Like crabgrass in the spring, the issue of free use of the Trotter Center keeps popping up.
For years now, city officials have struggled to determine which organizations should be allowed free use of the facility and under what circumstances.
Aside from an incident in late 2018 and 2019, when a city councilman used his clout to wrangle a deep discount on Trotter Center rentals, the uncertainty of how to set fees for the facilities in what could be considered non-private or non-commercial uses has been a good-faith argument. The Trotter Center is public property. Since it opened in 1986, the Trotter Center has been used for a variety of community-service events – from the Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce’s pilot partner program with Columbus Air Force Base to its Youth Outreach Program to Martin Luther King Day events to job and college fairs to educational programs to events staged by Main Street, Junior Auxiliary and other civic organizations.
Until Tuesday, what qualifies for free use of the facility has been a moving target.
In his inaugural press conference as mayor in July 2021, Keith Gaskin addressed the topic, hoping to establish a formal policy for free use of the facility. The ensuing policy said that if the city was a co-sponsor of an event, or if an event was city-approved, the center could be used at no charge.
On Tuesday, the city council unanimously adopted a policy that states that free use of the Trotter is permitted for official city events only. There is now no distinction made between city-supported nonprofits and other nonprofit organizations.
We have long argued for consistency in the fees structure for the Trotter. The lack of a clear, unambiguous policy has created confusion and, in some cases, hard feelings. In the past, there has been criticism – in some cases probably justified – that free or discounted use of the Trotter came down to knowing people in high places.
The policy adopted Tuesday puts an end to that.
Additionally, despite the explosion of event venues in the area, demand for Trotter rentals remains high. It’s a revenue-generator for the city, and there’s no reason that revenue shouldn’t be maximized.
On a council where the votes seem to almost always go 4-to-2, the fact that the council was in unanimous agreement on this policy underscores the importance of an even-handed policy.
By making the new policy effective at the start of the new year, the city can honor any agreements for free use already in place.
This seems to us a clear and reasonable policy.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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