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River Heights council weighs revisions to city‑building rental policy, fees and access controls
Summary
Council discussed raising rental fees, tightening eligibility for resident‑use waivers, and adding electronic access controls; staff will redraft the policy for a future meeting.
Councilmember Chris presented a revised draft of the city‑building rental policy that proposed higher deposits and hourly fees and clarified who qualifies for reduced or waived fees.
Chris said the deposit would increase from $100 to $200 and that hourly or first‑block fees would be adjusted to reflect current costs. The draft also recommends limiting free or reduced access for nonprofits to organizations with a demonstrable connection to River Heights; the council discussed whether that language should be tightened or removed.
Councilmembers raised concerns about a draft clause that said a majority of attendees at a resident rental must be River Heights residents. Councilmember Lana said the phrasing could prevent ordinary family gatherings with out‑of‑town relatives. “I feel like that should be worded differently,” Lana said. Several members suggested the resident who makes the reservation must be present and accountable for damages rather than policing the makeup of attendees.
Staff and council discussed building access to the basement and the availability of rooms at the nearby former school building (the “old school”). Chris suggested using a pre‑reserved room at the old school rather than the city basement because of security and equipment stored in the basement; staff reported the property manager had told them available spaces were already spoken for and under lease review.
Council and staff also discussed installing an electronic door/access system so renters would not require staff to open and close the building. Clayton and Chris will obtain quotes for an access control system and for adding an ADA‑accessible door at the top of the basement stairs so renters who need the basement can use a programmed entry point.
The council directed staff to revise the policy language to emphasize resident responsibility for any damage and to return a final draft at the next council meeting. No vote was taken on the substantive policy changes at this session.
