Trustees weigh facility rental policy, rates and customer service for district conference center and auditorium

LAREDO ISD staff presented options Nov. 3 for rental rates and policy for district facilities, including the conference center/auditorium (capacity noted at about 1,460 seats) and asked trustees for guidance on fee levels and waivers.

Angel Velasquez outlined four levels of use: district use (level 1), nonprofit use without admission charges (level 2), nonprofit events that charge admission (level 3), and private commercial events (level 4). He said the district can charge fees to cover labor, supplies and security when staff time is required and described the potential to generate revenue while preserving access for community groups.

Trustees emphasized consistent application of fees ("either everybody gets charged or nobody gets charged") and raised customer service problems that led to the district losing a rental opportunity. Trustees asked staff to identify market rates and present recommended fees, and several said administrative implementation of standard rates would be appropriate while board-level decisions should handle requests for fee waivers.

Staff and trustees also discussed ancillary costs, such as police, custodial overtime and other labor, and the need to define whether certain uses (for example, weddings or private quinceaeras) would be permitted under district policy. Velasquez said he will return with market comparisons and recommended fee structure for board consideration.