The public hearing two years ago on the condominium conversion ordinance was one of the most contentious city meetings in years. Homeowners shouted down city attorneys trying to defend the proposal and loudly cheered Alderman-at-Large William A. White when he questioned its legitimacy.

The scene was something out of Somerville past Рappropriately too, as the motivation for so many homeowners to show up were the words “rent control” (that famous divisive phrase of the 1970s and 1980s).

And now, after being sent to what we thought would be its grave, it is back. A working group consisting of the divergent views of Greg Vasil, CEO of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and Ellen Schacter, a local tenant advocate and attorney, has apparently reached some middle ground after two years of meetings and will report its opinion to the mayor within the next two weeks.

The actual merits of the group’s work and any revised condo conversion ordinance remain to be seen. The main characters are staying mum for now. But each group member – Vasil, Schacter, attorney Rich Digirolamo, city resident Fred Berman, Director of Housing Paul Mackey, Ward Six Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz and city attorney Anne Thomas – deserve some thanks for the work, flexibility and willingness to listen that any consensus needs.

Editorial writers often hurt themselves straining to find some bigger meaning in everyday events but the two scenarios mentioned here — the raucous public meeting and the recent consensus of the working group – demonstrate the strengths of our community: we are passionate but still willing to meet with those who disagree with us and work toward some type of middle ground.

It has happened over and over (see Mystic View versus Federal Realty): feuding parties big enough to set aside their differences and negotiate. In the end the winner in such circumstances is the city as a whole.

Just be sure to remind us of how nice we were if the new version of the ordinance looks too much like the old one. If that’s the case, you will see more of the former (the angry rhetoric directed at city leaders) than the latter (the level-headed negotiations) for the first few days.