rental guide

In order to book an event, the renter must be at least eighteen (18) years of age. This person, or a representative of their group or organization, must be present during the use of the building. Usage of the Washington Civic Center will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis. A refundable deposit shall be paid at the time of contract signing to secure your date. Credit cards, checks and cash are acceptable forms of payment.

• The Washington Civic Center is open by appointment only.
• Once a reservation has been confirmed by signed contract and security deposit, a cancellation notice, in writing, is required for an event to be removed from the books. See your lease agreement for the refund policy, if canceled by renter.
• Changes to the original rental agreement must be made no less than 90 days prior to the event. There will be no rate adjustment for changes made within the 90-day period if change is to a lesser space.
• Rental period ends at time indicated on signed contract. If building is occupied beyond the contracted rental period applicable staff fees ($100/hour) will be charged to the renter.
• If the event is a public event (open to the public), an event description is requested that shall include: a 60-word description, public contact information, admission fees, and hours of the event.
• All set up, including the tables and chairs, will be the responsibility of the person or organization who secures the reservation. Renter is also responsible for the take down and complete removal of all decorations and personal property

In order to secure a date, a contract between the Civic Center and the client will be issued. Once received, please read, sign and return the contract along with the refundable deposit equal to 50% of rental fee. The balance of the rental fee must be paid in full one month prior to the event.

No alcoholic beverages will be served without special permission by management of the Washington Civic Center. Washington Civic Center and the Washington Tourism Development Authority reserve the right to refuse this permission or restrict the hours during which alcohol may be served. Necessary permits and applications will be required. If alcohol is being served at any event, the renter will be required to show proof of insurance coverage. Special events insurance policies can be obtained through most licensed insurance agents. See below for our full alcohol policy.

NON-TICKETED EVENTS
Non-ticketed events are events where no money is exchanged between the renter and guests. You may not charge admission, have cash bars, sell tickets in advance or collect money at any event at which alcohol is served (Example: Wedding Receptions, Family Reunion, Birthday Parties, etc.)

• If wine or beer is served at this function there is no ABC permit required
• If liquor or fortified wine is served, a “Special Occasions Permit” is required by the State of North Carolina
• The Washington Civic Center requires the renter to show proof of Liquor Liability or Host Liquor Liability coverage prior to the event date.
• The City of Washington AND the Washington TDA both must be named as Additional Insured Parties. The policy should have coverage for at least $2,000,000.
• The client is responsible for hiring a caterer that holds an off premise ABC license that can provide bartending services. A bartender is responsible for the serving of all alcoholic beverages.

TICKETED EVENTS
A Ticketed-event is a function where tickets have been sold or money is required from your guest in order to
attend, participate, eat or drink at your function.

• In order to serve alcohol at a ticketed event the organization must acquire a special one-time permit by the state of North Carolina and must be classified as a non-profit or political event.
• The Washington Civic Center requires the renter to show proof of Liquor Liability or Host Liquor Liability coverage prior to the event date.
• The City of Washington AND the Washington TDA both must be named as Additional Insured Parties. The policy should have coverage for at least $2,000,000.

Reminders for any events serving alcohol:

• The renter must be aware that the legal drinking age is the state of North Carolina is 21 years of age.
• Self-serving of alcoholic beverages is NOT allowed.
• One bartender for every 75 guests is recommended.
• Cash bars are prohibited.
• Open containers may NOT leave the Civic Center building.
• The bartender will close the bar 30 minutes before the event ends.

Except for Seeing Eye Dogs (or other similar animals used for assistance by the disabled) no animals or pets are permitted in the building. Approved animals in the Center must be on a leash, or under similar control. The Licensee assumes full responsibility and liability for the actions of any approved animal in the Center and indemnifies and holds harmless Licensor, The Washington Civic Center and the Washington Tourism Development Authority, their agents, employees, servants, and officials from any and all claims, losses, damages or expenses.

