Eden Prairie City Government

Any activity related to or benefitting the operations of Eden Prairie’s City Government including, but not limited to, City Council, Board and Commission meetings, City-sponsored or hosted programs, events and public meetings.

Group 1 | Eden Prairie Civic/Non-Profit Agencies

Includes Eden Prairie School District, Eden Prairie Youth Athletic Associations, PROP Food Shelf, SouthWest Transit, Southwest Suburban Cable Commission and Eden Prairie-based religious organizations. A civic, non-profit or resident group is considered as Eden Prairie-based if it has at least 75% of its membership roster residing in the City (as in the case of Eden Prairie Homeowner/Townhome Associations).

Group 2 | Eden Prairie Residents and Businesses

Eden Prairie-based businesses and commercial organizations and Eden Prairie residents who wish to use the facilities for personal use (documented proof may be requested).

Group 3 | Non-Eden Prairie Residents/Businesses/Groups

Non-resident individuals, groups, commercial and business organizations (including non-profit), as well as state and county-related committees, including Minnesota’s federal and state representatives and political groups (town hall meetings, political conventions, etc.). Limited to rentals at Eden Prairie Community Center and Senior Center.

NOTE: Eden Prairie residents and businesses may NOT make park facility reservations for non-Eden Prairie residents and businesses.

Park Pavilions and Buildings

Round Lake Park Pavilion, Homeward Hills Park Barn*, Round Lake Park Building*, Staring Lake Park Building*, Miller Park Building*, Crestwood Park Building*, Nesbitt-Preserve Park Building*, Prairie View Park Building*, Edenvale Park Building*, Forest Hills Park Building*, Riley Lake Pavilion, Riley-Jacques Barn, and Purgatory Creek Park Lambert Pavilion.

Warming Houses

Park buildings* located throughout the City and used for ice skating and sledding activities from Dec. 15 through March 1.

* Denotes facilities utilized as warming houses.

Staring Lake Amphitheatre

Community Center

Ice arenas, racquetball courts, swimming pool, meeting rooms, gym, play structure, dry land training areas, and play structure.

Senior Center

Community room and meeting rooms.

Outdoor Athletic Facilities

Volleyball courts, basketball courts, softball/baseball fields, soccer/football/lacrosse fields, tennis and pickleball courts. These park amenities are available on a first-come, first-served basis, unless they are being used for a City program or have been reserved. Outdoor athletic facilities are available for rent along with a park pavilion/building rental, for a fee. See the separate document “Guidelines for Priority Use of Public Facilities” for rental details.

Trail System

For walks and/or runs. Rental of a park building or pavilion is required to hold a walk and/or run. Walks and/or runs beyond the park property will require approval from other departments. Walks and/or runs do not have exclusive use of trails or streets, unless required for safety purposes. In cases of exclusive use, signage and/or additional staff/volunteers may be required, at the discretion of the Parks and Recreation Director.

Non-Typical Park Locations

Including, but not limited to: parking lots, sun shelters, picnic areas, open fields, dog parks, disc golf, hockey rinks in the summer, splash pad, archery range, skate park, etc. These locations cannot be rented for exclusive use.

See Large Group Use.

City Parks | 6 a.m.–10 p.m.

Miller and Round Lake parks may remain open until 10:30 p.m. during the summer. Rental use beyond these hours requires the approval of the Parks and Recreation Director.

The Community Center is generally open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Senior Center business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Senior Center is reserved for Senior and City program use during this time. The Senior Center may be available for rent, for other uses, on weekday evenings and weekends.

Warming houses are available for rent during non-public ice skating/sledding hours only, unless using the upper level of Homeward Hills Park Barn.

Rental of a facility does not allow for exclusive access of other park amenities (ballfields, tennis courts, playground, public bathrooms, etc.).

