By Sam Collins

For The Beachcomber

Does the high school really need to be rebuilt? Would an energy or hospital taxing district make this a better community? Should K2 Commons remain as a commercially zoned site? Which of the many nonprofits needing resources during this economic crisis are most important to support?

This is just a partial list of questions Vashon has grappled with recently. If you are anything like me, two things are true: You have strong opinions about these questions, and you are willing to lend your time, talents and resources to work toward solving the problems.

Yet, the defeats of the school bond and the hospital and energy districts, the persisting discussions, arguments and lawsuits about the fate of K2 Commons and the series of articles about the latest nonprofit to face financial concerns lead me to believe we’re spinning our wheels as a community.

As part of its strategic planning process a few years ago, the Seattle Foundation (the largest community foundation in the region, which also serves Vashon) stated that a healthy community:

• Meets the basic needs of its residents;

• Provides broad access to arts, cultural and recreational opportunities;

• Promotes health and wellness;

• Ensures a vibrant and diversified economy;

• Establishes quality education and learning opportunities for all ages;

• Fosters strong and connected neighborhoods and communities; and

• Protects and stewards its natural environment.

To me, this is a pretty good list. In fact, the questions we’ve been grappling with all could fit nicely into it. And I believe that Islanders on all sides of the issues cited above have the best interests of the Island at heart. So, why can’t we seem to come to consensus as an Island on them?

I believe that in our zeal to make Vashon a better place through our individual efforts, we’ve somehow lost sight of the bigger picture. Simply put, we have not come together to make sure that each of the items on the healthy community list are addressed. More fundamentally, we’ve not taken the time to develop our own list for Vashon.

I have been advocating privately for a community strategic planning process for several years. Most often, people are in too much of a hurry to get results to engage in such a process. Or, they’re too overwhelmed by their own particular piece of the puzzle to even think about trying to bring our Island together to complete such a plan.

I contend that our results as a community demonstrate that these are only excuses.

The voters are not passing bond issues asking for money on our proposed solutions to issues on the Seattle Foundation’s list. And we, who are providing the proposals, are still in a state of overwhelm.

I’m the first to admit that I tend to live in my own little Vashon Youth & Family Services bubble. I also admit to having fear around what will happen this year and into the future in terms of Island donations during this economic downturn. I know that the work we do is essential for the Island.

However, when I look at Vashon, the community I call home and where I am raising my children, I also know how much I value and appreciate our excellent schools and the incredible nonprofits providing access to the arts, affordable housing, food, services to seniors, public safety, a beautiful environment and recreational opportunities, to name a few. Quite simply, the great success in fundraising of any of these groups would not be worth the crippling of another.

So, what do I recommend? First, I think we should convene leaders in the community to meet with some community organizing and planning experts to learn about what models for community strategic planning exist.

In essence, we begin to create a “plan for planning.” (Now, I hear the collective groan of those who think we spend too much time on process and not enough time getting results. However, I contend again that we have reached a plateau as a community and are not getting results worthy of the time, energy and money being spent by Islanders toward the benefit of our community.)

Secondly, we should attempt to complete an assessment of our community that speaks to our strengths and challenges in the areas defined by the Seattle Foundation. This would probably not be as hard as it sounds, since a lot of work has been done in this arena in our individual areas. We would need only to collect that data and fill in the gaps.

These two steps, by themselves, would get us well along the path toward creating a shared sense of what the community of Vashon needs to become even more special, and increase the effectiveness of each one of us as we volunteer and work in our own areas of interest. Remember, a rising tide raises all boats.

— Sam Collins is executive director of Vashon Youth & Family Services, co-chairs the Vashon Island Prevention and Intervention Team and is Vashon Rotary Club’s president-elect.