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Brentwood City Commission Agenda

Meeting Date:	10/28/2019
Resolution 2019-96 - Approval of Updated Policies and Procedures for the Cool Springs House
Submitted by:	Deanna Lambert, Community Relations
Department:	Community Relations

Information

Subject

Resolution 2019-96 - Approval of Updated Policies and Procedures for the Cool Springs House

Background

Since 1994, the City of Brentwood has owned and operated the Cool Springs House located in Crockett Park as a rental space for weddings, social events, and business meetings. When the City opened the home to rentals, it adopted policies and procedures to assist staff with operating the facility. Those policies were then updated in 2013 and more recently in 2017. Since the last update, the number of rentals at the Cool Springs House has increased by nearly 70%. Staff recently reviewed and compared rates and general policies to other comparable venues in Middle Tennessee to ensure the City is operating the home in the most efficient and effective manner possible.

Proposed changes include modifications to the rental rates, cancellation and rescheduling policies, wedding planner requirements, and limitations on how the house and grounds may be used. The major changes proposed are summarized as follows:

	CURRENT	PROPOSED
Rates
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 9a - 11p	$850	$950
Seasonal: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 9a - 11p	$750	$850
Additional Hours for Early Access	- None -	Hourly
Special Weekday Hourly Rate When Not Booked 14 Days Out	- None -	Hourly

Cancellations - Refunds
More than 180 days from event date	100% refund	50% refund
Between 180 days and 90 days from event date	If rebooked, refund value of new booking only	25% refund
Less than 90 days	If rebooked, refund value of new booking only	No Refund

Rescheduling of Dates
Between 180 days and 90 days from event date	No Rescheduling Fee	15% Rescheduling Fee
	Off-peak rebooking only; within 12 months only	Any date within 12 months

Policies
Refundable Security Deposit	$1,000 deposit required	No deposit required. Damages billed to client per contract.

Rate changes reflect increased demand for weekend peak and off-peak seasonal rentals, early access for renters, and special hourly rates for late booking short-term events. Changes to the cancellation policies are due to the large amount of customer service hours spent on each client prior to cancellations, for which the current policy provides no compensation to the City. Other fees were added for situations where the house is not vacated properly at the end of the rental period (tents or vendor rentals left in place, personal items left at the house, improper setup/teardown of CSH rental items, etc.). These situations often require additional manpower to remedy and can adversely affect the events that follow.

Some of the more minor modifications to the policies include provisions for tent sharing among renters, consumption of alcohol in dressing areas, large animal restrictions, and limitations on how the house and its furniture may be used.

Staff proposes to use a separate policies and procedures guideline for business meeting event rentals since there are different requirements. Additions to these guidelines include: eliminating the cleaning fee since renters are only allowed in the designated areas; providing that business rentals include an extra hour on the rental timeline for no additional fee; more clearly explaining the usage of the facility and venue rental items; and clarifying that no alcohol may be consumed at a business meeting. In the event a business wanted to book and consume alcohol, the client would need to book an event rental and would be required to sign our general policies and procedures for events.

All suggested edits are highlighted in red on the attachments to this resolution. Please contact the Community Relations Director or Assistant City Manager with any questions

Staff Recommendation

Staff recommends approval of the attached resolution adopting the updated Operating Policies and Procedures for the Cool Springs House.

Previous Commission Action

Approval of Updated Operating Policies and Procedures for the Cool Springs House in 2017 and 2013.

Fiscal Impact

Attachments
Resolution 2019-96
CSH Policies and Procedures
CSH Business Meeting Policies
Signed Resolution