Volunteer on top
It seems to me that your essay Perry, brings up a second broader question of the impact/importance of volunteerism. For starters how about the professional planner in one jurisdiction (where he/she works) volunteering for the planning commission or other unpaid volunteer governmental position in the jurisdiction where he/she lives.
I have mixed feelings on the whole question of volunteering, ie work for no pay. Serve food at a soup kitchen, work in a hospital, maybe even sereve on the board of directors of a charitable institution. These are all great and probably necessary, saving many worthy causes many dollars they would otherwis have to pay in salaries.
But volunteering my professional expertise, that which I should be payed for, I think must be done judiciously. I must admit to having had what may have been an unfortunate and perhaps bizarre introduction to the world of municipal volunteering years ago.
As Chairman of our local Conservation Advisory Council I was asked by our elected Village Board to write the newly state mandated wetlands ordinance for our community. During the presentation to the public It was made to seem by the Board that the whole thing was my idea, they being the good guys and modifying some of the"harsher provisions". I was at one point villified by a citizen whose property was negatively affected as being new in town and not having any right to write such a law.
Do I sound a little thin skinned? Twenty five years ago I probably was, at least more so than now. But I wondered if a paid professional, hired by the Village Board would have been treated the same way. I also later wondered if I had somehow diminished the value of our profession, even in a small by giving away my services.
I suppose I would have to draw a line and classify pro bono professional work donated to non-profit groups, eg. low income housing orgaizations, in a different category.
Which brings me back to a reason people do volunteer for thses positions. Someone has to run the place. It might as well be me. I don't know if this is a great reason bust as often as not, its what I have heard many times over the years from municipal volunteers.
I hope all of you had a great summer.
Cheers
