[HealthyTribes] Frequently Asked Questions about the logistics for 2017 Grantees and Contractors Annual Meeting

[Diallo Jennifer L]

Hello,

I am sending out this FAQs list to clarify some of the details you may need for travel planning and budgeting for expenses for the meeting in November. If you have questions that are not answered here, and have not been answered by Beatty Group, please let me know. I would also like to apologize for some misinformation communicated by Beatty staff to those who registered early. This has been corrected for those individual grantees involved, but may have created some confusion and miscommunication among grantees. It's good to remember that we have had transitions both at Beatty and among our grantees, and this is also a new process for many of our grantees and HPCDP staff.

Frequently Asked Questions about Travel and Logistics for 2017 Grantees and Contractors Annual Meeting:

When is the meeting?
The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 7th through Thursday, November 9th. The meeting will begin at noon on the 7th with a working lunch. This means that we will provide lunch for you and during lunch there will be some table discussions or presentations going on. This allows us to maximize use of conference time and facilities while also meeting state funding requirements which limit meals provided to those that occur during a work session. The meeting will end about 2 PM on the 9th to allow grantees to return home at a reasonable hour if driving a long distance.

Where is the meeting?
The meeting is at the University Place Conference Center at PSU. This is a hotel and conference venue on the SE side of the University. The address is 310 SW Lincoln St, Portland, OR 97201.
In the past, we have sometimes had the meeting in another somewhat central location, such as Bend or Kahneeta.

Why are we having the meeting in Portland?
Due to travel restrictions for state staff, another location was not an option. Even if it were an option, we have discovered over the years that it is more cost effective to have the meeting in the metro area due to the cost of transportation and hotel for a large number of state staff. When we had the meeting in Kahneeta in 2015, we were only able to bring a small group of staff.

Are there hotel rooms available?
Hotel rooms have been reserved in a block for the meeting attendees at $99 per night. All rooms will cost the same, even though some rooms have more amenities or a newer style.

Who is responsible for paying for hotel rooms?
In this year's grant and budget planning, we asked grantees to budget for their travel costs for two meetings in Portland as well as a regional meeting or training. Please do communicate with your community programs liaison at HPCDP if there is any concern about your approved budget not being sufficient to cover these expenses.

How many nights at the hotel are covered?
That is up to you and the person who approves your travel in the local setting. In past year, whenever HPCDP has been paying for travel, the rule of thumb has been that if you live more than a five hour drive from the meeting location, you may be approved to stay an additional night before the meeting and a few grantees with much longer drives have been approved to stay a fourth night after the conference as they have a full day of travel to return home. This was approved on a case-by-case basis. However, this year, you were asked to budget this from your grante funds, so the approval process is dependent on your local guidelines for travel expenses and reimbursement.

What about parking costs?
This location is on the MAX and bus lines and convenient for bike riders in the local area, as well. If you are driving in from out of town and staying outside the downtown area, you may want to park at a transit center and ride the bus or MAX to downtown. If you prefer to park at the hotel, or are staying at the hotel, there is a cost for parking (see details below). The parking at this venue is provided by PSU parking services. We negotiated a lower price for rooms to support grantees who will need to cover the cost of parking, as grantees at previous meetings have been concerned about higher costs of parking at some hotels. These are specific instructions related to parking taken from the registration website:
University Place has on-site, including ADA parking spaces available to conference attendees and guests.

There are two entrances into our parking lot: one located at 3rd Ave & Lincoln, and the other at 2nd Ave & Lincoln (Please note that 2nd and 3rd avenues are not indicated by street signs). Upon arrival, all conference attendees must proceed to the Grey Pay Station located by the 2nd Ave, or the station across from the Green Parking Booth located by the 3rd Ave entrance to purchase a parking permit to avoid a parking citation.  There is a third pay station located toward the back of the hotel, on the side of 3rd Ave entrance.

For guests not staying overnight, parking is $3 an hour or $12 daily.
For overnight guests, parking is $15.  A permit can be obtained at check-in.

Download a copy of the hotel map and parking guide here<https://custom.cvent.com/AEEBDDE84DC34E64ACDB290E0F05406F/files/event/EACB1019AD5E495AB0230F20F948A13D/3d2e8e18526e4958a08d26e3368a6d9d.pdf>.

If you have any additional questions about parking, please contact: delaney.howard at beattygroup.com<mailto:delaney.howard at beattygroup.com>

Which meals are provided? What about other meals?
Working lunches are provided for all three days. For those who are staying at the hotel, there is a free breakfast provided by the hotel restaurant. Those who are not staying at the hotel will make their own arrangements for breakfast. Attendees are on their own for dinner according to their local guidelines for travel expenses and reimbursement.

Why doesn't the agenda have more detail on session content?
An initial agenda with minimal details is provided to facilitate your travel request processes. We are in the process of developing a full range of sessions to support the work we do and the final agenda will be communicated prior to the conference and then updated on the registration website.

Please let me know if you have other questions. The staff at Beatty Group can answer most of your logistical questions. We look forward to communicating about the meeting topics and session content in the near future, and especially to seeing you all again at the meeting.

Thank you!

Jennifer


Jennifer Diallo, M.Ed.
Workforce Capacity Coordinator
OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY
Public Health Division
Center for Health Promotion & Chronic Disease Prevention
Desk: 971-673-1080
Cell: 503-754-3478
http://www.oregon.gov/OHA


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