Management by committee is never an easy process, nor an especially effective one. It's even worse when the committee in question has other things on its mind.

That appears to be one of the weaknesses in the way the Kapi'olani Park Trust was set up. Under court-defined terms, it falls to the City Council to see that the intent of the trust — to preserve the park as public, open space — is fulfilled.

The nonprofit Kapi'olani Park Preservation Society, a group of people who live near the park or otherwise have an interest in its upkeep, have long been unhappy with the council's stewardship. Too many commercial activities are booked on park property, society members argue, leading to deterioration of the public green. The public feels crowded out by all the moneymaking that goes on, they add.

The council has argued that the activities are in keeping with the park's recreational purposes. But on Dec. 14, it's the Probate Court that will settle the question at last.

The issue that's received the most attention has been the art exhibit and sale on the fence of the Honolulu Zoo, a practice that's become a tradition over the course of a half-century.

Critics have argued that only a select group of artists are admitted to the art sale. If the artists hope to persuade the court that this is more than an open-air commercial gallery, they should find a way to make the event accessible to more artists, perhaps on a rotating basis.

There ought to be a way to keep at least the essence of this tradition. Some have suggested that the exhibition could continue, with money changing hands elsewhere. This sounds like a workable compromise.

Some society members believe the larger issue is the weekly craft fair, which generates truck traffic and during which parking spaces for other park uses become scarce. They rightly argue that craft fairs should be components of the park's cultural festivals, not regular commercial enterprises.

However the court rules on the trust, the council should refine its long-range plans for the park so that it remains the oasis of open space that is so essential in the high-rise jungle of Waikiki.

Ideally, the court would authorize additions to the roster of trustees beyond the elected members of the City Council. But at the very least, the council should seek the advice of the broader community about how the future of Kapi'olani Park should look.