PHOTO BY BRIANNA BALOGH / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN … Four large garage doors on the north side of the building will soon offer a seamless transition between the indoor banquet hall and the scenic patio overlooking Miller Park pond.
By: Brianna Balogh
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
Edgerton Rules Committee met on Wednesday, February 11, at 5:00 p.m. to discuss rules and rates for the upcoming opening of the Edgerton Community Building.
Proposed to be named after Lewis Brown, the building is anticipated to be complete by late summer.
In attendance were rules committee members Leslie VanAusdale, Brian Bowsher, and Jason Gruver. Mayor Bob Day, Village Administrator Dawn Fitzcharles, Fiscal Officer Denise Knecht, and Police Officer Ashley Plotts were also in attendance.
Fitzcharles started by sharing a copy of the lease agreement and rate comparisons with the committee.
Most of the items outlined in the lease are due to the insurance company requirements. Security will be required when renting the building under certain circumstances.
If alcohol is being served, an additional alcohol rider on insurance and security will be required. Events where expected attendance is over 100 people will also require security.
Ideally, the security would be provided by the Edgerton Police Department, but this could present a staffing issue. Fitzcharles also recommended if the security was provided by the police department, the officers should be fairly compensated at an event rate or a higher minimum rate.
Another option would be to provide a list of approved security providers. With either option, the base rental rate would remain the same and the security would be additional. The committee discussed how some other facilities approach the security issue.
Additional points were made about the potential amount of security needed and if that would go up based on the amount of people in attendance. It was decided to ultimately leave the final decision up to the police chief.
If scheduling allows, security provided through the Police Department gives more opportunities to local officers and auxiliary officers.
Fitzcharles reported that any security services or personnel would still be approved by the Police Chief, regardless of the provider. For Edgerton Police Security, the charge would be per officer per 4 hour period.
Fitzcharles pointed out within the agreement there is a waiver allowing the Police Chief to determine, case by case, if security could be waived.
An example provided would be a large baby shower or an event where attendees would be in and out throughout the day may not require the additional security.
On the other hand, designated events may require additional security even if the groups are under 100. Mayor Day noted this allows more flexibility and a wider range of events to be held there.
The alcohol policy requires a designated individual over 21 to be identified in writing and takes responsibility for monitoring and controlling the service and consumption.
If alcohol is being sold, a copy of the liquor license must be submitted at least five days prior to the event. Consumption of alcohol by minors is prohibited at all times.
Moving on to a few other points she had highlighted to specifically share, Fitzcharles noted restrictions on the lease not allowing booking to be made more than a year in advance of the rental date.
Rentals will also be limited to two consecutive dates for a maximum of reservations for up to five dates.
The recommended rates would include the rental payment, a cleaning and damages deposit as well as security through the village if applicable.
Further restrictions include placement of adhesive or nails on the walls, no open flames within the building, and no bird seed or rice being thrown outside the facility.
Some exclusions to these may apply, such as chafing dishes. Any cleaning services not covered by the deposit will be charged at $45 per hour.
VanAusdale questioned a point in the lease about service calls. Fitzcharles explained that if a village employee is called out on a holiday it will be charged the same as an emergency utility charge, equaling $75. This is to decrease non-emergency calls such as a loose door handle.
Cancellation fees are as follows: 60 days receives a full refund minus a $25 processing fee, 15 to 59 days receives a 50% refund minus the processing fee.
Refunds will be processed through finance and will typically take two to three weeks. Rescheduling would incur a $25 processing fee.
With a 60 day or more notice, this allows the building to potentially be re-rented.
VanAusdale inquired if these restrictions and requirements would also be applied to the Town Hall Gym. Fitzcharles clarified that the Town Hall Lease would stay as is.
For the interior, round tables will be provided with some rectangular tables for food service. Required for the lease will be a proposed floor plan with table layout.
Fitzcharles explained they would retain the rectangular tables at the Town Hall Gym and those could be available for the new building if desired.
Outside, stakes are prohibited unless approved by the village. To protect service lines, the area needs to be mapped out and preapproved.
Fitzcharles hopes to present the lease to the council soon. A lot of research, information, and time was dedicated to putting the lease agreement together.
