CH Reservations & Use

Consensus: 11 March 2007. Replaces Commonhouse Reservation Policy, 2002 and 2000.

Common House Reservations & Use Policy

PURPOSE:

I.   To allow the reservation and use of Common House (CH) spaces by all Members in a fair and flexible manner, to encourage its full use, and to ensure that the CH is used appropriately by all hosts and their guests in ways that make our CH accessible, secure, comfortable, and sustainable.

II.   To ensure that non-members who are part of TVC households or guests of TVC members use the CH under their host’s supervision. Members are ultimately responsible for the use of the CH by their guests and household residents.

A. RESERVATIONS:

Members may freely reserve Common House spaces using the community online calendar, on a first-come-first-served basis. In the following cases, members are encouraged to reserve Common House spaces, however, a request must be submitted to the Community Team for approval for events that are:

(1) open ended or repeated three or more times within a three-month period;

(2) advertised or open to the general public;

(3) revenue generating; or

(4) taking place over more than one day

In these cases, the request will be reviewed according to the Decision-Making Authority and Accountability Policy , as follows:

(1) When a request is received the Team will post it to the TVC members email list and the Current Events bulletin board. Members will have five (5) days to respond with their concerns.

(2) During this five-day period, the Team will address any concerns, make a decision and post it to the TVC-members email list and the Current Events bulletin board.

(3) Members will then have five (5) days to respond with any further concerns. If none are expressed, the decision becomes final.

(4) If there are unresolved concerns, the team will facilitate communication between the Member(s) making the request and the Member(s) expressing concerns. The Community Team will make every effort to facilitate a win-win situation for all concerned. If agreement is not reached, the request will be denied.

Examples of events that do not need approval before reserving space: Team and Board meetings an any other Team-sponsored events; meals for residents and their invited guests; occasional television watching; parties for residents and their invited guests.

Examples of events that do need approval before reserving space: Public forums on crime in DC, monthly book club meetings, classes or lectures for which a fee is charged, garden or home tours.

Appealing Denied Requests: If the requesting Member(s) chooses to appeal a denied request, the Team will bring it to a Membership Meeting for resolution.

Reviewing Approved Open-Ended or Repeated Events: After a decision is made to approve an open-ended or repeated event, any member may request that the Team reconsider the decision in accordance with the process for approving or rejecting requests.

Emergency Requests: In cases where a request that requires approval has a deadline of less than ten (10) days, the Team will consult the Board which has the power under the Decision-Making Authority and Accountability Policy to make emergency decisions.

Reserving Reserved Spaces: If a member wishes to reserve a space that is already reserved to see if the reservation is flexible or to be notified if that reservation is cancelled, they may contact the person who made the reservation or a designated scheduler on the Team.

Donations: When space is reserved for non-resident events that charge admission, are revenue generating, or that use the CH facilities for an extended period of time, attendees are requested to make a contribution of either:

1)   A financial contribution as specified in the Guidelines for Hosts and Guidelines for Guests.

2)   Items from a suggested list of furniture, appliances, linens, etc. (Contact the Community Team for a list); or,

3)   Time or labor for maintenance, TVC community workdays, or special projects.

The host is responsible for collecting any monetary donations and submitting these to the TVC Treasurer.