Norris considers new facilities rental rates, public-use policy
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT? Norris Mayor Chris Mitchell and his wife, Pam Turner, told the Norris Community Develop- ment Board during its meeting last Thursday that they had purchased this 1.76-acre lot (not including the gazebo area) along West Norris Road across from the Norris Town Center for use as a possible business development. Mitchell said plans for the property are still in development, and will be revealed later. During last week’s City Council meeting, there was a discussion about repairing or rebuilding the gazebo, which sits on a small piece of land owned by the city. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
The City Council discussed during last Tuesday’s council meeting proposals brought by City Manager Adam Ledford that would raise the rental rate for each location to $150 for a five-hour period, up from the current $60, and restrict the City Council’s boardroom in the Community Building to official city business only.
No action was taken, as the council – at Councilman Chuck Nicholson’s request – decided to delay the matter for further study and citizen input.
Nicholson suggested that the 150% increase in the rental rate for each facility might be too much, but council members Loretta Painter and Will Grinder disagreed.
“I’m OK with the [proposed new] price,” Painter said.
Ledford said the increases would help the city cover its costs for renting out the facilities, including cleanup.
City staff checked with other area cities that have similar facilities for rent, and found that even the $150 rate would be a bargain.
Grinder said he believes the increase to $150 is “not too expensive.”
“We need that to cover our costs,” he said.
But Nicholson wanted action to be delayed “to get public input,” and suggested that the city staff publish a notice requesting comments from citizens.
As it stands, rental charges apply only to private use of the facilities, such as for birthday parties, and not for use by Norris community clubs or official city functions.
Ledford said the city regularly rents out the facilities, and that many users come in from out of town, and are not Norris residents.
In response, the city issued a notice seeking public input on changes in the rental fees and policies.
“The City of Norris is currently reviewing its rental and use policies for public facilities,” the notice reads. “At present, the city offers rental opportunities for the Lions Pavilion and the Norris Community Building. However, due to rising maintenance costs and concerns over the condition of facilities when returned, we are considering updates to the city’s facility rental policies.”
The key proposed changes include:
• Fees structure: Adjustments to rental fees to better reflect the costs of facility upkeep.
• Restricting use of the boardroom: Limiting the use of the boardroom in the Community Building to official city business.
• Renter cleanup responsibilities: Creation of a checklist that all renters must complete when finished with the facility.
• Renter setup and post-use responsibilities: Outlines renter obligations for setting up and leaving the facilities in good condition.
The notice says that people may view the current rental policy as well as the proposed updates on the city’s website at cityofnorris.com/news/november-15th-2024.
These changes likely will be considered during the next council meeting, set for Dec. 16.
In other business last week, the council:
• Delayed approving a new contract for cellular telephone service for city employees and departments until the city staff conducts research to determine which companies offer coverage over all of the city, rather than having dead spots.
This came in response to the city manager’s recommendation that the new city cellphone contract be awarded to AT&T, which was the low bidder – and offered the only fully responsive bid – for the city’s business in a recent solicitation for proposals.
The other two bids came from US Cellular and T-Mobile.
