Ski town growth management

Just recently, a friend was lamenting about some far-fetched plans, the French ski town where I sort of grew up was trying to wrestle to manage its growth and attempt to reign-in traffic issues.

Basically, he was telling me that the mayor and city council had spend $400,000 in consulting fee to have some technocrats come up with a solution that was not to the liking of a large number of the local population and might not have been the best solution to their small city's problems.

The sad fact was that after spending a little fortune in funding the study, the local leaders had no appetite for back-tracking and looking at other alternatives that might make prove more practical for the greater good of their constituents but make them look like fools.

This situation reminds me that these kind of “hired guns” consultants that I have seen at work many times in my life, are good at making dazzling presentations, speaking smoothly, using impressive ready-made templates and talking points, but are woefully inadequately equipped when it comes to basic, common sense.

The alternative to these “intellectuals?” More public meetings, more dialogue, more brain-storming with the locals, in a non-threatening, leveled, friendly and constructive environment before plunking down thousand of dollars into questionable studies.

The process take much more time, isn't as clean, can be exasperating, but is likely to come up with more homegrown, practical and workable solutions that will get the majority's stamp of approval and bear a more personalized and practical response to the challenges a growing community faces. Sure, simple, inexpensive but a lot more work!