Amid Rising Rental Complaints, New Supe Proposes Free County Space Solution

At Tuesday’s Maricopa City Council meeting, public concern centered on high rental fees at city facilities. Residents voiced their frustrations, urging the council to address the issue.

Andrew Coonts-Kapor, representing Maricopa Community Theatre, expressed reservations about the proposed hourly usage rates for the new performing arts center located in the former police station. “The fees remain prohibitively high for MCT to manage financially,” he stated. As a consequence, the theatre company may opt to continue utilizing their current space, leaving the newly developed venue underutilized.

This issue is not new. The city had previously reduced facility rental fees in 2023 following similar complaints from the community. Recently, council members contemplated further reductions for room rentals at various city locations, including Copper Sky and the Maricopa Library and Cultural Center.

In a separate but seemingly related initiative, newly elected county supervisor Rich Vitiello announced the availability of a county board room that the public can use at no cost. However, Vitiello clarified that this initiative is not a direct response to the ongoing complaints about high rental fees. “No one knew it was available,” he remarked, referring to the unused space.

The board room features a large table, 26 chairs, and a television, and is accessible from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Vitiello noted that interest in the newly announced space has already materialized, as the county received two inquiries within 24 hours.

While this might serve as a solution for some organizations, it may not cater to those in need of an open floor plan. “You can’t move the table,” said Vitiello, highlighting a limitation of the space.

The county board room is located at the County Justice Center, 19955 N. Wilson Ave. For booking inquiries, contact the county via email or phone: [email protected] or call 520-866-3960.