Use of PA system and other audiovisual equipment is available to renter for an additional fee, and must be requested at least one (1) month in advance. The Civic Center only provides the equipment and basic cables necessary for hook-up, NOT technical support. If a renter is using our audiovisual equipment, they are required to do a tech walk through two weeks prior to their event. A renter may be required to use a third party to monitor the Civic Center equipment during their event.

If the Civic Center is forced to cancel the event due to weather, mechanical system failure or other unforeseen events, a full refund will be issued to the client. Hurricanes and associated evacuations are an occasional disruption along the coast, and are most common during the peak of the hurricane season, late August through the end of September. If officials call for an evacuation, in the days or hours prior to your event, the event will be canceled. The Civic Center manager will discuss the possibility of rescheduling the event. If the event cannot be rescheduled, the Civic Center will refund all money paid directly to the Civic Center. 

If RENTER cancels the event more than 120 days before the event, the Civic Center will refund the deposit in full. If renter cancels the event between 120 and 90 days before the event, the Civic Center will refund one-half of the deposit. If renter cancels the event less than 90 days before the event, the Civic Center shall retain the deposit. Should renter cancel the event less than 30 days prior to the event, full payment of all fees detailed herein shall be retained and/or required, as the case may be, by the Civic Center manager. 

Changes to the original rental agreement must be made no less than 90 days prior to the event. There will be no rate adjustment for changes made within the 90-day period if change is to a lesser space.

Civic Center Management should be informed about all catering arrangements. If the Caterers hired by the renter have never done an event at the Civic Center, they must schedule and complete a pre-event walk-through of the facility no less than seven (7) days prior to the event. The Caterers and renter are responsible for leaving the Kitchen clean and removal of the trash. Clients and Caterers will be expected to adhere to the Kitchen Cleaning Policy. A copy of this policy is posted in the Civic Center Kitchen.

All trash must be bagged or put in bins prior to leaving facility. Plastic bags and trash bins are supplied. All trash bins are located throughout the Civic Center. It is the Client and /or Caterer’s responsibility to make sure the kitchen facilities are cleaned thoroughly following the event. All equipment, supplies, food and beverages must be removed from the Civic Center after the event. Should there be an excess of trash generated from the event an additional disposal fee may be assessed.

The Civic Center may, at its discretion, disallow events of similar nature which are considered to be competing for specific markets, i.e. Vendor Events, Bridal Fairs, Craft Shows, etc.

Use your imagination and decorate the building to make this the perfect setting for your event. Please be gentle with this building, it is a historic location and has survived over 115 years. Help us keep it in our current condition, or better, and treat it with the respect it deserves. Any current fixtures i.e. edison lights, white stage curtain, and curtain rods may not be taken down or tampered with. See below for our full decoration policy.

1. Direct access and visibility to fire exits must be maintained with a minimum width of 4ft (clear and unobstructed pathway). Fire exits cannot be blocked by equipment, decorations, furniture or any other obstruction. All equipment must comply with all federal, state and local safety codes.
2. Do not use the electrical conduit running along the walls of the building to hang decorations from, they will not support the weight and will rip away from the brick walls. If they are used, the renters will be charged for the necessary repairs.
3. The Civic Center has ladders that you can use, but we politely remind you to use them at your own risk.
4. Tape, thumb tacks, pins, screws and nails of any kind are prohibited on walls, bricks, curtains, windows and doors.
5. All existing decorations i.e. edison lights, white stage curtain, and curtain rods may not be altered or tampered with.
6. The following items are considered hazardous and are strictly prohibited:

• Propane, Gasoline, Kerosene, and open flame candles
• Gum
• Fog and/or Smoke Machines, Bubble Machine or other substance emitting machine
• Laser Lights
• Confetti / Glitter
• Helium Balloons

7. The Client is responsible for bringing their accessories to decorate, such as: extension cords, zip ties, hooks and clips. Please see a Civic Center Staff member to prearrange your electrical requirements.
8. Lighting and additional decorations can be hung from the eye hooks mounted to the exposed rafters in the building, but once again – you may not use any nails or screws to hang decorations from. At the end of these event, these decorations may be properly removed.
9. Please respect the landscape around the facility, this is a public building owned and maintained by the City of Washington. We ask that you do not take cuttings to use as part of your decorations for your event.
10. The Civic Center Director and staff reserve the right to remove any and all decorations not compliant with these guidelines. Clients will also incur a fee if guidelines are not followed.
11. Please contact the Civic Center office regarding questions concerning any/all decoration choices.

