1976-02-11; Central Michigan Life

              Student feedback cited
b> DAVID N.BR ABO Y
.-•■       ' CM LIFE Reporter
Citing recent student feedback.. University officials: revised a con-,
troversial four-point housing proposal late Monday afternoon.
Announcing the revisions at a Robinson Hal! dorm forum. were
President Harold Abel, Jerry Tubbs, vice president of business and finance
and James Hill, acting dean of students.
TUBUS ANNOUNCED the suggested closing of two food commons on
weekends would not be implemented,
However, he added, because it still would be a significant saving, the
University is contemplating setting a date, July 1, 1978, so that incoming
students -will know in advance that if they live at Tate, Barnard or the
Merrill complex they will expect to go to different dorms each weekend to
eat, ,
The second changed option was recommending the summer payment
deadline.be forwarded from July 15 to June 22, instead of the earlier
recommended date, June 15. Students cancelling after June 22 will still be
charged a $100 service fee.
The revisions were made because of ."very negative reactions" from
students, Abel said. He added as a result ofthe changes, there will be less
savings for the students.
"In scrubbing the weekend meals option we've automatically built in an
additional $10 per student," he said.
"THERE STILL will be a savings," Abel explained, "but to a lesser
degree."
The remaining two options of the proposal, involving abolishing the no-
meal option at Barnes Hall and increasing room occupancy without rebates in
Barnard, Barnes and Robinson Halls, still stand unaltered, Tubbs said.
"The elimination of the no-meal option at Barnes will undoubtedly go
through," he said, "and plans are still firm to increase Robinson's room oc
cupancy from two to three persons." •"
The other two dorms' proposed higher occupancy will not be decided
until a physical inspection of the? dorms has   been edmpleted, Tubbs said.
Abel said he hopes to set up some plan on paper before the end of the
semester, plus possibly setting up some experimental three-person rooms in
Robinson Hall.
"Before the last two weeks of this semester, we hope to remodel and
refurnish some rooms in Robinson and place students in them and later
gauge their reactions to the new living conditions."
TUBBS ADDED students wishing to continue on the no-meal option
may do so by relocating at 36 two-person apartments in Preston Apartment
buildings A, B, C and I), Married students currently living in those buildings
would be relocated in Kewadin Village.
"We expect that with these changes, this will be the normal operation
(of CMU) for the next several years," Tubbs said. "We hope there won't be.
any overloading."
Without implementation of the revised proposal, UmVersity officials
predict dorm students will pay $96 more next year, an increase of more than
7 per cent, If the proposal is accepted, a $30 to $90 per year increase can be
expected.
(See "Officials " page 71
Thomas, Davis replaced
Board elects acting officials
byJIMREINDL
CM LIFE Reporter
Nancy Myron and Mike Fraser
were elected acting student body
president- and Vice-president,
respectively, at a special Student
Association Board of Directors
meeting Monday night.
•Myron,    formerly    Married
Students'        Council Board
representative and Fraser, formerly
Interfraternity Council Board
representative, temporarily will
replace Doug Thomas and Steve
Davis, who resigned. Sunday night.
THOMAS, Detroit junior and
Davis, Higgins Lake junior, resigned
Sunday    night    following    the
Volume 57 No. 54        Wednesday, February 11, 1976
House slates tenants' rights
bills for leg tela five[discussion
byJIMREINDL
CM LIFE Reporter
Two bills aimed at strengthening the rights of tenants Under contract
are scheduled for debate in the Michigan House of Representatives today.
House Bill (HB) 4957 is designed to stop landlords from illegally evicting
tenants, whUe HB 4958 attempts to assure tenants have reasonable privacy.
HB 4957 WOULD permit a tenant who is unlawfully ejected or kept out
of his or her residence, to collect triple damages or $200, whichever is
greater, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees for each occurance.
The bill defines unlawful, interference with a tenant's occupancy as
ojecuring if the landlord used force or threat of force to prevent peaceful
possession; the landlord removed personal property without the tenant's
consent; or the landlord changed or added locks to the doors without
providing keys to the tenant.
