A Student Activities Fee hike will be put to referendum within the next three weeks, the Undergraduate Council decided last night in its weekly meeting.

In a 39 to 5 decision, the council ruled that the student body will vote on two separate questions: first, whether or not to increase the fee from $35 to $75 and second, whether or not to make the now optional payment mandatory.

“I think this provides us with an excellent opportunity to show our constituents what we do and how we can do more,” said Council President Matthew W. Mahan ’05.

Mahan said the referendum will give supporters an opportunity to explain how students will benefit from the increase in funding.

Council members on the other side of this issue said they were confident that the referendum vote would go their way.

“[The referendum] is going down in flames,” said Joshua A. Barro ’05, who in recent e-mails to open lists has likened the bill to a tax hike.

The online ballot will be accompanied by links to two four-page position papers—one for and one against the fee hike, the council decided 20 to 19, with three abstentions.

Before passing, the referendum bill was subject to heavy amendment, including a measure that reduced the original proposed $100 fee increase to $75.

An amendment that would have prevented the council from going ahead with the fee hike, should the referendum fail, was voted down, 28 to 6. Despite the outcome of the referendum, this decision allows the council the option to go ahead and petition the College administration to increase the fee.

Russell M. Anello ’04, who co-authored the referendum bill, called this failed amendment “draconian” because it would have blocked the council from asking the College to raise fees marginally to take inflation into account.

The initial referendum bill also included a third question on the ballot, regarding a proposed opt-in $10 termbill fee to support renewable energy on campus.

Yesterday, after some council members raised questions about the lack of research on the issue, this question was omitted from the referendum ballot by a vote of 19 to 15, with three abstentions.

The council also passed a resolution last night in support of student representation on the Administrative Board, 40 to 0, with two abstentions.

Before being passed, the resolution had to overcome a lengthy debate on an amendment that would have supported allowing Ad Boarded students to choose whether or not to have their peers sit in on their hearing.

“There may be some students who do not feel comfortable having their cases head before other students,” E.E. Keenan ’07 said.