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Senator questions $95,000 DoubleTree contract for statewide conference; committee approves
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Summary
Senator Rosenwald asked why the Department contracted with the DoubleTree in Manchester for a $95,000 two-day conference; Danielle Smith said the hotel was the only bidder, food is billed per person and last year attendance exceeded 500; the Fiscal Committee approved the item.
Senator Rosenwald questioned a $95,000 contract for a two-day statewide conference at the DoubleTree in Manchester, asking what the state was getting and whether registration would offset food and other costs. "The DoubleTree has historically been the only facility that has submitted a bid," Danielle Smith, the program administrator, told the committee, adding that the hotel is the states largest facility for the event and that food invoices are billed by the number of people who eat.
Smith said attendance last year totaled about 480 attendees plus 47 faculty, noting "we have a track record of already having over 500 people attend the conference." She said typical overnight stays are limited (about 20230 people) and that most attendees pay for their own rooms; the department typically covers only presenters flown in from out of state (about 1112 overnights last year). On food costs she explained that the department is billed only for actual meals served and that registration fees offset those expenses.
After the exchange, Senator Grama moved to approve the item (FIS 26,071) and Senator Birdsell seconded; the committee approved the motion by voice vote. The item was recorded as adopted.
