Democracy, as we all know, is sometimes messy. But it can also be remarkable.
And so it was Monday night, when nearly 100 people came together to decide how to make their way through the uncharted terrain the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council currently finds itself in.
Some were expecting fireworks. Indeed, a sheriff’s deputy stood in the corner, at the ready in case anyone needed an escort out of the McMurray meeting room. His services were far from needed.
Under the able facilitation of Craig Beles, who chaired the meeting with both humor and skill, the large crowd made their way through various motions, uncertain interpretations of parliamentary procedures, occasional jokes and passionate differences of opinion — arriving, by evening’s end, at what seemed a comfortable compromise.
The group decided to hold off on the election of an interim board to replace the nine Islanders who resigned from the quasi-governmental organization’s board last month, preferring instead to let the Island select such a board at the Nov. 2 general election.
Early in the evening, however, VMICC board member Hilary Emmer announced her decision to rescind her resignation. She thought a few other former board members would join her. None did.
Thus, she’s become a one-woman board for the next couple of months, promising to sign the requisite checks, set the upcoming agendas and keep her growing e-mail list of Islanders informed of the next steps as the council moves towards that November date, when a new slate of board members is expected to be chosen.
“I won’t be a dictator,” she said to laughter.
Much hard work remains. At the end of the evening, three motions were put forward for discussion next month — including one by Emmer calling on the VMICC to end its formal relationship with King County as an Unincorporated Area Council. Another motion, put forward by John Runyon, seeks a relaxation of the sometimes rigid parliamentary rules that govern community council discussions, so that an easier exchange of ideas and opinions can sometimes take place.
Meanwhile, much more far-reaching conversations are taking place about other ways the council can reconstitute itself — part of an effort to see if Vashon can engage in an even more profound form of direct democracy and self-governance.
This has been a very bumpy road at times, and tempers have sometimes flared. On Monday night, it was a different story. The community — not one or two smart leaders but the entire group — moved through a complex process calmly, thoughtfully and well. Perhaps this heralds a new beginning.
