Facility guidelines

The City of Port St. Lucie’s Parks and Recreation Department assesses usage fees according to a City Council approved fee schedule:

Fees can be paid by cash, check, cashiers check, money order or credit card; Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted.
All fees are based on a full day rental. The Facility Administrator or his/her designee will make determination of the applicable rate schedule after review of a group’s application. Groups requesting the non-profit rate schedule will be required to provide a valid 501C3.
Those requesting tax exempt status must provide official documentation of the contracting group’s tax exempt certificate. The tax-exempt certificate must be for the contracting group. Additional fees may also be assessed for services and/or equipment required by the group or deemed necessary by the Facility Administrator or his/her designee.
Facility rental fees are due at the time of the reservation confirmation, at which time 50% of the fees will be collected. The remaining balance will be due per your contract, no later than 30 days prior to the rental date, unless other arrangements have been made in advance. If fees are not paid prior to 30 days before the rental, the Parks and Recreation Department reserves the right to cancel said reservation with no refund. All payments made to the facility less than 10 days prior to rental, must be paid by certified funds only, cashiers check, money order or credit card. If paid by credit card a photocopy of the card must be on file with the facility signed by the card holder authorizing the City of Port St. Lucie to charge the card for Civic Center fees and or usage.
All requests for food and beverage will be contracted separately through the on-site City approved catering company. All fees for catering will be paid to the City approved catering company.
The contract for space includes the space rental only and a one time room set for meeting and banquets only, licensee’s will be required to approve all floor plans not less than 14 days prior to the first move-in date of the event any changes made to the approved floor plan after the room(s) have been set will be charged to the licensee. No other services and or spaces are included in the contract. In the event that the Licensee requires additional space the contract can be revised to allow for additional rental of space(s) if available and will be charged at the posted rate.

Cancellation

In the event a meeting or banquet is cancelled by the licensee within 90 days of the first move-in date there will be NO REFUNDS of any fees, unless cancelled by the City of Port St. Lucie.
In the event a consumer show, trade show, conference or concert is cancelled by the licensee within 270 days of the first move-in date there will be NO REFUNDS of any fees, unless cancelled by the City of Port St. Lucie.

Reservation/Permits

Request for use of the Port St. Lucie Civic Center facilities must be received at least (30) thirty days in advance unless approved by the Facility Administrator or his/her designee. Reservations can be made up to 12 months in advance of the first move-in day. Approval for use will be based on appropriate space availability (noise, attendance and facility usage), event history (size, security, audience, alcohol and content) government and city resident functions will be given priority consideration for events, as well as on a first come-first served basis and depends upon venue references.
All permitting and Fire Marshall’s approval will occur through the Facility Administrator or his/her designee. All floor plans must be approved by the Facility Administrator or his/her designee. No room set or occupancy may exceed building and/or local rules and regulations, fire exits and isles must be kept clear at all times.
Each group will be permitted to reserve space once per month. Groups may request additional use of the facility; approval will be at the sole discretion of the Facility Administrator or his/her designee.
Reservations for facility use can be made up to 12 months in advance and must be made in writing. Groups meeting monthly will be issued a permit for a 12 month period only. Monthly meeting groups must apply for renewal of their permit no later than (2) two months prior the lapse of their current permit.
Documentation of the following, as applicable, must be supplied to the Facility Administrator or his/her designee at least 30 days prior to the event, Facility Administrator or his/her designee reserves the right to require Licensee to increase the limits on event insurance

General Liability Insurance must name the City of Port St. Lucie, dba Port St. Lucie Civic Center, their Officers, Directors, Agents and Employees. This coverage must be Primary and Non Contributory to any insurance maintained by certificate holder, as additional insured. The following limits must be met (sample certificate attached) each certificate must be written as a "PER OCCURANCE" and not claims made basis.
Individuals or groups that serve alcohol will be required to have not less than one police officer from the time the event starts until a half-hour after the event ends. This shall be determined by the Port St. Lucie Civic Center Facility Administrator or Designee and will be based on the type of activity and the projected number of guests in attendance. The remainder of the required officers will need to be present during the time that alcohol is served and until a half-hour after the event finishes. In the event that any additional police officers, fire rescue, paramedics or medical transport must be called in, licensee will be billed and required to pay for these services. In addition any public event such as concerts, consumer shows, trade shows, graduations or proms must have no less than 2 Fire Rescue attendants and will be paid for by the licensee.

