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Council discusses updating James Phoenix Center rental rules and insurance thresholds
Summary
City staff presented proposed revisions to the James Phoenix Center resolution (last updated 2007) including rental fees, resident/nonresident rates, cancellation policy alignment with the Civic Center, and requirements for event liability insurance; council asked staff and insurer/legal to recommend final insurance thresholds.
Fairhope staff reviewed proposed updates to the James Phoenix Center resolution—last revised in 2007—at the work session and asked council direction on whether renters should be required to carry event liability insurance and, if so, what limits should apply.
Paige (city staff) said the proposed revisions would align rental rates and cancellation rules with the Civic Center’s existing resolution, add resident and nonresident rates for the James Phoenix ballroom and update job titles and verbiage in the 18-year-old document. The specific question for council was whether to require renters at the smaller James Phoenix Center to maintain a $1 million liability policy, the same requirement the city imposes for Civic Center rentals.
Council members and staff discussed differences in venue size and risk exposure. One councilmember noted the Civic Center typically hosts larger crowds (several hundred to a thousand attendees), which affects the cost and application of liability policies; Paige said the James Phoenix Center is a smaller venue and a $1 million requirement could be burdensome for smaller events. Council members suggested a tiered approach tied to event size or whether alcohol is served. One councilmember said the city should consult its insurer and city attorney for a legal recommendation and to determine whether the city’s municipal liability limits overlap with required renter coverage.
City staff recommended that department heads (Jay and Marcus) and legal counsel review insurance thresholds and report back so the revised resolution can reflect consistent, legally appropriate limits and any thresholds (for example, events over a certain attendance or where alcohol is served). The council signaled support for requiring some insurance, but did not set a dollar amount at the work session and asked staff to bring recommended language and numbers back to council for the next meeting.
No formal vote was taken; staff will consult the city insurer and city attorney and return with recommended insurance thresholds and finalized resolution language.
