Two resignations from the Greensburg City Council this week are only one small indication of the huge obstacles that stand between this tornado-ravaged town and a productive future.

Mayor Lonnie McCollum offered his resignation because he said he needed to give more time to his family after the May 4 tornado. He also said he lacked tolerance for the different opinions on how Greensburg should rebuild. Council Member Marsha Klein said staying on the council was just too much for her considering that she had moved to Kinsley, 25 miles north of Greensburg, and was working in Haviland, about 12 miles east.

Who can blame them? Rebuilding their own lives is a full-time job for most Greensburg residents. There simply isn’t enough time and energy to help everyone else.

Fortunately, there still are some people who are willing to step up and provide the leadership Greensburg needs. Council President John Jannsen was one. He agreed to take over from McCollum as mayor. And there are others. The city administrator continues on the job and the school superintendent already has put in an order for temporary classroom, lunchroom and gymnasium facilities so school can open in the fall.

The council agreed at its Wednesday meeting to set a deadline of June 15 for people to make some attempt to clean up the debris left by the tornado. That list includes 120 properties, the city administrator said, which doesn’t seem like a large number considering the destruction caused by the tornado.

The city plans to take action only against property owners who have no plans to remove the debris, apparently opting to abandon their homes or businesses. Their property will be cleared and the bill added to their property tax bills. There may be some empty lots for sale in Greensburg at bargain prices.

Simply moving on may be the more practical choice for some Greensburg residents, but those who make that decision make the efforts of their neighbors to pick up and rebuild seem all the more heroic. Some of those residents want to take this as an opportunity to be innovative or creative; others just want their town back.

What form the new Greensburg takes remains to be seen, but one thing seems certain. It will be filled with people of character who were willing to quietly show community leadership by rebuilding their homes and lives in a town they treasure.