Last week I attended the board meeting of Cumberland County's Civic Center Commission. This is the organization that governs the Crown Coliseum Complex, and members of the board are appointed by the County Commissioners. I attended specifically to hear their comments, insights, and reactions to the June 4, 5 to 2 decision by the County Commissioners to reject the downtown Event Center proposal. Chairman Kirk deViere, Henry Tyson, Marshall Faircloth, Pavan Patel, and Jeannette Council voted in the affirmative to reject the proposed $152 million downtown Event Center.
Commissioners Glenn Adams and Veronica Jones opposed it. Adding substance, confidence, and credibility to this decision was that Faircloth and Council were both strong advocates of the downtown project from the beginning until the final vetting of the project, which was initiated under the leadership deViere.
The board meeting was an eye-opening and disappointing experience. To her credit, Board Chair Jami McLaughlin opened the meeting with a statement to the five attending Civic Board members that Cumberland County would be renovating the existing theater and arena. This news was no surprise to them as they collectively sat motionless, stone-faced, and silent, an apathetic and discerning posture that they maintained throughout the entire meeting, even through Crown Complex General Manager Seth Benalt's impressive and enthusiastic presentation about future event bookings and programs coming to the Crown Coliseum Complex in the coming months.
Equally impressive was John Raynders, Oak View Group's Food and Beverage Hospitality manager, update on the new innovative catering services they were offering, along with a creative, diverse, and upscale menu. The atmosphere in that room was surreal. No excitement, questions, or comments from those who are charged with the Crown’s oversight. Only apathetic silence.
Finally, out of desperation and in an unorthodox media move to keep the afternoon from becoming a total waste of time, CityView reporter Bill Kirby posed a question directly to Seth Benalt, asking if the rehabilitation and remodeling of the theatre and arena were feasible. Benalt responded with an emphatic and enthusiastic yes. He went on to say that absolutely both facilities could be renovated successfully and he and staff at the Crown were ready, willing, and able to make it a reality. He made it clear that he and his staff are there to serve the people of Cumberland County and they will make it work. Benalt, who has been with the Crown for nearly a decade, is excited about the future of the Crown Complex, and this was reflected in his optimistic attitude, which was an obvious juxtaposition to others in the room. Even Benalt’s enthusiastic response failed to solicit any response from the nearly comatose board. Newly sworn-in board member Vernon L. Spruill, Principal of Cape Fear High School, had a look on his face like he was thinking, “What have I got myself into?” At least Spruill showed up to the meeting. Local attorney Allen Rogers, who was appointed to the board by Commissioner Glenn Adams, has missed two meetings and he hasn’t even been sworn in yet. Go figure!
Everyone remained silent until the very end of the meeting when Chairwoman Jami McLaughlin asked if there were any final comments. Yes. There was. Without heeding the advice of Samual L Clemmons, famed Mark Twain, who said, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it, and remove all doubt,” Peter Pappas went on a diatribe of commentary full of false and misleading information, innuendos, and a critical lack of facts. He made his point several times that he was not at all pleased with the decision made by the Board of Commissioners, specifically Board Chair Kirk deViere, Henry Tyson, Marshall Faircloth, Jeannette Council, and Pavan Patel. He, like Commissioners Glenn Adams and Veronica Jones, advocated to have it built in downtown Fayetteville. Pappas was also upset that the Civic Center Commission was not actively involved in the ongoing discussions about the Event Center and stated he was “…shocked at the cancellation…”. If the Civic Center Commission is not involved, Pappas wants to know … why we’re here.”
Well, after observing their meeting, I’m asking the same question.
Pappas' sentiments were echoed by local attorney Ken Burns, who agreed it was a bad decision to abandon the project. However, to me, the most revealing and ridiculous aspect of the Pappas/Burns tirade was the reference that they were “kept in the dark” about the details of the project. Well, not only have deViere, Tyson and Patel campaigned on their commitment to government transparency, but it indicates again that Pappas wants to be a master at misinformation, or he is too lazy to stay abreast of the issues. This Event Center proposal has been discussed at open meetings, been the topic of at least two radio talk shows, and written about ad nauseam by Troy Williams, CityView, Fayetteville Observer, and the Up & Coming Weekly newspaper. In addition, the documents that ultimately led to the final decision are all linked and available online. And, don’t forget the mountain of dribble on social media. If these folks were kept in the dark, they had their eyes closed.
I’ll conclude by saying that being appointed to a board of Cumberland County is an honor. Members are expected to support that entity and provide the time and talents to oversee the mission, goals, and mandates that serve the best interest of Cumberland County. If this commitment is not evident, those board members should be removed or the board should be disbanded.
The decision has been made to renovate, remodel, and rehabilitate the theatre and arena, and now we move forward. Seth Benalt and his team are excited, ready, willing, and able to meet the challenges that will positively carry out the County’s mandates for the betterment of the entire community. A good board member is committed and engaged with a passion for the organization's purpose and mission. They must be dedicated and willing to put forth the time, effort, and resources beyond just attending meetings.
A strong board cannot exist without members with these characteristics. I spent six years on the Coliseum Board and watched it being built from the first shovel of dirt. I don’t want to see it go away, so it has to become relevant and supportive of the county’s mission. If it cannot accomplish this, it needs to be disbanded. Just Sayin!
Thank you for reading the Up & Coming Weekly newspaper.