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HomeMy WebLinkAbout(2006, 10/10) - I-7 AmendedLIBRARY MEETING ROOMS Background I-7 The large meeting room in the Newport Beach Central Library is known as the Friends Meeting Room (Friends Room). The small meeting room at the Central Library is known as the Conference Room. The meeting room at the Crean Mariners Library is known as the Vincent Jorgensen Room (Jorgensen Room). The Jorgensen Room is administered by the Recreation and Senior Services Department. The Library Board of Trustees and the Library Services Department (Department) administer the Library and its meeting rooms. These rooms are the primary source of meeting space for library programs and activities. The City has a shortage of large meeting space and City officers and employees frequently need to use the meeting rooms for City business on very short notice. Moreover, public use of the Library meeting rooms takes staff away from their normal duties and can, if uncontrolled, interfere with the public's use and enjoyment of the library. The City needs to limit the amount and timing of the use of the Library meeting rooms by other than Library and City officials and employees to protect the public interest. Application This Policy shall not apply to use of the Library meeting rooms for Library or Library sponsored activities and programs and City or City sponsored activities and programs. The Library staff, the Board of Library Trustees, the City and its officers and employees and the Friends of the Library and Library Foundation when used for programs and activities directly related to Library functions and purposes; shall be entitled to use the Library meeting rooms at any time subject only to confirming availability with the Library Services Director. Purpose The purpose of this Policy is to establish: A. Procedures for processing and approving or disapproving requests from private persons, groups or organizations for permission to use the Library meeting rooms; B. Priorities for the use of the Library meeting rooms to ensure its availability to the City and its officers and employees and to resolve any conflict related to requests for use by others; and 1 I-7 C. Standards and criteria for the use of the Library meeting rooms to ensure there is no conflict with the public's use of the City Libraries and no significant impact on the workload of staff. Procedure Any person, group or entity seeking permission to use the Library meeting rooms (applicant) shall submit an application on the form provided by the Department. The applicant shall provide all information requested in the application and such additional information as may reasonably be required by the Library Services Director to enable him/her to determine if use by the applicant will comply with this Policy. Applications shall not be considered complete unless accompanied by required fees and proof of insurance. No person, group or entity shall be entitled to use of the Library meeting rooms unless their application has been approved by the Library Services Director or his/her designee. No application shall be approved within one year after the applicant's failure to comply with the standard conditions of use or any special conditions imposed by the Department Director. No application shall be approved until the applicant establishes that any fees, donations or admissions charged for use of the Library meeting rooms will be for non-profit fundraising purposes or limited to defraying the actual costs and expenses of the activity or program for which the application is submitted. Standard Conditions to Use Applications for use of the Library meeting rooms are approved subject to permittee's compliance with the following standard conditions to use: A. The use of alcoholic beverages is prohibited unless expressly approved in writing by the Director and subject to the approval of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. B. Smoking is prohibited in the Library meeting rooms, and the entire Library facility, including restrooms C. At least one (1) adult shall be present in the Library meeting rooms for every twenty (20) minors in attendance. Each adult necessary to maintain the required adult/minor ratio shall remain in the Library meeting rooms for the duration of the permitted use. D. No person shall interfere with the normal use and activities of the Library by way of noise, disturbance or other activity. 2 I-7 E. Groups of one hundred (100) or more persons shall be required to provide proof of off-site parking availability (off-site parking plan) prior to approval of the application and shall strictly comply with the parking plan. F. Meetings or activities conducted at the Library meeting rooms may not be advertised or promoted as City or Library sponsored activities. All materials used for advertising or announcing a meeting or activity to be conducted in a Library meeting room shall be submitted to the Library Services Director at least ten (10) days prior to the use for the sole purpose of determining if the material complies with this condition. The Library Services Director shall notify the permittee of his/her determination that the material complies or does not comply with the condition within two business days after submittal. G. Meetings or activities in the Friends Room shall not exceed 200 persons. H. The Library meeting rooms shall not be used for private social functions such as weddings, music rehearsals, etc. unless rehearsals are necessary as part of a Library or City sponsored public concert, or production which is scheduled to be performed in the Library meeting rooms. I. Use of the Friends Room and Conference Room is limited to 9:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday through Saturday. J. The provision of insurance should be general liability, naming the City and its officers, agents, officials, employees and volunteers as additional insureds, providing coverage in the amount of not less than $1,000,000 for any claim, loss, injury, damage or other casualty that is in any way related to the use and/or occupancy of the Library meeting rooms by the permittee authorized to use the Library meeting rooms pursuant to this Policy. K. The agreement of the permittee to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City and its officers and employees with respect to any claim, loss, or injury that arises out of, or is in any way related to permittee's use and occupancy of the Library meeting rooms. L. Applications for reservations may be made no more than 90 days in advance and no more than once every 90 days. Priorities of Use A. FIRST PRIORITY 3 I-7 1. Any official Newport Beach Public Library co-sponsored and/or conducted programs and activities that are directly related to library functions and purposes. 2. Any meeting or activity conducted by any organization of which the City is a member and whose purpose is consistent with the educational and informational function of the Library. B. SECOND PRIORITY Use of the Library meeting rooms may be granted by the Library Services Director to those persons, organizations or entities listed below on a first come first serve basis: 1. Sponsored educational or informational programs and activities of other state or local public agencies such as local public schools or special districts. 2. Recreational, social or civic organizations and/or groups that are promoted and sponsored by City residents or City non-profit organizations that are open to the public and have fifty percent (50%) or more of memberships consisting of Newport Beach residents. 3. Recreational, social or civic organizations and/or groups that are non- resident promoted and sponsored by non-profit organizations that are open to the public, but do not qualify under B.2. 4. Schools, colleges, hospitals or other similar civic groups not qualifying under the definition of non-profit. Non-profit status is defined as an organization that is so defined by the Internal Revenue Service Section 501C3 and has a state of California Tax Identification Number 19 I-7 Fees, Deposits and Cancellation Procedures Fees may be charged for the use of the Library meeting rooms. Fees shall be established by Resolution of and periodically adjusted by the City Council on the recommendation of the Board of Library Trustees. Fees shall be limited to an amount necessary to defray the costs associated with the administration of this policy and the maintenance and repair associated with the public's use of the Library meeting rooms. History Adopted 0-1 - 7-14-1980 Amended 0-1 -11-28-1988 Amended 0-1 -10-28-1991 Amended 0-1 - 2-27-1995 (changed to I-21) Amended I-21 - 2-24-1997 Amended I-21 - 5-8-2001 Amended I-21 - 4-8-2003 (changed to I-7) Amended I-7 -10-10-2006 5