County unveils Nexus Center rental fees; commissioners ask to revisit AV, staffing and revisit in six months

Flagler County staff presented a recommended rental and fee schedule for the newly opened Nexus Center community room and pre‑function spaces.

Holly Albanese, library director and Nexus manager, recommended weekday daytime discounts for nonprofits (50 percent off the standard rate for Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.), flat‑rate blocks for evening and weekend events and add‑on charges (AV equipment, linen, security). She showed layout options for full use (up to roughly 224 guests seated for a dinner) and for splitting the room into east/west halves for concurrent events outside regular daytime congregate‑meal hours.

Commissioners probed details about the AV charge, the feasibility of charging a plug‑in/electric fee vs. a full equipment fee, and after‑hours staffing and lockup logistics; staff said a single AV flat fee ($25 on the draft schedule) could be changed to an hourly structure, and that current staffing plans rely on library staff oversight with the director acting as the initial contact for after‑hours events.

"If you wanna charge $25 an hour for the AV equipment, we can make that adjustment for the approval for tonight," Albanese said; several commissioners recommended a higher AV fee and asked staff to return in six months to re‑evaluate rates once usage and any damage incidents are known.

The board gave direction to proceed with the fee schedule as a launch plan and to revisit pricing and policies after six months of operation; staff will return with usage reports, equipment‑damage and deposit policy recommendations and options for requiring security for large or alcohol‑served events.