Maud Preston Palenske Memorial Library
Outdoor Lawn Wedding/ Garden Events Policy

The Library seeks to coordinate its policies with those of both the City of St. Joseph and St. Joseph Township. In that
light, this policy applies to events scheduled in the outdoor lawn area of the Library on the corner of Lake Boulevard and
Pearl Street.

The general rules of the parks and pavilions of the city and township are adopted as applicable to this lawn area. As this lawn area is located within the city of St. Joseph, violation of city rules is considered an ordinance violation and may be enforced by law enforcement officials. In the event of the violation of the rental agreement or applicable ordinances by either the reserving party or any person attending the function on the premises, the reserving party and guests may be required by representatives of the library, employees, or Police Officers to vacate the premises immediately.  No rental refunds will be issued in this circumstance.

Reservation for this area is on a first-come, first-served basis, and must be made by the person who is using the lawn area, and not on behalf of another person. The person who has reserved the area must be present during the time that the area is used.

The fee charged for this outdoor area is $125 for a resident of the City of St. Joseph or St. Joseph Township, or $200 for a non-resident.

Reservations are accepted for the period of May 1 through October 1. Any use of the area outside of this range will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Persons who do not have a reservation for the lawn area shall yield the use of the area to persons who have properly reserved the area for that time, and shall not attempt to interfere with the permitted use of the lawn area by the reserving party.

Persons who have not reserved the lawn area shall not falsely claim to have reserved the lawn area.

The library personnel are in charge of accepting and tracking the reservations for the lawn area.

In all cases, reservations will be accepted only upon receipt of full payment for the use of the lawn area, as well as a signed agreement provided by the library. The agreement will indicate the date, time, and duration of the reservation, the name and contact information of the responsible party, a statement that the responsible party understands that the reservation is for his or her own use and not being made on behalf of another person, an agreement that the
responsible party will ensure that these rules are obeyed by the guests/party.   Under no circumstance will this agreement permit use of the property after 11:00 p.m.

Reservation includes only the right to use and decorate the lawn area during rented hours. It does not include the rental of other library property which may or may not be open to the public.

Use of the lawn area does not include use of the library facility absent special permission from the library director on a case-by-case basis.

Guests of the event may not use library bathroom facilities as dressing areas or if the library is closed. In such instances rental of a portable facility or a hotel room is recommended.

The rental payment, if made by check, will be in the name of the responsible party.

No reservation will be accepted by a person who owes library fines. Proceeds for the rental will be placed in the general fund of the library.
Cancellation at least 30 days prior to the event will result in a refund of half of the rental fee by check as proof of the refund. No other refunds will be issued, including in the event of inclement weather on the day of the reservation unless the library cancels the reservation for any reason.  No refund will be made if an event is cancelled less than 30 days before the event.

The library reserves the right to cancel the reservation if deemed to be in the best interest of the library in its own discretion. The library's liability in case of cancellation is limited to offer of an alternative date and the refund of the rental fee if an alternative date is not agreed upon.

Library-sponsored events shall have first priority in the annual scheduling of the lawn area.

In the event that reservations for more than one party are inadvertently  accepted for the same date, the first party to have placed his or her reservation will be considered to have a valid hold, and the other party shall receive a full refund, with the opportunity to reschedule at no charge.

There is no exclusive right to parking during the rental period.  Visitors must abide by City parking regulations.

The user of the lawn area may rent temporary structures (tents, flower stantions, portable sound system, etc.) and install the same for use during the event, but shall have the responsibility to return the premises to their condition before installation and not infringe on the quiet enjoyment of nearby residents through excessive volume.  All set-up
and clean-up must take place within rented hours. The person making the reservation agrees to pay for all damages and losses that might occur to the building,its contents, and the grounds during the rental period.

If the premises are not left in good order the person making the reservation will be billed for the extra cleanup time.

Throwing of rice, bird seed, confetti, or other similar materials is prohibited because it attracts birds and other small animals or creates litter that is difficult to remove. All litter must be removed by the end of the rental period.

Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

Any questions involving the interpretation or application of these rules/policy or any interpretation, questions or requests not addressed in this policy, will be decided by the library director.

Approved by the St. Joseph Library Board of Trustees on September 24, 2013