Mosier Building Rental Agreements Up for Approval Thursday — But Are They Ready?

The County Commission is being asked to consider and approve rental agreements for the Mosier event hall. But a page of review notes raises questions about whether the agreements are ready for a vote.

The Johnson County Commission has a full agenda for Thursday, October 15. But as we reviewed the agenda packet, one item caught our attention.

Item 10 calls for “Consideration and approval” of rental agreements for the CPL William C. Mosier Event Hall. The full agenda packet is posted below.

That’s pretty straightforward. Commissioners are being asked to consider approving the rules and rates for renting the venue.

The proposed rates are $250 per day or $700 for a weekend for qualifying community and nonprofit groups. Standard rentals would cost $500 per day or $1,150 for a weekend. Both require a $150 refundable deposit.

But there’s something else included with the agreements.

A page titled “REVIEW NOTES — NOT PART OF EXECUTED AGREEMENT” begins with this statement:

“This draft is intended for review by the Johnson County Mayor and County Attorney before adoption or public use.”

That caught our attention. If the agreements are on Thursday’s agenda for approval, has that review been completed?

What still needs to be addressed?

The review page lists nine items that need to be confirmed or completed. They include:

• Whether renters must provide proof of liability insurance.
• Occupancy limits, fire safety, and emergency exits.
• Kitchen-use rules and additional fees.
• Cancellation policies and deposit refunds.
• Who qualifies for reduced nonprofit rental rates.
• Who is authorized to operate the sound system.

These are practical questions, not just legal details.

For example, many event venues require renters to provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI), even when the venue carries its own insurance. In fact, the COI would typically name Johnson County Government and Johnson County Board of Education, co-owners of the facility, as “also-insured.”

We’ve been told the county’s insurance should cover third-party events at Mosier, but we haven’t independently confirmed the details in writing.

Will someone renting the building for a wedding or fundraiser also need to purchase event insurance? If so, how much coverage will be required? Will there be standard operating procedures and will exceptions be clearly defined?

That’s something an event planner needs to know before making a reservation. Insurance, kitchen fees, and equipment charges can all affect the final cost.

The agreements do include language about renter responsibility and liability. What they don’t clearly establish is whether renters must provide proof of their own insurance and state that the individual or organization will, in fact, be covered by the county’s insurance policy.

The review notes specifically identify that question for further consideration.

To be clear, the presence of these notes doesn’t mean the county hasn’t addressed the issues. It means the published documents don’t tell us whether the review is finished.

We asked the mayor’s office

On Monday, The Johnson County Line spoke with Amanda Hall, assistant to County Mayor Larry Potter.

Hall said the agreements in the agenda packet were the most current drafts. She indicated that attorneys for the county and school system had reviewed the documents and made some changes.

She also confirmed that kitchen-use arrangements were still being worked out.

The sound system and LED wall will require a trained operator, at a proposed cost of $50 per hour with a five-hour minimum. That’s at least $250 in additional charges for events using those services.

While the draft agreement mentions the sound system, it does not specifically include the LED wall. Hall confirmed that the operator requirement applies to both.

We also asked Hall whether commissioners would receive a completed agreement before voting Thursday.

She couldn’t say for certain. Commissioners could opt to approve the agreement, request changes, or postpone a vote.

Hall referred our questions about insurance and legal provisions to County Attorney Ryan Carroll.

We attempted to reach Carroll by telephone Monday. His voicemail indicated he was out of the office this week but could be reached by email.

We followed up by email, asking whether the review had been completed and whether commissioners would receive a final agreement before voting. We had not received a response by publication time.

What do the commissioners think?

We also wanted to hear directly from the people being asked to vote.

The Johnson County Line emailed the same three questions to every commissioner for whom we could locate an email address. We included the review-notes page and asked whether the review had been completed, whether they would support postponing approval if issues remained unresolved, and whether they expected to vote on a completed agreement.

Two emails were returned as undeliverable.

Commissioner Eric Garland was the only commissioner to respond before publication.

Garland said he had not received an update on the agreement’s status.

“Neither the mayor nor the county attorney has informed me of the current status of the agreement or whether their review has been completed,” he wrote.

Asked whether he would support postponing approval if issues remained unresolved, Garland answered:

“Yes, if there are still unresolved issues, I would support postponing approval until they have been addressed.”

And when asked about approving a draft and allowing the mayor and county attorney to finish the details afterward, Garland said “since the agreement is on the agenda, I would expect it to be finalized and ready for approval before we are asked to vote tomorrow evening.“

His response doesn’t tell us whether the review has been completed. But it does tell us that at least one commissioner had not been informed of its status.

What about the cost of operating the building?

There is one other issue worth keeping an eye on.

The Mosier Building is jointly owned by Johnson County and the Johnson County School System. Public and grant funds have been used to improve the facility.

While the proposed agreements establish rental rates, we still have questions about how the building will be managed.

Who handles reservations and collects the fees? Where does the rental revenue go? Will it help pay for utilities, insurance, cleaning, repairs, enhancements, and equipment maintenance?

And is there a long-term plan to cover those costs? What are the revenue projections for the venue?

We haven’t established whether a separate operating or financial plan has been adopted. That’s something worth following as the county begins renting the facility.

Who gets the rental revenue — the county, the schools, or both?

There’s another question that deserves an answer.

When someone rents the building, where does that money go?

Will the county and school system share the rental revenue? Will one receive all of it? And is there a written agreement spelling out how that money will be handled?

Then there are the expenses. Who pays for utilities, insurance, cleaning, repairs, and upkeep of the sound system and LED wall?

These aren’t small details. The rental rates may bring money in, but operating and maintaining a building also costs money.

We have not yet confirmed whether the county and school system have an agreement covering how rental income and operating expenses will be divided.

For a building owned by both, that’s an important part of the picture — and something taxpayers deserve to understand.

So, what happens Thursday?

Here’s where things stand.

The published agenda calls for “Consideration and approval” of the rental agreements.

The documents also include a page identifying items for review before adoption or public use.

The mayor’s office says attorneys have reviewed the agreements, but we haven’t been able to confirm whether every item has been resolved.

And Commissioner Garland says he expects a completed agreement before voting and would support postponement if questions remain unanswered.

So the question for Thursday is simple:

Will commissioners be presented with a completed rental agreement, or will they be asked to approve a draft with details still to be worked out?

The Mosier Building has the potential to be a valuable gathering place for Johnson County residents, nonprofits, and community organizations. Making it available at reasonable rates is a positive opportunity.

Before the first rental takes place, the county and school system should have a complete, approved agreement in place — one that clearly addresses insurance, liability, safety, rental fees, and who’s responsible when something goes wrong.

That’s not asking too much. It’s protecting the people who use the building, the public investment, and ultimately, Johnson County taxpayers.

What do you think?

Add your questions or comments below.

The Johnson County Commission meets Thursday, October 15, at 7 p.m. in the Upper Courtroom of the Johnson County Courthouse, 222 West Main Street, Mountain City.

The meeting is open to the public.