The committee then moved on to proposed rental rates. Research presented several area rentals to determine price points.
The proposed rental rates are for Monday through Thursday $750, Friday $1450, Saturday $1650 and Sunday $1050. If all three days of the weekend are rented, a 15% discount will be applied, bringing the three day total to $3750.
Additionally, a refundable deposit of $300 for Monday through Thursday, and $500 for Friday through Sunday. If multiple days are rented, only one cleaning fee will be collected. Local comparables for a weekend rental range from $6,000 to $8,000.
For non profits and other similar groups, Fitzcharles proposed charging only the deposit amount which is similar to current practice at the Town Hall Gym.
Also, the security requirements would still apply and incur an additional fee. The committee inquired about utility cost to operate the building. Day stated he asked in the preliminary stage if a lower building height would improve energy cost and it was minimal.
However, to mitigate some energy cost at the building when the garage doors are open, the air conditioning will not be operational. Even though the building did not incur a debt, rental fees still need to be able to cover the asset cost.
A small conference room will also be available for rent, with the ability to close off the much larger banquet space.
The proposed rate for the conference room, kitchenette and bathrooms would be $175 per day. Fitzcharles also suggested holding a council meeting there one time once it is complete.
Revisiting the rental fees, VanAusdale felt that the fees may be too high compared to other similar size facilities with full kitchens, which this site does not have.
After a brief discussion, the committee seemed to agree on keeping the fees as is and revisiting in the future if needed.
With the additional space, Fitzcharles proposed adding a part time janitorial and general laborer position. The positions would start out with approximately five to eight hours per week, but could grow in the future depending on rental scheduling.
One thing emphasized by Fitzcharles is the desire to open the building up initially to some community events.
She has challenged the village departments to suggest ideas to bring different groups in. The committee agreed that word of mouth is highly effective and being able to view the new building would greatly improve that spread.
Fitzcharles presented several other ideas to the board for future events and development. A bridal show could attract local vendors while showcasing the building’s unique features.
This would also provide local merchants, which in the future Fitzcharles would like to work with or provide as recommendation to renters. Training exercises could also showcase and utilize the space.
While the bulk of rentals will probably be for wedding receptions, Fitzcharles is reaching out to several different organizations to come up with unique ways to use the space.
A suggested yoga on the patio event could prove popular. There is even a secret fundraising event in the works.
Bowsher asked about advertising the space. Fitzcharles informed that Jeff Lyon of Mainstreet Edgerton is already working on some things.
Gruver asked about the fire pit, which is not detailed in the lease at this time. Fitzcharles stated before adding stipulations into the lease, they needed to see how the fire pit operates and what additional items may be required.
To help visualize, Fitzcharles invited all attendees out to the building. Once all members congregated at the space, minus Day who had a conflicting meeting, Fitzcharles provided a brief overview of all the spaces inside.
Upon entering, Fitzcharles hopes to have a welcome display potentially working with the Edgerton Area Foundation. Continuing, the space opens up into the banquet area to one side and the bathrooms and conference room to the other.
A bar area will be able to serve within the building and to the outside patio. This is a key feature along with the projection wall. To the north side, four large garage doors face Miller Park pond and will open to the patio area. The fireplace harkens back to the old shelter house being located on the same west wall.
The feature Fitzcharles appeared most proud of was the adult changing station with an approximate capacity of 400 pounds.
To her knowledge, this was the first to be installed under that code and will provide a convenience many overlook.
The seating capacity, depending upon floor plan, is between 320 and 380. The space will be accessed via key fob and will also be equipped with security cameras.
One future hurdle will be the parking lot, introduced by Gruver. Fitzcharles explained there are plans to remove the islands and reconfigure the parking space to allow for 76 more spots.
There are also other options to convert some of the grassy area off the driveway and provide additional parking.
These projects will probably be delayed until fall due to summer recreation activities. The committee agreed the space was coming together nicely and would be an asset once completed.
The hopes are to not only provide for the community but also draw in some outside renters in turn hopefully driving more business locally.
The committee thanked Fitzcharles and the meeting ended around 6:30 p.m. with no official adjournment.
Update: At the March 18 Edgerton Village Council meeting, the community center rules recommendation was postponed to April 1 due to a council member’s absence.
