The Board of Trustees’ Committee on Finance, Business, and Capital Planning was supposed to vote on spending $7.5 million to install turnstiles at campus recreational facilities on Thursday, but instead it tabled a decision until February.

The committee looked at this in the first place in response to a Freeh Report recommendation, and has been working to tighten access at facilities like Rec Hall, White Building, and McCoy Natatorium.

“In order to comply with this policy, various modifications are required at central access points into three University Park recreation facilities,” the agenda said. The money necessary will come from general fund and gym membership revenue.

The University Park Undergraduate Association passed a resolution opposing the proposed legislation on Wednesday night. The UPUA resolution stated the assembly believes the current system adequately addresses the issues at hand.

President Eric Barron echoed that sentiment. “We implement the current policy and this is the best we can,” he said

Graduate and Professional Student Government President Kevin Horne, who is also an editor for Onward State, spoke on behalf of the three student governments at the committee meeting. Horne is the student representative on the committee.

“We’re concerned with not only the initial cost of this, but also the recurring costs, “he said. In addition to the initial costs, it will cost $420,00 to staff the turnstiles and check swipe cards. 

“We’re at a place where we can’t find a $100,000 in the budget to hire a CAPS counselor so students’ mental health needs are met, and we’re about to spend $420,000  a year just to say we’re keeping townies out of the gym,” Horne said.

“This one has been a long time coming and every time it comes to council I push back,” Barron said. “It’s truly not something I want to spend money on if we can help it.”

Tabling the resolution until February prevents it from going to the full board on Friday.

The rest of the committee meeting focused on the updates to Findlay commons and the addition of buildings at commonwealth campuses.

The full board will meet on Friday at the Penn Stater, which will be live streamed on the WPSU website at 11:15 a.m. You can view the full agenda here.