From the Mayor’s Desk: One Conversation at a Time

Serendipity in a Small Town

Every week, ideas and possible solutions to the challenges facing our village find their way to me. Yes, some come through meetings and workshops, but often they arrive through chance encounters and quick conversations. Call it good timing, or the payoff of listening with an open mind, but it happens.

Sunday Morning, An Idea Over Coffee

On a recent Sunday  morning, I stopped by La Bicyclette for a latte before my KMBY radio broadcast at Little Napoli. Local business owner Judy Ivey waved me over and shared an idea that the vacant Prim’s Hardware building on Rancho could become an indoor pickleball facility. It was the kind of practical suggestion that only surfaces in a person-to-person conversation, and I’m following up on it.

The Post Office, Clearing the Air

The next day I was at the Post Office and in line ahead of me was one of the pickleball advocates from a recent City Council meeting. After some small talk, she cautiously said, “I guess I’m not one of your favorite people right now.”

I told her honestly I wasn’t sure why she would feel that way. We appreciated her showing up and sharing her perspective and don’t hold grudges or judge people for being passionate. I like pickleball. The issue the Council faced was not the sport, it was the noise and congestion impacts at one specific location, and how that affected the neighborhood.

As we talked, I noticed two other advocates in line who had also spoken at the meeting. We discussed that I had publicly committed, in a KSBW interview, to keep working with enthusiasts to find a better location. I invited them to meet me at Carmel Middle School later that week to explore options, and they said they would.

The UPS Store, Another Perspective

My next stop that day was the UPS Store. Standing in line ahead of me were two Forest Hill Park neighbors who had been on the other side of the debate. We had a friendly conversation, and I shared what had just happened at the Post Office. It was a reminder that these issues are personal, shared, and something we need to address with empathy.

Turning Chance Into Progress

Phoning another advocate I had a productive discussion and her agreement to meet at the Middle School plus another possible site she had in mind. We all met last Friday for a constructive field trip. As one of the advocates wrote in a follow up email, “No journey starts without taking the first step.”

Why This Keeps Happening

These moments are not unusual, especially if you walk the village and engage with the community. They happen because we make space for them, and I suspect they happen for all of our council and commission members. When you keep an open mind, listen to all sides, and avoid attaching personal feelings to policy disagreements, solutions have a way of finding you.

Beyond PickleballI

have seen this play out on business vitality, beach safety, and community engagement. Meeting a group of young lifeguards on Carmel Beach led to preliminary conversations with State Parks. Visits from communities in Australia and Spain sparked research into sister cities. Looking at Middle School tennis courts opened conversations with the School District about their adjacent vacant lot. Somehow, at the right time and place, the next piece of the puzzle may pop up. Our job is simply to listen, connect the dots, and keep moving us forward together. To hear a podcast generated from this column go to cli.re/serendipity.

Dale Byrne, Mayor, Carmel by the Sea

dbyrne@cbts.us