A LONG TERM APPROACH
FOR ROUTINE DILEMMAS

By RICK DIME, Public Services Director, Village of Orland Park

For years the predictions that our road, bridge, utility and environmental systems are falling apart at a rate that is beyond the economic means and time constraints available to deal with those conditions. Cities that are growing may have a different set of dilemmas to answer to. Some cities may even be going in both directions and also add in renewal projects to the already crowded competition for tax dollars.

We must be careful not to become the doctor that treats the symptoms and ignores the disease. The urban infrastructure disease is poor effort and neglect. It is imperative to extend our vision beyond short term gain to long term solutions for community service and public systems.

Community leaders, the media, and educators are now setting the course we will follow into the next century. When you look into the mirror, you are seeing all three of these people. A community leader you are without question. The media is an ally to carry your message both as a leader and educator. Our most important role, educating those around us, is often the one that is ignored and perpetuates the greatest problems. Formal education helps us to use the experience we accumulate and relate information to others in a beneficial way.

In our role as community leaders, we must set an example by fully evaluating current conditions and forming a clear picture of the future. Thinking in the long term, publicly explaining the complexity of choices, and their affects helps to avoid quick fixes and instant policy-making. Conversely "wringing a subject dry" of all possible alternatives is so time consuming that the conditions and players can change before a final determination is reached. Experience constantly reminds us that moderation provides balance.

We must regularly help the media in their role as communicators between the people and their governors. We must accept that it is our responsibility to make sure the facts and complexities of the decision making process are clear to the media. If we do our part, the media has the obligation to report it accurately. If we ask for coverage that is sensational, we will lose the more important message containing background information analysis and results. The clarity of the message is paramount to the long term effect.

How we educate those around us is what ultimately can create public attitude and acceptance of policies and procedures. Understanding and appreciation are the results of an informed society. Providing raw data or unexplained information does not educate because it contains no point of reference nor does it ask for a conclusion. The true goal of education is to allow us to form a conclusion based on the facts we have available.

Educating staff members is the most critical act of leaders in any organization. Educating those that you work with to the goals and values you hold important and encouraging individuals to continually upgrade these technical skills is part of our educator responsibilities. Educating is a continuous job. It is done every day all day. Sometimes we are conscious of it; other times we are not. We educate by our words, by our actions, and by our inactions. We educate when we say yes and when we say no. Primarily we educate so together we can make better choices for those around us today and build a positive legacy for those that will follow us in the future.

Helping others be prepared to handle situations and make good decisions is our ultimate goal. Whether it is improving transportation systems, upgrading a utility plant or installing a computer network, all these vital areas are secondary to educating those around us. A team educated by common values and common objectives will make better decisions about those things that are important to us today and will be just as important to future generations.

Better infrastructure systems and social decisions will be a product of education rather than emotional decisions, or greater spending. The wisest investments will be made in the time and effort we devote educating those around us. •

July 1990 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 15