NATIONAL GAMBLING IMPACT STUDY COMMISSION

OLD BUSINESS

CHAIRMAN JAMES: We just have one or two items of old business, and I wanted to update the Commission on those.

We specifically talked about the National Research Council contract. It has been distributed to all Commissioners, and in December the contract was finalized, signed, and they have begun their work.

I want to thank the members of the Research Subcommittee, Commissioners Wilhelm, Dobson, and of course our Subcommittee chair, Commissioner McCarthy, for that.

I also want to thank Drs. Kelly and Reuter for the work that they have done to move that contract along.

You put in a tremendous amount of effort and a great deal of work, and the entire Commission is grateful to you for that.

Does anybody have any questions or comments or anything additional, Leo, you want to say about that particular issue?

(No response.)

CHAIRMAN JAMES: On the Web site, as another piece of old business that I just want to update the Commission on, you know that this came up as a point of discussion, and the Commission staff has now researched this and for less than $7,000 over the life of the Commission we could have a Web site that would make all of our public documents available, including transcripts, our charter, and legislation, meeting announcements research agenda, and all of the documents that we are handing out today just outside this room.

I believe that it could save tax dollars for printing and mailing and hours of valuable staff time and make the work of the Commission much more accessible to the public, and I just wondered if we had any guidance or questions or concerns from the Commission on that.

COMMISSIONER LEONE: We missed the number. What was it?

CHAIRMAN JAMES: Seven -- for the Web site?

COMMISSIONER LEONE: Yes.

CHAIRMAN JAMES: In terms of that? I am told that by staff, and, Nancy, you may have some additional information, that for less than $7,000 over the entire life of the Commission we could run and operate a Web site.

COMMISSIONER BIBLE: But if you're going to save money, then that means you can take the money out of one of these other budget categories and move it to research.

MS. KENNEDY: No, this would come out of the communications budget, and we're doing it through the government. That's why we're able to do it for about $6,700.

COMMISSIONER BIBLE: But it's included within this communications line item, the $60,000?

MS. KENNEDY: Yes, sir.

COMMISSIONER LEONE: Let me just say that's an amazingly inexpensive and efficient and clearly probably would lead to other economies. It's well worth doing.

Setting up a Web site from scratch outside the government is ten, 20 times that much.

CHAIRMAN JAMES: Right.

COMMISSIONER LEONE: And so I think assuming it actually can happen that way, it's a bargain, irresistible bargain.

CHAIRMAN JAMES: Any other discussion on those two matters of old business?

COMMISSIONER DOBSON: Do we need a motion?

CHAIRMAN JAMES: I don't think we do. I think we can just direct the staff that it is the sense of this Commission that that would be an efficient way to handle the business of this Commission.

MS. KENNEDY: Good. We can probably be up and running by the first of next month.