• Eden Prairie City Government Group meetings, events and activities have priority. All other rental scheduling will be on a first-come, first-served basis; with special reservation guidelines pertaining to walks and/or runs.
• Non-resident groups may rent at the Community Center and Senior Center only.
• No person who has not attained the age of 21 years shall be allowed to rent a facility.
• A minimum notice of 3 business days is required for rental of a facility. Senior Center reservations require advance notice of 14 days.
• Only one reservation, per person, per facility is permitted.
• User groups are not allowed to reserve City facilities on a continuing basis (i.e. daily, weekly, monthly) without the approval of the Parks and Recreation Director. The City reserves the right to restrict the number of dates an individual or group may reserve. This is to ensure the availability of facilities to all user groups.
• If deemed necessary, the City reserves the right to substitute a meeting room or facility other than that stated or requested, in order to minimize conflicts of compatibility, space and scheduling.
• Rentals are subject to maximum group size and availability.
• Rental hours shall be calculated from the time the renter enters the space until the time of departure. User groups must adhere to the hours requested and approved on the facility use contract.
• At some locations, a half-day rental fee versus a full-day rental fee shall be determined by City staff, and not by the number of hours renting a facility. A half-day rental fee will be applied if it is reasonable, at the Parks and Recreation Director’s discretion, to assume the facility will be available for rental by another renter for the remainder of the day.
• Groups renting facilities shall comply with the Equal Opportunity Statutes, and not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, status with regard to public assistance or disability.
• Any event or activity that may require the assistance of more than one City department or may extend beyond the park boundaries is required to complete a Special Event Checklist with the Licensing Clerk at the Eden Prairie Police Department.
• Special event authorization will only be approved if proper accommodations can be made (such as additional parking, transportation to the site, additional toilets, additional police officers or security measures). A special user fee may apply.
• Renter may be required to apply for permits through the Eden Prairie Police Department.

Pavilions, Buildings, and Amphitheater

Groups or individuals desiring to use a park pavilion/building shall make arrangements through the Park Facility Scheduler. Reservations will be accepted in the first week of January; with the exceptions of Homeward Hills Park Barn and Riley Lake Barn (see below).

Warming Houses

Some park facilities are used as warming houses from Dec. 15 through March 1. They are not available for rental use during public ice skating/sledding hours, except for the upper level of Homeward Hills. Groups or individuals desiring to use a Warming House shall make arrangements through the Warming House Scheduler.

Homeward Hills Park Barn

Groups or individuals desiring to use the Homeward Hills Park Barn shall make arrangements through the Park Facility Scheduler. The Homeward Hills Park Barn is available for rental year-round. During public ice skating, rentals may occur in the upper level. It may be scheduled for rental on the first business day according to the following timetable:

• Reservations for April–October are accepted beginning the first business day of January
• Reservations for November–March are accepted beginning Aug. 1 of previous year

Riley-Jacques Barn

Groups or individuals desiring to use the Riley-Jacques Barn shall make arrangements through the Park Facility Scheduler.

The Riley-Jacques Barn is available for rental use from the first day of May through the end of October. It may be scheduled for rental no earlier than the designated date in November for the following year.

Community Center

Groups or individuals desiring to use the Community Center shall make arrangements through the Community Center facility scheduler.

Senior Center

Groups or individuals desiring to use the Senior Center shall make arrangements through the Senior Center staff. Senior Center reservations require a two-week advance notice. The Senior Center may be scheduled three months in advance.

Outdoor Athletic Facilities

Groups or individuals desiring to use an outdoor athletic facility shall make arrangements through the Athletic Facility Scheduler.

Walks and/or Runs

Rental Group 1 may request a walk and/or run with the Park Facility Scheduler no earlier than the first business day of the calendar year in which they wish to hold the event. The walks and/or runs offered will be limited to two per month at Purgatory Creek Park. Any advertising and or promotion of the walk and/or run on park property must be reviewed by the Park Facility Scheduler prior to publishing to ensure conformance to the approved permit. The City must be included in the indemnification clause signed by the participants in the event.

Rental Fee

The rental fee is required for all chargeable rentals. Reservations are confirmed only when full payment is made.

Damage Deposit

An appropriate damage deposit, in addition to the rental fee, will be required for walks and/or runs. The damage deposit is required at the time of reservation. This deposit check shall be returned or destroyed within one (1) week, based on renter’s request after the rental date if no deductions are necessary. A higher deposit may be required for other special events. Failure to comply with this Policy may result in loss of damage deposit.

