For those Rockland residents who have opposed many of the recent zoning changes made by Rockland’s City Council, Rhett Lamb’s retirement comes as a disappointment but not a surprise. Having met with Mr. Lamb several times during his tenure, his frustrations became clear in recent months as, in my opinion, he walked a fine line between what his professional training and experience were telling him and the personal political and social agendas of several Council members.

The city created his position following the fallout from the “tiny house fiasco”: the passage of an ordinance allowing tiny houses to be built anywhere and everywhere followed by its retraction in the face of a citizens’ initiative and lawsuit challenging it. The idea was to hire an experienced professional in city planning and zoning to address the housing shortage.

The clash between professionalism and politics was clearly demonstrated during the February 12 City Council meeting, a very sad example of professional governance. After Council heard comments from many attendees, the mayor asked Mr. Lamb to discuss his research on the issues being debated, only to be summarily cut-off after five minutes. Many in attendance protested that limitation; for Mr. Lamb it must have been humiliating.

Cities normally follow an orderly process when making zoning changes, including the use of software models allowing residents to see how zoning changes would impact their neighborhoods. The city never purchased the software; Council preferred us to remain in the dark. During that meeting one councilor reminded all in attendance that City Council makes the final decisions. And so it goes, backroom deals, personal political and social agendas ruled that evening. Only one Council member had the wisdom and fortitude to object to the ordinance that was passed.

This begs the question of who will be hired to replace Mr. Lamb. Given the events of this year, most likely it will be a yes-person: a fierce activist for increased density and housing with little consideration for the impact on long-established neighborhoods. After all, the housing problems facing Rockland (and many other cities across America) are the fault of those of us who live in homes and neighborhoods we like. In that case, why waste the money?

Jim Ebbert lives in Rockland