Board endorses Cape Center rental rates, adds cleaning fee and deposit clarifications

The Culture & Leisure Services Board voted to recommend the City Council adopt Proposal B for Cape Center rental rates and to include a standard cleaning fee in the fee schedule.

Staff said the Cape Center will primarily serve nonprofit groups and proposed discounts calibrated by organization type: national charitable organizations, Brevard‑based charities, social welfare organizations and a small set of community partners that would receive deeper discounts under an existing board policy (Resolution 2023‑12). The director said staff chose rates comparable to similar local cultural centers and designed the schedule to avoid undervaluing the facility.

Brandon, assistant facility and program manager for the Cape Center, described operational practices for deposits and cleaning: staff are generally on site and charges or deposit withholding would be applied only when an event left “anything outside the bounds of normality,” such as extensive mess or damage. “We’re generally staffed there, so that’s kind of built into the facility,” Brandon said.

Board members debated whether to make a cleaning fee mandatory for all rentals or to retain cleaning as part of a refundable deposit. The board approved adding a cleaning fee column and discussed a proposed standard of $50 for daily and gallery rentals, with the classroom cleaning fee set at $50 or not to exceed 50% of the rental fee; the board also kept the standard $150 deposit for larger outdoor events where applicable.

A motion to recommend Proposal B for the Cape Center with the addition of a cleaning fee column was seconded and passed by the board. The recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for final adoption and staff will provide the council with the proposed fee language and fee amounts.