Council tables Heritage Center barn rental-rule changes after debate over deposits, insurance and safety limits

The Ellettsville Town Council debated proposed changes to Heritage Center barn rental rules on Feb. 2 and voted to table the item to permit staff to refine the policy.

Parks and events staff said the existing requirement for a certificate of insurance creates administrative burdens and may not fully protect the town when renters have high deductibles or when claims are denied. Staff described a compromise discussed previously: accept either a $500 damage deposit or event-coverage insurance that includes liability coverage. "We don't understand why we would have a certificate of insurance...we have insurance on our property anyway," a parks staff member said.

Councilors raised several practical concerns: verifying the authenticity of certificates, timing of deposit payments, the town’s ability to revoke rentals for public-safety reasons, and how to handle events that exceed occupancy limits. Staff noted an occupancy limit of 80 people is already in the posted rules and said they could draft revocation language and clearer examples of when the town could cancel an event for safety reasons. One council member asked whether the parks director should have authority to waive deposits for town employees or select institutions; others cautioned against arbitrary waivers and asked for a consistent policy.

After discussion the council voted to table the Heritage Center policy changes and asked staff to prepare revised policy language and application procedures for the next meeting.