Chattanooga Visitors Bureau President Bob Doak regularly lunches at upscale local restaurants with close chums and others utilizing the CVB credit card.
Often the paid guests are longtime CVB board members Jim Bambrey Sr. and Rick Thompson - usually at Hennen's Restaurant on the riverfront.
There are no receipts kept. A CVB finance official said, "Bob is really bad at keeping receipts. So he started just writing down who he had lunch with and where."
The CVB gets most of its money from the county portion of the hotel/motel tax, which is pegged to rise to $8.2 million this fiscal year.
Keith Sanford, CVB treasurer and Aquarium president, said he felt the luncheons were justified, saying visitor business was discussed. He said, "I bought a lot of lunches when I was in the banking business."
Mr. Thompson's Artech firm has gotten the work on five different CVB projects.
Mr. Doak said, "We used Artech because we like their design style."
He said Mr. Thompson "recused himself in any voting. We did not bid the design firm - nor does the county or the city."
Artech projects for the CVB include:
Bunker in TNAQ Quad renovation - $3,000
Administrative office renovation for move to SunTrust Building - $13,826
Visitors Center I renovation for move to the old Bijou location - $26,584
Visitors Center II design and plans for new building - $30,754
Visitors Center III design, plans, permitting, approval fees - $14,923
County Commission Finance Chairman Tim Boyd said his research shows that CVB expenses with local food service providers increased by 190 percent between FY2011 and FY2014. He said it went from $22,789 to $43,398.
Total individual food service charges (restaurants, groceries, coffee shops, caterers) made on the CVB travel card by CVB staff at Chattanooga area businesses went from 294 in 2011 to 509 in 2014. He said that was a 173 percent increase in charge card purchases.
Commissioner Boyd found that the variety of restaurants frequented by CVB staff increased by 259 percent, going from 44 in FY2011 to 114 in FY2014.
He found that travel went up sharply too.
Commissioner Boyd listed total travel card charges approved by Mr. Doak (figures do not include travel reimbursements to staff or payments made by check for travel-related services):
Month FY2011 FY2014 % of FY2011
July $5,201.18 $22,878.26 440%
August $17,328.85 $24,613.88 142%
September $19,408.31 $32,100.45 165%
October $16,788.49 $36,465.34 217%
November $23,567.53 $26,161.78 111%
December $16,921.64 $29,079.43 172%
January $16,087.42 $13,454.70 84%
February $8,419.08 $21,562.55 256%
March $14,346.15 $20,690.62 144%
April $25,665.43 $13,647.89 53%
May $20,303.54 $22,538.47 11%
June $11,026.94 $26,395.51 239%
Total $195,064.56 $289,588.88 148%
Here are records of meals paid on the Doak credit card from July 2013 to June 2015:
2013
July 1 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $45
July 3 Terra Mae's Charlie Arant, Kim White $45
July 10 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $30
July 12 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Jim Kennedy $87.92
July 16 Blue Water Grill Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $82
July 19 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Ed Dolliver $125
July 24 Hennen's Dave Santucci Brown and Mayberry $60
July 29 Food Works Denny Mobbs Chuck Dobbins $54
July 31 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $47
Aug. 1 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr. $53
Aug. 5 Blue Water Grill Charlie Arant $38
Aug. 6 Terra Mae Jim Bambrey $51
Aug. 7 Blue Water Grille Charlie Arant $38
Aug. 23 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr. $87
Aug. 27 breakfast Chattanoogan Hotel Tom Griscom, Siebold, Dave Santucci $57
Aug. 28 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Dave Santucci, Tim Morgan $62.17
Sept. 4 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $45
Sept. 17 Public House Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr. $62.90
Oct. 1 Doubletree Mike Steele, Larry Armour $42
Oct. 2 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Charlie Arant, Williams $75
Oct. 3 Blue Water Grill Jim Bambrey, Lisa Maragnano, Brent Matthews $118
Oct. 9 Urban Stack Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr., Dave Santucci $60
Oct. 11 Blue Water Grill Jim Kennedy $41
Oct. 29 Blue Plate Jon Kinsey, Jerry Mitchell $56
Nov. 1 Big River Grille Genoveses, Jim Bambrey $95.03
Nov. 5 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $77
Nov. 15 Hennen's Jim Fields $29.40
Nov. 20 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $62
Nov. 26 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $43
Dec. 2 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $66
Dec. 4 Blue Water Grill Jim Bambrey $60
Dec. 11 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $34
2014
Jan. 3 Hennen's Jon Kinsey, Adam Kinsey, Ken Hays $92
Jan. 7 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $50
Jan. 10 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $50
Jan. 12 Hennen's Mike Shuford $38
Jan. 21 breakfast Chattanoogan hotel Tom Griscom $34
Jan. 24 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Tim Morgan, Sutton, Donlan $110
