Chapter 7: House Operations

From ICC Policy Wiki

Pet & Animal Policy

  • With the exception of cats and dogs, all animals living in any ICC house must reside in enclosures or cages. Individual houses may implement stricter policy in their house constitutions. All animals entering the ICC and any subsequent violations of this policy shall be promptly reported to the Director of Housing and/or Operations Management Committee. Violations of this policy may result in fines, referral, expulsion and House Referral Status.
  • Certified and documented Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals shall not be considered pets and as such are not subject to House Pet Status, Limits on Pets, Pet Charges, or House Approval. These animals are still responsible for following all other aspects of the Pet & Animal Policy.
  • Houses, Operations Management Committee, and the Board of Directors shall collaborate, as outlined below, to designate ICC houses as either pet-friendly or pet free.
  1. Enclosure Size
    • Aquariums must be less than twenty (20) gallons in capacity.
    • Terrariums must be less than fifty (50) gallons in capacity.
    • Enclosures must be secure and provide sufficient space for the animal’s size.
  2. House Pet Status
    • Any house may be approved to be animal-free or animal-friendly.
    • There must always be a minimum of five houses that are animal-free. Escher, Baker, and King cannot be counted to fulfill this quota.
    • Animal approvals may only be granted in the following houses: Baker, Black Elk, King, Luther, Linder, Osterweil, Owen, Truth, Escher, Johnson-Rivera and Ruths’.
    • A house may submit a proposal to the Board to change their animal status from animal free to animal friendly, or animal friendly to animal free. Otherwise, a house’s animal status is frozen for three years.
    • All house pet statuses will be reviewed every three years.
  3. Limits on Pets
    • Non-Apartment Style Houses
      • A quarter (1/4) of the rooms may have animal in a pet-friendly house.
      • Only one dog is permitted in a pet-friendly house.
      • One cat is permitted for every ten contract spaces in an pet-friendly house.
      • A maximum of two caged animals are permitted per room in a pet-friendly house.
    • Apartment Style Houses
      • Each apartment is permitted to have at most two pets, caged or otherwise, only one of which may be a dog.
  4. Pet Charges
    • Owners of cats and dogs must pay $15 per month per pet in addition to their ICC and house charges.
    • Owners of caged pets in pet enclosures (mammals, reptiles, and birds), with the exception of aquatic animals and crustaceans, must pay $15 per month per pet enclosure in addition to their ICC and house charges.
    • Cases not covered by the above rules will be decided at the discretion of the Operations Committee.
  5. Standard Pet Approvals
    • Houses shall be notified of a member’s desire to sign a contract with a Pet Approval Form by a request for a vote of approval.
    • Anyone who does not yet have a contract for the house they are planning on bringing a pet into may request a pet approval from the house they are planning to move into before they sign a contract for that house. Pet approval granted in this way becomes active at the beginning of that member's contract period.
    • Members who have already signed a contract may request a vote of pet approval at any time during their contract period. Members who have a contract for a term(s) that has not yet started can request pet approval that will become active at the start of that term(s).
    • Voting on pets will be conducted by secret written ballot. Ballots must be distributed to each member of the house with a set time to be turned in. Ballots that are not returned are considered abstentions. Abstentions are not counted in the vote. Of all the ballots that are returned, 85% must be in favor in order for a pet approval to be considered passed.
    • No pet may reside on ICC property without at least 85% house approval, except service and support animals as required by law, or approved by the Operations Committee.
    • North Campus houses may opt for simple majority house approval. 85% suite approval is mandatory.
    • All pet approvals are based on the fiscal year, therefore all active pet approvals expire at the end of the winter term. Members with pets who wish to sign contracts for terms after that time period must have their pets approved by the house.
    • House Presidents must submit minutes from all house approval meetings to the Housing Staff along with a complete roster of all animals – approved or unapproved – living in their house.
    • Unregistered animals are subject to immediate removal by the ICC at the expense of the house and/or owner.  
  6. No animal may reside on ICC property without a completed Pet Addendum on file and validated by Housing staff. A pet Addendum will not be validated without all written documentation of house and roommate approvals (if applicable), all required supporting documentation, and the payment of all fees. Addenda must be signed for each academic calendar year (Sept. 1 – Sept. 1) that a pet resides in the ICC for any length of time.
