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Committee reviews draft Marquette Campus room-rental policy; asks counsel to confirm limits on renters
Summary
The committee reviewed a draft rental policy for Marquette Campus classroom and meeting spaces, discussed security and which uses to permit or prohibit, and asked corporate counsel to confirm whether the county may lawfully restrict rentals of public, taxpayer-owned spaces.
Committee members reviewed a draft Marquette Campus room-rental policy and discussed whether the county can lawfully limit who may rent publicly owned space, what types of events to permit, and how to ensure secure access during rentals.
Mr. Radisson (presentation staff) said the policy is a draft and has not been adopted; he provided example rate sheets and a draft policy for the student center, meeting spaces and classroom areas. Commissioners asked whether the county may lawfully prohibit certain types of events in a publicly funded building and asked staff to consult corporate counsel.
Concerns included whether to allow private social events that might cause heavy cleanup (for example, birthday parties or wedding receptions) versus community-serving uses such as attorney presentations on Medicaid or continuing education sessions. Staff noted that security cameras, automatic door locks that engage at 5:00 p.m., and on-site security provided by the campus tenant (Baker) were in place; staff said Baker is contracted to provide security coverage for at least the next three years and that locked doors and cameras reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access outside of scheduled events.
Radisson told commissioners the original purchase plan for the campus assumed roughly 300,000 square feet in total, that Baker would use approximately 100,000 square feet and roughly 100,000 square feet was intended to be rented out to help offset campus operations. He said long-term tenant contracts have been a priority and that evening one-off rentals (classroom or student-center bookings) remain possible if the board has no objection.
The committee asked staff to return in April with a finalized policy after corporate counsel confirms whether and how the county can limit rentals of a taxpayer-owned facility. No vote was taken at the meeting.
