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VOL. 41 | NO. 18 | Friday, May 5, 2017
Tennessee state park outsourcing push draws no bidders
NASHVILLE (AP) — A push by Gov. Bill Haslam's administration to outsource hospitality services at a Tennessee state park has drawn no bidders.
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation spokeswoman Kim Schofinski tells The Times Free Press (http://bit.ly/2r5WzL9) that no one bid on the proposal at Fall Creek Falls State Park, located on the Upper Cumberland Plateau in Van Buren and Bledsoe counties.
TDEC planned to award the winning bidder $20 million to raze the park's inn and build a new one. The Tennessee State Employees Association and park workers opposed it.
In 2015, similar outsourcing plans at 11 state parks likewise yielded no interest from private vendors.
The administration pointed at the shoddy shape of state park facilities, and put $55 million in capital improvements into the parks in 2015.