A nearly yearlong feud entangling several cities, one township, Washington County, a state agency, three local watershed management boards, two lawsuits and two bills in the Legislature has been working toward a resolution by the simplest of means -- talking face to face.
The issue prompting the strong feelings is watershed jurisdiction, which might be an obtuse subject, but has a real pocketbook impact on residents who finance the work through property taxes or utility fees.
A daunting Gordian knot of clashing interests is being untangled with the aid of a professional facilitator who was hired by the disputing parties.
It has helped that those representing the seven factions who participated in the talks were respectful neighbors trying to iron out an honest disagreement.
"Generally, we all work together pretty well, but things come up," said Ryan Schroeder, administrator for Cottage Grove, one of the cities involved. "It's like a family-- you all get along, but things come up and you work through them."
So far, two sessions with the facilitator have succeeded in reaching a tenuous, hard-fought compromise.
"This has been a truly voluntary process; there's been no court mandate or political pressure brought on us," said Clint Gridley, Schroeder's counterpart in Woodbury. "And we've chosen to, together, go down this road. And the sessions have been really positive."
The dispute can be traced to a 1998 water management study by Washington County.