PORT TOWNSEND — Fort Worden State Park can no longer financially support agreements with local nonprofit clubs meeting for weekly luncheons in the Commons building — so park management has given them until the first of September to negotiate a new deal.
The park currently has agreements with the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce, Port Townsend Rotary Club and Port Townsend Kiwanis Club in which the clubs meet free of charge in the conference rooms at the four-year-old Commons building.
Lunch is provided at a cost — usually $13.01 for entree, salad and beverage — from the cafeteria-style Commons Servery to turn a profit, or at least break even, on the meetings.
Lunches don’t pay
Kate Burke, manager of Fort Worden State Park, said that arrangement is no longer feasible as the lunches are not paying for the use of the conference rooms.
“We’re telling the three service groups that the current agreement isn’t sustainable,” Burke said.
“If they want to renegotiate another deal, we will do that with them.
“We still want to work with service groups to provide them a place to meet.”
The Commons building is one of the largest locations for meetings in Port Townsend. The two largest rooms, named Company A and Company D, each seats 180 individuals.
The two smaller rooms, called Company B and Company C, seat 82 people each. The rooms can be opened up into each other, providing opportunities for larger groups to meet.
Rentals of the rooms run between $132 and $456, depending on the size of the room and the desired use.
“This decision has been something that has been coming for a while,” Burke said.
“We’re reviewing all of our budget concerns and this just made sense to address.”
Rotary options
J Piper, president of Port Townsend Rotary, said he would be discussing possible options with the park to see if they could continue to meet at Tuesday noon.
“We need to see what is cost-effective for our club,” Piper said.
“It is kind of a monopoly as there aren’t a lot of places to seat 70 people in a business setting every Tuesday for a meeting, but we are looking at every option.
“Still, the idea of the club picking up an additional $20,000 a year just to meet once a week is probably out of the picture.”
Chamber to move?
Jennifer MacGillonie, interim executive director of the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber would be looking at alternate locations for their meetings.
“We are considering the Elks Lodge and are also considering a situation at Mountain View [School] if the city leases the building,” MacGillonie said.
“Mountain View would depend on the timing and the configuration available since we need to be out of [the Commons] by the end of August.”
MacGillonie said the chamber was looking at the Elks Lodge as a possibility as it continue to explore the possibility of merging with the Tri-Area Chamber of Commerce and the Port Ludlow Chamber of Commerce.
“It would be a more central location where all the members could meet,” she said.
“The bottom line is we need to look at what will be the best deal for our members.”
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com