Unlawful interference also is defined as occuring if the tenant's
residence was boarded up or doors, windows or locks were removed to
prevent entrance. Termination of the utilities by the owner or landlord of a
residence also constitutes unlawful interference.
Exceptions are allowed to the above conditions If the landlord or owner
' can prove they had a court order or denied access only briefly to make
needed repairs.
-   ^   Exceptions also are provided if the landlord or owner had specific reason
io believe the tenant had abandoned the premises or had not paid the current
rent and the tenant did not respond within seven days to the landlord's
inquiry concerning the abandonment.
' Tenant's rights to privacy in their rented homes are protected under HB
4J|8. -The provisions of the bill specify and limit the conditions under which a
landlord can enter a tenant's home.
THE BILL provides landlords may not enter a tenant's home unless
receiving the tenant's permission, specifying the date, period of time, and«
purpose for entry. A tenant may revoke privileges by personally notifying
ibe landlord at least a day ahead ofthe proposed entry.
tfYbu don't just create a vacuum and say 'this is
' it folks, good tuck, go out and get it if you can'. The
only effective way to enforce it is to have a penalty
written in the law."—Perry Bullard, sponsor of the
bills. _____ _____
However, a landlord may enter a tenant's home without notifying the
tenant if the landlord has reason to believe an emergency situation existed
(An emergency would be a condition which, if allowed to continue, could
constitute a serious threat of immediate and serious harm to the tenant, his
or her home, or the building of which is is a part.
If a landlord enters a tenant's home during an emergency situation, he
would be required to post a written notice in a conspicuous place, stating
time of entry and exit and the purpose for entering.
Other provisions also allow a landlord to enter tenants' homes without
their permission.
A landlord may enter a tenants' home if he and the tenant fail to agree
on a reasonable time and date of entry.
Entry may be made if the landlord notifies the. tenant in writing, indicating the approximate time of entry and the date and purpose for entering, at least five days ahead of time. -
LANDLORDS ALSO may enter tenants' homes without permission in
order to conduct an annual inspection of the premises or to make necessary
repairs or improvement. The landlord may enter only between 8 a.m. and 8
p.m.
Violations of the bill's provisions would be considered a breach of
contract and would allow the cancellation of the lease by the party whose
rights have been violated, if more than one violationoccured.
In the .case of illegal entry, a tenant would be entitled to recover his or
her actual damages or $100, whichever is greater, for each illegal entry. In
any legal action, if the tenant establishes the landlord entered, the landlord
must .prove he conformed to the bill's provisions. Any legal action must be
brought within one year of any violation of the bill.
Both bills are substitute bills for original proposals. Their sponsor, Rep.
Perry Bullard, D-Ann Arbor, said he was confident the bills would pass.
"The goals ofthe bills are to provide a deterrent and to stop people from
being evicted. The only way to, stop it, obviously, is to make sure that if it
does happen, there'll be an effective remedy," Bullard said.
He said he did not favor several proposed .amendments to the bills,
"They are amendments that seek to weaken the bills in the attempt to
protect the tenants," Bullard said.
'. AN AMENDMENT offered for each bill would eliminate the bills' nonwaiver clauses, Supporters ofthe bills have opposed these two amendments.
"If you get rid of the Waiver clauses then the protective abilities of the
bills are totally lost," Bullard said. "The whole purpose of people's rights and
respect for people's privacy is just shot down."
Rep. Jeff Padden.D* Wyandotte; agreed with Bullard. "If you make the
provisions waiveable, the landlords will just write that into the lease, You'll
have to waive your rights," he said. Padden is a member bf the House Urban
Affa'irs Committee, which Studied the bills before re-introducing them to the
House. ...
'    The Mt. Pleasant Tenant's Union also opposes the waiver clause
amendments. "It's going to take any strength out of the bill, if it can he
(See "Tenants... " page 10)
CM MFE PHOTO aV JOHN THOMPSON
BEWARE--With the recent rash of thefts from Park Library, students
should make sure valuables aren't left unattended like the ones above.
The Department of Public Safety reports more than $300 Worth of
items has been stolen from the library in the last few weeks.
• «   Campus   gets   oast
side drive
• Self-defeating   actions get help—Page 7
• Cagers host Bowling
Green     tonight—Page
. disclosure of their involvement with
a special discretionary fund.
