The following Policies have been set forth in an effort to serve the community, businesses, tenants, partner and nonprofit organizations who wish to use The Carnegie Center for public or private functions. They have been established for the efficient operation of the building, protection of The Carnegie Center property and board of Trustees, and conformance with safety regulations and codes.

 

1. PAYMENT

Reservation is not confirmed until the contract and the 50% deposit are received.  RENTAL DEPOSIT IS NON-REFUNDABLE 7 days after the receipt of the deposit.  A $500 fee over and above the room rental is required as a Security Deposit.  The balance of your rental fee and the security deposit (two separate checks) must be received three (3) months prior to the event to maintain the reservation and avoid cancellation by The Carnegie Center.  In case of cancellation of the event, please see Item #9. Client is only guaranteed time in the building that has been paid for, and early set-up, deliveries, etc.  prior to the contractual day cannot be guaranteed unless time has been purchased to do so and is available based only upon availability and at the discretion of The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum and exclusive caterer.

 

2. CONDUCT

All persons using The Carnegie Center are requested to conduct their event to avoid disruption of other

events/classes/uses and with consideration for the residential neighborhood. The Renter assumes full responsibility for the behavior of all persons on the premises during the period of the Rental Agreement including setup and cleanup times. Proper supervision must be provided for any event involving minors.

No firearms or other weapons are allowed on the premises. The Carnegie Center reserves the right to refuse rental space to Renters with or without cause. All applicable fire and safety regulations, including the limits on the number of occupants, shall be observed by the Renter. All exit doors must be left free and unobstructed. The Carnegie Center is a non-smoking facility.

 

3. ROOM RENTAL & ASSIGNMENT

Only the specific areas designated by the Renter in the Rental Agreement will be available for use during the event unless notice and further compensation are made to The Carnegie Center prior to the event. If the Renter is using only one room or a limited area, the rooms not agreed upon may be rented to a second entity unless a prior arrangement has been made with The Carnegie Center. The Foyer and restrooms are common areas.

 

4. SECURITY DEPOSIT

If paying by check or cash a fee of $500 over and above the deposit for room rental is required for all events to ensure good care of the facility, and is payable by separate check, along with the balance of the rental fee, three (3) months in advance of the event.  This check is not cashed, and is returned to the Renter within seven (7) days following the event after a determination that no damage or overtime usage has been incurred.  If paying by credit card, the credit card number will be held on file and damages or overtime usage will be charged to the credit card within 7 days of the event.

 

 

5. PROPERTY DAMAGE

The Renter is responsible for any loss, breakage or damage to equipment and or physical property during the use of The Carnegie Center, and will be billed for any such loss, breakage or damage not covered by the $500 security deposit. The renter is responsible for ensuring vendors hired by the renter for their event are made aware of and abide by the policies outlined in this document and is responsible for any damage or lack of adherence to these policies. The renter agrees to indemnify and hold The Carnegie Center harmless from any claims for loss, injury and damage to any person or property while anywhere on the premises including counsel fees and expenses in connection therewith.

 

6. Furnishing / Miscellaneous Items

Furnishing provide by the renter or items belonging to the Carnegie Center MAY NOT BEpulled, pushed or drug across the wood floors.  This requirement must be adhered to, to prevent damage to the wood floors.

 

Flooring must be protected where drinks are served and ice is stored to prevent wood floor damage.

 

7. OVERTIME CLAUSE

The security deposit may also be applied to overtime usage. A Renter who remains in The Carnegie Center longer than the agreed-upon time may be billed for additional fees equal to the next one-hour incremental pricing for the room. Unless other arrangements are made, weekday rentals will last no longer than 10 P.M.; on weekends all music must stop by 11:00PM, and Renter must be out by 12:00 midnight. Cleanup must be completed within this time frame.

 

8. INSURANCE

The Carnegie Center reserves the right to request from Renter proof of a $1,000,000 bodily injury and property damage insurance policy. The Carnegie Center assumes no responsibility for personal injury caused by the negligence of the Renter or any person attending the Renter’s function at The Carnegie Center.

The Carnegie Center assumes no liability or responsibility for damage to or loss of personal property brought into the building or while on The Carnegie Center premises. All such personal property including motor vehicles shall at all times be at the owner’s risk.

