Pottawattamie - Hitchcock Nature Center

Per Pottawattamie County Policy 96-2020 – When attending an indoor event at Hitchcock Nature Center masks must be worn except when eating & drinking, children under the age of two & those with medical conditions preventing them from wearing a mask are exempt. Social distancing of a minimum of 6’ between households must be observed. Due to these restrictions the maximum rental capacity of the Bluestem Room is 25 people.

I.   
Statement
of Purpose
 

Hitchcock Nature Center (HNC) is owned and
operated by the Pottawattamie County Conservation Board (PCCB) for
the
purposes of developing and fostering
an appreciation and understanding of the Loess Hills as
a globally significant landform through:

• Land Stewardship (restoring ecological integrity);  


• Environmental Education (fostering appreciation of natural resources through
  interpretive experiences); and


• Low-Impact Recreation (developing awareness,
  understanding, and commitment to our natural world)
   
  

The Loess Hills Lodge
(LHL) at HNC serves
as the environmental education
(EE) hub for Pottawattamie
County Conservation and includes an exhibit gallery,
indoor and outdoor classrooms, observation tower,
and lodge deck. 
The LHL exists to promote the Land Stewardship and EE missions
by promoting an understanding of ecological integrity as it
relates to the Loess Hills ecosystems and through encouraging environmental
literacy by building
relationships between people
and the natural world through year-round educational programming opportunities.
 

II.  
Policy for Use
of The Loess Hills
Lodge

The LHL cannot be all things to
all
people due to
limitations on time, staff, and
space. Thus, priorities have been established
to insure an orderly use of
these limited resources
based on the stated
purposes.
 

III.  
Conservation
Related Groups

Rental
fees for conservation related groups, as determined by PCCB, are based on a
sliding scale. Conservation related groups will still be responsible for cleaning and damage expenses
if
applicable.
 

IV.  
Other Users

There is a
rental fee for all other uses
not associated with conservation activities.   
 

V.   
Types
of Building
Use Not Permitted
  

Overnight uses are not permitted.
 

VI. 
This policy
has been written
with the following
points in mind:

A. Hours of Operation

Regular LHL Hours are
defined as (March through
November) 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Tuesday through
Saturday, and
1:00
p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Closed
on Mondays.                                 

Winter LHL Hours
are defined as (December through
February):
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Friday & Saturday, and 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sunday.  Closed on Mondays
through Thursdays. Open by appointment only,
including rentals.
 

The LHL will be closed on the
following holidays including
Veterans’ Day,
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas
Day, and New Year’s Day.
 
The Hitchcock Nature Center hours for trails,
playground, and campground
access are 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
 
 
 
 

B. Rental
Agreement

The Rental
Agreement must be signed for the use of the LHL at HNC. The Rental Agreement must
be signed by the Renter in advance of the rental date.
 

C. Rental Hours
at the
Loess Hills Lodge

1. Saturday
   & Sunday Rental Hours: 9 a.m.
   to 9 p.m., full days only
   


2. Tuesday
   through Friday Rental Hours: 3 p.m.
   to 9 p.m., half days only
    
   

Daytime rentals
during the work-week are subject to facility availability & must be booked
through staff at the LHL.
 
No Monday rental
hours are available due to LHL maintenance activities & facility hours.
 
Rental hours indicate time in and out of the building,
including preparations
and clean up, not
duration of an event.
HNC will take
rental reservations for the following year
starting September 1st of the current
year.
 

D. Room Rental Options
at the Loess Hills
Lodge

1. Goldfinch Room
   -  50
   people maximum capacity
   -  upstairs location; off
   of the courtyard
   


2. Bluestem
   Room
   -  70
   people maximum capacity
   - 
   downstairs location;
   off of the patio
    
   

E. Rental Fees for the
Loess Hills Lodge

1. Saturday & Sunday
   Rentals: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., full-days only, $360.50 per room/per day, cash or credit cards accepted, payment collected at the time
   of reservation, subject to cancellation policy
   


2. Tuesday through Friday Rentals: 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., half-days only, $180.25 per
   room/per day, cash or credit cards accepted, payment collected at the time of
   reservation, subject to cancellation policy
    
   

Rental fees include Iowa Hotel Motel Tax & credit card processing fee.  

Payment Methods: Fees may be paid by cash, credit card, or checks (checks
require the approval of LHL staff). 

