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Building Use
Our insurance will cover participants if your group, like the Knitting Group which meets in our building, has the following criteria:
· is in keeping with our Church mission and vision
· is open to any and all in the congregation
· is sanctioned by the Board to become a part of our monthly offerings in the QCU
The text of the Building Use Policy is listed below. Please go to the Building Use Forms page in the orange sub-menu (or click this link) to access the contracts for different types of building use.
BUILDING USE POLICY
OF THE UNITARIAN CHURCH, DAVENPORT, IOWA
Approved 10/12/08
I. FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDINGS
A. This policy statement of the building use committee will facilitate the scheduling of events at the Unitarian Church by the church secretary, according to the rules and forms accompanying this document.
B. The purpose of use must be fully disclosed by the user. If the proposed use is found to be unfairly exclusive or at odds with our mission, requests may be denied.
C. The following groups have pre-existing relationships with our church, and their on-going use of the building will not be covered by this document but by separate consideration: Quad Citians Affirming Diversity, Hersong, Chamber Music Quad Cities, Etude Club, American Civil Liberties Union
II PRIORITIES , DEFINITIONS OF USE, SCHEDULING
A. All space use will be prioritized based on date of application and availability. ONLY THE CHURCH SECRETARY WILL ENTER SCHEDULED REQUESTS ON THE CHURCH CALENDAR. thus check with the secretary first for availability.
B. CHURCH COMMITTEES AND CHURCH SPONSORED ACTIVITIES have priority, but if your meeting is not on the calendar, that room can be reserved by others. Requests for meeting space should be made to the church secretary by filling out the building request form or by DIRECT phone conversation with the church secretary. It is expected that these groups will clean up after themselves, including putting all dishes and furniture back where it was found, carrying the trash to the dumpster, taking recyclables home, and cleaning up the floors and grounds of any litter caused by the event.
C. PERSONAL USE; Church members and contributing friends are entitled to personal use of the church once per year, with rental charges waived, for life cycle events such as birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, reunions, or family dinners. This privilege is not to be used for fundraising by outside organizations, nor for conducting business operations in which attendees pay a fee, nor for functions sponsored by or for an outside organization. Member weddings and memorial services are religious services and are not considered personal use. A building request form, policy agreement, alcohol agreement (if applicable), and janitorial fee (based on the number of guests and/or the use of the kitchen) must be submitted to the church secretary before the event can be scheduled. This fee will not be returned, but will compensate our janitor for cleaning floors and bathrooms as needed. All other clean-up is the responsibility of the member.
The community room may be used free of charge by our members for small meetings on an occasional basis. The key deposit must be made to the secretary.
D. OUTSIDE REQUESTS FOR USE INCLUDING FUND RAISERS: Building use request forms, policy agreement, alcohol policy agreement (if appropriate) and
janitorial fees must be completed before date is set on calendar. The normal rental fees and custodial fees will be assessed according to the attached chart. Organizations will receive a discount based on their annual budgets as noted in the chart. If the funds raised by an organization fail to cover costs or threaten their future operations, such organizations can appeal to the board after the event to have the fees waived.
III. PUBLICITY
A. All publicity for non-church events must have the approval of the Board of Trustees if there is any stated or implied sponsorship. The name of the church may be used as a part of the address of any event.
B. If a telephone number isto be published, the number of the organization or responsible person must be given. The church telephone number is not to be used.
C. In advertising, the price of tickets must alwavs contain the word "donation" or "contribution".
IV. DECORATIONS AND FURNISHINGS
A. No pins, staples, tacks, cellophane tape, nails or any other potentially damaging materials are to be used on any part of the permanent structure of the building. Please use masking tape for posting and decorating.
B. Nothing is to be placed on the piano
C. No rice will be used. Bird seed is a satisfactory alternative.
V. BEVERAGE AND ALCOHOL POLICY (See attached agreement )
A. Serving beverages other than water in the Great Room (Sanctuary) must have prior approval from the Building Committee. If alcoholic beverages are served, an Alcohol Policy Agreement must be signed, and a copy of the declaration page of the responsible party's homeowner policy showing the limits of the policy must be provided. The Unitarian Church will be held harmless for any damages or attorney fees which may be sustained as a result of serving alcoholic beverages at any function for which the church is used.
VI. SMOKING IS NOT PERMITTED IN THE BUILDING
VII. CANCELLATION: If an event is cancelled with less than two weeks notice, $50.00 will be retained from the damage deposit.
VIII. KEYS
A. There are two types of keys for building access:
1. The main entrance key, which will open all exterior doors, and which requires knowledge of the security system. One of the keyholders must be present in order to access the building.
2. The Community Entrance Key, which opens only the entrance at the upper northeast corner of the building near the Community Room.
B. Community Room Keys may be loaned on a short-term basis to individual church members, contributing friends, and members of the larger community after approval for use of the building has been secured and the event has been listed on the church calendar. This key, along with instructions for the thermostat and a list of emergency phone numbers, may be obtained by contacting the Church Secretary during regular office hours. There will be a $25.00 key deposit, refundable when the key is returned.
C. The Church is protected with an electronic security system which requires that an identification code be used upon entering the church with the exception of the Community Room Entrance. Personnel entrusted with this code include the Minister, members of the Board of Trustees, Committee Chairs, Church Custodian, and the Church Secretary. For all rental and personal use events, it is the responsibility of the Building Use Committee to assign one of the above personnel to be physically present to input this code for church entrance. Assignment will be based on the presence of any of the above at the rental event; otherwise the Board Lockup Trustee for the week will be notified to perform the task or find another representative with code access.
IX. PIANO
A. The piano is locked. For rental purposes, the person responsible for unlocking the church will also unlock the piano. The fee for use of the instrument is $25.00.
B. NOTHING EXCEPT MUSIC SHALL BE PLACED UPON THE PIANO.
C. The piano is tuned approximately twice each year. If special tuning is requested, there will be an additional charge and the church's tuner will perform the procedure.
X. CHAIRS
A. For rental purposes, chairs can only be removed from the Great Room (Sanctuary) with permission of the Building use Committee. The church custodian, his designees, or contracted help can remove and replace the chairs. A fee of $100 will be charged.
