The Valley Medical Center Board of Commissioners will continue meeting at 3:30 p.m., after voting recently to rescind a decision to meet at 6 p.m. that effectively could have resulted in the resignation of one of its newest members.

The public hospital district includes a portion of south Bellevue.

The hospital board’s 3-2 vote on April 21 meant that the member, Anthony Hemstad, who also is the Maple Valley city manager, would not have time to attend the board meetings starting at 6 p.m. and still make the Maple Valley City Council meeting at 7 p.m.

Hemstad had until June 1 to figure out a solution, which could have included resigning from the board of Public Hospital District No. 1.

Now he said he’s relieved he won’t have to make that decision.

“The immediate crisis is averted,” he said.

Hemstad had run for the board as a reform candidate, following an annexation election in 2006 that resulted in the levying of huge fines by the state Public Disclosure Commission against two key hospital officials, including top administrator, Rich Roodman.

He ran for office knowing that the board had met at 3:30 p.m. on Monday’s for more than a decade.

Hemstad suggested that the board move its meetings to another day, but the board declined such a move.

Board chairman Don Jacobson suggested a compromise, which the board approved unanimously:

• Continue meeting at 3:30 p.m. the first and third Mondays of each month;

• Take public comment at 6 p.m., regardless of where the board is in its meeting agenda.

• If the other business is completed prior to 6 p.m., the meeting will be temporarily adjourned to 6 p.m.;

• If other business is not completed before 6 p.m., the board will pick up with the other business after taking public comment.

Dean A. Radford can be reached at 425-255-3484, ext. 5050, or at dean.radford@rentonreporter.com.