FORT WORTH – Members of the University of North Texas Regents’ finance committee approved several items Thursday morning, including a student fee and selecting a food vender for the Denton campus.

The items go before the full board for final approval this afternoon.

Before the committee approved an estimated $5 million contract for a prime food vendor, an amendment was added to the board proposal.

A contract with Ben E. Keith Co.’s food division, the chosen vendor following an evaluation process, could potentially save roughly 8 to 10 percent of UNT’s current spending on food service, or about $400,000, according to board documents.

But several regents expressed concerns that the initial cost savings could be skewed as the fluctuating market cost of food.

Regent Al Silva said UNT officials should determine a baseline for food costs, track price changes from the vendor and align them with market costs.
Without tracking the market cost of food, entering into a prime vendor contract would be “foolhardy,” he said.

“If you don’t have control of the costs, it will run away,” Silva said. “You need a tool to question increases and be diligent.”

Regents on the finance committee also approved a $5-per-semester green fee or environmental services fee to fund student-driven, environmentally friendly campus projects. The projects could include a rainwater collection system, wind turbines, solar panels and waste reduction programs, according to university documents.

UNT students voted in favor of the fee in April, with 646 student votes.
If approved by the full board, the fee would be implemented during the spring 2011 semester and would net an estimated $360,000 each year to fund the projects. The fee could remain for up to five years.

CANDACE CARLISLE can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her email address is ccarlisle@dentonrc.com.