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Willows Council Seeks Options to Tighten Facility Rental Rules, AV Security and Fee Structure
Summary
Council directed staff to return with options to update the city’s facility rental policy, including fee structures, audiovisual (AV) security, training or staffing for AV use, and use of the reservation portal.
The Willows City Council discussed updates to the city’s facility rental policy and directed staff to return with options that would make the process fairer and protect the council chambers’ audiovisual equipment.
Staff told the council that the existing policy lacks criteria for fee waivers and that other local agencies charge significantly higher rates for similar facilities. Council members reported repeated problems with external users tampering with audio-visual equipment, changing room configurations, and leaving the chambers in disarray after rentals.
Council members outlined several policy options for staff to prepare: maintain the room as a city-only facility, lock and secure the AV equipment and permit renters to bring their own devices, offer an a la carte fee schedule (room, AV, staffing) with AV rented only with trained or staffed support, or develop criteria for fee waivers with greater transparency. Staff suggested integrating reservations and billing through the city’s new recreation portal and charging an hourly rate for any city employee required to staff external events, with increments (for instance, 15-minute increments) to capture actual staff time.
Council members also suggested practical steps to reduce misuse: requiring a security deposit or user agreement, offering the AV only when a city-paid operator is present, and creating an equipment-securement plan. Several council members said they preferred keeping basic room use free or low-cost for small community groups but recognized the need to recover costs for equipment, staff time, and repairs.
Council consensus was to ask staff to return with two or three concrete options (for instance, option A and option B) that identify fees, staffing needs, AV-training or staffing costs, reservation procedures, and a recommended approach to waivers and first-right considerations for recurring community users. No formal ordinance or fee schedule was adopted at the meeting; staff will prepare detailed proposals for a future meeting.
