Bluff council approves purchase of 50 cushioned folding chairs; council debates rental fees, storage and membership rules for community center

The Bluff Town Council voted unanimously to purchase 50 cushioned folding chairs for community use and rental and discussed wider rental policy questions for the community center, pavilion and Fire Mesa Kitchen.

Malia Collins, a town staff member who manages rentals and programming, told the council the chairs under consideration cost about $27.98 each at a national retailer and that 50 chairs would cost roughly $1,500 including delivery timing of two to three weeks. “If it's being rented out, I'd say probably a 100. If it's just for the pavilion, I'd say 50. What if we started with 50,” Collins said during the discussion.

Council vote and storage A motion to purchase 50 folding chairs passed unanimously. The council discussed storage logistics; Collins suggested using the town’s shipping container or Room 2 to store the new chairs so they would not be moved off site when not rented.

Rental policy and waiver discussion Council members discussed whether the town should remove rental fees for local residents or limit waivers. The following policy and operational points were raised: - Cleaning fee: staff proposed requiring payment of a nonrefundable cleaning fee before a rental is placed on the calendar; several council members said the cleaning fee should remain and should cover staff time to open, clean and close the facility. - Waivers and eligibility: council members debated whether residents in the Bluff ZIP code (discussed as 84512 during the meeting) should be eligible for a cleaning‑fee‑only arrangement while non‑residents would pay full rental fees. No final policy change was adopted; the council scheduled a July work session to review rental fees, the number of waived events, and the cost to operate the community center so members could decide whether rental fees should cover costs or be treated as a community service. - Storage and membership for Fire Mesa Kitchen: Collins proposed continuing the current rule of no long‑term dry‑food or kitchenware storage in shared areas; council members discussed allowing a single cabinet rental for long‑term members after a year of good standing but agreed to revisit the proposal after more analysis.

Charges and logistics staff noted - Suggested rental pricing examples raised in discussion: $40 per day (with pick‑up/drop‑off expected) and an alternative of $60 per day if staff must deliver and pick up chairs. - Existing inventory: Collins said the town already owned about 100 older folding and stacking chairs; the new chairs would be cushioned folding chairs meant to stay in the building when not rented.

Next steps Council members asked staff to compile a detailed cost‑of‑operation breakdown showing costs to run the facility and historical rental use (parties, funerals, 501(c)(3) events, etc.) and to present fee/waiver options at a work session scheduled for July 24 at 4 p.m.

Ending: The chair purchase was approved and staff were directed to return with a rental fee analysis and options for storage and membership rules.