Park User Fee: The $3/vehicle park user
fee normally required at the entrance
of HNC is covered
by
the rental fee. Renters and their guests do
not
have to pay the park user fee
during their rental times on the day of rental.
 

F. Deposits

All rentals are
subject to a $300 room deposit and a $300 alcohol deposit (if
applicable) via cash or credit card. 
Deposits made via credit card must be collected no earlier than 7 days
prior to the event.  Deposits will be refunded within 10 business days
of the completion of the event. Individuals wishing to place a deposit via
check should contact LHL staff.  Damage deposits are assessed to partially cover damage or
loss of items. 
 
Alcohol
deposits can be
withheld for violations of state or local liquor
laws (e.g. serving minors,
damage related to drunken behavior, etc). Only beer
and wine are allowed in the LHL. No
kegs or hard liquor are permitted.
 
The deposit is
to be returned if the room(s) is found in satisfactory condition.  If
not found
satisfactory, a portion of the deposit may be
kept to assist with maintenance schedule. Penalties from this deposit
will be assessed according to the following guidelines:
 
 
 
 

Cleaning fees
will be deducted from room deposit per the
following schedule:  

• Clean-up taking
  up to ½ hour = subtract 25%
  of deposit


• Clean-up taking ½ to 1 hour = subtract 50%
  of deposit


• Clean-up taking 1 to 1½ hours =
  subtract 75% of deposit


• Clean-up taking more than 1½ hours = subtract 100% of deposit
  

The deposit is not to be construed as a limit of liability
for damage to county
property. The conservation board may take any
legal action necessary to recover
additional damage.

Missing
or broken items, or damages to the facility will be
charged at their replacement value.
 

G. Reservation
Form and Payment

1. Reservation Form: The
   form must be
   completed and signed by the individual
   responsible for the room
   rental. The form may be emailed
   to the responsible individual, but they must return a signed,
   printed copy of the agreement within
   7 days of receipt of the form.
   


2. Deposit
   Payment: The
   building deposit (and alcohol
   deposit if applicable) is due no more than 7 days prior to the rental date.
   


3. Rental Fee Payment:
   The rental fee is
   due at least 60 days prior to the rental date.  If a room reservation
   is made within 60 days of the rental date, the rental fee will be required at
   the time of the reservation. 


4. Payment
   Methods: Payment
   may be made via cash or credit card (VISA
   or Mastercard only).  Individuals
   wishing to make payments via check should contact LHL staff.
    
   

H. Cancellation Policy

Cancellation
refunds will be paid based upon the following schedule:

• 30 days or more notice.....................................100% refund
  


• 
  29-22 days notice............................................50% refund
  


• 
  21-15 days notice............................................25% refund
  


• 
  14 days or less
  notice......................................no
  refund
   
  

I. Cleaning Policy

All Renters
must leave the premises in as good or better condition
than they were found. Please
realize that this helps maintain
the integrity of county property from rental to rental, reduces
wear and tear on the
building, and keeps the
cost of rentals low.

RENTER RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Wipe down tables
   and chairs.


2. Clean
   kitchen counters and sinks.


3. Sweep
   and mop floor (Bluestem
   Room Only).
   


4. Vacuum carpet (Goldfinch Room Only).
   


5. Bag all trash in
   the provided trash bags, tied
   tightly and placed
   in the designated location outside
   the LHL after rental
   ends.
   


6. Both the Bluestem and Goldfinch Room have a standard set-up
   format for the tables and chairs.At the end
   of the
   rental, the room(s) must be returned
   to this format as
   part of the clean-up
   process.
    
   

HNC staff will remove all
bagged trash and clean
restrooms.
 
Cleaning supplies
are located in the kitchenette in each room and include
a vacuum cleaner (Goldfinch Room), mop (Bluestem Room),
broom & dustpan, trash bags, all-purpose
cleaner, and rags.
 
 
 
 

NOTE:  Failure
to satisfactorily accomplish the
tasks outlined in this
cleaning policy will be considered a breach of
the signed Rental Agreement. 
As per the Rental Agreement signed prior
to the
rental, and the policies and procedures of
this document, deductions will be made
from the building deposit according to the
amount of cleanup required
of the
HNC staff.
 

J. Rental Amenities

Rental of either room includes:

• Tables (8’ long x 30” wide) and Chairs
  


• Kitchenette access (refrigerator, sink, and microwave).
  


• Limited office
  equipment is available upon request. Projection screens are always
  available.
  


