The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Surprise! The Electric City Council has decided to change the y-shaped intersection in front of city hall in Electric City. Am I the only one who heard of this for the first time after reading it in The Star newspaper? It’s the first time the Electric City fire chief knew of this project. Is this even a done deal? Varying responses from council members at the last council meeting indicate that it is not set in stone, but City Clerk Russ Powers seems to think it is.

Mr. Powers is quoted in The Star as saying, “The point is to slow down traffic,” which I assume is to make that area safer. However, to make those changes to the area in front of city hall is a contradiction to making things safer. Emergency vehicles will have to travel down residential streets as well as in front of a church nearby that utilizes street parking. Is this safer? Emergency vehicles will need to make more frequent turns and stops when responding to a call, adding precious minutes to their response time. Is this safer? Additional traffic will be traveling up and down Stevens Ave. Is this safer? Cars backing out of the Electric City Tavern parking lot will not have a clear view of approaching emergency vehicles. Is this safer?

Why not address some of the real safety issues In Electric City, such as the lack of proper drainage by the fire station or on the corner of Highway 155 and Western. Huge water puddles form and freeze in these spots, causing cars to lose traction and pedestrians to slip and fall. The parking lot at the Electric City Fire Station is in need of repair. This is a safety issue for our volunteer responders. I’m sure the residents of Electric City know of more safety issues that are more important than “slowing down traffic” in front of city hall. Better yet, talk to and listen to our emergency responders before you make a change that impacts their safety and ability to do their jobs.

And by the way, city council members, it is not ethical for you to table this or any other topic and then discuss it further after most people have left the council meeting. It makes us question your true motives and wonder how many other topics have been illegally discussed when the public was not present or in closed sessions.

Maryann Winn