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Dickinson Historic Railroad DepotReservation and Rental Policies
Dickinson Historic Railroad Center
1. FACILITIES: a. The Historic Railroad Center, hereafter referred to as “Facilities,” is owned by the City of Dickinson, Texas. It is comprised of the Dickinson Railroad Depot, the League City Railroad Depot, and the grounds surrounding those depots. It includes any artifacts, objects, displays, benches, or other physical devices or equipment associated with the grounds. b. The Facilities were
restored to their historic condition through the efforts of the City of
Dickinson, many citizens and businesses within the Dickinson community,
and members of the Dickinson Historical Society. The Facilities are to be
considered historical buildings, to be treated accordingly and in no way
to be abused or damaged. Any person or group desiring to rent all or a
part of the Facilities must be aware that the preservation and safety of
the Facilities is of paramount concern to the City of Dickinson, and no
use will be tolerated of the Facilities which in any way threatens harm or
damage to the Facilities.
c. Any person or group
desiring to rent the Facilities who cannot do so without accepting those
restrictions and limitations should consider an alternate facility.
d. Facilities will be
available for rentals Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday
from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight, and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. EXCLUDING the
following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Good Friday,
Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day
after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. If the holiday falls
on a Saturday or Sunday, the Facilities may not be available the Friday
prior to or the Monday after the holiday in accordance with the City of
Dickinson’s holidayschedule.
2. RESERVATIONS:
a. All reservations must be
made through the Tourism & Museum Director’s Office between the
hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 12 noon
on Friday, exclusive of holidays.
b. Permittee must be 18 years
of age to reserve the building and must be present at all times during the
function or activity.
c. Tentative reservations are
on a first-come, first-serve basis and may be made in person or by phone.
The Tourism & Museum Director will reserve a room up to one year in
advance.
d. All tentative reservations
must be confirmed with a signed permit by the Tourism & Museum
Director and the Permittee, as well as the payment of a Reservation and
Damage Deposit. No
oral agreements for the use of the Facilities are valid.
e. Reservation time periods
shall include decorating and clean up within the time frame rented.
f. All rental fees are due one
month prior to rental date. If rental fees are not paid one month prior to
rental date, then the deposit will be forfeited and the Tourism &
Museum Department may rebook the Facilities without any further obligation
to the person or organization that reserved Facilities. If the reservation is made less than one
month in advance all rental fees are due within ten working days of the
reservation, but in any event at least two days before the rental date.
g. All payments made less than
three weeks in advance of the rental date must be paid in cash, by credit
card, or by cashier’s check.
h. All
Rental Time Periods must be in consecutive hours. No Permittee will be
allowed to split a rental into multiple time periods for the purpose of
decorating. Additionally, once a rental time period is booked by the
Permittee, any reduction in hours will follow the cancellation policy.
i. Additional
hours may be added if the room desired is available and not booked by
another Permittee. A half-day (for decorating purposes) before the date of the
event can be scheduled two weeks in advance, according to the rental fee
schedule.
3. CANCELLATIONS AND
REFUNDS:
a. Cancellations for the
facilities must be made in writing and received by the Tourism &
Museum Director or designee (hereinafter collectively referred to as the
“Director”) in order to be eligible for a full refund of rental fees
and deposit. The following refund schedule will be adhered to as long as
all rental fees are paid in full at the time of cancellation. If rental
fees are not paid in full, the Permittee’s deposit will be applied
toward the balance due.
Six months’ notice: full
refund of rental fees and deposit Four months’ notice: 60%
refund of rental fees Two months’ notice: 30%
refund of rental fees Less than two months: No Refund b. The Tourism & Museum Department will promptly deposit all monies received from Permittees. The Tourism & Museum Department will not hold money, delay in depositing checks, or accept any postdated checks. c.
Reservation and Damage Deposits and Rental Fees are non-transferable.
Permittees are not allowed to transfer deposits or rental fees to another
reservation date or another individual to eliminate losing the deposit or
rental fees unless done six months prior to the reservation date.
d.
Deposit refunds will be issued after the event if the Facilities are
cleaned and left in the same or better condition as it was in prior to the
event, as determined at the sole discretion of the Director. Refunds take
approximately four weeks to process and mail. All refunds will be made
payable to and mailed to the Permittee at the address noted on the Rental
Permit.
e.
At no time shall a Permittee sublease or assign its reservation to another
person, group, or organization. No Permittee shall change or rotate the
Permittee’s designated hours with another renting party without doing so
through the Tourism & Museum Department.
f.
No single activity or group shall be permitted to monopolize any portion
of the Facilities. The frequency and usage of rooms will be at the
approval of the Director in order to best serve the interests of the
community.
g.
