River Heights discusses basement rental fee increases, nonprofit exceptions and keyless entry upgrade

River Heights City Council discussed proposed amendments to the city basement rental policy, including higher security deposits and increased hourly rates, a pathway for fee waivers for nonprofit groups with local affiliation, and an estimated $2,900 capital cost to convert the building to a keyed/fob entry system.

Staff said the proposed changes raise the refundable deposit from $100 to $200 and increase hourly rental fees from $50 per five-hour block to $100; an additional hourly or cleanup charge would apply beyond the baseline. Sheila and Clayton reviewed language clarifications and recommended removing a sentence that required a majority of attendees be River Heights residents. Council members agreed the person renting the building should be a River Heights resident (or the council can waive fees for nonprofit uses) but that policing the attendee list is impractical; the sentence referencing the attendee-majority requirement was removed from the draft.

Council members discussed risk-management approaches (higher deposits, credit-card hold for damages, and the option to revisit the policy after a trial period). Staff noted a vendor quote of about $2,900 to install a coded/keyless entry tied to the city27s existing system; staff will place the purchase request on a future agenda for further consideration.

Council indicated no immediate vote was required on the policy changes; staff will revise the draft and return it to council if substantive changes remain.