Community Use of Public Facilities Newsletter: October 13, 2017

• Welcome
• Silver Spring Ice Rink Opens This Weekend
• October 15: Opening Day for Public Library Reservations
• Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade
• Interfaith Domestic Violence Conference
• Extended Hours at Some Public Libraries
• Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Center Room Closures
• Clarksburg Cottage Refresh
• Heat vs. Air Conditioning at Public Schools
• Seven Days Advanced Notice
• Three-Hour Minimum on Weekends and Holidays at Schools
• Cancellation Policy
• Customer Care

Welcome

After a long, hot summer, cooler weather is scheduled to head our way soon. It is difficult to believe that we might see snow in a few weeks! In our effort to keep all customers informed, we have included some warm and friendly reminders, information bulletins, invitations, and some clarifying details that we believe will be of interest to user groups in this month’s newsletter. 

Silver Spring Ice Rink Opens This Weekend

The ice rink located at the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza will open this weekend. Things are moving along well and the ice is freezing now. We anticipate the Ice Rink opening for a full day of action this Saturday. For more information visit: http://www.silverspringiceskating.com/

October 15: Opening Day for Public Library Reservations

Reminder: General reservation requests for use of community rooms in public libraries for dates of use January 1 through June 30 will be accepted online via the customer e-portal at www.ActiveMONTGOMERY.org beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 15.

Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade

The streets are being overrun with turkeys, dinosaurs, penguins, and reindeer! No, the zoo hasn’t opened their gates – it is the Annual Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade! With marching bands and Latin dancing groups, floats, giant characters and balloons, and over 120 units, the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is the only Thanksgiving Parade in the metro DC area. Held in downtown Silver Spring, the exciting parade traditionally heralds the start of the holiday season. The parade steps off from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street and proceeds south on Georgia Avenue, ending at Silver Spring Avenue. It also is televised live on News Channel 8 and rerun on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone is invited to the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade on Saturday, November 18, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Veterans Plaza, downtown Silver Spring.

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Interfaith Domestic Violence Conference

Faith-based community representatives are invited to the annual Interfaith Domestic Violence Conference on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The conference will be held at the Judicial Institute of Maryland, located at 2001 D Commerce Park Drive, Annapolis, Maryland 21401. Both the event and parking are free. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. The Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition (IDVC) strives to unite the faith-based community against Domestic Violence. The Coalition brings clergy, community faith leaders and pastoral staff together with domestic violence advocates, legal experts, and governmental and community partners to provide them with strategies to help prevent and respond to domestic violence and to identify resources in the community to assist victims. Please click here for the information flyer. To attend, you must register at www.community.maryland.gov and click on Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition.

Extended Hours at Some Public Libraries

Hours at the Little Falls, Kensington Park, and Twinbrook libraries will increase effective Monday, October 16, 2017. The hours starting that week at all three libraries will be 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday thru Thursday, and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Center Room Closures

Community use rooms at the Sidney Kramer Upcounty Regional Services Center will be unavailable for approximately 18 months as the facility has new windows installed throughout. The rooms will be used for relocating some offices and other tenants in the building as their spaces are impacted by the project. Please note that there are alternative sites in that area available for use such as public schools, the Germantown library, and the Clarksburg Cottage. These sites may be reserved online via the customer e-portal at www.ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. 

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Clarksburg Cottage Refresh

The Clarksburg Cottage, a community building serving the Clarksburg community and surrounding areas, will re-open very soon! CUPF has worked with County partners to refresh the site by painting the entire interior, painting some of the exterior, installing some new lighting, enhancing the self-entry locking system, enhancing security, as well as a deep cleaning and a few other updates. Expect additional information via email and posted on our website soon.

Heat vs. Air Conditioning at Public Schools

In preparation for winter weather, Montgomery County Public Schools has begun switching their HVAC units to heat. Even though we may have a few days of warmer weather here and there over the next few weeks, groups using school facilities should note, effective immediately, AC may not be available. We encourage groups to notify participants so they may dress accordingly. 

Seven Days Advanced Notice

As a reminder, community user groups may submit reservation requests for use of public facilities with at least 7 calendar days’ notice. Since CUPF has always requested 10 business days’ notice for routine use bookings and 4 weeks notice for weekend use, for many years in the past, this has been a welcomed change for facility users. CUPF has appreciated the positive feedback since implementing this change with the rollout of the new scheduling software. Please note that CUPF is not able to make exceptions to the 7 days advance notice requirement for indoor and outdoor space. Plan ahead in order to ensure that you may use public facilities for your community events and activities. This does not apply to large events. Large events require a minimum of four weeks advance notice and may not be submitted online. Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cupf for definition of ‘large event’.

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Three-Hour Minimum on Weekends and Holidays at Schools

There is a three-hour minimum for all community use of public school facilities on weekends and holidays due to staffing guidelines. Please keep this in mind when scheduling your use via www.ActiveMONTGOMERY.org. This has been in place for decades; however, users may find that the system may allow requests for less hours. Upon review of requests by staff, a reservation request not meeting the three-hour minimum on a weekend will be denied. 

Cancellation Policy

CUPF manages the permit process for multiple public facilities in Montgomery County, including public schools, libraries, regional service centers, government buildings and others. Please note that different facilities require their own specific cancellation policies due to staffing requirements, HVAC programming, security needs, etc. Check your permit or our web site to view our comprehensive guide outlining the various cancellation policies for the wide variety of facilities that CUPF issues permits for community use.

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Customer Care

Please contact our office if you have any questions or concerns about information shared in this communication.  General Inquiries: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.: 240-777-2725 Email: cupf@montgomerycountymd.gov  After-Hours Problem Line: If you experience a lockout, HVAC issue, security concern, equipment failure, rooms permitted not available for use upon arrival, or other similar situation, you must call 240-490-CUPF (2873) so that our office may assist in remedying the problem.  Thank you for using public facilities for your community events and activities!