Letter: Key question on venue issue

Let me see if I have this right. Back in February 2016, the town formed the Hilton Head Island Venue Committee to, among other things, research and recommend action on what seems to be Mayor David Bennett’s pet project of building a mega arts and entertainment center on the island.

In November, the committee hired a consultant (Webb Management Services) to explore the need for, and potential location of, such a venue. Its report was due in December or early January 2017.

In March 2017, the consultant reported, in no uncertain terms, that there was no rationale for building a new, large facility on the island, and recommended an off-island facility instead.

In April, the committee rejected the consultant’s findings and decided more research was needed to support locating a facility on the island.

Despite ignoring the thoroughly researched findings of the consultant on the main issue, the committee has proceeded to employ the same consultant to follow up on several other issues before it, including the planning of a 5,000-person outdoor event space, a partnership between the town and the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina and the progressing of the Mitchellville Project.

The question has to be: if the committee will only accept findings that agree with its preconceived views, why waste more taxpayer money on a consultant they do not have confidence in to pursue our mayor’s ego trip?

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Letter: Key question on venue issue."