Editorial: Online engagement produces open discussion of Safety Town controversy

Don't mess with Safety Town.

That was the message received loud and clear in the last few days as officials in Naperville, once named one of the best places to raise a family, studied whether the kids-centric Safety Town could also be used as a DuPage County traffic court site for adults.

Tuesday, it was determined the plan was dead because of security concerns at the site.

But in a true 21st century town debate, social media was put to the test to help galvanize public opinion on both sides. Last week, opponents of the traffic court idea started a petition on change.org to let city officials know they believed Safety Town was just fine as it is - a miniature replica of Naperville, complete with crosswalks and traffic signals, in which local kids learn all about safety.

To his credit, Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico posted his rationale for broaching the idea of sharing space with the county for the traffic court on Facebook. And he let residents have their say online as well, and engaged with them in a respectful back and forth. It was refreshing to read. The Daily Herald's Katlyn Smith also wrote about the controversy in Saturday's paper.

We weren't planning to take a position on the issue in this space today as more investigation into the pros and cons was needed. That's all moot now. But what we do want to point out is that a healthy discussion on a controversial topic took place. Residents were able to state their case, agree or disagree with each other or the mayor and sign a petition if they were so inclined. Democracy at work. And then, if it had come to a public meeting, the issues would have been clearly defined.

"Balancing our need for outstanding, educational programs for our youth with a responsible, solid financial plan for the future is challenging, but not impossible," Chirico wrote on Facebook. "When all parties work together, better outcomes are reached."

Indeed. That's a lesson all levels of government could learn. We don't know how the Safety Town issue would have been resolved if the county didn't pull the plug. But chances for a compromise are much better when positions are detailed appropriately, counterarguments presented respectfully and the greater good is eventually the deciding factor.

And while some social media discussion can go astray, the fact that the city's mayor used it to dispel rumors and misinformation is the other side of that coin. As one commenter told Chirico: "Mayor, sir, I dig your transparency."

Let that be another lesson to leaders elsewhere.