From time to time, and possibly without advance notice, it may be
necessary to cancel or postpone and reschedule reservations. The City and
the Permittee understand and agree that the event shall be cancelled or
rescheduled without any liability to the City. If the City cancels an
event, the City shall give a full refund to the Permittee. The City will,
nevertheless, endeavor to honor reservations made in compliance with this
policy.
h.
In the event of any such change or cancellation, the Permittee, by the
acceptance of the terms and conditions of this policy, agrees to release,
hold harmless, and discharge the City of Dickinson, its officers, agents,
and employees (collectively referred to in this paragraph as the
“City”) from and against all claims, demands, causes of actions of
every kind and character, including the cost of defense thereof for any
damages or loss that is caused or alleged to be caused by, arising out of,
or in connection with such change or cancellation, regardless of the
negligence of the City. It is the expressed intention of the parties
hereto, both the Permittee and the City, that the indemnity provided for
in this paragraph is indemnity by Permittee to indemnify and protect the
City from the consequences of the City’s own negligence, whether that
negligence is the sole or a concurring cause of the injury, death, or
damage. In the event that any action or proceeding is brought against the
City by reason of any of the above, Permittee further agrees and covenants
to defend the action or proceeding by legal counsel acceptable to the
City. The indemnity provision contained in this paragraph shall survive
expiration or earlier termination of the Permittee’s reservation
agreement.
4.
DECORATIONS
a.
Confetti and/or glitter are prohibited. No decorative or other materials
shall be taped, nailed, tacked, screwed, or otherwise physically attached
to any walls, tables, ceilings, or floors. No fog machines, rice, sand, or
sawdust are permitted on the premises.
5.
CATERING AND FOOD SERVICE:
a.
Any caterer hired by Permittee must be licensed by the Galveston County
Health District and must be an approved caterer by the City of Dickinson.
Each caterer must also have General Commercial Liability Insurance,
providing coverage of at least $1,000,000.00.
b.
An approved caterer is one who has provided the Tourism & Museum
Department with copies of its license from the Galveston County Health
District and copies of insurance policies showing at least $1,000,000.00
in coverage. Prior to being approved by the Department, representatives of
the caterer must complete a familiarization tour of the Facilities with a
representative of the Tourism & Museum Department.
c.
Permittee and guests may bring food and beverages for the event. Permittee
and attendees may not prepare or cook food on the Facilities without
receiving express prior approval from the Tourism & Museum Department.
d. There is no grease trap on the Facilities, therefore, anyone serving
any product resulting in grease residue or production will be required to
remove that grease from the Facilities at the end of the event. Any grease
spills must be completely cleaned up at the end of the event, or the
Permittee or caterer must pay for any such clean up.
e.
Prior to any event at which food and beverages will be served, the caterer
or Permittee must inform the Tourism & Museum Department of the plans
for the preparation and clean up of any such activity.
6.
CLEAN UP POLICIES:
a.
Clean up shall be defined by the Tourism & Museum Department as
cleaned and left in the same or better condition as it was prior to the
event, as determined at the sole discretion of the Department or designee.
b.
Permittee is required to perform a walk through after the event with the
staff person on duty to identify any damage or areas in need of clean up.
Any additional clean up required must be done within the time frame
rented. Additional time required for clean up by the Permittee will
forfeit the Reservation and Damage Deposit on file.
c.
Permittee is responsible for general clean up throughout the event,
including but not limited to, spills and trash. Permittee must provide
necessary materials for clean up.
d.
Permittees who decorate with balloons shall be responsible for removing
them from the Facilities.
e.
Any items not cleaned or any damage will result in some or all of the
Reservation and Damage Deposit being forfeited, and may result in
additional charges against Permittee depending on the amount of damage.
7.
SECURITY SERVICES:
a.
The Director and Chief of Police, at their discretion, shall determine if
security services are needed and the number of security officers required
for each event (see the chart below). If required, the security officer(s)
shall be utilized for a minimum of four hours per event. All security
officers must be either City of Dickinson Police Officers or other peace
officers contacted by the City to provide security services on behalf of
the Permittee. Some examples of events which require security include, but
are not limited to, events with alcohol, evening events, wedding
receptions, anniversary parties, dances, banquets, parties, and large
events over 100 guests.
b.
The above paragraph shall not prohibit the Permittee from hiring security
officers or additional security officers when the Director does not
require the same. Permittee understands and agrees that the Permittee
shall be solely responsible for the event and the safety of the Permittee
and all Permittee’s guests.
c.
Security personnel must be present 15 minutes prior to the start of the
event and must remain until the last person leaves the event. Security
must be engaged and compensated by the Permittee and approved by the City.
