Voices of the valley: Paperwork
Paperwork. My first experience with paperwork beyond the signature line on the page bottom occurred in the Army in 1968 when I unfolded the infamous Standard Form 86.
The SF-86, used to obtain personal histories for advanced security clearances, then unfolded to 6 feet in length. Today, the SF-86 totals 127 pages and takes a month to complete.
Since I lived in Germany and Israel for years before being drafted into the Army, my background investigation and post-paratrooper training took a year to complete and concluded in the same week.
Decades ago, Alaska state Sen. Dick Eliason called me one afternoon and said, "Charlie, I want you to work for me."
And I became a legislative officer. When the legislature modified a law or regulation, my responsibility was to introduce those modifications to small Alaskan villages and tribes in person and through telephone conferences.
Montana uses a different model to update local ordinances. Montana rural towns implement changes in state law and regulations by their own initiative and with the assistance of the various Montana League of Cities and Towns departments.
Last week, the Plains Planning Board met and the agenda was translated into paperwork. The task was to update definitions of housing setbacks, permits, owners and occupancy language.
These edited definitions are now included in the 233 pages of the Plains Ordinances.
As I listened, the board members encouraged the few attendees to participate in open and thoughtful conversation. These carefully edited ordinances will address the housing needs of many homeowners now and in the future.
Plains Mayor Joel Banham said the Planning Board would increase outreach to the community to participate in future discussions.
In my legislative travels throughout Alaska to gather information from residents in rural communities, the expression of generational needs and concerns became essential to cultural and economic sustainability.
The same is true in rural Montana. Informal discussion and participation remain vital to sustainable community culture and development. The benefits of involvement through the empowerment of local voices enhance community well-being.
Decades ago, I learned a simple yet profound observation method at university: lived experience can be understood in social or cultural norms. Social traditions share a known set of rules, while cultural norms share values.
A solid, yellow line in the center of Montana 200 is a "stay in your current lane" or "do not pass" rule. Or the rule that your 5-year-old daughter may begin first grade if her sixth birthday occurs during the first three months of the school year.
On the other hand, your daughter's birthday celebrations mark a cultural norm. Cultural norms have no specific rules but share a lived experience.
People often become upset when a rule interferes with a cultural norm.
"There will be no birthday celebrations in the town parks this summer." Or a new sign stating, "The school playground is closed when school is not in session."
Years ago, a combat veteran buddy would shout the obvious, "Governments are rule makers, baby!"
Cultural norms survive when local residents participate in state legislative or administrative rule making. Participation also extends to adopting new rules into local ordinances.
This brings us to our choice to keep our local culture and be involved with rule making and editing at the state and local levels. To our choice, my friend would loudly exclaim, "It's your choice, baby!"
Charles Bickenheuser lives in Plains.