ONE ON ONE olving a problem involving people is difficult to do at a public meeting, especially if emotion is involved. Posturing and posing take place, and because there is the opportunity to play to a larger audience to advance one's cause, drama enters the picture, and people tend to make more forceful, and perhaps extreme, statements.
Polarization often results, and solutions become more difficult than ever.
A good rule in life is that, whenever possible, meet individually with a person with whom you have a difficulty and try to solve it. But the fact is that it has become your problem, too, and now both have a problem to work on solving together. An invitation to lunch is a good way to start. You have made the first friendly gesture, and the luncheon table is a good neutral ground. It is more difficult to be antagonistic face to face, especially as the luncheon table is associated in people's minds as being a friendly place.