Changes

# The Member requests a release by communication (usually e-mail) to emailing the [[Officers#President|House President]]. If it is a release due to travel, it may qualify for automatic approval as a [[Release Requests#Food Release|food release]]. # The Member appears before the [[Judiciary Committee]], where the JC votes to recommend or not recommend the release.

## The JCTreasurer's decision on whether or not the release is recommended.Financial Impact Evaluation (if applicable)## The vote tally of the JCWork Manager's decision.Labor Impact Evaluation (if applicable)# The Release Request is voted on at via a Google form ballot following the House Meeting, with the vote being the final decision. Note: If you will be out of the house for 14 or more consecutive meal-providing days, you qualify for an automatic [[Release Requests#Food Release|Food Release]]. Please see below for more info.

* A Member will be out of town for 14 or more consecutive meal-providing days.

Members receiving ===[[Food Release]]===A Food Release releases a Work Release Member from their obligation to pay food-related House Charges for being absent from the House release period. As noted above, if you will be out of the house for 14 or more consecutive days will also , you qualify for an automatic [[Release Requests#Food Release|Food Release]]. ''To receive it, you must notify the [[Treasurer]] via email with your dates of travel beforehand.'' All monetary releases on the house-level are given in half-month increments. Anyone can request a Food Release , but they are generally utilized in the following cases:* A Member will be out of town for 14 or more consecutive meal-providing days. * A Member has a dietary restriction [[Food Release|that cannot be accommodated by House Meals]].After a Member receives a food release, they may not use any GUFF food in the same time periodbasement kitchens.

===Food Release===Note: A Food Release releases a Member from their obligation to pay food-related House Charges for the release period. As specified in [[#Work Release|Work Release]], release requests due to a period of absence from the house (is <u>not</u> 14 consecutive days) will automatically include a food release for the same period of time. Anyone can request as a Food Release, but they are generally given in the following cases:* A Member will be out of town for 14 or more consecutive dayshouse charges release. * A Member has a dietary restriction that cannot be accommodated by House Mealscharges include food and other expenses.

If ===House Charges Release===House charges include amenities like paper products, soap, water, AND food, but are still separate from ICC Charges, which include mortgages, maintenance, administration, etc. A House Charges Release releases a member informs the treasurer <b>Member from their obligation to pay House Charges in writing</b> before they leave the house for 14 consecutive <b>mealhalf-providing</b> days - days dinner is served - they will qualify for an automatic food releasemonth increments that align with their period of absence. If After a Member requests a food release due is released from House Charges, they are expected to dietary restrictions, it is recommended that vacate their room by the Member communicate this with Chef Lynn prior to start of the release request processperiod.

After a Member receives a food release, they may not use any guff food at the House. A food release is <u>not</u> the same as a house charges release. House charges include food and other expenses. ===House Charges Release===House charges include amenities and food, but are still separate from ICC Charges, which include mortgages, maintenance, administration, etc. A House Charges Release releases a Member from their obligation to pay any House Charges for the release period. This is generally requested if the Member will be leaving the House. After a Member gets released from House Charges, they are expected to vacate their room by the start of the release period. Note: <b> A House Charges Release does ''not'' release a Member from ICC Charges </b>, and releases from ICC Charges can only be granted through the ICC [https://icc.coop/housing/icc-contract-release-information/ Contract Release Process] or one of the [https://icc.coop/my-membership/icc-finances/financial-aid-info/ scholarship options].

For the sake of easier math in these examples, House Charges will be set at $300 (with Food making up 12/3 of this, so $100200) and ICC Charges will be set at $700. Keep in mind that your ICC Charges will vary depending on room type, and that both of these numbers are rounded from charges in the year 2023. 1. You are going on vacation for 3 weeks. Since you will not be using most house resources this time, you would prefer to not pay for things like food & amenities (like paper products, soap, water, etc). In this scenario, you will want submit a House Charges Release. If approved, you will pay $150 less on RentManager Look for the month example in which you will be gone. This is because all releases are given in half-month increments. Even if your vacation is 3 1/2 weeks, you will still only receive a $150 discount. To get approved, you will submit this request to be an item on the next House Meeting's agenda by emailing escher.president@icc.coop with a statement that includes all relevant details (namely, when you will be departing and returning). Make sure bolded portion sounds similar to CC escher.treasurer@icc.coop your situation so that you receive an automatic Food Release. This is do not have to say that, regardless read all of the result of your vote, you will receive $50 for food scenarios (since you informed the Treasurer that you will be gone for 2 or more consecutive weeks. If you can, you should attend those two meetings so you can make your case and answer any questions your fellow members may many have for you. Once the ballot results come back, if your request is approved, there is nothing more you must do. If you have questions about which month you will be credited (maybe your vacation is split over two monthsrepeated information), you would email escher.treasurer@icc.coop.- If I were to go on vacation for 3 1/2 weeks, can I submit for a full-month's House Charges Release?" No, the half-month increments are fixed.

