Thank you Commissioner Pless for your comment received 10-13-2020 at 9:35 am

"The property is leased to the Smoky Mtn Event Center similar to leasing a home or business property. I have no way to change the rules by which the property is operated until next year. They have a lease that renews every August and that is the only time changes are allowed to be conducted. There is a clause in the contract that requires a notice to be given 90 days before the lease date. I tried numerous times in May of this year to have the contract cancelled and rewritten to address this and numerous other issues. I was not successful in my attempts maybe that was due to the stresses of covid. I am to understand there will be 2 event center board vacancies in the next few weeks. I would encourage your community to seek out two people who would apply to serve on the event center board. The openings will be posted on the county website with at least a two week application period. This could be a great opportunity to have voices on the events allowed at the center."

But, why at the Commissioners Meeting 10-19-2020 did you say this:

"I believe in people doing what they choose with their property and the Event Center is no different than an individual. I've never been to your development and wonder if there was a way to construct a wall." You asked the County Manager if the county had a Sound Engineer. Bryant Morehead replied it did not and you told us “since we don’t have one maybe it’s something you could look into, someone that could offer a solution.” You told us “not to come to you with a problem without a solution" and the property is leased, but the Board has no control over it. And then you stated it was the first you'd heard of our problem. Thank you for sending the poem below...

“A lie does not become truth

Wrong does not become right

And evil doesn’t become good

Just because it is accepted by the majority”

~Booker T Washington 

Mark Pless 

Haywood County Commissioner