The West Tisbury select board asked that the town affordable housing committee delay plans to bring a proposed affordable dwelling unit (ADU) funding program before voters at the next annual town meeting, urging the group to take more time for public engagement.

Last month the proposal for the town to raise $250,000 to fund private affordable accessory apartments in town was defeated at special town meeting, in a majority vote of 80-24.

At a select board meeting on Dec. 14, board member Jeffrey (Skipper) Manter raised concerns that the bylaw might fail again if brought to annual town meeting this year, after what he called a “disappointing failure on the part of the affordable housing committee” last month.

“You really fell on your faces, and that’s going to be hard to recover from,” he said. “I think in general we support the concept...but we were not pleased with how the presentation and discussion went at town meeting.”

Affordable housing committee chair Jefrey DuBard said the group was working on plans to host several community meetings on the bylaw in the coming months in anticipation of putting it on the next town meeting warrant, but board members Jessica Miller and Cynthia Mitchell said they would both vote against the program’s inclusion on that warrant.

“I’m not willing to trust that an unfinished product will be ready by April,” she said.

The board took no vote on the matter this week.

“We’re determined to keep working, so we can see where we are closer to that time,” Mr. DuBard said.

In other business, the select board voted unanimously to accept a town hall flag policy, only allowing the U.S. flag, Commonwealth flag, POW/MIA flag or town flag.

The policy came in response to a request from the Pro-Life Legal Defense Fund advocacy group to fly a pro-life flag at town hall. A letter from PLLDF director Robert Joyce cited a previous legal challenge against Boston city hall for refusal to fly a flag.

“Across the country, this has created a stir,” said Mr. Manter, of the request.

The new flag policy, he said, was developed by town counsel based on other town policies.

“I think our best action would be to adopt it,” Mr. Mater said.