Jan. 31 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Tim Morgan, Ed Dolliver $108
Feb. 7 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $35.06
Feb. 11 Hennen's Ironman $100
Feb. 19 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Dan Collins $88.55
Feb. 20 Hennen's Jerry Mitchell, Tim Morgan $70.80
Feb. 21 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Ed Dolliver $113
March 4 Hennen's Dave Lang $67
March 6 Hennen's Fred Huff and Ed Dolliver $80
March 7 Hennen's Dan Collins $80.20
March 14 Hennen's Rick Thompson, Ed Dolliver $80
March 21 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr. $40
April 2 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $63
April 11 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr., Rick Thompson $120
April 15 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $27.46
April 22 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Brambey Jr., Rick Thompson $67.55
April 23 Blue Water Grill Charlie Arant $49.71
April 28 Hennen's Paul Brock, Dawson Wheeler $60
April 29 Hennen's Jon Kinsey, Ken Hays, Jim Bambrey $70
May 2 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $52
May 6 Hennen's J. Ed Marston $43.32
May 20 Blue Water Grill Dan Stetson, Hannah Legg $55
May 23 Hennen's Tim Morgan $47.50
May 30 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Ed Dolliver $135
June 13 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $83.91
June 24 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $37.59
June 27 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $50.32
July 1 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $115
July 3 Blue Water Grill Charlie Arant $47.64
July 15 Hennen's Jon Kinsey, Claude Ramsey, Jim Kennedy $75
July 22 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr., Rick Thompson $113
July 28 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Tim Morgan $117.95
July 31 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $61.16
Aug. 4 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $67.41
Aug. 7 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $50.40
Aug. 8 Hennen's Claude Ramsey, Jon Kinsey, Jim Kennedy, Jim Bambrey $145.12
Aug. 12 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $56.79
Aug. 22 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr., Rick Thompson $121.79
Aug. 27 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $49.33
Aug. 28 Big River Grille Charlie Arant $39.87
Sept. 5 Hennen's Charlie Arant $53.79
Sept. 12 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $57
Sept. 14 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $131.79
Sept. 17 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $37.13
Oct. 7 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr., Rick Thompson $136.34
Oct. 17 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $53.52
Oct. 21 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $80
Oct. 23 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $36.49
Oct. 24 Big River Grille Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $90
Oct. 30 Blue Water Grill Jim Bambrey $46.16
Nov.. 21 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $65.91
Nov. 24 Big River Grille Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr. $80
Dec. 2 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $80
Dec. 3 Hennen's Tim Morgan $46.33
Dec. 8 Hennen's Jon Kinsey $54.22
Dec. 19 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $26
Dec. 29 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Tom Cupo, Tim Morgan $100
2015
Jan. 9 Blue Water Grill Jim Bambrey, Charlie Arant $58.67
Jan. 23 Blue Water Grill Hugh Morrow $52.06
Jan. 30 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $55.70
Feb. 5 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr. $54.79
Feb. 6 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr., Rick Thompson, Williams $144
Feb. 10 Big River Grille Charlie Arant $42.87
Feb. 11 Hennen's Hiren Desai $44.69
Feb. 20 Hennen's Rick Thompson, Ed Dolliver, Tim Morgan $131.52
March 23 Blue Water Grill Tom Cupo $53.15
March 25 Blue Water Grill Charlie Arant $53.15
March 27 Blue Water Grill Charlie Arant and Lisa Maragnano $49.93
April 8 Blue Water Grill Jim Bambrey $51.90
April 10 Big River Grille Jim Bambrey, Tom Cupo $56.50
April 21 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $70.72
April 22 Big River Grille Charlie Arant $44.13
April 23 Blue Water Grill Dave Santucci $51.13
April 24 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Dave Santucci, Ed Dolliver, Tim Morgan $103.03
April 27 Hennen's Dave Lang $35.88
May 4 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr. $90.02
May 7 Hennen's Jim Bambrey $37.31
May 13 Hennen's Tennessee Dept. of Tourism Development Commissioners Lunch $524.45
May 15 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $40.59
May 29 Chicken Salad Chick Marty Haynes $21.70
June 1 Universal Joint Adam Kinsey $27
June 2 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson $40.59
June 8 Hennen's Jim Bambrey Sr., Jim Bambrey Jr., Rick Thompson $70
June 12 Hennen's Jim Bambrey, Rick Thompson, Tom Cupo $57