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Commission approves new Gillum Recreation Center and library rental rates after resident concern over senior group costs
Summary
The commission voted to approve updated room rental rates for the Gillum Recreation Center and the library; residents — particularly senior groups — told the commission the changes could create hardship and asked for exemptions or sliding scales.
The Huntington Woods City Commission voted Aug. 19 to approve revised room rental rates for the Gillum Recreation Center and library spaces, a change staff said aligns the city with comparable communities and offsets setup and maintenance costs.
City Manager Andrew Reyes summarized the review: staff compared fees in Auburn Hills, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Grosse Pointe, Rochester Hills, Troy, Royal Oak, Oak Park and Berkeley and proposed rates that he described as “average or below average” for similar spaces. He said large rooms such as the full gym ($400 for a full rental) were priced to reflect the staff time required for setup, teardown and cleaning, while the senior room remains available without a fee.
Why it matters: several longtime residents and leaders of senior organizations urged the commission to preserve low‑cost access for small community groups and seniors on fixed incomes. Francina Grama, president of the Huntington Woods Study Club, told commissioners the club brings more than 50 seniors together regularly and that new costs could force the group to stop meeting in the city. “These costs are difficult to absorb,” she said.
Other residents asked for more flexible rental timeframes, including three‑hour options for smaller events and bundled “birthday packages” that would combine a warming‑room rental with a short reserved gym slot. Commissioner discussion noted that hourly use for open‑play is unchanged and that the larger flat rates reflect staff setup time rather than the number of hours an event runs.
The approved policy keeps the senior room free and allows reduced rates if renters handle setup and cleanup themselves (staff said a $200 staffed municipal room rental drops to $75 if the renter provides setup/cleanup). Staff also committed to publishing the hourly gym rental rates and to evaluating whether additional package options might address small children’s parties and other short events.
Action: motion to approve the Gillum Recreation Center and library room rental rates as presented — approved by the commission. The transcript does not list a roll‑call tally.
What’s next: staff said they will publish the full set of fees and clarify hourly rental options for the gym and will continue to consider resident input on sliding‑scale or bundled packages.
