What do discussions over wetlands regulations and Jamestown’s homeless have in common?

The alarm bells over both situations were raised largely by people operating outside the typical government apparatus set up to deal with those issues.

Remember, back in February, that it was Jim Wehrfritz who called attention to wetland regulations he worried could end up hurting property values and make it more difficult to use what he feels are proven strategies to help manage invasive weeds in the lake. Wehrfritz’ role was worth remembering this week when County Executive PJ Wendel went public with his concerns about the regulations months after The Post-Journal aired Wehrfritz’ concerns – and months after many people in the know said there was nothing to worry about.

And, don’t forget, it was Bonnie Weber who helped shine a light on the plight of the homeless in Jamestown over the past year when the issue had largely faded from public view. It was Weber who knew where to find the homeless after they had been moved from public spaces in Brooklyn Square a couple of years ago, and it was Weber whose efforts caught the attention of enough people for the community to realize the breadth of the homeless population in Jamestown even though the county Homeless Coalition was saying the homeless population in Jamestown was fewer than 20 people at the time.

We don’t mention any of this as an ‘I told you so’ moment, nor are we taking this opportunity to push Wehrfritz or Weber for high-level positions dealing with Chautauqua Lake or the homeless. We freely admit advocates like Wehrfritz and Weber – and Rick Huber with opioid addiction in past years – tend to be more of a bull in a china shop than the parakeet in the corner of the china shop. Their passion for their topic can be hard for some to handle. But their passion lends itself to knowledge that helps the greater good.

The real question is how to keep those voices engaged in a way that benefits the community. We almost missed the boat on the way proposed wetland regulations could impact Chautauqua Lake because Wehfritz wasn’t at the table. We wouldn’t be making progress were it not for Weber’s advocacy. Yet both have found themselves on the outside of rooms where decisions have been made.

Both the government and advocates need each other to solve problems. Advocates need to have a seat at the table. Government, or its designated agencies, needs to provide that seat. The government can’t take away the seat when they hear hard truths and or are asked hard questions. But advocates can’t push away from the table every time they’re told no, either, or don’t get the exact result they want. Advocacy is about building consensus to fix problems, not taking your ball and going home when you’re on the wrong end of the score.

In our view, this year is an opportunity for both government and advocates to learn a valuable lesson.