  7. Addenda pertaining to cats and dogs, except service animals as required by law or approved by Operations Management Committee, require the following documentation for validation.
    • All dog owners must provide proof of renter’s insurance covering their dog.
    • All cats and dogs must be neutered or spayed with proof on file at the ICC Office.
    • All cats and dogs must be current in their vaccinations with proof on file at the ICC Office.
  8. Violations of Pet & Animal Policy: Animals are considered a nuisance when they:
    • Exhibit aggression.
    • Are observed to be neglected or abused.
    • Endanger the health or welfare of members of the public.
    • Prevent a space in the house from being or remaining filled by a current or prospective member.
    • Inhibit the use of house common space or grounds.
    • Cause damage to house and/or property.
    • Lack a validated Pet Addendum to owner’s membership contract.
  9. Approval of any pet may be revoked and the animal’s immediate removal requested by the following means:
    • In the event of a threat to human safety, the animal's immediate removal will be requested and enforced without notice.
    • Approval of any pet may be revoked by a simple majority vote of the house or the Operations Management Committee if the pet becomes a nuisance.
    • The removal of a service animal or emotional support animal may be requested by a majority vote of the house and enforced, if the animal becomes a nuisance.
  10. Any member may, and should, promptly report violations of this policy to the Director of Housing or the Operations Management Committee. Violations of this policy are subject to fines, referral, animal expulsion, member expulsion, and House Referral Status.
  11. Animal owners are liable for all damages caused by the animal. If the damages are not collectable from the owner, all members of the house are liable for all damages caused by the animal.
  12. Fines
    • For Houses with unregistered animals: In addition to fees charged:
      • If a member signed for the Fall/Winter contract period does not have the documents for validation and fees in by October 1st the member will be charged $50. After the initial fee of $50 the member will be charged $5 per day following the 1st for not turning in required validation documents and fees to the Director of Housing at the ICC office.
      • If a member signed for the Winter contract period does not have the documents for validation and fees in by February 1st the member will  be charged $50. After the initial fee of $50 the member will be charged $5 per day following the 1st for not turning in required validation documents and fees to the Director of Housing at the ICC office.
      • If a member signed for the Spring contract period does not have the documents for validation and fees in by June 1st the member will be charged $50. After the initial fee of $50 the member will be charged $5 per day following the 1st for not turning in required validation  documents and fees to the Director of Housing at the ICC office.
      • If a member signed for the Summer contract period does not have the  documents for validation and fees in by August 1st the member will be  charged $50. After the initial fee of $50 the member will be charged $5 per day following the 1st for not turning in required validation documents and fees to the Director of Housing at the ICC office.
    • For houses with unreported animals:
      • Animal owners and the House President(s) are subject to fines of $100 per week, per unreported animal.
    • For houses with documented animal damage:
      • Upon reporting of animal damage in a member's room by Maintenance Staff, House Presidents, or Interim inspection teams, the ICC Housing Department will confiscate ICC member shares up to the full Fall/Winter share amount.
      • In the event that member shares do not cover the full extent of damages, the remaining costs will be covered by either;
        • The animal owner in the event that damages are in their personal room.
        • The house in the event that damages are in a common space.
          • This fine will be automatically applied equally amongst the house's members. Houses may vote to levy the fine differently, but must receive OpsCom approval.
        • The cost of a lost contract may be assessed to any house in which the presence of an animal in any way prevents a space in the house from being or remaining filled by a current or prospective member.
  13. Owners whose animals have been ordered removed from ICC property, or whose approval has been revoked, may petition the Contract Release Committee to be released from their contract within 30 days of notification of the decision. Such releases are not considered “automatic” but will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  14. Appeals: This policy is administered by the Director of Housing. Special situations may be appealed to the Operations Management Committee. Fines may be appealed to the Finance Committee.
  15. Houses may enforce more restrictive policies regarding pets as long as the house provides those policies to the Housing staff before the deadline for submitting the following year's policies and amenities. Houses may not enforce less restrictive animal policies.

