Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board debates chair covers, linens and rental fees for Whitcomb Hall
Summary
Board members discussed dirty chairs at Whitcomb Hall, the use of chair covers and table linens, hygiene concerns raised by HR, and options including an optional rental fee, a linen service and attorney review of liability provisions.
At the Select Board meeting, members spent substantial time on Whitcomb Hall operations after the facilities manager raised concerns about dirty chairs and the recent introduction of chair covers. The facilities manager and board members described chairs as "disgusting" and noted several events where renters expected tablecloths or use of a back room; one board member suggested offering covers as an opt-in rental so renters who want a polished look could pay a small fee rather than forcing a higher base rental rate.
Board members raised hygiene and liability concerns. The Chair said Human Resources advised that town staff should not launder linens or chair covers in the municipal kitchen for sanitary reasons and recommended the board consider a contracted linen service. A committee member recommended consulting the town attorney and pausing cover use until contract language and liability exposure are clarified: "we need to come to a resolution of that with our attorney before we continue to use them," a committee member said.
Practical options the board asked staff to research included: a linen pickup/drop-off bundle from a vendor that already serves public works; adding an optional per-event cover or linen fee (examples discussed: $1 per chair or a $50 event cleaning surcharge); staging stored chair covers and tablecloths for rent; and using expendable trust funds or a slow, piecemeal purchase plan to replace the worst chairs. The board asked a subcommittee to draft contract language and fee options for consideration at a subsequent meeting.
