Dear Justin,
My children have grown up in Menlo Park and we have enjoyed the use of the library, the gym, the pool, and the Menlo Children Center. However, maybe too often, this is not a message to state how nice the equipment and activities offered are, it is to share an issue the activity I enrolled in has been having with the facilities management team at the start of the school year, which, to me, reflects some larger concerns in how room rentals are processed.
In August, I registered for a class stated to happen in the Maple Room, as stated in my registration confirmation (see attachment below), which is dedicated to fitness activities.
In September, the day the class started, the teacher, and then us students learned we were moved to the Juniper Room which is suited for meetings and lunches, provides different amenities and is half the size of the former room.
After a back and forth with the people attributing the rooms (see the emails shared), this is what I understand:
* Unlike what is stated in the facilities rental agreement, rooms are not attributed on a first come first serve basis (see in reply_1, I quote: "no room assignment is guaranteed and the city does reserve the right to modify room assignments during or before the course" and in reply_2, I quote:" We did anticipate a number of 32 for Yoga in their previously assigned room")
* Unlike what is stated in the facilities rental agreement, the room change falls outside the stated rules. (quote) "the reserved room(s) is needed for City use or maintenance, the City of Menlo Park".
* In the email, it is stated the room attributed to an activity in the registration is purely indicative, and the choice of the room is left to the people in charge to do as they fit. This process is opaque, undocumented, and there is nowhere in the papers I signed mention of this.
* Unlike what is stated on the rooms website, activities allowed in rooms are left to the city’s employees appreciation (see reply_2 "Given the similar hardwood flooring to the Maple Room, it has proven to be adequate for all kinds of sports and dance related activities. "). This lefts out all other amenities such as a better air circulation, which is important for high intensity activities.
* If I look up online to book a room, I see a fixed price, however when Menlo Park facilities rent a room to a subcontractor, they take a percentage of what is charged to the person registering for the activity. This means the room price is proportional to the number of people that are occupying the room. I have looked up at other businesses which rent facilities, such as workspaces, and that is definitely not a common practice. I can’t imagine such a business telling someone they were moved to a smaller room because it was good enough for them after the fact, without choice. This also means the facilities team has a financial interest in favoring classes that provide higher enrollment numbers, at the expense of the subcontractors who choose quality over quantity.
Overall, the discussion with the facilities team has been a poor experience. They refer to previous classes taking place in the smaller room. However they do not state whether the experience was good. For 12 adults dancing in a small room with a low ceiling and poor air circulation despite doors open, it is not enjoyable, though I love the class.
I hope you will find a way to reestablish transparency in how the facilities rents rooms to professionals or private citizens, and improve the business practices.
As for the prejudice my class is submitted to, it seems fair that :
* we get the usage of the room as specified when we all signed up.
* all fees related to the Menlo Park facilities management be reimbursed. Those include:
* the percentage of the registration that does not go to the teacher.
* the non resident fee when applicable.
* the tax amount related to the above.
Sincerely,
Anne Cognet (district 5)
