Governance isn’t easy. The day-to-day work of running something like a county fills up calendars and eats up schedules. On Monday, though, Kane County’s three commissioners visited the North Event Center in Orderville to meet with community members about the county’s Active Living Centers.
One of these centers is in Orderville, and a number of residents have expressed concern about food service in the area, as well as the future of other programs at the center. Commissioner Patty Kubeja did a good job of summarizing the situation at the top of the meeting, including the recent decision – part of a long and ongoing process – to move meal preparation from Orderville to Kanab. Valley residents expressed feeling left out of the process and ambushed by the changes, both in staffing and services.
If you’re here to read about resolving the meal delivery service situation, this next part is for you. Last night’s town hall saw thirty or so attendees expressing their feelings, asking questions about the details, and brainstorming with the commissioners and Active Living Centers Director Jerica Bauer about possible improvements. The group came away with, if not answers to everything, at least the beginnings of a plan and a sense of being heard. As one resident said, “This is a good start.”
I feel like there’s more to this story, though.
What I saw last night was a room full of folks with understandably strong feelings about a valued community service. I also saw people with caring hearts who are proud of their heritage and hard work. I heard people who were insistent, but polite. I heard Wade, Patty, Celeste and Jerica take responsibility for some missteps and listen carefully to every comment. In short, I saw a community doing their level best to work through a challenging situation without reducing each other to adversaries. It felt right, even if it wasn’t easy. It felt like the way things ought to be.
There might be more people in Kanab, but the Valley contains the whole heart of the county. I know we at the SUN will continue our efforts to include more Valley news in the paper. And as a reporter, I look forward to writing about the good that will surely be accomplished when neighbors show up, listen, and work together.