 

9. CANCELLATION POLICY

ALL DEPOSITS FOR ROOM RENTAL ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. Cancellation of function must be made

in writing at least 3 months prior to function. The first deposit is nonrefundable. If cancellation is made less than 3 months prior to function, Renter is responsible for cancellation charges up to 100% of agreed rental unless The Carnegie Center is able to rent the space to another person or organization, in which case a $50 handling fee will be assessed.

 

10. NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Non-Profit organizations are required to provide proof of non-profit status from the Internal Revenue Service, i.e. IRS 50 I(c)(3) letter. This letter must be supplied with the Rental Agreement.

 

11. PERSONNEL

A Jeff Thomas Catering staff person must contracted to be on site during the Renter’s use of the facility. The Carnegie Center reserves the right to require additional personnel or peace officers when deemed necessary, at the expense of the Renter.

 

12. FURNISHINGS & EQUIPMENT RENTAL

Arrangements to bring in additional furniture or equipment for any function must be made with The Carnegie Center in advance of the event. All rentals must he removed immediately after the function unless other arrangements are approved prior to the function. Previous day deliveries or next day pickup of items may be subject to additional personnel fees as per Item #9. The Carnegie Center assumes no responsibility for items left on the premises. No items or equipment belonging to The Carnegie Center may be removed from the building at any time. The Carnegie Center requires all outside rental tables to be set up and taken down by the rental company unless other arrangements are made. Likewise, arrangements for pick up must be made in advance to coincide with The Carnegie Center’s schedule and availability. The Carnegie Center will not set up rental tables/chairs unless paid to do so. At the end of the event, rental items must be torn down by client or rental company unless TCCCT or Jeff Thomas staff has been prepaid to do so.

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13. FOOD & BEVERAGES

Jeff Thomas Catering is the exclusive caterer of The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum, providing all quoted services. The client must use Jeff Thomas Catering for their food and service. The only exclusions for use of the exclusive caterer are for events not serving food (meetings, dances, lectures, etc,) events that are pot-luck style (non-purchased food,) or if ALL of the food served has been donated, in which case written proof of food donation is required. Any client not using Jeff Thomas Catering is required to pay the table and chairs set up fee, pricing determined by Jeff Thomas Catering upon event review.

 

Optional services Jeff Thomas offers includes bar-tending, linens, center pieces, etc.

At ALL TIMES, the welfare of the guests shall be the responsibility of the Renter.  If the renter (applicant) is under the age of 21, a person 21 years of age or older shall be required to sign the rental contract as the responsible party for ALL alcoholic beverages brought onto the premises.  This includes responsibility for who consumes the alcohol and the conduct of such individuals.

 

No alcoholic beverages may be sold on the premises without proof of the appropriate temporary liquor license

provided to The Carnegie Center at least seven (7) days in advance of the event. A temporary license must be

applied for from the State of Ohio Department of Liquor Control at least 60 days prior to the event. No alcoholic beverages may be sold to minors. The sale of liquor to the public may necessitate the hiring of additional personnel or peace officers at the expense of the Renter.

 

14. DECORATIONS

No decorations or other items may be applied to doors, windows, floors or walls unless previously approved by The Carnegie Center.  Renter will be assessed for any damages caused by application or removal of decorations. No confetti-type material, glitter, rice, birdseed, petals or bubbles may be used inside or outside The Carnegie Center property.  No tape shall be used at any time for decorating. No signs may be hung or displayed on or around The Carnegie Center by the Renter without prior approval. Use of candles is limited to those protected inside glass containers such as votive candleholders or hurricane globes, and must be approved in advance by The Carnegie Center. Any damage to the facility due to decor may result in the loss of security deposit. All decor and items brought in by clients must be removed by midnight the date of rental unless prior approval has been received by The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum.

 

15. PARKING & DIRECTIONS

There is parking available around The Carnegie Center building (13 spots,)at the law office next door (17 spots) and free on the street. A map and/or written directions can be supplied. Any Renter wishing to hire a valet and/or security service may do so at his/her own expense.   All calls for directions and other information regarding the Renter’s function must be directed to the Renter, not The Carnegie Center.

