[Vision2020] (no subject)

[Chasuk]

On Thu, Feb 14, 2008 at 9:54 AM, J Ford <privatejf32 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> The talks or NEGOTIATIONS were not a competition with Whitman County, et al,
> but just that - NEGOTIATIONS for the use/abuse of our water/sewer; so the
> need to have a signed confidentiality contract between the Council members
> and Hawkins is baffling, to say the least.

The negotiations took the form of mediation (i.e., dispute resolution
mediated by an impartial third party).  Mediation occurs after
politeness and civility have broken down and litigation is the next
step.  The mediation process often (usually, as I understand it)
involves an agreement of confidentiality.

Here is Wikipedia's explanation of confidentiality in mediation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediation#Responsibilities_regarding_confidentiality_in_mediation