City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: FEBRUARY 7, 2023 FROM: CITY MANAGER’S OFFICE WARDS: ALL
SUBJECT: FACILITY USE FEE EXEMPTIONS FOR 2020, 2021, AND 2022 ISSUE:
Receive and file a report on facility fee exemptions approved in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council receive and file a report on facility fee exemptions approved in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
BACKGROUND:
On November 27, 2018, the City Council approved a citywide Facility Fee Exemption Policy to establish consistency, equity, and fairness for evaluating and processing requests from external groups for facility fee exemptions. The Facility Fee Exemption Policy incorporated several existing departmental procedures and identified criteria that external groups must meet in order to receive a facility rental fee exemption. Fee exemptions are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be granted if the following criteria are met:
Event/program provides an in-kind or other contribution of goods, services or programs that will benefit the residents of Riverside; Event/program must be open to the public at no cost to participants, or have a low-cost element; Event/program is organized or co-sponsored by one or more of the following groups:
Other Governmental Agency
Local Public School
Community Service Group
Nonprofit Organization
Rental fee exemptions may also be granted for committees, boards, or commissions acting under the authority or direction of the City Council.
The policy does not permit facility fee exemptions for the following event/program types and allows the City to revoke fee exemptions if the use of the facility is in conflict with the adopted mission and priorities of the City or if it impacts normal facility operations:
Private events, including weddings and memorial services; Political/partisan activities that promote a campaign or candidate for public office; Commercial uses including any event that limits access to the facility by charging an entry fee or selling materials or services for a profit; Organizations that engage in propaganda or attempt to influence legislation; and Religious services or activities.
Approved fee exemptions are for facility and vacant property rental fees only and do not apply to staff time, equipment, audio/visual support, or other fees including applicable deposits and insurance.
The policy does not apply to the following City facilities, which are regulated by their own administrative policies, management agreements, or adopted procedures:
City Council Chambers
Fox Performing Arts Center
Grier Pavilion
Riverside Convention Center
Riverside Municipal Auditorium
The Box and the Showcase
Facility Policy Update
Due to cyber and physical security concerns associated with outside reservations of certain City facilities, in February 2020, the City Council approved additional policy language to exclude all Police Department, Fire Department, and Innovation and Technology Department facilities from being reserved by outside groups. Subsequently, these facilities are reservable only for department-specific training, meetings, administrative functions, or other events hosted by the department occupying the facility.
Additional language was also added to the “Exclusions” section of the policy to further clarify language relating to political/partisan activities.
Finally, with the addition of this language, the policy name was updated from Facility Fee Exemption Policy to Facility Use Policy, to reflect the additional provisions proposed in the policy.
DISCUSSION:
Facility Fee Exemptions
Each department is responsible for the review and approval, monitoring, and tracking of facility fee exemptions provided at their own facilities, and reporting this information to the City Manager’s Office. Per the Facility Use Policy, the City Manager’s Office presents this information to the City Council on an annual basis; however, due to the pandemic and facility closures, reporting was not done for 2020 and 2021. This report brings facility fee exemption reporting current.
Facility fee exemptions were approved for approximately 200 community groups, schools, nonprofit organizations, and other government agencies in 2020, 2021, and 2022 (Attachment 2). The majority of fee exemptions were granted for libraries and community centers, and one was granted for the Mission Square multi-purpose room. For comparison purposes, in 2019, approximately 160 facility fee exemptions were approved.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item contributes to Strategic Priority 1 – Arts, Culture and Recreation and Goal 1.5 – Support programs and amenities to further develop literacy, health, and education of children, youth and seniors throughout the community; and Strategic Priority 5 – High Performing Government and Goal 5.3 – Enhance communication and collaboration with community members to improve transparency, build public trust, and encourage shared decision-making.
This item aligns with each of the five Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – Reporting on facility fee exemptions is transparent and demonstrates decision-making based on sound policy.
Equity – The Facility Use Policy helps ensure equitable and fair consideration of fee exemption requests.
Fiscal Responsibility – Facility fee exemptions contribute to the success of community-based groups that offer free and low-cost programs that are open to the public.
Innovation – This item is neutral toward this Cross-Cutting Thread.
Sustainability & Resiliency – This item contributes to sustainability through the provision of facility fee exemptions to community-based groups, which allows these groups to provide on-going free and low-cost programs, activities, and services.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with receiving this report.
Prepared by: Lee Withers, Principal Management Analyst Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager/Chief Financial Officer/City Treasurer Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachments:
Facility Use Policy
2020, 2021, 2022 Facility Fee Exemptions
Facility Fee Exemptions in 2020, 2021, and 2022 ● Page 2