Narberth committee advances changes to facilities rental policy, pushes weeknight events to 10 p.m.

The Narberth Finance & Administration Committee on June 16 revisited a facilities rental policy memo first circulated in February, focusing on event timing, alcohol use, fees and recurring-user rules that staff say are intended to reduce heavy cleanup burdens on borough housemen and streamline administration.

Staff explained that alcohol use for indoor rentals (for example, the multipurpose room at 100 Conway) is now covered by a drafted indemnification agreement and clarified insurance requirements for applicants who serve or bring alcohol. "We have since made that change as well to our application form, so that has been in effect," a staff member said, noting the rules apply to indoor borough facilities and that alcohol remains prohibited in parks.

Why it matters: staff and housemen said late-ending, high-cleanup events (tables, food, mopping) have created operational strain because housemen must ready the space for weekday morning users and also respond to emergency service calls. To reduce that burden, the committee has already adopted a policy change limiting events on "school nights" (Sunday through Thursday) to a 10:00 p.m. closed-out requirement, meaning the space and cleanup must be completed and staff walking out the door by 10:00 p.m.

Staff reviewed current fees and deposits as examples for the committee: a nonexempt multipurpose-room rental was described as having a $300 application fee plus a $100 refundable security deposit that the borough holds (not deposited) until after the event; the staff member said the borough could retain the deposit for damage or policy violations if the policy language allows it and following solicitor review. Staff advised the committee that some administrative approaches to fines (for example an automatic per-minute charge) could create back-office burdens that outweigh expected revenue.

The committee discussed enforcement options, including discrete penalty amounts and a discretionary approach where housemen report egregious violations that could trigger deposit retention. Committee members also asked staff to develop clearer definitions distinguishing ‘‘community meetings or presentations’’ (podium and chairs) from ‘‘party-style’’ events that require extensive deep cleaning so that rules do not inadvertently bar routine neighborhood meetings that include light refreshments.

On recurring users, staff proposed requiring a recurring-user agreement for any group meeting more than twice in a two-month window. The change aims to move long-standing groups (for example, New Horizons, Girls on the Run and the Youth Aid Panel) from month-by-month applications to a single annual agreement to reduce administrative work and clarify scheduling and equipment needs.

Staff also noted audiovisual limitations in the multipurpose room's decades-old PA and microphone system and said users must request equipment in advance; staff are evaluating modest microphone upgrades as an interim fix while a full remodel is deferred to a later capital project.

Next steps: staff will consult housemen and the borough solicitor about precise late-fee language, draft definitions that separate high-cleanup "party" events from routine community meetings, and return to the committee with recommended policy language for adoption at a future meeting.

The Finance & Administration Committee did not make a final vote on the facilities policy on June 16; it paused further action to let staff develop recommended language.