21. '''You are struggling financially and could use planning to move out 5 weeks early.''' Let's say you need to move out the last week of March through the end of a discount on chargescontract period ending at the end of April (5 weeks). In this scenariosituation, you should first immediately submit for an the [https://icc.coop/my-membershiphousing/icc-finances/financialcontract-aidrelease-info/ information ICC scholarship, or opt into 's Contract Release Form] and send a payment planstatement to the [[President]] for a House Charges AND Work Release Request. If the ICC releases you from your contract, which usually only happens with documentation of extreme circumstances, you will be released from all obligations of your contract. Since you're moving out 5 weeks early, that means you would get out of the last $1250 of your charges. Notice this is both House and ICC Charges Releases , prorated to match 5 weeks. If it is past the beginning of March, you likely will have paid your March charges already. In that case, you will receive a $250 credit on RentManager. The same goes if you need retroactive reimbursement. For example, if your contract release isn't approved by the ICC until late April, you will receive the $1250 you already paid in charges as a credit on your RentManager.The reason you should also submit for a House Charges and Work Release is ''not historically been used '' because you need one in addition to offset memberthe ICC's financial stress since it typically results in other members picking up the billContract Release, but because it is will financially help you out if you do not unconstitutional get a full contract release. Remember, if you get a Contract Release, which are very rare, you are released from all obligations of your contract, to ask for include all charges and labor. If you aren't granted one for this reason, by submitting a House Charges and Work Release a you have a strong chance at reducing your charges and being relieved from your house chores. HoweverTo get approved, if you go this route, must submit these requests to be items on the next House Meeting's agenda by emailing escher.president@icc.coop with a statement that includes all relevant details. Make sure to write a thorough statementCC the [[Treasurer]] so that you receive an automatic Food Release (more on the monetary details of this below). If you can, plan to you should attend the two meetingforums that your requests will be heard on so you can make your case and answer questions your fellow members have for you. Once the ballot results come back, if your request is approved, you will be free from chore obligations starting the last week of March and have your charges will be $300 less in April. This is because all monetary releases on the house-level are given in half-month increments rounded down. *The automatic food release also follows this principle, meaning if you House Charges release was not approved, your charges will be $200 less in April. In your situation, your release requests (on the house-level) are generally highly likely to be approved.- "What if I am requesting a backrelease in the summer? I will be gone for plenty more than 14 meal-up planproviding days, but they won't exactly be consecutive since there are no meals on the weekends." I'm not going to lie, I took a shortcut here in stipulating it be '14 or more consecutive meal-providing days'. The intended meaning is likely that is you are gone for a block of time which ''includes'' 14 or more days that are meal-providing, you qualify for an automatic food release.- "Okay, what if I am instead looking to get an automatic food release for a two week vacation over the summer? Is that not possible because I would be gone for 10 instead of 14+ meal-providing days? And if it is possible, I assume I get a half-month release?" Woah, now you're asking some great questions that I do not currently have the answer to! I pass the buck on this to our wonderful [[Treasurer]] whom I know will not be approvedupdate this with the answer when he has it (love you Jon).

2. '''You are going on vacation for 3weeks.''' Though you'd prefer not to do chores, it is unlikely that a Work Release will be approved for this reason (and it is uncooperative to ask for one in your case since it really short-staffs the house). First, worry about finding shift swaps or otherwise getting your hours done in advance. [[Work|Remember, if you do not do this, you WILL be fined for missing your labor]]! Next, since you will not be using most house resources this time, you would prefer not to pay for food & amenities. Many of our amenities are included in food charges, and those that are not are necessary to keep the house running. In other words, an automatic Food Release is more appropriate here than a House Charges release.To receive an automatic Food Release, all you must do is send an email to the [[Treasurer]] ''in advance'' to let them know you will be gone for at least 14 or more consecutive meal-providing days. This step will guarantee you a $100 refund for Food charges. This is because all monetary releases are given in half-month increments rounded down. If you have questions about which month you will be credited (maybe your vacation is split over two months), or how much you'll be credited, consult the [[Treasurer]].In your situation, if you do opt to submit a House Charges release request, it is generally less likely to be approved than in a move-out scenario (like the one above). However, if it is approved, you will be expected to vacate your room (to include removing all your things) so that another resident can move-in if the ICC decides to contract out that room for the time you are gone. This is another reason that many do not ask for a House Charges release in the event of a vacation.- "What if my vacation is over Winter break? Do I get an automatic food release?" No: Recall that automatic food releases are only given for those that will be gone for at least 14 or more consecutive meal-providing days. Meals are not provided over any UMich-observed holidays.