Liability and Damage

• Rental groups using facilities will be required to sign a waiver of liability on the contract form.
• A Certificate of Insurance is required to cover the use of specialized equipment, walks/runs or special events open to the public.
• The City will not assume liability for loss or damage to property belonging to an organization or group.
• Any organization, group or individual reserving space shall be fully responsible for any damage to that space or equipment and any unlawful acts associated with the user’s program or event.
• Any damages to facilities or equipment must be reported immediately. Costs associated with the damage will be deducted from the damage deposit; additional charges may apply. The City reserves the right to cancel future reservations.

Special User Fee

In some instances, a special user fee may be required. This fee will be applied to cover unusual anticipated expenses, such as excessive cleanup, unusual setup, excess electricity, and/or damages associated with the user’s program, event, general use or decorations. The special user fee must be paid at the time the rental fee payment is made and will be held until it is determined by the City if any or all of the fee was required. Any remaining balance will be returned to the renter.

• There may be a special user fee for large events requiring a special event checklist or rentals requiring additional portable toilets or additional police or security measures.
• Walks and/or runs will be charged a special user fee based on the anticipated or actual attendance.
• A special user fee is applied to groups with specialized equipment or activities such as dunk tanks, inflatables, moon walks, etc.
• User groups may be required to pay a special user fee when they provide amplified sound.
• User groups will be required to pay a special user fee for the City’s Sound Technician to operate the City’s sound system and/or the user group’s sound system. The City’s Sound Technician is required for any event with amplified sound using the City’s equipment at the amphitheater.
• User groups must receive prior approval for additional electrical use, additional lighting, etc. An additional fee may be associated with these requested facility use items.

Special Event Checklist

Any event or activity that may require the assistance of more than one City department or may extend beyond the park boundaries is required to complete a Special Event Checklist with the Licensing Clerk at the Eden Prairie Police Department.

• Special event authorization will only be approved if proper accommodations can be made (such as: additional parking, transportation to the site, additional toilets, additional police officers or security measures).
• A special user fee may apply.
• Renter may be required to apply for permits through the Eden Prairie Police Department.

The City reserves the right to cancel any reservation.

In case of cancellation by the City, reservation fees will be returned accordingly. Cancellation request must be submitted in writing.

Refunds

Community Center Rooms

• 31 days or more, charge one hour of rental fee (refund the rest)
• 30 days or less, no refund

Riley-Jacques Barn

• 121 days or more, charge one hour of rental fee (refund the rest)
• 91-120 days out, charge 2 hours of rental fee
• 61-90 days out, charge 4 hours of rental fee
• 60 days or less, no refund

Homeward Hills Barn, Purgatory Creek Park Lambert Pavilion, Riley Lake Park Pavilion, Round Lake Park Pavilion and Staring Lake Park Building – Lakeview Room

• 31 days or more, minus $50 fee (refund the rest)
• 30 days or less, no refund.

Park Buildings at Crestwood, Edenvale, Forest Hills, Miller, Nesbitt-Preserve, Round Lake, Prairie View, and Staring Lake Park Building – Caroline Room

• 31 days or more, minus $25 fee (refund the rest)
• 30 days or less, no refund

Senior Center Rooms

• 11 days or more, charge one hour of rental fee (refund the rest)
• 10 or less, no refund

Violations of this Policy may result in forfeiture of a user’s damage deposit and denial of future use of City facilities.

However, that does not exempt violators from possible prosecution under applicable City ordinances, State or Federal laws.

• City facilities and parks are smoke free. Use of tobacco products is prohibited as stated in City Ordinance 9.42.
• The City reserves the right to terminate a rental contract for City code violations.
• Meetings and activities must be confined to the area(s) reserved. Other meetings and activities may take place at the same time in other rooms. Groups are expected to have respect for each other’s space.
• Disorderly conduct shall be grounds for immediate termination of the activity/event without refund. This will be determined by City staff or a police officer.

