Going into this afternoon’s second meeting – at 4 o’clock — since he was elected to the City Council, the ever vigorous Thomas Small was even more enthusiastic than on Election Night when he ran a strong second to incumbent Meghan Sahli-Wells.
An intellectual who started his Council campaign as perhaps the fifth or sixth best known candidate, the world-traveling architectural journalist has brought piercing insights to Council assessments.
“The first meeting went tremendously,” he said. “We have a great balance on the Council. It is going to be a very collaborative, productive group.”
This, even though, disappointingly, he narrowly lost an inner Council vote to join Ms. Sahli-Wells on the high-profile Sustainaibility Committee.
He accepted the outcome not only with aplomb but optimism, his ineradicable trademark.
After Vice Mayor Jeff Cooper said he wanted to withdraw from the Sustainability Committee, both freshman Council members, Göran Eriksson and Mr. Small, volunteered their availability.
Mr. Eriksson won the seat, 3-2, when Mayor Jim Clarke and Vice Mayor Cooper backed him.
Later, Mr. Small came to a surprising conclusion.
“After reflecting on that, I actually think it is better the way it is,” he said.
Both Messrs. Small and Eriksson are dedicated environmentalists – with one caveat: Their political pedigrees are slightly different. Mr. Eriksson is seen as somewhat more Establishment.
“This (vote) will create a balanced and collaborative atmosphere that is going to work really well for us,” Mr. Small said.
All three Eriksson backers are identified with the Establishment, an inference that they are less progressive than Mr. Small and Ms. Sahli-Wells.
Exactly how/why does Mr. Small believe that vote will be a boost?
“It creates a situation where collaboration will be forced,” he said.
Mayor Clarke cast the decisive vote.
By his vote, said Mr. Small, “I think Mayor Clarke was creating a situation where Meghan and Göran (heretofore seen as rivals) are going to learn to collaborate on a subject they both are expert in.”
Mr. Eriksson said that, at bottom, he and Ms. Sahli-Wells agree on major issues about the environment. The distinction lies in their desire to take different paths toward a solution.
