The HAPO Center’s new out-of-state managers must deliver on their promises | Opinion
Franklin County Commissioners Clint Didier and Rocky Mullen are gambling that an expensive, out-of-state management company can do a better job running the HAPO Center than the locals who have turned things around at the county-owned facility.
Let’s hope they’re right because a floundering venue isn’t in anyone’s best interest.
Last fall, when Franklin County leaders scrambled to find managers for the suddenly leaderless HAPO Center, Steve and Shirley Simmons stepped up. Under their management, the center stopped running a deficit and now operates in the black. It isn’t generating massive revenue for the county, but it’s also not hemorrhaging dollars.
They worked hard, met expectations and planned to reinvest profits back into the center to attract new acts, events and clients.
A schmaltzy podcast couldn’t have scripted it much better. A community asset struggles, the leadership leaves abruptly, a popular local couple saves the day, and a grateful community shows its support and gratitude.
Real life had a less-happy ending for the Simmons. This month the Franklin County Commission hired a new management team for the center — Idaho-based White/Leasure-Harris Team. The decision wasn’t unanimous.
In what has become a common split on the commission, Didier and Mullen outvoted Commissioner Brad Peck. At least they didn’t erupt into a shouting match this time, as they have in the past.
The Simmons family built a lot of good will with county residents during their time leading the center. Not that they were strangers to many people in the Tri-Cities. Steve and Shirley operate CG Public House and Catering, formerly the Country Gentleman restaurant.
Commissioners heard from local supporters who wanted the county to stick with the Simmons and their company Simmons Venue Management. SVM submitted a proposal that aligned with what the county said it wanted and was originally willing to pay.
Didier and Mullen decided to go bigger and to pay more for an out-of-state firm in hopes that it will turn the center into a moneymaker.
Many residents no doubt find the whole thing disappointing. There’s a perception that the county treated a local business shabbily because of political infighting.
That Commissioners Didier and Peck don’t get along is no secret, and it’s not hard to imagine that Peck’s support for SVM could have soured Didier.
It also didn’t help that this whole process felt rushed. Didier, Mullen and the folks from Idaho could have taken more time and done a better job selling this to the public.
It’s not as if the HAPO Center was in bad hands in the interim. The decision might be made, but the county and the new management still must articulate a clear vision and expectations. What will they deliver that local contractors could not?
The HAPO Center is a valuable and expensive community asset not just for Franklin County but for the entire Tri-Cities region. The new managers have their work cut out for them, as the facility needs upgrades, and it’s not clear who will spend the millions on them.
The worst outcome would be new managers who don’t deliver and commissioners who refuse to change course for fear of admitting they were wrong. There’s nothing wrong with looking for a better deal.
Give Didier and Mullen the benefit of the doubt that they really do believe this is the best chance to make the HAPO Center a success and not just a manifestation of political pettiness. Now the county must make sure the new managers deliver.
If they can’t bring major changes, commissioners should be ready to open the search again and give local companies a fair chance to keep county spending local.