EDITORIAL: Mediation program

Can’t we all just get along? City of Henderson officials believe a new mediation program will help. As reported by the Review-Journal’s Carri Geer Thevenot, the city unveiled its mediation initiative last week, noting that most community disputes involve nuisance-type complaints that often can be addressed successfully through a structured conversation. The program is free to Henderson residents and available for disputes between neighbors, landlords and tenants, homeowners associations and residents, and employers and employees.

A mediator guides both parties through the process, but doesn’t render a verdict, allowing the sides to try to reach an agreement that’s acceptable to both parties. Lodging complaints through government or official channels can lead to heavy-handed solutions and hard feelings. Mediation gets people together to see if things can be worked out.

The city of Henderson’s mediation program is a constructive approach that, if nothing else, might help introduce neighbors who hardly know each other. Kudos to the city for launching a program with little downside.