Getting to know you...

All right. So I'm a not-so-secret fan of Rogers and Hammerstein. I like musicals in general, and the King and I is one of my favorites.

Being in a new community presents a lot of interesting challenges and opportunities. Taking the time to get to know a place is always fun, if surprising. There are nuances unique and special to each community, and those nuances are what make each place precious and desirable. Together, as a large network of such uniqueness, we form a community - a nation - of strength and stability.

As a city planner, I am affected by several aspects of each community. Most obviously, I am affected by the laws that govern land use in a particular city. Oregon has state-wide planning regulations, governing land use according to a state-mandated set of goals, policies, and regulations, and overseen by a state-level planning organization (called the Department of Land Conservation and Development). To my knowledge, there's only one other state that has a similar or analogous structure - Hawaii. And Hawaii is nowhere near as large or populous. So it's very new for me that way. It doesn't really affect how we do things here on a day-to-day basis, and it is somewhat comforting to know that we are a part of the larger framework of Oregon's development. But it's new to me, and something that I have to wrap my brain around.

Another thing that takes getting used to is the interpersonal dynamics of a community. It is true of every community I've been in or a part of. Let me just illustrate this point with the following anecdote. When I was attending the University of Utah, a person was given a ticket for parking without a specific permit. When this individual came out and saw the ticket on his car, he was furious and said - don't you know who I am? The last name of this young man was Huntsman, which may not mean much if you're not from Utah, but the basketball arena at the University of Utah was paid for by this man's grandfather. Kind of a big deal. The young man complained and do you know what? They tossed out the ticket.

The point is - in every community there are people who are major players. Sometimes this is due to money. Sometimes this is due to community activism and ties to various other groups. Sometimes - particularly in planning - these are folks that own large portions of land, or who are otherwise major players. And sometimes they're folks who have just been around the place forever and have a real, vested interest in the shape of the community. All of these are valid and important, and these folks are most often those whose voices are heard in our efforts to shape the community and the direction its headed.

As a planner, my job is to seek out those who are not necessarily major players and make sure they have an opportunity to participate. I have been gratified to see the attendance at meetings I've been to - City Council, Planning Commission, and other public meetings all seem to be well attended, and participation has been good. The trick is to balance the goals and desires of the aforementioned major players with those who don't get the spotlight as much. In a new community, it's important to identify which folks are which, and to make sure that no one gets lost in the shuffle.

It's a fun, exhilarating process. I actually really like it, because it gives me opportunities to meet new folks, learn new things, and expand my understanding of the world in general. I am very grateful to have that chance here in Grants Pass.