Community Council Update

Community Council had its last meeting of the year on Monday, May 6 and has spent the last two weeks wrapping up agenda items from the year as well as making a preliminary agenda for next year, when Luke Carroll Brown ’14 will serve as student co-chair of Community Council.

On Monday April 29, the Council met with Anna Shireman-Grabowski ’15.5 and Sam Koplinka-Loher ’13 to discuss the Vermont Gas Pipeline Project, a project the College endorsed in 2009. The pipeline, which would feed gas from Alberta, Ontario to Chittenden and Addison Counties in Vt., would use natural gas which is both cheaper and more carbon efficient. However, some of the gas being fed into the pipeline would be fracked gas, which is banned in the state of Vermont, because of the particularly disruptive techniques fracking uses. Two students spoke at a Student Government Association (SGA) meeting, which subsequently passed a resolution asking the administration to reconsider its endorsement of the project. The pair came to the Council asking that it produce a similar statement to encourage the administration to reconsider its endorsement of the project

“All of the gas comes through Alberta, Canada,” explained Shireman Grabowski, “and when they first presented on the project, it was established that most of the wells in Alberta were using vertical drilling techniques, but it has become clear that more and more of the wells they are drawing from in Canada are using fracking.”

Some members of the Council felt that they did not have enough information to recommend the administration change its position.

“I think it would be premature for us to act on this before we hear from [Vice President for Finance and Treasurer’s Office] Patrick Norton or Environmental Council on why the College endorsed this project in the first place,” said Professor of Film and Media Culture Leger Grindon.

Eventually the Council proposed a resolution reading, “We, Community Council, ask that President [of the College Ronald D.] Liebowitz takes into account new information that has come to light since signing the endorsement of the Vermont Natural Gas Project.” The resolution passed with 13 members voting in favor, two members voting in opposition and three abstentions.

Likewise, the Council framed a proposal that the parking fine for vehicles on campus be moved from $50 to $25, noting that with the exception of Williams College, no other New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) school has parking fines this high.

Eight members voted in favor of this proposal, seven in opposition and one abstention.

Lastly, the Council met with Liebowitz on April 2 to go over the decision to disband Delta house.

“I think he was interested in getting more background on how we came to our decision,” explained Dean of Student Doug Adams. “[He is] seriously considering what ramifications the decision would have for the College.”

Since the Council has recommended the disbandment of Delta, Liebowitz has met with members of the house, administrators and most recently with Community Council to discuss this issue. It seems that two options are seriously being considered at this point: suspension and disbandment. Suspension of the house would result in a loss of residential status, but Delta would still be considered a student organization, while disbandment would result in the loss of residential status and recognition of the organization.

“President Liebowitz has said that the final decision should be reached very soon,” explained Dean of the College Shirley Collado.