Facility reservations for; Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are considered “weekend use” and are subject to additional staffing charges, if needed. Facility use on these days can be scheduled up to midnight.
Facility fees (50%) are due on the day of the permit application to bind the use agreement. Facility fees for monthly groups are due NO later than 30 days prior to the first move-in day of the event.
At the sole discretion of the Facility Administrator or his/her designee, a group may be requested to submit in writing details of their organization no later than 30 days prior to the event, an explanation and nature of event, agenda, the number of guests expected, and any special needs or requirements. The Facility Administrator reserves the right for approval of all activities to take place at the Civic Center, and may cancel any activity or content deemed inappropriate.
Approval for use of the Civic Center will be on a first come-first served basis and will depend upon space availability. The licensee understands and agrees that at the time of signing the contract through full disclosure that there may be another event contracted in any or all rooms contracted by the licensee prior to or just after the event, and that the "contracted times" must be adhered to.
No one organization will be granted the use of the facilities for more than three consecutive days per week, or for a specified day and time a week for longer than an eight weeks period without prior written approval by the Facility Administrator.
Any person requesting the use of the Civic Center must be over the age of 21 years.
The operational plans and procedures for an event shall not interfere with the normal operations of the facility.
A promoter must have all required local, state, and federal licensing if retail sales will occur, all advertising and or use of the City of Port St. Lucie logos must be approved in writing by the Facility Administrator. Promoter further agrees to use the City of Port St. Lucie in any advertising connected with contracted event.

Procedures and requirements

A representative of the group requesting a permit must meet with Facility Administrator or his/her designee prior to any approval for the use of the building. Once approval is granted the licensee will meet with the City approved catering company for all food and beverage needs.
An application for permit to use the facility must be completed and signed by the group contact.
If the request is approved, the Facility Administrator or his/her designee will sign the permit and a copy will be provided to the group.
A representative of the group will be required to meet with the Facility Administrator or his/her designee no later than (14) fourteen days prior to any meeting or banquet and no less than (30) thirty days prior to any consumer show, trade show, concert, graduation or prom to review policies and finalize plans.
All security for events will be in the control of The Port St. Lucie Civic Center Facility Administrator and the Port St. Lucie Police Department.
All rental applications are considered tentative and are therefore non-binding until all fees and deposits have been paid, and all conditions or other special permits pertaining to use of City Facilities are met by the person or entity wishing to use said facilities.
The City reserves the right to cancel, reassign, or otherwise adjust reservations to comply with the demands of its own programs, community programs, already existing reservations, or emergency requirements.
All publicly ticketed events, i.e. concerts, consumer shows, trade shows, theater shows, dinner shows etc… MUST use the Civic Center Box Office and will abide by all Box Office rules and regulations. Publicly ticketed events will be charged 10% of gross daily ticket sales in addition to the room rental fees. No tickets can be sold by the Licensee without express written permission from the Facility Administrator and/or Hospitality Manager of the Port St. Lucie Civic Center.
Applications for rental of City Facilities will not be accepted from anyone less than 21 years of age. Youth groups must have adult sponsors who guarantee observation of these rules and regulations. A minimum of one adult per 25 people under the age of 21 is required at the activity. Where a rental application is submitted on behalf of a business entity or organization, it shall be signed by a person with authority to bind the company or organization.
In the event of an emergency, as determined in the sole judgment of the City, the City shall have the right to cancel scheduled activities or events.
Any misrepresentation as to the nature of the use or activity to occur at a City Facility, the number of attendees expected, contact or payment information or any other falsification on rental application documents will result in the immediate cancellation of the proposed use or event and forfeiture of fees paid. Any such misrepresentation may result in denial of future rental requests and/or legal action.
The Facility Administrator or his designee(s) shall consider the safety, health and welfare of persons, and the security, preservation and orderly use of City Facilities as criteria for the granting of a rental permit. All applicable City ordinances, rules and regulations will be in effect.
The Facility Administrator, or his designee(s), may require an applicant to provide an additional security deposit and/or obtain liability insurance naming the City of Port St. Lucie as an additional insured covering the period of time that applicant plans to rent a City Facility.
The applicant hereby assures that all programs and activities implemented at City Facilities and open to the general public will be conducted in a non-discriminatory manner, without regard to an individual’s race, gender, color, creed or national origin.
The City, acting through the City Council, reserves the right to waive any of the requirements listed herein where use of a City Facility is authorized pursuant to an executed interlocal agreement.

