City Hall Foyer

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city-hall-foyer-application-form-2011.pdf

USAGE/ RENTAL OF CITY HALL FOYER
TERMS & CONDITIONS

AVAILABILITY

1. The City of Hamilton does not, as a general rule, permit the use of the City Hall foyer for functions that are unrelated to either theatre bookings, or to functions hosted by the Bermuda National Gallery and the Bermuda Society of Arts.
2. Weekdays: If the foyer is not otherwise in use by the City, theatre or art galleries, consideration will be given to its use during business hours for such things a press conference or modest presentations. It can also be used if a function scheduled for the front steps has to come inside due to inclement weather. Public access to City Hall cannot be blocked for any reason. City Hall, like all other City properties, cannot be use for any commercial purpose (e.g. book signings, new product launch etc.) The foyer is not suitable for exhibitions or displays as there is no free wall space. Small, free-standing exhibits may be considered.
3. Weekday evenings, weekends, and public holidays: The City Hall foyer is not normally available for functions, except those that are held in conjunction with a theatre production, or in conjunction with functions being held in either of the arts galleries. On the rare occasion that approval is granted for the use of the foyer on a weeknight, no setup can be started before 5:00 p.m.; therefore, such functions are best not scheduled to start before 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.

RENTAL FEE

1. The rental fee to use the foyer is $50 per hour during regular business hours, and $100 per hour in the evenings and on weekends (to cover the cost of the custodian and security).

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

1. Upon application, the Project Manager at the City will ascertain whether or not the foyer is available for use on the requested date.
2. Assuming it is available, the user must then complete an application form, and submit that, together with the rental fee to the City at the earliest possible time.
3. Bookings will not be confirmed until the items in No. 2 above have been received by the Corporation. Written confirmation will be supplied by the Corporation upon request. Additional charges, if any, will be billed after the event.

RESPONSIBILITY OF USERS

1. The preparation and/or sale of food, and the sale of any other items, in the City Hall foyer are not permitted. Admission fees may not be charged. Pre-prepared food items may be brought in.
2. Everything brought into the foyer for a function must be removed that same day, or before 9 a.m. the following day (except in the case of an exhibit, when everything must be removed within 24 hours of the finish of the exhibit). The foyer is the main entrance to City Hall, which is a public building, hence the tight timeframe to set things up, and remove them.
3. During the week, nothing can be set up in the foyer before 5 p.m.
4. Caterers are asked to carry everything into the foyer (as opposed to dragging things over the floor and scratching it), and things like ice chests should be set on plastic sheeting to keep the floor dry.

Security

1. All doors leading into City Hall are locked after business hours. (Exception: the front door is open when the theatre is in use). The foyer renter is required to hire G.E.T. Security to be on duty whenever the foyer is in use, to facilitate access. Only one security guard is required unless more than 50 persons are expected. More than 50 persons require two security guards. CCTV cameras are installed at each entrance/exit.
2. The Corporation is not responsible for anything that goes missing from the foyer or its storage areas.
3. There is a room off the kitchen to store bar stock and other items, but it is not a secured room. The City is not responsible for any items brought into the foyer by users.
4. The Security must remain on duty until the last person is leaving the building and the “in and out” form has been signed. If the last person to leave fails to notify the security, the renter may be charged an hourly rate until the security has left.

Goods and Refreshments

1. No one is permitted to sell goods other than show memorabilia in the foyer of the City Hall.
2. Only pre-packaged snacks can be sold in the foyer of City Hall.
3. Caterers providing food/bar for intermissions and post-show receptions may not set up in the foyer until after 5:00 p.m. weekdays.
4. Bar operators must display their occasional liquor licence.
5. Caterers and bar operators must take steps to protect the foyer floor, which scratches easily and stains when wet.
6. Permission to use the kitchen adjacent to the theatre must be sought from the Project Manager in advance.
7. The Corporation will not sign for, or secure any items, e.g. beverages, when they are delivered. If deliveries are made and the renter is not at City Hall to sign for them, the Corporation will refuse to accept delivery and the items will be returned. The same is true when these items are collected after the show.

Parking

1. No designated parking bays are provided for foyer users. All persons using the theatre must park in public parking areas and pay the requisite parking fee. Any vehicles that are illegally parked may be ticketed by Traffic Wardens or clamped by car park security.
2. Trucks delivering supplies may unload in the loading zone by the kitchen door, but must move on immediately after the unloading is completed. Time limit in the loading zone is 15 minutes.

NOTE: There will be times when the City of Hamilton requires the use of the theatre and/or the foyer, regardless of whether it has been rented out for that particular day or evening. This is most likely to happen when there is a Corporation election and for two other Corporation functions in late November and early December. Elections under normal circumstances happen every three years, but bye-elections also take place periodically. The Corporation will do what it can to minimize inconvenience to a renter under these circumstances by giving notice as far in advance as is possible.