[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of West Hartford 2-22-1994.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to establish a uniform policy on the
use and rental of the Auditorium located in the Town Hall, 50 South Main Street.
[Amended 7-14-1998]
The Town Hall Auditorium shall be available for use and/or rental by
the following organizations in accordance with these regulations and rental
fee structure pertaining to each group:
A.
Group I: Official Town Council and Board of Education
hearings and meetings.
B.
Group II: Official Town government and public school
sponsored activities.
C.
Group III: Nonprofit groups and organizations which are
recognized as such by the State and Federal Tax Codes for meetings, social
and cultural events and fund-raising activities and events. Nonprofit groups
and organizations will be required to submit a copy of their tax exempt certification
to receive the nonprofit rate.
D.
Group IV: All other private individuals, groups and organizations
for meetings, educational, social and cultural events and commercial activities
which, in the opinion of the Town, are beneficial to the community.
[1]
Editor's Note: The list of examples of rental use classifications
is on file in the Town Clerk's office.
[Amended 7-14-1998]
A.
Rental fees shall be established and amended by resolution
of the Town Council.
B.
Events over eight hours shall be charged an hourly rate
for each additional hour based upon a proration of the rental rate in effect
for the event.
C.
For the purposes of deciding which rental rate to apply,
the actual event time shall be used. Reasonable provisions for setup and breakdown
time shall be made. Additional setup and breakdown time above what is determined
to be reasonable shall be included as part of the event time for the purposes
of determining the appropriate rental rate.
D.
For events that require use of the kitchen, the Town
reserves the right to charge a security deposit which shall be returned at
the conclusion of the event if the facility has been restored to its original
condition prior to the event.
E.
For certain programs operated by the Town that require
no setup of tables and chairs, an hourly rate of 1/4 of approved group rate
shall be charged. These programs must be held between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
A.
Rental reservations will only be made in the name of
an individual or a duly established organization. Said individual or a duly
authorized representative on behalf of the organization shall agree to be
responsible for any damage to equipment, furnishings and building. Rental
agreements shall provide for defense and indemnification of the Town and its
boards, commissions, officials, officers, employees, contractors and agents.
B.
The Town reserves the right to decline rental of the
facility, cancel rental of the facility and move dates as appropriate.
C.
The renter shall abide by all rules and regulations of
the Town with regard to the use of the facility, all local, state and federal
laws and all required permits or licenses.
D.
The renter shall indicate on the reservation form the
maximum number of persons who shall use the auditorium. A larger number of
renters shall not be permitted without the prior approval of the Town.
E.
Reservations will be considered secure when a rental
agreement is executed and payment of 1/2 the rental rate in advance is made.
Payment of the full rental cost is due not less than 20 working days prior
to the event. All permits, licenses and permits must be on file with the Town
not less than 20 days prior to the event.
F.
Refunds will be made of advance payments with 20 working
days' notice to the Town. With less than 20 working days' notice, only an
amount equal to 1/2 of the total rental cost will be refunded.
G.
The Town of West Hartford reserves the right to require
a cash deposit or bond to cover any potential damages to the facility.
H.
It is the responsibility of the renter to notify the
Town of any changes in dates or times.
I.
Parking shall not be provided for events held during
normal Town Hall business hours.
A.
The use of alcoholic beverages is allowed. Alcoholic
beverages shall be offered for sale during any event only upon receipt of
a valid state liquor permit.
B.
The sale of any item for any reason is prohibited unless
requested on the rental agreement and approved in advance.
C.
Smoking is prohibited in all areas of the facility.
D.
The individual renting the facility is required to restore
the facility to the conditions existing prior to the rental engagement.
E.
When organizations employ a caterer, the caterer or the
renter shall be expected to furnish all necessary supplies and equipment.
F.
The Town of West Hartford reserves the right to require
groups to have on file such insurance certificates as may be deemed necessary
before permitting use of the facility.
G.
The Town of West Hartford reserves the right to require
any renter to provide police and/or fire protection when deemed necessary.
Any expense incurred shall be borne by the renter.
H.
The Town reserves the right to approve or reject equipment
or items brought into the building by the renter, such as scenery for stage
performances, amplification equipment or other equipment that could be harmful
to the building or the environment. It is the responsibility of the renter
to gain the necessary approvals in advance of the rental engagement.
I.
Unless prior approval is granted, rentals are limited
to the Town Hall Auditorium and do not include other areas of the Town Hall.
J.
The Town reserves the right to deny future rentals to
groups who do not conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of
the rental policy and agreement and to cancel events in progress if events
are not run in accordance with the rental policy and agreement.
