The Green Team

One of the pleasant surprises of adulthood, to me, was the discovery that grown-ups work together to create valuable programs. They work together to improve their community. They work together, with and without consensus, to better their world.

I suppose my own parents were simply too busy raising eight children to serve on the PTA or the HOA or a city task force. But when I was 26, I saw a newspaper advertisement for an opening on the Planning Commission. It piqued my curiosity, so I called my town councilman and asked, "What does the Planning Commission do?" He explained that the Planning Commission is responsible for reviewing land use applications and upon review, recommending approval or denial to the Town Council. The Planning Commission is also responsible for advising the Town Council on the development priorities of the Town. And other stuff. So I applied. And I was appointed.

I didn't have any experience reading plat maps, hearing applications, or weighing the benefits of locating a grocery store there instead of there. And I especially didn't have experience listening to fellow commissioners, hearing and considering their thoughts and opinions. The Town Council might have considered those prequalifications and chosen a different applicant. But they didn't. They chose me.

So, for seven spectacular years, I served my fellow citizens as a Planning Commissioner, on a board with six other Commissioners. I learned, between the ages of 26 and 34, to take the long view of a town's growth and development. And I learned the importance of working through differences of opinion, of respecting and honoring a person's key attributes even in the midst of disagreement. I ate large servings of humble pie in those years, learning that boards and commissions aren't anything like the playground or the high school clique. A commissioner who opposed me on Issue #1 might be my partner on Issues #2 and #3. Most especially, I learned to leave myself as "leader" at the door, to fall into formation, to be one of many, my passion equaling, not exceeding their passion. I was very fortunate to have received that appointment.

Fast-forward fifteen years and imagine my delight as I opened the local newspaper and read, in bold print, the Planning Commisson ~ my Planning Commission ~ headlined as "The Green Team".

Here's the story:  The current Planning Commissioners glanced at the town's "Sustainability Action Plan" and decided to take an active, VERY active role in its implementation. Our town doesn't have curbside recycling. We didn't have drop-off recycling sites, either. So the Planning Commission decided to address the problem. They created a new organization, The Green Team, to plan, develop, launch and manage a free recycling center.

In just a few short months, The Green Team's Board of Directors has partnered with senior organizations and the police department's Explorer Post to create a volunteer staff. They've formed a joint use agreement with the school district and a service agreement with Waste Management. And they've had a Grand Opening! They are now accepting weekend recycling drop-offs. They - we - are reducing our community's landfill footprint.

Their idea, coupled with their hard work, is making a real difference in the stewardship of our planet. I'm smiling a deep, powerful, grateful smile.

So ~ Here's to the Town of Castle Rock's Planning Commission. And to all community boards and commissions. There's a tremendous power for good when we work together, despite our human faults, determined to make ours a better and more beautiful world.