What has the lawsuit taught us?

With the dismissal of the Kennedy Park court case, it’s now time to reflect on what has come of it all.

The lawsuit sure was costly, for both the town and the citizens, so we all must find something we can learn from it.

Surely town boards in Lenox have become far more transparent as Board of Selectmen Chairman W.David Roche pointed out at the latest meeting.

All 20 citizens can at least take solace in the fact that they have brought changes to how town government runs. Meetings are posted, minutes approved and officials seem more accessible to the public than they have been in years.

These are all wins for the community.

We have also learned that these types of long, drawn-out battles may generate interest from a few, but they leave a very sour taste for many.

Never was that more evident than this year’s town elections in Lenox.

With all the controversy that the public has watched, it seems no one has the stomach to get involved. Not one race was contested and there is still an open planning board seat, and many open appointed seats as well.

Now with this behind us, and many important issues and a new town manager ahead of us, it is the time for us all to come back together as neighbors.

We need town government to stay the course of being more transparent, and we need those that have sat on the sidelines to step up and get involved.

As former Lenox Town Manager Gregory T. Federspiel said, “I think the whole Belvedere issue took on a life of its own. It was disappointing to me that it became such a contentious and hotly-debated issue.”

The fact it was debated may not be totally disappointing, but if we learn nothing from it, that sure will be.

Posted by Kameron Z. Spaulding on July 18, 2013. Filed under Editorials,Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry