Photo by Lee Halvorsen

Consideration of Changing Current Town Hall Rentals: Town Hall Working Group Results  October, 2018  Your Feedback Needed!

The Town Council and Mayor suggested a review and potential update of the guidelines and rates for Town Hall rentals for residents and non-residents.  The rates and number of uses were last reviewed in 2001 and then 2011. Current Town Hall daily expenses are very high and to offset the costs we were asked to consider that everyone using the space pay a moderate fee and commit to time limitations.  We realize this is a change from the past for all our residents. The fee would cover basic expenses such as soap, paper goods, and cleaning services.  The idea of time limits for initial five-hour block rentals and then additional hourly rental was deemed important since at times there are multiple request for the same day and currently, there are no time limitations on a rental.

The working group was formed with residents and council members and the following proposed changes are a result of the three working group sessions.

The group assessed the following criteria: ensure basics expenses are covered, does it matter if a renter makes a profit on the event, and should there be time limits so the space could be available for others on the same day.

Rental events in the area were researched as a point of comparison and we discovered our rates were drastically lower than any other local event space for residents and non- residents alike.

For scheduling use, you can now see the current schedule of reserved events on the Town Hall website to see if your desired date is available. The rental application and agreement paper work is in the process of being simplified.

The first section below reflects the current policy.  Following that, are the proposed ideas.  Although the new proposed rate structure is more complicated than the current version, the working group felt it was a fair and even approach for future rentals.

Please Provide Your Feedback!   We would appreciate everyone’s feedback before we bring this to the next Town Council meeting. Please email the Town Hall with your feedback TownHall@GlenEcho.org by the end of November so the group can work with the feedback before the December Town Council meeting.

Current Town Hall Rental Categories and Fees as of July 2018

Security Deposit:  All users submit a $150 security deposit for each use.

Town resident of Town of Glen Echo

• Two free uses per year
• $25 fee for each additional use
• No time limit for day of rental

Non-Resident of Town of Glen Echo

• $50 per hour with a minimum of 3 hour commitment

Proposed New Categories for Renters

 Town of Glen Echo Residents

• • Personal Use – (party, celebrations etc – no admission charged by resident for attendees to participate in event)
  • Resident Professional Use – (training classes, workshop, presentations etc – an admission charge to attend the event is being paid to resident by the attendees)

Non-Resident Use
 
Allowable User Group – (groups that directly benefit the residents of Glen Echo such as families in Scouts program, Fire Dept, C and O Canal Association, etc)

Proposed Time Limits and Rental Fees

Town of Glen Echo Residents, No limits on number of uses per year

Security Deposit:  All users submit a $200.00 security deposit for each use.

• • • Resident Personal Use – $25.00 for a 5-hour block and $10.00 per hour thereafter
    • Resident Professional Use – $50.00 for a 5-hour block and $25.00 per hour thereafter
    • Non-Resident Use – $50 per hour with a minimum of 3 hours
    • Allowable User Group – $25.00 for a 5-hour block and $10.00 per hour thereafter

Upcoming Events:

Leaf Collection:  Hughes Landscaping will be doing the leaf collection this fall.  The 1st pick-up will start Wednesday, October 24th and will continue every Wednesday with the last pick up being Wednesday, December 12, 2018.  If they do not finish collecting on Wednesday they will come back on Thursday.

Environmental Committee Meeting:  Thursday, November 29th from 8:00 – 9:00 pm at Town Hall Meeting Room.  Meeting is open to all residents

Environmental Committee Presentation: Great Native Plants for our Gardens:  Tuesday, December 4th 7:30-8:30 pm at Town Hall – This program will focus on plants, trees, shrubs, and perennials that are well suited to gardens in this region with a focus on their beauty as well as their essential role in our ecosystem. Using images, Holly will discuss the relationships many of the plants have with wildlife and how to place them in our gardens.

Annual Holiday Brunch:  Saturday, December 8th from 10 – 11:30 am. at Town Hall. Brunch is catered by Mr. Omelette.

Council Meeting:  Monday, December 10th at 8:00 pm – Town Hall Meeting Room