Consolidating towns to be topic of informal discussion

The topic of consolidating local area towns will be discussed in a social setting at the Wine Bar in Grand Coulee Sept. 27 at 5:30 p.m. and the public is invited to attend.

Attending will be three representatives from SCJ Alliance, a company that specializes in land use, engineering, outreach, and facility planning and which was involved in the consolidation of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a combination of Army and Air Force bases south of Tacoma.

The representatives will be able to answer questions about the topic.

Consolidating towns is not a common occurrence, and the area has additional complications, including being spread out over four counties, with Elmer City and part of Coulee Dam being on an Indian reservation.

A public survey conducted by the Grand Coulee Dam Area Chamber of Commerce in 2016 revealed that, out of 514 respondents, the majority were in favor of consolidation of two or more of the local towns, with 308 being strongly in favor and 84 being somewhat in favor, as opposed to 99 strongly opposed and 23 somewhat opposed.

“I think it’s an interesting topic that a lot of people have asked the chamber about,” said Peggy Nevsimal, executive director for the chamber. “We hope people come with an open mind and get informed.”

The Wine Bar is located on Main Street in Grand Coulee.