8.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES:
a.
Events that include the service of alcohol are to be conducted under the
laws of the State of Texas and regulations of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage
Commission, as well as under Chapter 3 of the Code of Ordinances of the
City of Dickinson. The City cannot be held liable for any damage suits
filed in connection with alcoholic beverages served to an intoxicated
guest. The Permittee is responsible for providing transportation for
intoxicated guests.
b.
Alcoholic beverages can be sold at Facilities with a permit. Alcoholic
beverages can be brought to Facilities by Permittee or by the
Permittee’s guests. All alcohol must be consumed inside the rooms and in
the specific area of Facilities that the Permittee rents.
c.
If a Permittee desires to sell alcohol, the Permittee must obtain a
Temporary Permit from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which will
require the approval of the Chief of Police of the Dickinson Police
Department and the City Administrator for the City of Dickinson. Permittee
must also obtain any Permit called for under Chapter 3 of the Code of
Ordinances of the City of Dickinson. Once the Permits are approved by the
Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the City of Dickinson, the
Permittee is required to present the originals for inspection to the
Tourism & Museum Director or a representative, and provide copies of
the Permits at that time. Those Permits must be presented to the Tourism
& Museum Director or a representative at least ten days before an
event. Failure to do so may result in the cancellation of the
Permittee’s event.
9.
OBJECTIONABLE CONDUCT:
a.
Any person whose conduct is disorderly or disruptive in any of the
following respects may be subject to removal from the premises:
i. Intoxication or any liquor
violations (minor consumption, minor
possession, etc.)
ii. Use of abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language
iii. Making offensive gestures or displays
iv. Abusing or threatening another person in an obviously offensive
manner
v. Making unreasonably loud noise
vi. Fighting with another person
vii. Vandalism
b.
If the City’s authorized representative, security personnel, or any
peace officer deems any other conduct inappropriate, the person engaged in
such conduct may be subject to removal from the premises. If the City’s
authorized representative, security personnel, or any peace officer deems
it necessary, the event at which such conduct has occurred may be
prematurely terminated.
c.
The Permittee of the event at which any such ejection occurs holds
harmless, indemnifies, and defends the City, its officers, agents, and
employees against any claim related to such ejection.
d.
Any of the above conduct may result in loss of Permittee’s deposit.
10. FIRE SECURITY
a.
The City of Dickinson Fire Prevention Code is enforced at all events.
b. The Permittee cannot store any fuel in Facilities. The Fire Marshall will secure fuel tanks, boats, vehicles, or other equipment on display in accordance with codes and ordinances.
c.
Regular exit doors, emergency doors, corridors, walkways, and fire
extinguishers shall not be blocked. Emergency exit doors are used for
emergencies only. An accessible fire lane must be maintained to all
fireplugs. All marked fire lanes must be kept open at all times.
d.
Permittee cannot attach anything to electrical conduits.
e.
A person shall not utilize or allow to be utilized an open flame in
connection with a public meeting or gathering for purposes of
deliberation, worship, entertainment, amusement, instruction, education,
recreation, or similar purposes. All flames must be properly contained.
f.
Candelabras or unity candles with flame-lighted candles are not allowed.
11.
CURFEWS, DANCES, AND PARTIES:
a.
The City of Dickinson Police Department will enforce the curfew ordinance
for all minors in the City limits. Curfew hours are 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on
any school day and seven days a week from midnight until 5 a.m. the
following day. A minor commits an offense if the minor remains in a public
place or on any premises during curfew hours without a proper defense,
including but not limited to: accompanied by a parent or guardian; engaged
in employment activity; or attending an official school, religious, or
other recreational activity supervised by adults and sponsored by the City
or a school district.
b.
A Parent shall be defined as a person who is the natural parent or an
adopted parent of the minor.
c.
A Guardian shall be defined as a person who, under court order, is the
guardian, managing conservator of a minor.
d.
Any dance or party involving teenagers will require a minimum of two
security officers, plus one additional officer if there are more than 50
attendees. A large number of adult volunteers will be required to be
present in the Facilities to monitor the restrooms, public areas, and the
event itself. Any invitations concerning the dance or party must include a
statement that youth attending it should not be dropped off at the
Facilities more than 15 minutes prior to the start of the event, and a
statement that any youth must be picked up at the Facilities no more than
15 minutes after the ending time for the event. Prior to the rental being
accepted by the Tourism & Museum Director, the maximum number of
attendees will be established. Once that maximum number of attendees has
arrived, any others attempting to attend the event will be turned away
from the doors of the Facilities.
12.
MUSEUM USE AND RENTAL
a.
