Glenarden council debates Gold Room food rules, waivers and community room hours

Glenarden City Council members spent the bulk of a work session debating proposed rules and fees for the city’s Gold Room and an adjacent community room, focusing on whether non‑catered food may be allowed by waiver and on new hours and signage for the community room.

The dispute centered on legal advice Councilwoman Pamela Jones said the city attorney gave her: "you cannot write a waiver over someone else's right," Jones said, summarizing advice that a tenant cannot sign away a third party’s ability to sue if guests become ill. Jones said Prince George’s County and the state require licensed caterers and licensed kitchens for certain venues.

Why it matters: the Gold Room is the city’s primary rental venue for private events; the rules set who may provide food, who must carry insurance, and when residents may use a smaller community room. Council members raised equity concerns about blocking lower‑cost, family‑prepared food at events and also warned…