• All LHL
  furniture, including tables and
  chairs, must remain
  indoors and cannot leave the building.
  


• Renters MAY NOT bring in
  outside equipment or
  items (e.g. chairs, tables, canopies,
  etc.) to alter the existing structure
  of the
  LHL, both interior and exterior.
   
  DO NOT TAPE OR HANG ANYTHING DIRECTLY
  ON WALLS OR DAMAGE WILL OCCUR AND
  PENALTIES WILL BE ASSESSED.
   
  

K. Parking Amenities

All Renters
and their guests must park in
designated parking spaces.  Renters may unload
items near the LHL
entrance, but cannot park there. Parking is
not allowed between the parking
lot and the LHL, other than three designated
handicapped parking spaces. There
are
35 parking spaces
in the large lot by the trailheads.
 

L. Food and Beverage

• Outside
  Food and Beverage: Renters
  may bring in outside food or look into
  catering options.
  


• Catering: The LHL does not contract
  with any catering
  services. Caterers
  must provide a certificate
  of insurance and license. 
  All arrangements for catering services
  must be made directly between the Renter and the caterer, and
  HNC and the PCCB accept no
  responsibility for
  performance of caterers.  Deliveries and pickups must be
  arranged in advance with the
  LHL staff. Deliveries need to
  be conducted
  in a manner that does
  not
  interfere with the staff, programs,
  or visitors
  of the
  LHL.
  


• Alcohol: Beer and wine may be permitted
  with permission from LHL staff. No kegs
  allowed. The use of any alcoholic hard liquor is
  prohibited in the LHL and
  surrounding area.
   
  All food
  and beverages MUST BE retained
  within the Rental Room(s) and
  may not be taken into the Exhibit Gallery.
   
  

M. No Smoking

As a public facility, the LHL will be a
smoke-free zone. Any violation of this policy may result in a breach of these
contract conditions and may result, at a minimum, in the assessment of the
cleaning fees provided in Article IV.E of this document.
 

N. Children

All children under the
age of 18 must be supervised at all times.
 

O. Outdoor
Space

• We
  do not take reservations for any of our
  outdoor and/or exterior spaces at HNC and Renters may not commandeer
  these outdoor, public-use spaces for their
  private functions. These spaces
  have been designated as public-use space and may
  not be reserved or dominated
  by one group unless that
  group has prior authorization from HNC
  staff.
   
  


• Renters
  MAY NOT bring in outside equipment or
  items (e.g. chairs,
  tables, canopies,
  etc.) to alter the existing
  structure of the
  LHL, both interior and exterior.
  


• All LHL
  furniture, including tables and chairs, must remain indoors and cannot leave
  the building.
   
  

P. Music

The LHL
staff reserves the right to control both the
volume and time of recorded
music. Amplified sound is permitted only until 9
P.M. 
No live bands or disc jockey services
are permitted.
 

Q. Use of Candles

Candles are allowed
as long as the
following guidelines
are met. 

• Candles
  must be constantly supervised to avoid any potential
  fires.  Please
  note the location of the fire extinguishers once you arrive at
  the LHL.
  


• The base
  of each
  candle must be secured in an appropriate holder that is
  able to accommodate all wax overflows
  to avoid
  any damage to HNC property.
  

R. Animals

• Animals
  (other than service animals) are not permitted in the LHL. 
  Exceptions will be made
  for animals
  used by the education
  staff and/or by program presenters.
  


• The
  release of any live animals including doves, butterflies, or similar animals is
  prohibited.

Cancellation
refunds will be paid based upon the following schedule:

30 days or more notice.....................................100% refund

29-22 days notice............................................50% refund

21-15 days notice............................................25% refund

14 days or less
notice......................................no
refund

Please understand at the time of booking your reservation that you immediately prohibit other people from reserving and utilizing that facility - they therefore go elsewhere to locate a facility for that date. Refunds will be provided based on the Cancellation Policy. However, we will observe a NON-REFUNDABLE RESERVATION policy for cancellations that occur within 14 days of the rental date with the following exceptions: 

• Accident, serious injury or death of an immediate family member 


• Travel conditions where a substantial risk is required in order to travel such as a winter storm where a travel advisory has been issued 


• We are unable to provide your facility (or like facility) in operable condition for the date of your event

Should circumstances arise meeting the exceptions described above, renters may be asked to provide documentation of the circumstance(s) prior to receiving a refund.