Board rejects fee-cut call

Press, 28 March 1980, Page 11

Board rejects fee-cut call

i A meeting of the Christchurch Town Hall board of management has refused a request from the St John Ambulance Association to make no charge, or only a hominal charge for the hire iof the Town Hall auditorium. • The association plans to >ld an investiture, ceremony in recognition of its anniversary, on Sunday, June 22,

Community service groups Ave re normally charged for; Juse of the Town Hall facilities at 40 per cent of the commercial charge. ! The St John Ambulance Association had been quoted $l6OO for use of the Town Hall for the ceremony, said the manager (Mr B. P. Connell). .? Several members of the board thought it should make a special case for the association. : “We should do something

for an organisation that does such good work in the community,” said Cr N. G. Hattaway, who moved that the association should be charged only cost. Other members said that if free entry was given to one community organisation, others would want the same. Cr H. W, Bennett said the board should stick to its policy of charging community groups 40 per cent Of the commercial rate because it was consistent. The motion to give the association use of the Town Hall facilities at cost was lost. Friends

A Friends of the Town Hall Association may be set up. Cr A. B. Harman, who moved that the board’s executive should consider the idea, said such a group would be a source of funds. I