Associated Students, Inc. is proposing to allocate $42,000 at their Wednesday meeting as a form of temporary aid for the Peak Adventures recreation program, which is facing a budget deficit for the sixth year in a row.

The running deficit is due to an increase in insurance costs, rent increases, van loans and increased wages, among others, according to the ASI Finance and Budget Committee. Historically, Peak Adventures has not been able to meet the expected revenue generation projected by its yearly budget.

“(Former ASI Executive Director) Carol Ackerson should have found the budget error last year and because of that, we have to do what we are doing now,” said ASI Vice President of Finance Tom Hughes. “Peak Adventures has always been short-changed; there has been an expected revenue generation that is unrealistic.”

ASI President Artemio Pimentel also believes the unrealistic budget set for Peak Adventures was approved because of an error on behalf of last year?s Board of Directors and executive director.

“Peak Adventures is an excellent program that the Board wholeheartedly thinks is a good thing for the University,” Pimentel said. “We may now need to closely analyze this program to see how many students use it and how important it is to campus life, but so far, we feel it is extremely important.”

ASI?s proposal allocations will be voted on at today?s ASI Board meeting.

“We won?t just give them the money. If the board votes on this, $42,000 will be set aside for Peak Adventures,” Hughes said.

If Peak Adventures finds no use for the allocated money, then the $42,000 will be put aside in the University reserve or to another area of the budget, according to Hughes.

“This money is derived from student fees,” Hughes said.

Hughes said that ASI subsidizes half of Peak Adventures.

“No other areas of the budget are suffering, only Peak Adventures,” Hughes said.

Jael Barnoske, director of Peak Adventures, estimates that approximately 10,000 students were served in the past fiscal year in services such as the outdoor program, bike repairs, sales, rentals and Challenge Center participation.

“It?s difficult to get an exact count, since some of our students may be regular customers to Peak Adventures,” Barnoske said.

ASI Peak Adventures is an outdoor recreation program that has provided service for Sac State students and the general public since 1989. The Peak Adventures Challenge Center, a ropes course designed by a former Sac State student, was moved years ago to a location close to Yosemite Hall. This move cost Peak Adventures more than $28,000 and now contributes to their deficit, Barnoske said.

“It cost more than $28,000 to move because (the course) was closed in the process of our move, so we lost revenue,” Barnoske said.

The Challenge Center brought in approximately $82,000 last year, and that amount is expected to increase to $90,000 this year. Pimentel said it isn?t likely the program will be shut down, despite the increasing deficit.

“Shutting down Peak Adventures would be our last resort,” Pimentel said. “Peak Adventures is a great program that provides significant services to the students of this University.”

As a solution, the ASI Finance and Budget Committee recommends the $42,000 be allocated on an as-needed basis as a potential safety precaution. For long-term solutions, the committee hopes to market Peak Adventures at Freshman Orientation and Hornet Welcome Week and to increase marketing through a video in the Student Access Center and University Union.

“The concern is the repeated deficits of the program, the repeated misallocations and the absence of accountable numbers provided to the students of this campus,” said ASI Chief of Staff Kevin Greene, who also sits as an ex-officio on the Finance and Budget committee.

ASI meets at 1:00 p.m. in the University Union’s Foothill Suite.