What the Civic Center provides

Use of the contracted space(s) and all public areas.
Use of existing electrical and water utilities, additional utilities above normal usage will be billed to the licensee at the current rates.
Basic room set to include one time set up for meetings and banquets only, once the room has been set for the event no changes will be made to the room without incurring additional charges for labor. All consumer, trade and concert set ups will be billed to the licensee accordingly. Any changes to the floor plans after Fire Marshall has approved them will result in additional permit and licensing fees.
Included in the contracted fees are tables and chairs, American and Florida flag. Audio visual equipment is not provided in the rental fees of the contract and can be rented and set up by the Civic Center’s exclusive AV Company, Hoover Audio Visual. No outside AV companies may set up or use the facility without prior written approval from the Facility Administrator. All AV charges are billed through the Civic Center and must be paid no later than 14 days prior to the event date.
Event Coordinator assigned to the event will be present during set up, event and tear down; an alternate Event Coordinator may be substituted by the Port St. Lucie Civic Center at will.

What the group is to provide

Additional equipment, decorations, staffing, set up, clean up, repairs from damage to the premises, permits, licensures and insurance will not be provided by The Port St. Lucie Civic Center, the licensee will be responsible for these items.
When the licensee pays for set up, a detailed room set-up diagram must be received by the Port St. Lucie Civic Center 30 days prior to the event.
Additional changes to room layouts after the room has been set will be charged to the licensee at the current rate.
The licensee will be charged the current rate for moving any equipment that can not safely or effectively be moved without damages to the facility or causing hazardous conditions to our staff and or guests.
Post function: Removal of all additional equipment from the facility, the removal of trash and or booth materials, sign age, excessive dirt / spillage and additional dumpster(s) and their removal wherever applicable.
If the licensee is tax exempt, a valid DR-14 must be provided EVERY TIME the group applies for a rental permit the name on the DR-14 (Tax Exempt Certificate) must match exactly as the licensee’s name appears on the rental contract.
It is the responsibility of each group to provide documentation to verify non-profit status to be eligible for reduced rates (501-C3 Non-Profit status form). Groups who cannot provide such documentation must pay applicable fees or apply for a variance to this requirement by submitting a letter to the Facility Administrator or his/her designee for approval, the name on the 501-C3 (Non-Profit Status Form) must match exactly as the licensee’s name appears on the rental contract.
For all retail sales, a vendor’s list including names, addresses and phone numbers will be required 30 days prior to the rental or within a reasonable amount of time.
Each licensee is responsible for the actions, display and conduct of their vendors. The Port St. Lucie Civic Center reserves the right to remove any vendor behaving in an objectionable manner, causing disruption to guests and or staff, inappropriate or questionable displays at the expense of the licensee.

Damage and deposits

After the rental permit expires and no damage fees have been assessed, the damage deposit will be refunded. A check will be issued by the City of Port St. Lucie Finance Department. This process can take up to four weeks. The check will be mailed or, upon request, can be picked up at the Civic Center. If all fees are not paid (30) Thirty days prior to the rental, the refund of damage deposit may be delayed.
Damage fees are assessed in the following situations or as deemed necessary by the Parks and Recreation Director or his/her designee:

Removal of carpet stains requiring more than standard extraction techniques.
Stains on walls.
Broken furniture and/or equipment.
Defacement of any part of the interior or exterior of the building.
Damage created by improper use of equipment or non-compliance of facility rules.
Equipment found to be missing as a result of a group using the building. Damage created by improper use of equipment or non-compliance of facility rules.
Police, Fire Rescue or Medical Transport called for emergency / disturbance, due to negligence of licensee or guests.

Damage fees are based on replacement or repair costs incurred by the City, and may exceed deposit amount. The City may take legal action to recover these costs.
A post-function walk through will be required. The Civic Center staff will visually inspect the building immediately following the function with a member of the group, if one is available. Within (3) business days, the Facility Administrator or his/her designee will contact the group to discuss any damage noted during the walk through or additional damage found and what course of action will be taken.

