The Lighthouse Keeper
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE
BY DANIEL W. DRAKE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Challenges come in all sizes and shapes. Some arise, are dealt with - or not, as the case may be - and quickly pass. Others linger because they can not be dealt with immediately or because challenged people choose to procrastinate or, justifiably, view other challenges as having a higher priority.

Another category of challenges are those that don't go away. More to come on this subject.

One of the sort of challenges that might fall in the category of those that come and go quickly, is getting six grandchildren under the age of six to sit with their grandparents for a family photograph. The ultimate goal is a Christmas card picture. To that end, the immediate objective is to get the children to sit together for at least three minutes; for the ambulatory ones to refrain from elbowing each other - or their grandparents - in the ribs and also to keep from turning their backs to the camera as they attempt to rise in an effort to depart the scene; and, for the youngest two, to arrange (read, hope) for a benign look, if not the desired, beneficent smile.

Another challenge is preparing a 20-minute, Palm Sunday sermon which is topical, interesting and meaningful for a church from which half the congregation has fled to the mountains or beach because of school vacation. A preacher can put off preparing the sermon for just so long, but ultimately procrastination or dealing with needy parishioners must be put aside to meet the weekly deadline.

Then there are the challenges that do not go away. Among those are the tasks which today face many of Nantucket's governmental bodies.

By Wednesday morning, when this newspaper is out, the winners of the elections will be known. The winners, whether contested or not, along with the continuing incumbents, will all be preparing, in one way or another, to meet the challenges that they believe they will face in their elected positions. Whether shaped by emotion, belief, pragmatic analysis or political persuasion, or, most likely, some combination of all of these factors, the approach each takes will have an impact on how well the challenges are met and, therefore, on how ably Nantucket is governed during the next year and beyond.

The Planning Board, Historic District Commission and the Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board, each in its different way, all face high hurdles to be dealt with so that they may regain credibility and public confidence. However the vote at Town meeting turns out on whether future members will be elected or appointed, these bodies will be comprised largely of elected members for some years to come and they have a lot to prove. All have, at the very least, serious image problems.

The Planning Board is the entity that has the most to do to win back the public trust. Whether through its heavy-handed machinations to deal with perceived problems with the (appointed) alternates, the widespread perception of cronyism and/or conflict of interest in some of its decisions or the apparent unwillingness of some members to consider favorably anything they consider "new", the board has portrayed itself recently as quite inept and insensitive.

The HDC has a similar problem with public perception. It was created to maintain the look and general architectural feel of Nantucket. As some members take pains to point out, there is, of necessity, an element of subjectivity that goes into its decision making. However, because of its frequent lack of adherence to discernible standards and its inability to rise above the micro-management of applicants' building plans, the HDC is a body which people dread having to approach. If it is successful in its attempt to start having a say over the internal (or un-visible) aspects of historic structures, dealing with it could become just about everyone's worst nightmare.

SHAB has been a body without a real mission. As an advisory group whose role is very loosely defined; it is dependent on the willingness of the Board of Selectmen and Town Administration to include it in decision making. The proposed Harbor Plan contemplates that SHAB will have a significant role in the development and implementation of its action plans. SHAB's challenge is to justify that confidence.

Then there is the Board of Selectmen. As much as the "process" of the previous leadership sometimes caused heartburn, it was treatable; the loose cannon approach that has succeeded it and prevails today has created a stomach ache that makes one fervently wish for a more bland and predictable diet. A significant challenge for the new members of the board face is to put their stamp on what happens, while, at the same time, doing their best to insure that the board becomes more functional and efficient. For example, it is high time that the board starts setting objectives and allows the town's professionals to develop and implement the goals that arise from those objectives. If it turns out that the capability to do that is lacking within Town Administration, then the board's job is not to take on the task itself, collectively or as individual members, but to insure that the town has the professional resources to do the job.

Substantively, the board faces many challenges. Everyone knows the litany: wastewater management, solid waste disposal; growth: affordable housing: an infrastructure in need of considerable investment; sound and consistent fiscal policies; environmental quality, etc., etc., etc. Each of these issues requires a great deal of attention and, ultimately, the creation of policies which can transcend changes in the political headcount.

Perhaps the greatest challenges the selectmen now face might be termed the justification of their own existence. Much has been said and written over the last few months about whether there is a need for significant change in the way Nantucket is governed. The challenge to the Board, whose members seem to support the present method of governance, is whether the present system can be made to work or whether they are smart enough to say so if, after giving it their best efforts, that it can not and changes are needed.

How does the success in meeting these challenges get judged? Ultimately, this, too, is a subjective decision. We all view success differently. However, if the grandchildren's photo shoot (not great) and the Palm Sunday sermon (wonderful) are any indicators, a 50 percent success rate is something with which one can

be well satisfied. I

The "Lighthouse Keeper" reflects the views of the author and does not represent the editorial position of The Nantucket Independent. Please send any comments to drake@nantucketindependent.com.