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The town hall on regionally-significant topics spanning town and county boundaries in the Grand Coulee Dam area has been postponed indefinitely, the Regional Board of Mayors decided at their May meeting last week.

It would have been the first town hall of its kind, and was to include time for the public to comment on regional issues in the presence of all four mayors and most of the council members from the four towns. But diminished staffing availability meant the most knowledgeable people wouldn’t be present for the main agenda item: the possible future creation of a regional emergency medical services district.

The expert on that issue is Grand Coulee Fire Chief Ryan Fish, who will be on medical leave, Grand Coulee Mayor Mike Eylar told the board.

“He’ll be out for probably two or three months,” Eylar said.

Another topic for consideration was regional animal control. But Electric City’s code enforcement officer, who was spearheading that research, had to resign from the position in order to care for an ill relative out of state.

“So, we’re back to square one on that,” said Electric City Clerk Peggy Nevsimal, who staffs the monthly mayors meetings.

Eylar’s disappointment in again postponing the town hall was evident.

“We’ve delayed this three different times now,” Eylar said. “I’d hate to keep pushing it off. People are going to lose faith.” 

Eylar had originally floated the town hall idea to the board of mayors in January. At another meeting he expressed hope the mayors together could “knock this thing out of the park.”

But in the end, it was Eylar who made the motion to postpone the town hall that was first scheduled for April 27, then May 4, and until recently, May 18.

“Having no one to discuss the EMS districting, and not having a backup topic that we’re able to expound on, I move that we postpone the town hall meeting to an as-yet-to-be-decided date,” he said.

The motion passed unanimously.