Hilton Head Council sends discussion about arts center lights to committee

A proposal to pay up to $600,000 to replace lights at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina wasn’t supposed to be discussed in length Tuesday, but after an hourslong debate, members of Hilton Head Island Town Council decided they were done with the issue and sent it back to the Venue Committee.

It was proposed that funds for the new lighting system be applied to a down payment for the arts center, if the town decides to purchase it at a later date.

Mayor David Bennett argued that the Town Council is not an expert on arts and culture and should wait for a recommendation from the Venue Committee, which is made up of volunteers.

The Venue Committee was created by the council last spring and charged with presenting a comprehensive town plan for arts and culture. Part of its scope of work is to look at whether the town should cover costs for the arts center.

“We can’t ask citizens to step up and volunteer their time and then circumvent the process,” Bennett said. “The Venue Committee is charged with looking at venue issues and arts and culture issues in our community. This issue fits that mold. That is where this needs to go.”

Advocates of spending the money, including council member Tom Lennox, have said an aging lighting system is at risk of going out, which would leave the arts center with no option but to shut its doors.

“We have something right now that is valuable,” Lennox said. “We can’t ignore what appears to be an immediate need.”

The Town Council voted against reviewing the issue further at a later date. Lennox, along with council members Bill Harkins and John McCann, voted in favor of further discussion.

The Venue Committee could make a recommendation in the future for Town Council to consider the issue.

About 10 people from the public spoke on the issue during the meeting. Most were against the proposal, with two in favor.

This story was originally published November 1, 2016 at 8:59 PM with the headline "Hilton Head Council sends discussion about arts center lights to committee."