I would like to clarify the comments of Roger Brooks, the Oak Harbor City Council’s tourism consultant, in the recent edition of the Whidbey News-Times. A waterfront hotel was the concept of a company called Chandler and Brooks, in a 1998 tourism grant, from the State of Washington. Roger Brooks was a partner of Chandler and Brooks. His company got paid $25,000, then, for his idea — a waterfront hotel.

Now, five years later, Roger Brooks is saying that he doesn’t like a waterfront hotel, and that it is a bad idea. He got paid $49,000 this time for his idea.

So, after $25,000 then, and $49,000 now, we the people of this community are at the mercy of another out-of-town consultant who knows best. That’s $74,000 of knowing what is right for our community. Smells fishy to me. It also seems like the city council is gullible for falling into the trap.

About the only thing we have gotten, from this last go-round from the out-of-town expert, is another bill.

George Churchill

Oak Harbor