DDA Questioned Over Travel

ROCHESTER, Mich. -- The Downtown Development Authority in Rochester is under fire for spending thousands of dollars in a time where many said it should not have been spent.The group said they informed the city council they wanted to go to a conference in Chicago because they were up for an award for sprucing up downtown Rochester and making it a popular destination.Stan Suprat, the chair of the DDA said the board works tirelessly to keep the city's Main Street vibrant, including things like the Christmas display."We were then selected as one of the top ten Main streets in the United States," said Suprat. DDA Questioned Over Travel Council originally said yes. Once the economy started turning downward, city council informed the DDA that it might not be the best idea."We went to him privately in November," said councilman Stuart Bixson. "We said 'hey, don't do this. It's a bad idea. This is going to look terrible. These are bad times.'"The city council did not cancel the trip completely but did inform the DDA they needed to scale it back.In January, the group learned they would not be winning the award, but the group still planned on going to Chicago and stay in the Palmer House Hilton.The DDA took nine people to the conference, which cost the city $11,600."It looks bad, it looks ridiculous. It makes the DDA look ridiculous," said Bixson.Suratt said when the council made its objections; they would have still had to pay deposits in January even if they had to scale back.The Rochester city council is now expected to pass a travel moratorium to prevent future problems. Copyright 2009 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.