We the stakeholders and supporters of the University at Albany Student Association's Camp Dippikill hereby endorse the letter below...

UPDATE: UALBANY FUND has provided us with this link if you would like to donate directly to Dippikill during its time of need.

AN OPEN EMAIL TO THE CURRENT SA PRESIDENT FROM THE COALITION OF PAST SA PRESIDENTS DEMANDING DIPPIKILL BE REOPENED AND NOT SOLD
 
December 5, 2024                                               VIA EMAIL ONLY
 
Mr. Jalen Rose, 
Student Association President

University at Albany 
Campus Center B84
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12222
SApresident@albany.edu

Dear Mr. Rose,
 
I write to you once again --after numerous unsuccessful attempts to reach you by email and phone-- regarding the Dippikill situation.
 
As a former SA President, an incorporator of Dippikill, Inc., a former Dippikill Board member, and the coordinator of the Former SA Presidents' Coalition and the broader 1,200 member SA Alumni Society operating on Facebook and LinkedIn, I am writing to share our concerns about the closure of Dippikill, apparently due to financial reasons... and the new information we have received that suggests SA has been looking into selling Dippikill for the past 6 months.

We believe that the 2023 $60,000 bottom line "loss" on the latest 990 tax form...
 
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/562443538
 
...is not unusual and is certainly not a reason under normal circumstances to suddenly close or sell Dippikill.
 
As you know, Dippikill is not supposed to make a profit. With the campground covering 90% of their costs in the most recent 990 tax filing through cabin rental income, SA is currently only spending $60,000/year to operate the facility out of your $3m budget.
 
That's a mere 2%.
 
Unless you have evicted the staff who live on the property, and removed them from the payroll, Dippikill is now not bringing in any revenue because it is closed but still has operational expenses for upkeep and maintenance. This means Dippikill is going deeper and deeper in the hole every day the closure goes on. From our unique perspective, having run the campground ourselves for over 20 years, we are concerned that Dippikill is now being intentionally bled so there will be a big loss this year. We suspect that will then be the specious reason offered by advocates in favor of sale to your SA Senate as a justification for them to sell. We cannot stand idly by and watch this happen with impunity.
 
Dippikill is... and has been since the 1950's... an integral part of the University at Albany educational experience. We cannot imagine current and future students attending a UAlbany that does not offer the unique wilderness retreat experience that is Dippikill.
 
We have offered to assist SA in dealing with your current financial crisis and what we understand is the "underutilization" situation. We again offer our financial assistance to you and the University copied here.
 
Indeed, you have a network of business, marketing, and legal professionals at your disposal with decades of valuable experience. We have supplied SA with student advocacy assistance and guidance over the years while building this Coalition, helping SA navigate through the toughest times. We are prepared to step in again to help you.
 
If SA is, in fact, considering selling Dippikill as the University advised us on Monday, we implore you to please reconsider. If you advise the University a sale is off the table, we believe after our discussions with them that they will move forward with our attempts to assist Dippikill through an SA Presidents' UAlbany Fund Dippikill Appeal.
 
But make no mistake... because Dippikill is so very important to us as alumni, we will be following SA's decision-making and reviewing the Dippikill bylaws received in reply to the FOIL request below to confirm the legalities and proprieties of any SA move to sell Dippikill. Please be further advised we reserve the right as alumni stakeholders to formally intervene, if necessary.
 
Should SA move toward a possible sale, in the least, we would expect SA would put the notion of a sale up for a 2/3 referendum vote before listing the property on the market to affirm there is widespread student support for such a sale.

In the meantime, we implore you to please reopen the facility for the benefit of all students and UAlbany affiliates before the January 2025 peak ski season is upon us and Dippikill is prevented from realizing its annual peak revenue.
 
Lastly, we have alerted our alumni members that they may need to get involved politically through a formal campaign to SAVE DIPPIKILL! So, you may start to receive phone calls from them pleading with you to #REOPENDIPPIKILL and #STOPTHESALE.
 
I can be reached via text message on 954 947-8892 if you would like to engage in further discussions.
 
Thank you.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
/s/ JAMES LAMB
Former UAlbany SA President 1988-89
James.Lamb@alumni.ualbany.edu
 
Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2024 at 6:54 PM
From: "James Lamb" <JimLamb@usa.com>
To: FOIL@albany.edu, cnmedrano@albany.edu, sapresident@albany.edu
Cc: "Laurence Socci" <laurence.socci@soccilawfirm.com>

Subject: FOIL Request for Dippikill, Inc. Corporate Bylaws
Corinne Fauchon, Records Access Officer
University at Albany
University Hall 212
1400 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12222
Phone: (518) 956-8038

Dear Ms. Fauchon:

I am an original incorporator of Dippikill, Inc. as per the attached Articles of Incorporation. I am also an alum with stakeholder interests in Dippikill. As you know, Dippikill is funded through student activity fees under 8 NYCRR 302.14.

Pursuant to the NYS Freedom of Information Law, I hereby request any and all iterations of the Dippikill Corporate Bylaws.

Please be guided by this COOG advisory opinion in formulating your response.

https://docsopengovernment.dos.ny.gov/coog/ftext/f8835.htm

Thank you.

Sincerely,

/s/JAMES LAMB
PO BOX 480340
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33348

UPDATED: James.Lamb@alumni.albany.edu

@JimLambUSA