Property disputes among neighbors can lead to ugly battles that mar entire neighborhoods. They can become so bitter that parties refuse to even speak to each other. Often times, there’s no one to settle the issue, but there is a place where neighbors can go to open up the lines of communication.

Bellevue provides a mediation program that allows neighbors to settle their differences in a calm, civilized way, with more than 70 trained volunteers to guide them through the process.

Since 1996, the city has provided this free service. It applies to almost any kind of conflict imaginable. Property disputes, tree issues, hedges, animals, even landlord-tenant disputes or parent teen disputes (with divorce as the primary exception). The program is run by one full-time employee, Andrew Kidde, program manager, and another part-time worker, Cheryl Cohen. The rest are volunteers.

The goal of the mediation, which can come in several forms between parties, is to get them looking past personal issues in the past, and looking at what exactly is an important future outcome.

“What about that fence is important to you?” Kidde said as an example of a point of discussion. “We’re refocusing not just on what happened or the solution they want, but how they felt about it, and what they want in the long-term.”

Volunteers take a 40-hour training course, the fees for which cover the department’s expenses. As with most volunteer organizations in Bellevue, the talent has turned out, and neighbors with problems are likely to get highly qualified mediators.

Steve Creighton has been with the program for nearly a year. After retiring about a year ago, Creighton wanted to serve. He certainly was qualified. He worked with Boeing for 35 years handling international negotiations, among other functions. Creighton agrees with the idea of not controlling the discussion, but getting the two parties to be honest.

“Even if you don’t help them solve the problem, getting them to vent and discuss helps,” he said. “The whole concept being you just help facilitate the two parties working out the problems themselves.”

The program requires two two-hour shifts per week between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Volunteers begin after their training sessions by working the phones. This represents the first step in the process as well. The next step for both volunteers and those participating in mediation is in-person sessions. Aspiring mediators must observe six sessions, and then work with a veteran mediator for six more sessions. Over that time, mediators learn the interpersonal skills it takes to lead the discussion of issues that matter deeply to the participants.

“What you learn is what might appear to be a small issue can turn into a very big issue if it’s not addressed,” said Darcy Hollie, who is a certified mediator at the Snohomish County Dispute Center, as well as a volunteer with Bellevue.

Until the program came about, the city had no way of dealing with neighbor-to-neighbor issues if they weren’t subject to legal statutes or city code. Many people wanted an authority that could step in and say their neighbor wasn’t allowed to put a fence here or there. But that wasn’t the job of the city, Cohen said. Mediators don’t make any rulings or decisions, they give both parties the tools to work out the issues among themselves.

“They want us to solve the issue, but we’re empowering them to come up with their own solutions; we reach out to them,” Cohen said. “We’re giving them permission to come together to negotiate a win-win. We don’t solve it for them.”

Nat Levy can be reached at 425-453-4290.

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The mediation program thrives on the efforts of volunteers. For more information about the program, or how to become involved, call 425-452-4091. More information is also available on Bellevue’s web page for the department (http://www.bellevuewa.gov/conciliator.htm).

For citizens who want to learn conflict resolution skills to take care of their own issues, the program is offering training sessions next month.

May 4 – 5-9 p.m.

May 6 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

May 11 – 5-9 p.m.

May 13 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The cost of the training is $295, and according to documentation is a prerequisite for those who wish to volunteer with the program or continue in further mediation training.