芝生化奮闘記

続編
市役所絡みの公園改修計画委員会の会合が昨日開かれたが、設計事務所が用意した提案の説明があり、それに対する委員、市民代表、一般住民が意見を述べ、投票する形で素案を一つに絞る作業でした。

提案には全面芝生の大変シンプルな公園、半分芝生半分ウッドデッキのちょっと大人向けの公園、それに半分芝生半分土の中途半端な公園がありましたが、なんと満場一致で全面芝生のデザインが可決されたではありませんか。根回しで重要事項が全て事前に決められていて、議会では形だけの裁決となり満場一致が多い日本ではオープンな議論が展開された委員会では非常に珍しいです。

昨日の会合では芝生の維持管理で小生と以前激論をかわした市の公園街路課課長も口を挟む事が出来ないでいて、さぞ辛かったであろう。

でも、お金を払っている住民が話し合いをして決めた事を実行する行政の本来あるべき姿が実現した、気分がすこぶる良い一日でした。

Continued
Well, we had our meeting yesterday, at which the consultant firm submitted three preliminary designs for discussion by the committee members, representatives of the local residents, and other interested residents. After an open discussion, we voted on the designs.

One was an extremely simple park all in grass, the next was half-grass/half wooden deck, and the third was half-grass/half-dirt. To my surprise, the vote was unanimous in favour of the first plan. In Japan, where most proposals voted on in government councils have been decided in advance through extensive negotiations, which reduce the open vote to a charade of democracy, unanimous decisions are commonplace. But yesterday's unanimous vote, being the result of a genuinely open discussion, was rare.

The head of the local Parks Department, who readers will remember had a very heated argument with me several weeks ago concerning grass maintenance, was reduced to the role of observer, with no chance to control proceedings. This must have been difficult for him.

What we saw yesterday was an ideal example of democracy, in which the taxpayers became directly involved in local affairs and the local government put firmly in its correct place of being the executor of the wishes of the residents.

Man, I was in a good mood last night.