Benjamin Franklin was once mired in a predicament that very few of us would be familiar with. He was torn between two countries. He has been labeled as the “first American” by author H.W. Brands. His birthplace is Boston, and he was sympathetic to the American cause in many ways. Contrast this fact with the years he spent living in England while lobbying Parliament in support of the colonists’ movement. Living in England was a love of his. There existed a mutually favorable relationship and esteem between Ben and his English noble friends. As the tensions rose between England and the upstart patriots across the sea, Ben felt the pressure rising for him to make a choice. He was truly between a rock and a hard place; betwixt and between his loyalties.

I have tried to relate to Ben in my life situations where ambiguity reigns supreme. My dad always taught me to try to look at both sides of the issue. Pro and con lists are a habit of mine. I often feel what Ben must have felt, with my mind bouncing back and forth between the two or more sides of an issue.

My quasi-judicial responsibilities on the city council often put me in that “betwixt and between” seat of decision-making. It weighs on each of the council that our votes will have implications for Preston’s future. I have served with three mayors and nine council members over the years. I can honestly say that all twelve of these individuals, with different talents, backgrounds and outlooks, have and do give every agenda item their full serious attention.

Let me give you an example: Our subdivision ordinance requires a percentage of open space on the final plat. The goal is to provide green space, a small park, a walking path, etc., for the homeowners in the area. This is an effort to avoid our little town becoming nothing but concrete and home density that is “big city”. We want to preserve our rural, small-town feel for quiet and privacy wherever possible. There is an option for the developer to pay a fee in lieu of the value of the required space. This fee then goes directly into our parks and rec budget for use in expansion or upgrades to our existing park facilities. However, no ordinance is perfect. We occasionally encounter a situation where the open space doesn’t make sense, due to location or topography, etc. We also face the fact that the ordinance is written in a manner where the HOA of the subdivision is supposed to be the owner and maintainer of the open space. This often falls through the cracks, creating an eyesore or a source of complaints due to non-compliance.

I can comprehend the concerns of a developer regarding the cost of building, losing a couple building lots to open space, and the hassle of an HOA. But my duty is to the many, not the few. I am supposed to follow the ordinances and ensure compliance. These votes on final plat approval often put me in that frame of mind of “betwixt and between” as to the outcome. I have voted both ways over the years, depending on the specifics of the case.

The training we receive is invaluable. On occasion, a conflict of interest is acknowledged, and the proper open meeting declarations are given. We video record and store all public meetings. This policy has proven very useful for both transparency and clarification at a later date, if needed or requested.

Without such a modern technique of record keeping, I assume the words I am reading about Ben’s life and contributions to our country to be apodictic. I am fascinated by his language and oratory acumen. I aspire to speak and write like such a man. My efforts to offer such pontifications in the council room have not gone unnoticed. So much so that a placard has been made and placed on the desk in front of my seat. It reads, “Filter Todd, Filter!” Betwixt and between that visual reminder and the awareness of being on camera, I have made minimal to moderate progress towards the goal I mentioned above, depending on who you ask.

I am thankful Ben did not use his filter or become camera-shy. We, as a nation and as students of history, would be worse off to not have access to his words and thoughts. Every noetic session of reading I complete teaches me something or another. I highlight many sentences, thinking and hoping it will cement them in my long-term memory. Time will tell of that method’s effectiveness. Be prepared that if you ever borrow a book from me, it will contain a fair amount of yellow highlighter ink. Feel free to use a different color to mark your own nuggets of wisdom.

I have shared some vocabulary words I learned from Ben with you in this column. How did I do? Was it fun and educational for you or just plain annoying? Don’t answer that!