Ephrata cracks down on graffiti

Must be removed in 10 days

EPHRATA - A new Ephrata city ordinance requires property owners clean graffiti off their buildings within 10 days of receiving a city notice to do so.

If weather conditions prevent the painting over of graffiti within 10 days, owners can make arrangements with the city code enforcement officer for an extension, according to the ordinance approved Wednesday by the Ephrata City Council.

People caught producing graffiti will be fined $510 and failing to clean graffiti will result in a fine of $60, said City Administrator Wes Crago.

Before the ordinance passed, there was no specific penalty for graffiti and suspects would be cited for malicious mischief or vandalism, he said after the meeting.

There are 18 instances of graffiti reported this year and last year's figures weren't immediately available, according to Ephrata Police Chief Joe Varick. He said during the city council meeting he didn't think there would be any problems enforcing the new ordinance.

Crago told the city council the new ordinance is based on Warden's code, which states graffiti is a blight and it's in the interest of the community's wellness to remove it. He also said the City of Yakima is using a similar ordinance and claims publicly it is working.

Communities are either using the ordinance Ephrata approved or banning the sale of spray-paint cans and large markers to children under 18, Crago said.

Ephrata city councilmember Mark Wanke said the issue will be discussed during the

upcoming Grant County Association of Cities and Towns meeting because the county is wanting "more teeth" in response to the graffiti problem in the rural areas.

In Ephrata, owners can file an appeal with the city within the 10 days that will stop enforcement of the new ordinance. A hearing examiner will decide if the ordinance is being violated, if proper notice was given and if the deadline to remove graffiti is reasonable considering the weather, the ordinance states.