| From the Port Townsend Jefferson County Leader - February 23, 2000 © Port Townsend Leader |
The wisdom council idea may carry forth on its own, but it won't be with the support of the Port Townsend City Council.
Jim Rough gave a presentation to the elected officials Feb. 14 regarding a test run of the wisdom council, which aired live on PTTV Jan. 21. Using seven randomly selected Port Townsend residents, Rough facilitated a discussion of the issues the panel deemed important to the quality of life here.
The idea of the council is to present a consensus view of the panel to its local elected officials. The political voting system decides by simple majority, without allowing conversation to reach a true compromise, Rough said. Wisdom council can lead to a win-win decision rather than a win-lose conversation, he added.
Rough, a professional facilitator, wanted the City Council to support the wisdom council with a one- or two-year trial period.
The City Council, however, had concerns about the method by which Rough chose the seven participants. Most councilors said the key to making it work was the selection process; in this case, they said, the method was not truly random.
Furthermore, said Geoff Masci and Forrest Rambo, the City Council is the town's wisdom council.
"The wisdom council has been selected by the community already, and that wisdom council sits in this room," said Rambo.
Rough expressed confusion about the council's reaction. He said the reason the wisdom council was conducted on a trial run on PTTV was because the City Council took a vote directing him to do so and to report back.
"I was really taken aback by the negative energy that had constellated in some of the council members, " Rough said of his presentation to the council. "It's like they are basically saying no, I think; I don't really know."
Rough told The Leader that he intended to pursue the wisdom council idea despite the lack of support from the elected officials.
The council did not approve Rough's subsequent request for an unspecified amount of money to cover his trial run expenses.
(© Port Townsend Jefferson County Leader - February 23, 2000)