Council Office Building and Hearing Room Use
Meeting rooms and spaces in the Council Office Building (COB) are available for use by the public with various limitations/restrictions depending on the room and the proposed use. Requests for room use during normal Council business hours are routed through the Council Clerk; requests for room use after-hours are routed through Community Use of Public Facilities (CUPF) with certain rooms, such as the 3rd Floor and 7th Floor Hearing Rooms, requiring additional approval from the Council Clerk (even if it is an after-hours request). Other rooms available for public use in the COB include the 1st floor auditorium, the 6th floor Potomac Conference Room, and the former cafeteria space (once that renovation is complete). The 1st floor Auditorium is available to the public to permit via CUPF without Council approval.
Policy for Public Use of the 3rd Floor Hearing Room
The 3rd Floor Hearing Room of the Council Office Building is dedicated to Council business. To ensure the Council’s business operations are maintained at all times, it is available on a limited basis for reservation by government entities. Government entities include but are not limited to other County agencies, State agencies, the State Delegation, the Charter Review Commission and WSSCWater. The 3rd floor hearing room is not available at any time for reservation to non-governmental entities or private parties.
Use During Standard Business Hours
The 3rd Floor Hearing Room is available, on a limited basis, for reservation by government entities during standard business hours upon the approval of the Council Clerk or designee, and may require obtaining a permit from CUPF. Limited staff support may be available for these entities’ use and must be coordinated in advance with the Council Clerk or designee.
Use Outside of Standard Business Hours
Use of the 3rd Floor Hearing Room by governmental entities outside of standard business hours requires obtaining a permit from CUPF. CUPF is required to check availability and permission with the Council Clerk or their designee. The permit issued by CUPF is for the sole use of the group or individual named on the permit contract and is not transferable. The permitholder must have the permit on-site during the permitted activity. The permit must be shown to County/security personnel upon request. The permit entitles the permit holder to use the permitted area(s) in the facility only for the dates and times indicated on the permit, which is inclusive of set-up and clean-up time. The permit holder must remove all personal items from the building. Any items left in the building will be discarded. The permit holder will be charged hourly for overnight storage of items left in the facility.
Technology Use
Audiovisual technology use is limited to microphone use only for government entities approved to use the room. Any additional audiovisual needs must be coordinated with the Council Clerk or designee in advance. Additional fees may apply based on staffing to support audiovisual needs and/or required security staff. If use of the microphone system is requested, the requestor will need to make arrangements at least five working days prior to the event to schedule an on-site, 15-minute training with Council staff on activating and deactivating the sound system. These trainings will not be offered on days when the Council or committees are meeting. This requirement will be waived if the requestor has used the sound system for a prior event.
Food/Drink/Decorations
No food or drink is permitted in the hearing room. Decorations may not be affixed to walls, suspended from ceilings, or affixed to any handrails, or flooring. Nails, glue, tape, screws, push pins, metal hooks, or damaging adhesives on any surface are not allowed. Balloons, glitter, and confetti are not permitted inside the facility