 

 

16. TABLES AND CHAIRS

The client may use The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum’s table and chairs but must pay a required table and chair set-up fee.  Only the staff of The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum and their associates may move and set-up The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum’s chairs and tables.  If the client needs more table and chairs for their event that are available at The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum, it is the responsibility of the client to find and bring additional table and chairs to meet their needs or make arrangements with Jeff Thomas Catering to do so.  Clients of The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum are not required to use the tables and chairs at The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum.  There are no surcharges assigned to the client if they choose to rent or bring tables and chairs from an outside source.  If the client uses tables and chairs from an outside source, the renter is fully responsible for any damage caused by their set-up and use. The Carnegie Center will not set up rental tables/chairs unless paid to do so. At the end of the event, outside rental items (not provided by Jeff Thomas) must be torn down by client or rental company unless TCCCT or Jeff Thomas staff has been prepaid to do so.

 

17. RESCHEDULING OF AN EVENT

After receiving a cancellation request the renter may reschedule their event IN WRITING for another available date of equal rental value or less within 12 months from the cancellation request.  A surcharge equal to 25% of the total rent will be charged for rescheduling the event.  The re-scheduled date must be conveyed in writing to The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum within 30 days of the request to cancel.  If the re-scheduled date is not provided within 30 days, the CANCELLATION POLICY will be in effect.  There are no “CREDITS” provided for cancelled events.

 

18. MILITARY DEPLOYMENT

In the case of unanticipated military deployment of the bride or groom, the client may either choose to have a full refund of the rental amount or keep the rental deposit on account for rescheduling of an event within 2 years of the original booked date at the same rental rate of the original booking. Catering refund or deferment policy in the case of deployment will be determined by the caterer.

19. ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY and Complaint Procedure

Objective

The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum strives to create and maintain a work and social environment in which people are treated with dignity, decency and respect. The environment of the company should be characterized by mutual trust and the absence of intimidation, oppression and exploitation. The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum will not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment of any kind. Through enforcement of this policy and by education of employees, contracted clients and programming partners, The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum will seek to prevent, correct and discipline behavior that violates this policy.

All employees, clients, instructors and contractors regardless of their positions, are covered by and are expected to comply with this policy and to take appropriate measures to ensure that prohibited conduct does not occur. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against any employee who violates this policy including but not limited to nullification of contract and termination of employment/partnership. Based on the seriousness of the offense, disciplinary action may include verbal or written reprimand, suspension or cancelation of contract, or termination of employment.

Managers and supervisors who knowingly allow or tolerate discrimination, harassment or retaliation, including the failure to immediately report such misconduct to human resources (HR), are in violation of this policy and subject to discipline.

Prohibited Conduct Under This Policy

The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum, in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local anti-discrimination and harassment laws and regulations, enforces this policy in accordance with the following definitions and guidelines:

Discrimination

It is a violation of The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum's policy to discriminate in the provision of employment opportunities, benefits or privileges; to create discriminatory work conditions; or to use discriminatory evaluative standards in employment if the basis of that discriminatory treatment is, in whole or in part, the person's race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or marital status.

Discrimination of this kind may also be strictly prohibited by a variety of federal, state and local laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1967 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This policy is intended to comply with the prohibitions stated in these anti-discrimination laws.

Discrimination in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary measures up to and including termination.

Harassment

The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum prohibits harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment, and will take appropriate and immediate action in response to complaints or knowledge of violations of this policy. For purposes of this policy, harassment is any verbal or physical conduct designed to threaten, intimidate or coerce an employee, co-worker, contractor or any person working for or on behalf of The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum.

The following examples of harassment are intended to be guidelines and are not exclusive when determining whether there has been a violation of this policy:

Verbal harassment includes comments that are offensive or unwelcome regarding a person's national origin, race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, appearance, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status or other protected status, including epithets, slurs and negative stereotyping.


Nonverbal harassment includes distribution, display or discussion of any written or graphic material that ridicules, denigrates, insults, belittles or shows hostility, aversion or disrespect toward an individual or group because of national origin, race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, appearance, disability, sexual identity, marital status or other protected status.

 

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is a form of unlawful employment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and is prohibited under The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum's anti-harassment policy. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment is defined as "unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature ... when ... submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment decisions ... or such conduct has the purpose or effect of ... creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment."

Sexual harassment occurs when unsolicited and unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature:

Is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment.

Is used as a basis for an employment decision.

