City fee for using buildings will not apply to nonprofits
The city of Sulphur Springs will now charge a fee for using City Hall spaces, as of the July city council meeting.
In May, the council discussed for the first time charging a fee for city spaces, which had previously been free for anyone to use, according to city finance director Lesa Smith.
What concerned city manager Marc Maxwell, he told the council in May, was wear and tear to the historic building. Damage to the building’s original floors means they will have to be re-finished in the near future, Maxwell said, and the city will need to replace the rugs that cover the floor as well.
“We probably ought to charge a fee,” he said. “I think it’s time, and we need it to pay for renovations.”
In July, Smith presented the council with a fee schedule she had established. However, citizen Adam Teer, general manager of the Clarion Pointe hotel, wanted to speak to the council members about making the fees “competitive” so as not to price out local event-planning businesses.
“As somebody who runs a venue in private, I would ask that the prices be competitive,” Teer stated. “We have great venues and quite a few venues in town. They each have their draws, but municipality-owned facilities have certain advantages over private facilities. So just as a part of the community, I would ask that the pricing remain competitive.”
Former council member Emily Glass, speaking as a citizen, thanked the council for their work on this measure and indicated she believed it was time to protect the historic buildings.
The council unanimously approved a $200 rental fee, $100 refundable deposit, plus a $65 cleaning fee for all events for a total of $365, scheduled from June 2 onward, provided that booking parties provide their own security and other supplies.
The guidelines developed by Smith provide that the council chambers are reserved for nonprofit organizations only.
Teer told the News-Telegram the pricing scheme “sounded fair.”