Storm damage at the Stafford Civic Center left an entire balcony soaked and unusable during a July 23 event, and the committee that oversees the city's venues will take up repairs, refund requests and new policies when it meets Monday, Aug. 10.
The Stafford Centre Committee's noon meeting at 10505 Cash Road carries a packed agenda touching nonprofits, the school district and next year's Independence Day celebration.
Roof leaks disrupted a July event
AlMaghrib, a community organization, held an event at the Civic Center the night of July 23 when a storm sent water through multiple points in the roof. The entire left balcony was soaked and unusable, and leaks near the stage persisted throughout the evening, according to the meeting's agenda packet.
"It did not provide a good — or healthy — environment for our guests," AlMaghrib representative Sarah Khan wrote in a July 24 email to venue staff.
The group is requesting a partial refund or venue credit, plus a refund of an audio-visual charge for venue equipment it says it did not use, having brought its own. The committee will also discuss broader Civic Center repairs as a separate agenda item. In June, the Stafford City Council approved a $133,000 engineering contract with Stanley Spurling & Hamilton, Inc. for a structural review of the building, according to council records.
Nonprofit refund policy on the table
Currently, rental deposits at the Stafford Centre are non-refundable under the standard license agreement, though the committee can approve exceptions case by case. Chairperson Wen Guerra requested legal guidance on nonprofit policies at the Stafford Centre during the committee's July 13 meeting.
The issue isn't hypothetical. At that same July meeting, the committee denied a $4,500 deposit refund to Diwalt-e-Islami Inc. for a cancelled Aug. 8 event, instead applying the credit toward a future booking valid for one year.
Two more deposit-transfer requests are on the Aug. 10 agenda. The National Arab Orchestra wants to move its $1,500 deposit from an Oct. 17 booking to Nov. 6, citing a scheduling conflict with a large Lebanese festival in Houston. Show organizer Boris Bossio is asking to postpone his Aug. 29 Venezuelan pop-rock tribute "Al Norte del Sur" to a future date, citing the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela.
School district discount under review
Vice Chair Alice Chen requested a look at how often Stafford Municipal School District events use the venue. According to figures in the agenda packet, SMSD has received roughly $79,685 in rental discounts since October 2021, paying about $11,777 of approximately $91,462 in total rental charges. The committee will consider whether to set a formal fee policy for district events.
Independence Day event planner
The committee will discuss hiring a professional event planner for the city's 2027 Independence Day Celebration. Guerra requested the item after the committee tabled its 2026 celebration discussion at a May 11 meeting without taking action.
The three-member committee includes Guerra, Chen and Committee Member William K. Bostic Jr. The meeting is open to the public. Residents needing accommodations or interpretive services can call (281) 261-3900 at least 48 hours before the meeting.
Upcoming dates
- Monday, Aug. 10 — Stafford Centre Committee meeting, noon, 10505 Cash Road
- Saturday, Aug. 29 — Boris Bossio's "Al Norte del Sur" (postponement pending committee approval)
- Friday, Nov. 6 — National Arab Orchestra concert (deposit transfer pending committee approval)