What am I responsible for before leaving the facility?
Renters must remove all decorations and personal belongings from the Civic Center at the end of the event. All trash should be bagged and taken to dumpsters. Allow yourself plenty of time at the end of your event to remove the decorations properly and to clean any big trash from the floors. The caterer is responsible for cleaning the kitchen, but the renter should check behind them to ensure nothing is left. The Civic Center staff will break down the tables and chairs, cleaning the bathrooms, restocking items, and doing a general clean of the area once your event has ended.

Your deposit should be paid at the time of contract signing, or within 5 business days, in order for your rental to be confirmed. Your security deposit is NOT included in your rental fee (IE. you will pay your full security deposit up front and your full rental fee will be due one month in advance of your event). Your security deposit may be returned to you in full after your event, as long as no additional deductions have been made due to breaches of our policy or purchase of additional rental items. Please refer to your contract for the full terms. Your security deposit (minus any deductions) will be mailed to your address on file in the form of a check. This check could take anywhere from 30 – 60 days to reach you.

The rental fee includes rectangular tables, chairs, and other equipment based off your booked service package. Our rectangular tables are 8′ long and our round tables measure 5′ in diameter. The set-up of the tables and chairs is the responsibility of the renter. Additional services and equipment are available for rent from the Washington Civic Center. Table linens are also available for rent, but must be ordered at least one (1) month prior to the event. Please call (252) 975-9316 for our full list of available options.

If the event is a public event (open to the public), an event description is requested that shall include: a 60-word description, public contact information, admission fees, and hours of the event. If the event is a private event, a timeline of the day(s) is needed one (1) month prior to your event.

Event areas are cleaned before and after events. Additional cleaning requirements may result in charges to the event.

This fee includes use of all kitchen equipment including ice maker, ovens, microwaves, fridges, dishwasher, sink. Items such as table coverings, dining utensils, cookware, decorations, extension cords, kitchen towels, dish liquid and tape, etc. are the responsibility of the client and/or caterer. Caterers can call (252) 975-9316 with specific questions. See below for our full kitchen cleaning policy.

These areas must be cleaned before leaving the premises. The Civic Center supplies all cleaning materials needed to include trash bags, mop and bucket and cleaning solution. If unavailable in the kitchen ask the Civic Center Staff person on duty.
A minimum of $100 will be assessed if kitchen is not properly cleaned.

• APPLIANCES – Remove all items from the refrigerators, microwaves, and ovens.
• TRASH- Dispose of all trash in dumpsters located in parking lot.
• COUNTERTOPS- Wipe down and clean all counters.
• SINKS- Clean sinks – DO NOT empty food or grease down drains at any time.
• FLOOR- Sweep or pick up any food & mop any spills (broom & mop provided).
• DISHWASHER- Place any used Civic Center items in the dishwasher.

1. Minimum Coverage Amounts:
A. General aggregate $2,000,000.
B. Each Occurrence $2,000,000.
2. The following entities should be listed as additional insured:
City of Washington
WTDA
3. Policy must cover the entire time period from move-in through the conclusion of move-out.
4. A copy of the properly executed certificate of insurance must be on file with the Civic Center before the start of your event.
5. Host Liquor Liability is required when serving alcohol.

Use this checklist as a guide when ordering your event insurance or feel free to pass it on to your insurance company to insure proper coverage. A sample insurance document can be provided by the Civic Center Manager.
If you have any questions, please contact the Civic Center Office: (252) 975-9316

Any article found at the Civic Center will be turned in to the office. Equipment remaining at the Civic Center more than 24 hours will be considered abandoned and may be disposed of by the Center as the Director deems necessary at the group’s expense.

