THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 4, 1996 TAG: 9602030149
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
SOURCE: Kevin Armstrong
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Although I don't always heed it, I've never forgotten a friend's advice about approaching problems in a marriage.
Some troubles are like pebbles cast into a pond. The size isn't important, but the effects are. That chip of stone has a ripple effect 100 times greater than its tiny dimensions. It also sinks and stays unless dredged up and removed.
Other problems are like limbs overhanging a river. Something comes along that severs the branch, causing it to splash into the water below. The current then carries it away until it's finally gone and never seen again.
Although my friend confessed he wasn't the author of these truths, he was saying that the secret to a successful marriage is knowing when to pause and remove the pebbles in our lives and when it's OK just to put the past hurts behind us.
That story came to mind last week as I was trying to get at the troubled relationship between the City Council and School Board. It was embarrassing to watch our dirty laundry displayed before legislators considering a request to forcibly consolidate the city's and school's accounting, payroll and purchasing departments.
Our leaders who went to testify must have appeared as warring siblings coming to their parents to reconcile their differences.
The committee's answer was one my wife often employs with our kids: work it out yourselves.
Consolidation of these departments surfaced as far back as July 1994. The two public bodies had just agreed to consolidate benefits offices. Two years earlier, they had merged video services and in 1993 landscape services.
Next up was combining the city's and schools' printing services and then their financial departments. That's when the streak ended - or the pebble dropped.
City Manager Jim Spore sent the first of several letters to School Superintendent Sidney Faucette on Sept. 15, 1994, recommending they explore consolidating payroll services. Other letters followed April 14, 1995, and June 20, 1995.
While the ripples began to grow from that inaction, a much greater splash erupted when news of the school deficit broke in August.
Board and council members have found themselves trapped in a bad relationship. It doesn't matter if both agree on what action to take, emotions take over.
A majority of board and council members agree that consolidation is a good idea. It would save taxpayers money, eliminate the duplication of services and create another financial check and balance on spending. But ill will between the bodies has prevented that from happening.
On Jan. 18, Interim Superintendent Jim Pughsley finally extended what had long been sought: a request for the two groups to get together and work out the details.
Assistant Superintendent Don Peccia and city Finance Director Patty Phillips have begun discussions. The next step is creating a team of school and city personnel to develop an agreement. Even Pughsley's departure this Friday won't stand in the way. School and city leaders have kept incoming-Superintendent Tim Jenney informed of the developments.
This is welcome news, but this problem isn't going to be carried downstream on its own. Like my friend's advice, we need to remove the pebble.
That will require doing something that these two parties haven't done in three years: sit down and hash out differences.
All 22 members need to come together. Hire a facilitator if they need one. They've got to address the bigger divisions.
Consolidation is a small issue by comparison. By month's end they'll tackle a much bigger one: the 1996-97 budget.
If they treat that with the same approach they have on consolidation, our worst troubles are ahead. by CNB