Karin has mentioned that she doesn't want to see side chatter or factions forming. To an extent, I agree. I also know that it is very intimidating to present an

Karin has mentioned that she doesn't want to see side chatter or factions forming. To an extent, I agree. I also know that it is very intimidating to present an idea that might be controversial without at least floating it past a couple of people to see whether it has any support - or better still, to get some help refining and improving the idea. I, for example, spoke to Melanie and Alexa before bringing bikes and elevators back onto the agenda. Alexa helped me see the other point of view (that bikes really do cause a lot of damage inside) and Melanie made a great suggestion about how bikers could take responsibility for that damage. So I think that sidebar conversations will still happen. We might consider following these rules of conduct during those sidebars. First, don't trash other people behind their back. Speak with the expectation that the person you're talking about will definitely hear about it. Second, even as you expect that everything you say in private will be heard in public, maintain others' confidentiality. We don't have to repeat every bit of gossip we hear. Stating the obvious - if you breach someone's trust by repeating gossip to someone else, the person you told will not trust you anymore, and neither will the person who gave you the juice in the first place, once they hear about it. The conflict we're having right now is embarrassing and I wish that it wasn't happening. It's distracting us from the legitimate business of council, and making the job way harder than it needs to be. Even so, people have feelings, and those feelings are real and important. I think we have to address this just as we would address any other building malfunction, like a broken elevator or a messy recycling area. Please don't run away from this confrontation - lean into it and try to work together to find a peaceful resolution. Talk to the people who are getting on your nerves. Talk to each other, period. Be honest and vulnerable. Be real. I'm not sure what the actual motion will be, but I'm ready to have some real conversations with folks and see what comes of it.