City of Watagua

RECREATION FACILITIES GUIDELINES

The City of Watauga provides indoor facilities available for events, parties, reunions and entertainment.

All activities will be scheduled through the Parks & Community Services Department on a first-come, first-served basis.

The following are policies and fees governing the rental and use of the City of Watauga Parks & Community Services Facilities:

FACILITY USAGE AND RESERVATIONS:

• The Parks & Community Services Facilities will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served reservation basis.
• Reservations can be made in person at the Hector F. Garcia Community Center, 7901 Indian Springs, Watauga, Texas, or online. Outdoor facilities only require a minimum of 7 days before rental time, while indoor facilities require a minimum of 14 days before rental time.
• The City of Watauga reserves the right to refuse the use of the facility by any organization or individual.

USE OF BUILDING PRIORITY LIST:

• No additional furniture or equipment other than that furnished by the City of Watauga is to be used without the approval of the Director.
• City activities shall have precedence over any other type of function. In the event that conflicts arise concerning the use or scheduling of the building, all administrative decisions will be final unless otherwise directed by the City Council. The City of Watauga shall have the authority to bring functions of extreme community importance to community recreation facilities that may necessitate the removal of activities previously scheduled.

FOSTER VILLAGE PARK:

• A maximum of 8 tables and 50 chairs for use will be provided.
• The Foster Village facility is available for rent between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. without additional, per-hour fees required.
• The Thermostat is set to a programmed setting. It is controlled remotely.
  
• Rental fee for the Foster Village Facility does not include:
  • Use of the pavilion adjacent to The Foster Village Cottage
  • Upstairs portion of the Foster Village Cottage

CANCELLATION POLICY:

• A $25 processing fee will be assessed on ALL cancelled reservations.
• Any reservation cancelled with less than a 48 hour notice will forfeit half of the rental fee.

RESPONSIBLE PARTY:

• The responsible party must be at least 18 years of age.
• Upon completion of the facility reservation, the responsible party must sign a release stating he/she fully understands the reservation agreement and accepts responsibility for adherence to the policies.
• Proof of residency must be presented at the time of signature for verification of residency.
• The responsible party shall be required to attend the entire activity.
• Failure to adhere to this policy will result in forfeiture of the security deposit.

EVENTS HOSTED FOR MINORS:

• Any event hosted for persons thirteen (13) to eighteen (18) years of age shall be governed by the following regulations:
• A minimum of two (2) adults shall be present throughout the function as chaperones.
•  For events of more than forty (40) persons, one (1) adult chaperone is required for every (20) attendees.
• An adult 21 years of age or more will be required to sign the liability agreement guaranteeing against damage to the building and its contents.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TIMES:

• Facilities are available for public rental from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday – Sunday.
• Reservations are arranged for a specific period of time and shall designate an arrival time and departure time.
• The arrival time is the time requested to begin the reservation. The reservation must end at the departure time.

CLEANING OF FACILITIES:

• The renter is responsible for cleaning the facility immediately after its use.
• The renting party will provide trash bags for trash and proper disposal during cleanup.
• All hard surfaces are to be cleaned, including the removal of any decorations used during the event.  If the renter creates more trash than the provided trash receptacles will hold, it is the responsibility of the renter to remove the excess trash.
• The rented area should be clean so others will find the area suitable for subsequent events.

FACILITY KEYS:

• Any keys issued for the rented facility will be checked out at the Watauga Recreation Center the working day preceding the reservation.
• The keys shall be returned at the Watauga Recreation Center no later than forty-eight (48) hours after the conclusion of the event.
• Keys not returned in a timely fashion shall result in forfeiture of the deposit.

FUND RAISING EVENTS:

• Fund raising activities shall not be conducted without the prior written approval of the Director.
• No items are to be sold in the buildings without the approval of the Director.

ALCOHOL USAGE:

• No alcoholic beverages are allowed on city property or automatic forfeiture of deposit will occur.

TOBACCO USAGE:

• Smoking or tobacco products are prohibited in the rental facility or any other locations designated with “No Smoking” signs.
• See City Ordinance, Chapter 8, Article 8.300. Failure to abide by city ordinance will result in forfeiture of deposit.

ABUSIVE LANGUAGE:

• No abusive language or language that might reasonably be considered a breach of peace will be allowed in any City of Watauga Recreational Facility.

FIREARMS POLICY:

• No person shall carry or possess a handgun or firearm, concealed or unconcealed, on the premises of any city park, city playground or recreational facilities located with the City of Watauga, regardless of whether that person is a licensee under Tex. Rev. Civ. State. Art. 4413 (29ee).
• No person shall fire or discharge any gun, pistol, rifle, or firearm of any kind or discharge fire any air rifle, air pistol or any pellet gun of any description by whatever name known that by means of compressed air, compressed gas, springs or powder or any other means is capable of discharging shots, pellets or any solid object over a distance in excess of 50 feet, within the corporate limits of the City of Watauga, Texas.

MUSIC AND AMPLIFICATION SYSTEMS:

• Any noise of such character, intensity or duration that substantially interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of persons of ordinary sensibilities occupying, owning or controlling nearby properties or persons making use of public properties for the intended purpose, is considered a noise nuisance and is prohibited per ordnance
• See City Ordinance, (Art. 1.10 Parks and Recreation).

LIABILITY:

• The City of Watauga accepts no liability or responsibility for any damage to persons or property arising from the use of any facility.
• Any person or organization using the premises must acknowledge and agree to comply with these guidelines.