Supervision

• Youth using facilities must be under competent adult (minimum age of 21 years old) leadership and supervision. The renter shall assume full responsibility for the group’s conduct and/or the conduct of any member or guest of the group, and for any damage to the facilities, buildings or equipment.
• Children must be kept confined to the reserved area of the user group. The City will not assume liability for unsupervised children. The City will be reimbursed by user/renter/group for any costs incurred due to damages or additional cleaning.
• Youth groups shall be chaperoned on a ratio of one adult (minimum age of 21 years old) for each ten (10) or fewer youths under the age of 18. The number of youth attending and the names of the chaperones may be requested by the staff. If the general public is invited, City staff shall determine the number of chaperones needed.
• If deemed necessary due to the type of function or activity, the City reserves the right to assign an attendant and/or police officer for a user group. The cost of such will be paid by the user group.
• A building attendant is required to be on site at all times for community use of the Senior Center and non-regular hours of the Community Center. The building attendant will assist with set up and take down as required, and perform general clean up as needed.
• A building attendant is required to be on site for warming house rentals.
• At all park pavilion/building locations, a park attendant will meet the renter at the specified rental beginning time and will come back at the specified ending rental time. The renter is responsible for the rental facility during this rental time, and shall be on site during this rental time. Enclosed buildings will be unlocked at the beginning rental time and locked at the ending rental time. The renter shall not leave the building unattended during the rental time.

Park Pavilion/Building Cleaning

• Rented space and common areas must be left in the same or better state of cleanliness as when renter arrived. Park Attendant shall determine the appropriate level of cleanliness. If additional staff time, beyond that necessary for normal cleaning, is required to clean the facility, an additional charge for personnel and cleaning supplies will be deducted from the damage deposit.
• User groups are responsible for the basic clean up and bagging of trash.
• All chairs or tables used must be taken down and put away.

Parking

• Parking is available in designated parking areas. Groups that underestimate their number of guests may not have adequate parking.
• No parking on grass.
• No driving on trails or plaza.

Admission Fee

User groups are not allowed to charge an admission fee without the approval of the City Council.

Specialized Equipment or Activities

• Cooking devices suitable for pig roasts are allowed but must remain in the parking lot or designated area.
• Dunk tanks, inflatables, etc. are allowed at designated areas. A Certificate of Insurance is required. A special user fee is required.
• Hayrides or sleigh rides are not permitted by rental groups.

Animals

Rental groups are not permitted to have non-domesticated animals, including, but not limited to horses, on City property.

Fireworks / Open Fires

• Rental groups are not permitted to have fireworks.
• Rental groups are not permitted to have fires, fire in fire pits, sky lanterns, sparklers, or any open flame.

Large Group Use

Resident groups with 20 or more are required to have a rental of a facility or a large group use permit before using a park facility.

Food or beverages may not be sold without prior approval.

Food sales must comply with the Hennepin County Health Department regulations of having a food service permit.

• No food or beverage may be left behind at any facility.
• Where available, kitchens may not be used for commercial use (fundraising).

Parks, Shelters, Rented Activity Buildings

• Food and beverages (including alcoholic) are permitted at all locations. No glass containers. A keg will require additional approval.
• Catering services are permitted at all locations.
• Outdoor grills are available at some park locations, charcoal is not provided. Charcoal grills or gas grills may be brought into the park and used in a safe manner on a hard, flat surface. All charcoal must be removed from the park; safe charcoal disposal sites are not available at the parks. Propane tanks or cylinders shall not be disposed of on park/City property.
• Groups must provide their own kitchen supplies (towels, paper products, utensils, etc.) and condiments.

Senior Center

• Food and beverages (alcoholic included) are permitted.
• Heating of pre-prepared food is permitted in the provided oven.
• Groups must provide their own kitchen supplies (towels, paper products, utensils, etc.) and condiments.

Community Center

• All meals, food and beverages for events and banquets must be contracted through a Community Center pre-approved caterer or through the Community Center concessions. Groups may be able to bring outside snacks or beverages upon receiving pre-approval from the Community Center.
• No on-site preparation allowed. No freezer or refrigeration available.
• Groups must provide their own kitchen supplies (towels, paper products, utensils, etc.) and condiments.

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcoholic beverages are permitted at City facilities, EXCEPT at Eden Prairie City property adjacent to a school (with the exception of the Community Center when served by a licensed vendor), Flying Cloud Fields and Round Lake fields north of Valley View Road.

