During the workshop, Stroup floated a noise-reduction plan that included ending events by 9 p.m., banning live music, only playing music indoors and at a level that is not “plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the building after 8 p.m.”

“I don't care if my grandmother rented [Town Hall], I still don't want to hear her music,” Stroup said. “I'm not trying to … make it more difficult for anybody to rent. I don't care how many people rented or what the cost is to be honest with you. I care what the effect is on the community.”

Jumping off Stroup’s plan, Mayor-Elect Andy Williams suggested creating a position for a Town Hall event planner who could police the noise levels and ensure that events ended by 9 p.m. 

Council members agreed to explore how other municipalities handled their rental agreements and solicit residents’ input before moving ahead. 

Higher prices, fewer events? 

As of last summer, Town Hall renovations were expected to cost $1.6 million to complete. Rental fees are expected to increase as a result. Although at the moment, it’s anybody’s guess by how much — or when the renovations might wrap up. Construction was to have finished by next year, but the first phase of the three-phase project has not been completed yet. 

“I am sorry. We just do not know anything yet,” Tonya Elliot-Moore, assistant town manager and director of public works, said in an email to VoxPopuli. 

Still, Williams suggested that once they're in place, higher rental fees will help solve some of the noise problem by reducing Town Hall rentals by half. He predicts fewer people will want to pony up the higher fees. 

“If we’re going to update Town Hall, the costs are going to totally be drastically changed,” he said, adding that he envisioned fees increasing “from less than $1,000 a rental to probably something that’s in a $3,000 range.” 

Together with a $250 deposit, Windermere residents currently pay $375 for a four-hour rental and $500 for a full day while non-residents pay $875 for a four-hour rental and $1,500 for a full day. 

That’s on par with what Oakland and Winter Garden are charging for their rentals — especially for non-residents. The Oakland Meeting Hall charges a $350 refundable deposit and $800 for residents and $1,000 for non-residents for weekend events. Oakland also has a Monday through Thursday rate of $150 per hour for residents and $200 per hour for non-residents with a two-hour minimum. Additional hours are charged at $75 for residents; $100 for non-residents. 

Winter Garden has two party/meeting rental spaces. At Tanner Hall, where there’s a $400 deposit, rates for six-hour Friday and Sunday events for residents are $700 with additional hours billed at $100 an hour. Saturday events are $850 with additional hours at $125. For non-residents, Friday and Sunday events are $850, Saturday events are $1,000 and additional hours are $150. 

At Heller Hall at the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation on Plant Street, rental fees start at $150 an hour on weekdays and $175 an hour on weekends with a three-hour minimum. There’s a $400 deposit. Weddings at Heller Hall are pricier and can range from $2,800 to $3,800, depending on the season, according to Wedding Wire.  

The idea of reserving rentals of Town Hall exclusively for Windermere residents was briefly entertained, then shelved when Mayor Jim O’Brien cautioned that doing so could potentially impact funding sources, like grants, which could be used for the Town Hall remodeling efforts. 

“It definitely will have a downstream effect,” he said.

Even so, Williams said that bringing Windermere “in line with the proper rental amount will fix a lot.” He added that residents “definitely” need to have a discount. 

Council Member Brandi Haines noted that residents from all economic strata live in Windermere. “I just would hope that whatever we do, it doesn’t make the costs out of reach for some of the residents,” she said.