Ephrata sets goals for budget

EPHRATA — Ephrata city council members stressed streets, personnel and sidewalks in their first goal-setting meeting for the 2009 budget.

Early estimates for the city put revenue at $14.1 million. This is up by about $400,000 from last year. Raises and other costs will likely use the additional money, said Wes Crago, city administrator. The city may not have a net increase next year.

The council members want to work on increasing the retention of employees.

The city focused on trying to hire more people in previous years, Crago said. There also may need to be a focus on keeping the employees they have, since the payroll is at or slightly below average for city employees.

Council member Ben Davis said they focused on the police department in recent years and they should expand to include all the city employees.

“It costs an organization money, a significant amount of money, to have that kind of turnaround,” council member Heidi Schultheis said. “Since you have to train them.”

Also on the list of goals, council members wanted to see more work on sidewalks. Schultheis noted the lack of consistent sidewalks through the city. She said it might alleviate some community members’ safety concerns.

Crago said doing the work now may cost the city more money than it would have in the past because the sidewalks would have to be put in around existing power boxes and other obstructions.

“Until 2002, no one even worked on (sidewalks),” he said. “To go back and do it retroactively would be hard.”

Davis said the sidewalks may be useful in problem areas, if they could educate people to use them.

They also mentioned the need to continue the work they’ve started on roads and parks. One of those projects is the ongoing replacement of 24 miles of water lines and streets. The state gave the city $6.6 million to fix those sections of roadway.