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Select board moves facilities‑use policy forward and adds Henniker Historical Society to no‑fee list
Summary
After public comment and legal review of deed language, the board agreed to include the Henniker Historical Society among community organizations eligible for no‑fee use of the Henniker Community Center and moved the policy to a third reading. The board discussed deed restrictions, insurance, and whether religious groups should be treated case‑by‑case.
The Henniker Select Board on Sept. 3 reviewed a second reading of a revised facilities‑use policy and approved adding the Henniker Historical Society to a list of community organizations eligible for no‑fee use of the Henniker Community Center; the board then moved the policy to a third reading.
Town Administrator Diane Kendall summarized staff work on the policy and on a March 30, 2002 deed conveying the building from a Masonic association. Kendall said the deed lists intended users (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other community groups) but does not include an explicit remedy if the board departs from those terms. "In this deed, there was no remedy spelled out," Kendall said, noting legal counsel indicated the issue is largely in the board’s discretion but could give rise to civil action in theory.
Several board members discussed how to treat religious organizations and whether to apply the same fee‑waiver approach to other town facilities (the Grange, the bandstand). One member said fee waivers could be handled routinely via the board’s consent agenda to reduce administrative load; another asked whether it made sense to keep the community center treated separately because of the deed.
Public comment: Sue Fetzer of the Henniker Historical Society asked that the society be included on the no‑fee list along with the Rotary, Lions and PTO. "While we're not yet to the point where we can offer monthly educational programs, it's one of our goals," Fetzer said. Board members supported the addition.
Board action: A motion to allow no‑fee use of the Henniker Community Center by a specific list of community organizations, subject to application and appropriate insurance, passed 5–0. A second motion moved the select‑board policy to a third reading; that motion also passed unanimously.
What happens next: Staff will prepare materials for the third reading and identify the procedure for fee waivers, insurance certificates and any specific limitations tied to deed restrictions.