Deliveries to the facility should be addressed as followed:
Washington Civic Center
PO Box 1765
Washington, NC
27889
Please note we do not have space to hold decorations, equipment, or other rentals.

The Washington Civic Center provides one parking lot directly in front of the Civic Center. Additional parking is located across 2nd St beside the First United Methodist Church. Attendees can park in any lots or spaces designated with a City of Washington public parking placard. No parking in fire lanes, loading dock areas, or any other unauthorized location is permitted. If the lot needs to be blocked, these arrangements can be made through the Civic Center staff at least one week prior to the event at the discretion of the Civic Center Manager.

Public safety and welfare is the priority of the Civic Center. The Washington Civic Center and the Washington Tourism Development Authority reserve the right to deny the use of the Civic Center based upon the health, safety and welfare of the user, invited guests or general public as well as the protection and security of the. All clients must adhere to the fire codes. Do not block any doors with an overhead exit sign or any fire extinguishers.

Rental period ends at time indicated on signed contract. If building is occupied beyond the contracted rental period applicable staff fees ($100/hour) will be charged to the renter. Hours of occupancy includes: Decorating, event and break down time. All decoration must come down the last night of the event unless arrangements are made through the office.

Rental Clients and their guests must at all times conduct their activities with full regard to public safety and shall at all times abide by directives of the staff of the Civic Center, their representative or any other duly authorized governmental agency having responsibility for public safety.

• Sitting or standing on tables is strictly prohibited.
• Renters are responsible for any and all damages to the facility caused as a result of his/her event or his/her guests. Your security deposit may be held to cover cost of damages.
• Pursuant to North Carolina General Statue NO firearms or handguns concealed or otherwise are allowed within or on the grounds of the Civic Center.

Security services can be provided for events at the expense of the Client. At the discretion of the Civic Center director, events may be required to have a uniformed security officer(s) onsite during the event. Any hired security must be approved through the Civic Center Manager. Renter assumes full responsibility for the acts and conduct of its invitees and attendees of the event.

All set up, including the tables and chairs, will be the responsibility of the person or organization who secures the reservation. The Civic Center Manager will assist you with your floor plan design if needed. The floor plan needs to be returned to the Manager no less than 2 weeks prior to the event. Renter is also responsible for the take down and complete removal of all decorations and personal property from the building at the end of the rental time noted on the Lease.

In the event a tropical storm or hurricane is forecast to impact Washington within 72 hours of a scheduled event, management reserves the right to cancel the event in the interest of public safety. If management cancels an event, a full refund will be made to the renter.

Unless your contract covers the entire building, there may be other events taking place within the building at the same time. We will provide you with information about other events scheduled in the Civic Center during your contracted time.

The Washington Civic Center is a smoke free facility; designated smoking areas are in the parking lot only. Please dispose of all cigarettes and cigars in the urns conveniently located by the stairs to the deck.

A Civic Center staff member will be on duty during your set-up, the event and break down to assist you if you have any questions or concerns. Civic Center Staff will provide access to the facility and assist in making your event successful. However, it is not their responsibility to reset tables/chairs, to unload decorations, or to serve during your event. Please inform a staff member on duty of any requests or needs that might arise or in the event of an emergency. All working Civic Center personnel shall have access to all areas of the building at any time. Our staff will lock and unlock the building based off your contracted time.

The use of pins, paint, tape, or other substance that may damage the curtain is strictly prohibited on any stage curtains. The stage is restricted for use by required guests only such as head table attendants, band members or guest speaker. At no time should general event attendees be allowed on the stage unless approved by the Civic Center Manager.

Wireless internet access is available at no charge. The wireless connection is titled ‘COW-Public” on your wireless device. The password is cow!2009.
Failure to comply with rules and regulations governing the facility could result in loss of part or all of payment, immediate closure of the facility, bill for additional damages and be barred from the facility.