The Dickinson Railroad Depot will house a Museum concerning the history of
the Dickinson community. It will be open on dates and hours established by
the Tourism & Museum Department.
b.
If any other part of the Facilities is rented during the time the Museum
is open, the Museum will be available to attendees of any such event for
the standard admission price, which will also be set by the Tourism &
Museum Department.
c.
The Museum may be rented along with any other portion of the Facilities on
days and at times when the Museum is not normally open. Such rental will
require a separate Rental Fee and Reservation and Damage Deposit.
Additional security will be required for any event which utilizes the
Museum, including the presence at all times of at least two
representatives of the Tourism & Museum Department in the Museum.
Those representatives may be members of the Dickinson Historical Society.
Any security utilized in the Museum must be engaged and compensated by the
Permittee and approved by the City.
d.
In the event adequate representatives to be present at all times during
the event in the Museum cannot be provided, it may be necessary to cancel
the Permit to use the Museum for the event, and the City and the Permittee
understand and agree that the cancellation of the use of the Museum shall
be without any liability to the City. If such cancellation occurs, the
City shall give a full refund for the rental of the Museum to the
Permittee.
13.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
a.
Permittee, by the acceptance of the room reservation, assumes all
liability and responsibility for injuries, claims, or suits for damages to
person or property of whatever kind or character, whether real or
asserted, occurring throughout the term of the reservation, commencing
from the reservation of the room arising out of or by reason of the
reservation and use of the room.
b.
Tourism & Museum Department employee or representative will be on duty
during the
entire event to assist with any problems or concerns and serve to protect
the property of the City of Dickinson during the event.
c.
Smoking is not permitted in any City Facilities.
d.
Animals of any kind are not permitted in Facilities with the exception of
assist dogs trained and in service to a physically impaired or challenged
person and police dogs that are part of the City of Dickinson’s K-9
Unit.
e.
Individuals or groups renting Facilities need to be aware that Facilities
is a multi-use facility where several events could be scheduled
concurrently in different parts of the Facilities. Permittees and their
guests can only use the room(s) that the Permittee has rented.
f.
The City of Dickinson shall assume no responsibility for any property
placed on or in its Center and/or grounds and is released from any and all
liability for loss, injury, or damage to persons or property that may be
sustained by the use or occupancy of Facilities.
g.
The City is not responsible for any property left on the premises. All
property of the Permittee needs to be removed by the end of the rental
period. Any property remaining on Facilities premises is deemed abandoned
by the Permittee and will be disposed of.
h.
The Permittee assumes all responsibility for all damages to Facilities,
property, furniture, and/or equipment provided by the City to the
Permittee, as determined at the sole discretion of the Director. Damage
incurred during an event will result in the loss of all or part of the
Permittee’s Reservation and Damage Deposit, and could result in
additional charges depending on amount of damage. The amount deducted or
charged will be equal to the cost to the City to repair the damage. Damage
may jeopardize the Permittee’s ability to reserve any of the City’s
Facilities in the future. The Permittee must notify the Tourism &
Museum Director or representative on duty immediately if the room was
damaged prior to the Permittee’s entry. Failure to do so shall result in
the presumption that any damage found at the end of the rental period
resulted from the Permittee’s use of Facilities.
i.
All groups or individuals using Facilities shall comply with all laws,
including federal, state, and local laws. These laws shall include all
City ordinances and all regulations of the city and its departments, which
may in any way affect the rental or use of Facilities.
j.
Discrimination against any person(s) with regard to race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, age, or disability by any group or individual
renting the Facilities is prohibited.
k.
No groups or individuals shall schedule an event having larger attendance
than the established occupancy limit of the area rented.
l.
Permittee shall be responsible for setting up and taking down all tables
and chairs. Any other Facilities’ equipment must be set up by Tourism
& Museum Department employees or representatives. No equipment shall
be removed from the Facilities at any time without prior written approval
from the Tourism & Museum Director.
m.
Any person entering the Facilities improperly attired shall be asked to
leave by staff.
n.
No portion of the sidewalk, entries, plaza walkway, passages, doors,
aisles, vestibules, or other ways of access to the public utilities on
Facilities premises is permitted to be obstructed, nor can any windows,
ventilators, or lighting fixtures be obscured.
o.
No Permittee may solicit or collect donations at Facilities without
approval of the City.
p.
The Permittee indemnifies the City and holds it harmless from any neglect
or misconduct on the part of the Permittee, its agents, servants, and
employees.
q.
The Permittee agrees that all sales of concessions are in accordance with
all the laws of the United States and the State of Texas, the City, and
health and sanitation rules and regulations promulgated by the Galveston
County Health Department. Furthermore,
nothing contained in these Policies shall be construed to limit the
City’s |
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