Facility Rules

All food and beverage must be purchased through the on-site City approved catering company. The kitchen is not available for use by Licensees.
Based on activity and number of guests, more staff or off-duty police officers may be required at the licensee’s expense, with or without alcohol. The Parks and Recreation Department reserves the right to add or request off-duty police officer(s) at any time during the licensee’s event at the licensee’s expense.
Decorations must meet the approval of the Facility Administrator or his/her designee in advance. Decorations must be freestanding or tabletop. Nothing may be hung from the walls or ceilings, unless approved by the Facility Administrator or his/her designee. Lobby furniture may not be moved.
The Civic Center is a non-smoking and drug free facility. Use of tobacco products is NOT permitted in the facility. Patrons who wish to use tobacco products may do so outside of the facility.
Children must be supervised by an adult throughout the time that they are in the building, unless they are in a supervised program.
Please leave the facility and its contents in the same condition in which you found them. Please place all trash in the trash dumpster outside the facility.
The licensee will be responsible for the replacement or repairs of any part of the building or its contents therein, which becomes broken, defaced, or damaged as a result of the rental.
The licensee contact is required to attend all meetings and remain on premises until all members have left and will walk through the rental area with staff prior to leaving the facility.
No admission may be charged unless specified in writing at the time the contract is signed, all ticket sales will be provided by the Civic Center Box Office and all proceeds will be held by the Civic Center until the final invoice has been approved and signed by the licensee. A fee of 10 percent of all gross ticket sales vs. daily rental, whichever is greater will be charged to the licensee. All final charges will be settled with the Box Office proceeds. No licensee will be permitted to use another ticket Sales method or company without express written permission by the Port St. Lucie Civic Center. Ticket Sales will be stopped at Building or space capacity per room sets.
A certificate of insurance MUST be provided by the licensee and the name on the certificate must match exactly as the licensee’s name appears on the contract. Security and additional requirements may be required for some events, programs, activities, and meetings.
If an event continues after scheduled ending time without approval by management, the group shall be subject to appropriate overtime rates and charges. Facility hours are 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and up to midnight on weekends (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). These are normal operating hours and will only be extended with the approval of the Facility Administrator or his/her designee.
Storage space is not available for groups using the facility.
Fees will only be accepted during office hours, or they can be mailed to the facility.
Parking is allowed in designated parking spots only.
The Civic Center is under the exclusive control of the City of Port St. Lucie’s Parks and Recreation Department. City employees have the authority and will enforce all rules and regulations governing the use of the Civic Center.
Persons using the facility shall obey all posted signs.
No persons shall willfully mark, deface, disfigure, tamper with, displace or remove any part of the Civic Center.
The City of Port St. Lucie will not be responsible for any property that is left on the premises by an individual or group using the Civic Center.
All activity on the Civic Center property will be conducted according to applicable laws, rules, regulations, and City ordinances.
We will allow no rentals on the following holidays: New Year’s Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Eve after 5 p.m. Christmas Day. For any other City holidays, an overtime rate or an additional 25 percent of the rental fees will be assessed and will be determined by the Facility Administrator or his/her designee.
No pets are allowed within the facility with the exception of service animals, unless prior approval is obtained from the Facility Administrator or his/her designee.
Courtesy and safety are mandatory. Equipment abuse, profanity, and fighting are unacceptable behavior and may result in expulsion from the facility.
The licensee may wish to obtain a DJ for various events or parties. Please note that fog machines are not permitted in the facilities.
Rental times must include the set-up and breakdown times.
No retail sales will be permitted in areas other than the specific areas of the rental.
Absolutely no weapons are to be brought in the Civic Center.
At the discretion of the Parks and Recreation Department staff or the Police Officers present at a rental, a rental may be cancelled with no refund or pro-rating of fees if the rental participants do not adhere to the Civic Center rules.
Use of any type of lighted candle in the Civic Center is strictly prohibited. There are no exceptions.
This entire facility is under video surveillance 24 hours a day.
All required fire exits must be kept clean, clear and unobstructed at all times.
Outdoor marquee sign will be used only for city sponsored programs, events or information. Also for Civic Center special events and for non-profit organization events with high draw.

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