To the editor:

I recently attended a continuing education seminar for architects and engineers which included a review of public-private partnership law by Susan McGreevy a Kansas City, Mo., attorney.

Her first threshold question is whether the specific arrangement is legal in the jurisdiction of city, county, or state. Is the project legal without competitive bidding?

Secondly, whether the project generates enough fees to cash-flow its long-term operation. Is it a worthwhile investment after a thorough review or due diligence investigation? What is the return on investment? There is a study format called PSC/VFM, Public Sector Comparator/Value for Money analysis that is available.

What are the life cycle cost, energy and maintenance costs. And she asked how much public support is there for the project?

The decision-making process involving the proposed Rock Chalk Park and Bliss Concession endeavors out on the sprawling edge of town to the west should be more closely reviewed through the lens of this type of analysis. Otherwise it appears that local government has set the approval process on auto-pilot.