• Alcoholic beverages may be given by a host to the host’s guests at a social event, provided that the host may not sell or engage in a sale of such beverages to the guests without proper liquor licensing.
• No glass containers permitted within an outdoor park.
• Prior notice to, and approval of, the Parks and Recreation Director are required of any group/or user intending to have a keg or kegs of beer onsite.
• Alcoholic beverages may be dispensed to persons attending a convention, banquet, conference, meeting or social affair by the holder of a retail, on-sale intoxicating liquor license issued by the City of Eden Prairie or an adjacent municipality who has been engaged to dispense intoxicating liquor, at an event held by a person or organization.
• Alcoholic beverages may be dispensed by an organization which holds an intoxicating on-sale license for the on-sale intoxicating liquor to members and bona fide guests.
• City staff reserves the right require a police officer on site at the event.

Rental Groups 1 and 2 may conduct fundraising activities at the Eden Prairie Community Center, but fundraising may only be conducted by Group 1 at park facilities.

Fundraising activities include, but are not limited to: selling articles on site, advanced ticket sales, walks and/or runs or any other means of collecting monies for a particular purpose or group.

City facilities may be used for limited fundraising activities to support Eden Prairie-based organizations with approval from the Parks and Recreation Director.

At the discretion of the City, any group conducting a fundraiser will be charged a pre-determined fee to cover costs of setup, maintenance, cleaning and security of the areas utilized for the event.

Charitable Gambling Activities

Renters conducting activities involving licensed charitable gambling (not a licensed gaming company) must provide proof of compliance with State gaming requirements and receive City Council approval. Requests must come before the City Council through the Parks and Recreation Department at least 45 days prior to the event date.

Walks and/or Runs

• Rental Group 1 may request a walk and/or run with the Park Facility Scheduler no earlier than the first business day of the calendar year in which they wish to hold the event.
• The walks and/or runs offered by Groups 1 will be limited to two per month at Purgatory Creek Park.
• Any advertising and/or promotion of the walk and/or run on park property must be reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Department prior to publishing to ensure conformance with the approved permit. The City must be included in the indemnification clause signed by the participants in the event.
• Rental of the park building or pavilion is required to hold a walk and/or run.
• Walks and/or runs will be charged a special user fee based on the anticipated or actual attendance.
• A special event checklist will need to be completed with the licensing clerk at the Eden Prairie Police Department.

Decorations

• Failure to comply with decoration policy may result in loss of damage deposit.
• A decoration plan and installation methods must be preapproved by City staff.
• The City reserves the right to remove all decorations which do not meet a preapproved plan. All decorating time must be included in the rental hours.
• No double-sided tape or Scotch tape shall be used in decorating. Use poster putty, removable blue painter’s tape or removable poster tape only on flat painted walls or tables. No tape shall be used on the ceiling.
• No nails shall be used in decorating.
• No staples or tacks on flat painted walls or tables shall be used in decorating.
• No lit candles or open flame shall be used in decorating.
• No banners, streamers, balloons, or signs may be attached to any facility structure or landscaping without prior approval by City staff. Any preapproved attachments must be removed by the group using the facility immediately after the reservation period.
• No rice, confetti, chalk, or birdseed shall be used in activities or decorating.

Tents and other Props

• Tents or other structures with stakes, tarps, or any part or portion thereof attached to the facility are prohibited.
• Free-standing canopy tents are permitted with prior approval. Stakes cannot be driven into the grounds, so tents must be secured with sandbags or weights.
• Any tables, chairs, dance floor, staging, free standing canopy tents, or other props brought in from other sources will not be stored in City facilities; shall be brought in only during rental hours; and must be removed from the facility at the end of the rental time.

Amplified Sound/Sound Technician

• The City’s Sound Technician is required for any event with amplified sound at the amphitheater. The City’s Sound Technician shall have complete supervisory control over the operation of the facility. Arrangements for equipment set up and take down must be made with this person. Access to the stage is for loading and unloading purposes only. The Sound Technician will determine what vehicles will have access to the stage for loading and unloading of equipment, etc.
• User groups will be required to pay a special user fee for the City’s Sound Technician to operate the City’s sound system and/or the user group’s sound system.
• User groups using a sound amplification system will be required to have the sound monitored. The noise level will be monitored and controlled by the City staff equipped with a decibel level meter. The noise level will not be allowed above 70 decibels 100 feet from the source. Failure to comply with this restriction will result in loss of damage deposit and may result in suspension of electrical power.