Myron, Mt. Pleasant senior and
Fraser, Grand Ledge senior, both
said temporary representatives from
their respective organizations will be
appointed to the Board for the
duration of their -terms as* acting
president and vice-president.
Myron and Fraser will serve
until a special student body election
is conducted Feb. 25. The election is
being conducted to replace Thomas
and Davis and two graduate at-large
representatives, one senior at-large
representative and one sophomore
at-large representative to the Board.
Students interested in running
for the vacant seats may pick up'
petitions in the student government
offices in the University Center
today. The petitions must be turned
in to the student government offices
by Feb. 18.
In addition to electing an acting
student body president and vice-
president, the Board voted not to
terminate the special discretionary
fund. The money will remain in a
bank account outside the University.
The student body president may
recommend . uses for the money
subject to approval by a majority of
Board members.   ,      ,   ■ ,     , .;',
After voting on -the
discretionary fund, the Board approved a motion to transfer two
members of the Grievance Committee to the Finance Committee to
expedite Student Association's
funding process for this semester.
The.motion also waived the previous
class rules for membership on either
committee for the duration of the
academic year. -
CHERYL OLSEN, freshmen at-
large representative and Jeff
Jakeway, sophomore at-large
representative, will work on the
Finance Committee and will be
replaced on the Grievance Committee after the Feb. 25 elections.
Julius McDaniels,' chairperson
of the Finance Committee, said the
two were needed because membership in his five-person committee
had fallen to two people.
He said Sandy LaRose, senior
at-large representative, had been
given an indefinite leave of absence
from the Finance Committee
because she was hospitalized. Jim
Cambridge, former sophomore at-
large representative, resigned from
the Board last week- following the
disclosures about Thomas and,Davis.
McDaniels, Detroit junior, said
Finance Committee hearings will be
postponed, "until further notice". He
said schedules must be worked out
among himself, Pam Warner,
existing Finance Committee member
and the new members.
SOCS&S?
** a *
Nancy Myron
■""''$J<S3
Mike Fraser
Board considers
new directors
OPENING NIGHT-"The
Physicists" opens tonight in Bush
Theatre at 8 p.m. (See story page
6.) .
byJIMREINDL
CM LIFE Reporter
Appointments to student
government executive offices and
departments will be made at the
Student Association Board of
Directors meeting today at 5*p.m. in
the President's Conference Room in
the University Center.
Nancy Myron, acting student
body president, will appoint a
director of Environmental Services
and a director of Media Information
Services (MIS).
MYRON, Mt. Pleasant senior,
said Environmental Services has
been without a director for some
time. "They need somebody so tKey
can get things going," she said*
The MIS position has. been
vacant since Dave Demers resigned
as director last .week following the
disclosure that Doug Thomas,
former student body president and
• Steve Davis, former student body
vice-president, were involved with a
. special, discretionary fund.
Along with the executive office
appointments, Myron said, one
permanent member and one temporary member will be appointed to
the Standing Screening Committee.
The permanent member will replace
Dominic Bommarito, former Campus
Veterans Association representative
to the Board. Bommarito, Detroit
senior, resigned from the Board last
.week.
The temporary member- will
replace Marc Berkley, Program
Board representative to the Board.
Berkley, Mt. Pleasant senior, is
applying for a position in Academic
Senate and cannot serve on the
Screening Committee while his
application is being reviewed.
. Another temporary ap-
■ pointment also will be made. Myron
said she will appoint a member to the
Judiciary Committee to replace Mike
Fraser, acting student body vice-
president. Fraser, Grand Ledge
senior, currently serves on the
Judiciary Committee, however in his
role as acting student body vice-
president he is head of the committee, .      .
In other action:
-THE BOARD Will begin
accepting suggestions as to how.the
discretionary fund should be used.
"I'm going to be taking suggestions
in general and will' be looking
through them," Myron said.
—The Board will discuss its
plans for carrying on "Thomas',
Detroit junior, work for student
input into collective bargaining at
CMU.
—Myron will report on the
status of Public Interest Research
Group in Michigan (PIRGIM) at
CMU.
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