CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Consider the staff recommendation allowing outside meeting room rentals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, during business hours Monday through Friday, increasing the meeting room rental fees, and providing increased security
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DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office
SUBMITTED BY: Marcie Schatz, Assistant to the City Manager
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
At the December 16, 2025, City Council meeting, staff recommended to discontinue meeting room rentals at the Municipal Center to all outside non-governmental groups effective July 1, 2026. The recommendation was based on concerns about safety and security, declining usage, efficient use of City resources, other meeting room rental options in the community, and complexity in meeting room policies.
The City Council discussed concerns with the current reservation system, the potential need to increase fees and the value to the community of hosting outside meetings at the Municipal Center. The City Council directed staff to bring back a report including the option to schedule outside meetings in the evenings when the City already has events scheduled, allowing outside meetings during normal business hours, and charging the appropriate market-based room rental fees if necessary.
DISCUSSION:
Staff evaluated meeting room options using data over the past months. The review incorporated accommodating current meeting room usage, safety and security, potential reservation and billing process improvements, and policy updates.
The analysis of allowing rentals on evenings when City meetings are scheduled included nights when City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Transportation Advisory Board meet. While this option worked for some months and staff is in the building, it is a challenging schedule for the public to understand, and projected capacity issues will not accommodate meetings during certain months.
While continuing to ...
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