Members with Disabilities

  1. Purpose: The ICC is dedicated to promoting membership diversity, including members with disabilities. The ICC will make all reasonable accommodations for members/prospective members with disabilities. An Attorney and/or the Disability Network of Washtenaw Monroe Livingston should be consulted if needed.
  2. Reasonable or Usual Accommodations: If a member or prospective member with disabilities requires accommodations enabling them to live within an ICC house, the member/prospective member may request these changes. Physical changes requiring more than $500 will require Facilities Management Committee approval; all other changes will be coordinated by the office in a timely manner. The ICC considers the following accommodations to be reasonable:
    • Physical changes enabling the member/prospective member to utilize the building.
    • Installation of safety devices (e.g. flashing fire alarms)
    • Installation of Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) phone access or other accommodation that enables the member/prospective member to utilize house services.
    • Member/potential member requires a handicap accessible room due to disability:
      • The member/potential member shall be allowed to occupy a handicap accessible room. House seniority lists shall be used to determine the members/potential members whose room picks shall be displaced. However, during a contract period, members currently living in a room will not be moved without their consent.
    • Member/potential member requires a single due to disability: 
      • The member/potential member shall be allowed to occupy a single. The Operations Management Committee shall be allowed to vote whether to reduce the house capacity by one or allow the person to occupy a single. House seniority lists shall be used to determine the members/potential members whose room picks shall be displaced. However, during a contract period, members currently living in a room will not be moved without their consent.  
  3. Other Accommodations: If a member /prospective member requires an accommodation not listed above, the following process will be followed:
    • The member/prospective member will approach the house and inform them of  the accommodations required. The house and the member/prospective member should work together to find a solution agreeable to all.  
    • If the house and member/prospective member can not work out an agreeable solution and the ICC is legally required to make an accommodation, then the Operations Management Committee will intervene. Before making a decision, the Operations Management Committee will meet at the house. The committee will also meet with the member/prospective member as needed. The committee will then make an appropriate decision. If the solution requires physical changes above $500, then Facilities Management Committee approval is required. If other expenditures are required in excess of $500, then Board approval is required.
    • This process must be resolved in an expedient and timely manner.
  4. Policies
    • Measures: If a house is placed on House Referral Status (HRS), the Operations Management Committee will not be limited to facilitating the following measures to help the house meet the criteria necessary to be removed from HRS:
      • Hiring a house manager.
      • Hiring cleaning services.
      • Making house and/or maintenance improvements, which are not limited to disposing of unsightly furniture or trash, buying new furniture, painting or fixing things around the house, and/or approving special work projects.
      • Requiring house officers and members to participate in educational or sanitation workshops.
      • Recalling house officers and/or holding elections for new house officers.
      • Placing members on referral by consensus of the Operations Management Committee and an ad hoc committee of between 3 and 6 house presidents.
      • Other measures deemed reasonable and appropriate responses to the particular situation.
    • Finances: In certain cases, such as cleaning and/or repairing the house, the Operations Management Committee has the power to bill the house directly. However, if a house manager must be hired, the cost will be paid for by the ICC as a whole.
  5. Appeals
    • Reasons for Appeal: Any member may appeal a decision to place a house on HRS for the following reasons:
      • OpsCom did not follow proper procedures.
      • KPIs and/or other evidence of house performance does not support the decision  to place a house on HRS.
    • Procedure
      • Appeals of HRS will be heard by the BOD. If a member wishes to appeal an HRS decision, they must inform the ICC President in writing within 7 calendar days of the house being placed on HRS.
      • The  written appeal to the ICC President should include all necessary supporting documents.
      • The ICC President will bring the appeal to the Coordinating Committee, who will place the appeal on the next BoD agenda.
      • The BoD will hear the appeal and vote, with a simple majority being required, to overturn the decision to place a house on HRS.
      • In the event that the BoD overturns the decision to place a house on HRS, the house officers are still required to meet with the Operations Management Committee at least once in the month following the appeal.