, and so this amendment is therefore null as individuals can already contribute. George raises that concerns were had from last GM about people contributing.

Kyle asks whether George thinks about whether this stairlift stuff at all helps Plush’s profits. George says that we need to draw a line to stop other private companies coming to us to subsidise private companies. Kyle responds that he doesn’t think this is a precedent.

Rory asks whether individuals can change their optional levies. George confirms you can, and are able to increase your own levies.

Jake asks how many people in the JCR this would reach. Michael says 394. George raises that this can therefore fund more than the necessary amount.

Cole asks why this is just about funding the chairlift rather than other accessibility. George raises that the motion is about the chairlift, and so this is relevant to what we’re giving the money for.

Meg mentions individuals can donate already. George agrees, but raises that some people want to opt out of the JCR levies, rather than just giving from the JCR. Dan highlights that this ‘JCR money’ is still our own money anyway, and that the levy will likely be charged, just some time in future if the unrestricted funds need to be topped up. Michael raises that this means we pay the levy, not future JCR members.

Rory asks how many people opt out of levies, and mentions that even if a lot opted out, Plush still gets the money. Michael responds that roughly 60% of JCR members paid everything unamended in TT17, but that we don’t have data for other terms.

Millie raises the point that that people might opt out for financial reasons, even if they support this cause. Then asks for clarification on the procedure. Michael says that the votes can be broken down so we vote on both funding from general reserves, and from optional levies, next to each other. George responds to the first point it should be the individual’s choice whether to donate or not, and that £1.50 is just the optional figure, that can be changed on individual’s levy sheets, and will be on battels.

Michael B asks when – if levied – the money would be paid to Plush. Dan responds that it would probably be done at the beginning of next term. Thomas raises that JCR could fund the stopgap to ensure that Plush gets the money over / just before the summer, before levies come in in MT. Dan agrees this is feasible.

Leoni asks whether George has read the proposal, and why its just for the chairlift. George responds that this is just what he believed the money to be going for.

Leoni moves an amendment to the amendment to remove the specification that the money is just for the chairlift. George takes it as friendly.

 

Move to debate on Amendment 2:

Mia argues that this is about the principle of solidarity, and despite levies seeming fairer, she finds it to be problematic and putting disproportionate burden on LGBTQ members to pay.

Conor says that this is about the JCR having a responsibility to future members for whom the JCR’s money might run out, and also a solidarity to donate money. He believes this amendment is reasonable for both principle, pointing out that this may raise more than the £400 asked for.

Kyle agrees that few would say this was not a fundamentally good thing, but says we need full solidarity over how much Plush is given and that it be given as soon as possible. Michael highlights that the stopgap proposal already negates the time concerns.

Leoni addresses the point of the precedent of donating to private companies and argues that it won’t be a slippery slope as implied. She believes that the for-profit element shouldn’t be considered. George disagrees, and has written this amendment to alleviate members’ concerns about the issues Leoni has disagreements with.

Mick understands George’s concerns, but says the unamended motion is preferable. He dislikes the opt-in element as he believes a vote in a GM is a preferable method of deciding what money should be given to. He then raises that individual contributions in optional levies are not good for solidarity for underrepresented groups. He wants it to be the “entire JCR” collectively giving. He says the profit making company point is irrelevant because of Plush’s debts, and that it’s not a generally bad thing to give to a company rather than a charity. He accepts concerns of burdening future students, but says the project is for them as well.

 

Points of Debate on the motion: Combining Amendment 2 and the motion as a whole:

Arun argues that precedents have significant impact, as a number of financial motions refer to past precedent, and pass largely on the basis of it. Mick disagrees, and believes that ‘unworthy’ causes will be voted against despite whatever apparent precedent this may set.

Dan is in favour of the optional levy and argues that the debate should not be over when Plush gets the money as he believes that they will get more from optional levies, which is itself better for solidarity. On the point of a statement, he raises that this is only a small number of people at the GM, passing this motion on the behalf of 400 people – a bigger statement is not 40 people in a GM passing the money, but 400 people giving, and from the JCR in exactly the same way as a gift. On the point of paying for it, he believes everyone will pay, from anecdotal evidence.

Art is for the unamended motion. He raises that this is the only accessible club at all in Oxford. Argues that if this doesn’t pass, then people will feel a strain to give the money anyway, even if they don’t have the means. Says the optional levy creates unsureness, making people feel under pressure to pay more, so a gift would be better to make things sure. George replies that the sentiment of the amendment is to negate concerns that people do have of giving JCR funds to private companies, as discussed at last GM: this lets those who are concerned not contribute, but the JCR membership will still donate.

Finlay responds to issue with funding private companies by asking where else people would go but the private companies, and by arguing that clubbing is central to the university experience. George disagrees, and highlights that Oxford SU is bizarre in not running a club, and that maybe it should.

Rory highlights that the optional levy option bands the entire JCR together, gives Plush more than the money they want, and that this is the perfect compromise. Everyone wants Plush to get the access, and the most viable way is introducing the levy.

Jed speaks against optional levies, arguing that too many people are relying on the assumption that most people won’t opt out of levies. George raises that a lot of people do not amend their optional levy forms, and that many others would increase the amount for this, all while still showing solidarity. Reiterates that this amendment is to alleviate concerns of last GM, but still ensures that we give the money.

Move to vote on the motion unamended. Motion fails 25-23.

Move to vote on the motion with Amendment 2. Motion passes 45-4.