Our view: The Town of Hilton Head Island shouldn't need a consultant to assess all the visions that already exist

It is unclear why the Town of Hilton Head Island continues to think it has no vision.

It has so much vision, Town Council has agreed to pay a consultant some $7,000 to assess, collate or dust off and help remind us of all its visions. This is envisioned by Mayor David Bennett as the first step toward a year of new visioning to include input from all citizens.

Everyone here should be in favor of a community with vision. That has set Hilton Head apart in the past, and it must do so in the future.

That's why it was important in 2009, when hundreds of suggestions were taken from the public, as hundreds of hours of volunteer work was done by the Mayor's Task Force for the Island's Future.

That was two mayors ago, and a number of its recommendations have been undertaken.

To review, here's a synopsis of what we wanted to look like in the future, way back in 2010:

"Through the efforts of an engaged citizenry, its town government and businesses, a newly revitalized and sustainable island has emerged; where Hilton Head Island has become known as the East Coast resort, residential, retirement and business-friendly destination because it excels in the following Vision Elements:

Is that vision so well accomplished that within a decade we must move on to a bigger and better vision? Are we to have new long-term visions with the election of each mayor? It is important to note that Hilton Head does not have the strong-mayor form of government, so any given mayor's vision is only as strong as his or her ability to count votes on a seven-member Town Council.

Meanwhile, the town and its citizens have poured countless hours into its comprehensive plans each decade. And it recently completed an overhaul of the only master-planning document the town is truly in charge of: the Land Management Ordinance.

Bennett is to be applauded for using his bully pulpit to bring something often overlooked into the community vision: sewer service and paved roads for the poor as well as the rich on Hilton Head.

He's trying to unclog the traffic around Sea Pines Circle. He's shining a light on the possibilities of heritage tourism and Mitchelville.

The community needs vision, just as it needs potholes filled. But something is missing when it takes a consultant to collate previous visions so we can start over on new visions.

This story was originally published January 21, 2016 at 7:18 AM with the headline "Our view: The Town of Hilton Head Island shouldn't need a consultant to assess all the visions that already exist."