Nearly all rooms at the New York Marriott Marquis, host hotel for the 2008 Annual Training Conference and Exhibition, have been reserved. We have been instructed to start reserving rooms at the Millenium Hotel, at the new lodging rate of $249 per night.  According to the GSA website, the hotel lodging rate for NYC, from July 1 – August 31, 2008 is $220 per night.  This means that if you have to book your room at the Millenium Hotel, you will be $29 above the local lodging rate and may have to ask your agency (if they are funding you) for Actual Subsistence funding or you can pay the extra $29 per night out of your pocket.  It is critical that you book your rooms EARLY.  The Marriott Marquis rate is $201 per night, $19 below the per diem lodging rate.

Additionally, NOBLE Federal Assistant Grayling Williams fedassisst@noblenatl.net was able to locate a New York State Tax Exempt form on the GSA website title “New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, Exemption Certificate, form ST-129.”  Hopefully this form can be used to avoid being charged the hotel taxes.  According to the form, it can only be used by employees of the U.S. Government, New York State, and political subdivisions of New York State.  

You should be able to locate and print copies of the form from the GSA website, www.gsa.gov .  Or click on the link at the bottom of this newsletter. 

As a reminder  please pay your National dues if you  have not done so already and don't forget to give a donation, on behalf of NOBLE, to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) for the building of the new museum in Washington, DC.  NOBLE has committed to donate $100,000 over a period of five years to the fund.  ( When you received the preliminary conference schedule, there was an envelope in there to make a donation.)  Sending your donation in that envelope will ensure that NOBLE gets credit towards our commitment of $100,000 over five years.