Unreasonably interferes with an employee's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or otherwise offensive environment.

 

Sexual harassment may take different forms. The following examples of sexual harassment are intended to be guidelines and are not exclusive when determining whether there has been a violation of this policy:

Verbal sexual harassment includes innuendoes, suggestive comments, jokes of a sexual nature, sexual propositions, lewd remarks and threats; requests for any type of sexual favor (this includes repeated, unwelcome requests for dates); and verbal abuse or "kidding" that is oriented toward a prohibitive form of harassment, including that which is sexual in nature and unwelcome.

Nonverbal sexual harassment includes the distribution, display or discussion of any written or graphic material, including calendars, posters and cartoons that are sexually suggestive or show hostility toward an individual or group because of sex; suggestive or insulting sounds; leering; staring; whistling; obscene gestures; content in letters, notes, facsimiles, e-mails, photos, text messages, tweets and Internet postings; or other forms of communication that are sexual in nature and offensive.

Physical sexual harassment includes unwelcome, unwanted physical contact, including touching, tickling, pinching, patting, brushing up against, hugging, cornering, kissing, fondling, and forced sexual intercourse or assault.

Courteous, mutually respectful, pleasant, non-coercive interactions between employees that are appropriate in the workplace and acceptable to and welcomed by both parties are not considered to be harassment, including sexual harassment.

Retaliation

No hardship, loss, benefit or penalty may be imposed on an employee in response to:

Filing or responding to a bona fide complaint of discrimination or harassment.

Appearing as a witness in the investigation of a complaint.

Serving as an investigator of a complaint.

 

Lodging a bona fide complaint will in no way be used against the employee or have an adverse impact on the individual's employment status. However, filing groundless or malicious complaints is an abuse of this policy and will be treated as a violation.

Any person who is found to have violated this aspect of the policy will be subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.

Confidentiality

All complaints and investigations are treated confidentially to the extent possible, and information is disclosed strictly on a need-to-know basis. The identity of the complainant is usually revealed to the parties involved during the investigation, and the Board President will take adequate steps to ensure that the complainant is protected from retaliation during and after the investigation. All information pertaining to a complaint or investigation under this policy will be maintained in secure files with the Board of Directors.

Complaint procedure

The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum has established the following procedure for lodging a complaint of harassment, discrimination or retaliation. The company will treat all aspects of the procedure confidentially to the extent reasonably possible.

Complaints should be submitted as soon as possible after an incident has occurred, preferably in writing. The Board President may assist the complainant in completing a written statement or, in the event an employee refuses to provide information in writing, the Board President will dictate the verbal complaint.

Upon receiving a complaint or being advised by a supervisor or manager that violation of this policy may be occurring, the Board President will notify remaining board members and review the complaint with legal counsel if necessary.

The Board President will initiate an investigation to determine whether there is a reasonable basis for believing that the alleged violation of this policy occurred.

If necessary, the complainant and the respondent will be separated during the course of the investigation, either through internal transfer or administrative leave.

During the investigation, the Board President, together with legal counsel or other management employees, will interview the complainant, the respondent and any witnesses to determine whether the alleged conduct occurred.

Upon conclusion of an investigation, the Board President or other person conducting the investigation will submit a written report of his or her findings to the company. If it is determined that a violation of this policy has occurred, the Board President will recommend appropriate disciplinary action. The appropriate action will depend on the following factors:

a) the severity, frequency and pervasiveness of the conduct;

b) prior complaints made by the complainant;

c) prior complaints made against the respondent; and

d) the quality of the evidence (e.g., firsthand knowledge, credible corroboration).

If the investigation is inconclusive or if it is determined that there has been no violation of policy but potentially problematic conduct may have occurred, the Board President may recommend appropriate preventive action.

Board members will review the investigative report and any statements submitted by the complainant or respondent, discuss results of the investigation with the Board President and other management staff as appropriate, and decide what action, if any, will be taken.

Once a final decision is made by board members, the Board President will meet with the complainant and the respondent separately and notify them of the findings of the investigation. If disciplinary action is to be taken, the respondent will be informed of the nature of the discipline and how it will be executed.

 

Alternative legal remedies

Nothing in this policy may prevent the complainant or the respondent from pursuing formal legal remedies or resolution through local, state or federal agencies or the courts.