Ephrata council OKs transportation district, vault standards

EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to establish a Transportation Benefit District (TBD) to help pay for regular maintenance on the city’s streets.

The district, which will cover only the Ephrata city limits, is expected to raise around $200,000 to patch potholes and keep streets paved.

“The tax can only be used for streets, we couldn’t put that money anywhere else,” said City Administrator Wes Crago.

The council decided in November to fund the district with a dedicated sales tax, which is expected to go before city voters in late April.

Last year’s harsh winter left a number of cities and towns across the state scrambling to patch potholes and repair damage to streets, often depleting reserve funds in the process.

The council also passed an ordinance establishing standards for concrete burial vaults in the city cemetery.

According to Crago, sub-standard burial vaults have caused some problems with burials in the city cemetery in the past.

“If you want to provide a concrete liner, you can buy one from the city, or one that meets city standards,” Crago told council members. The new ordinance requires that all burial vaults in the Ephrata cemetery be Wilbert Precast 30G concrete grave boxes or conform to a set of standards and measurements for steel-mesh reinforced concrete.

Crago said burial vaults should be able to withstand the weight of dirt.

“They could fracture, and you’d have a sinkhole. Lids could slide off, and the worst case scenario is having a family witness something not go smoothly,” he said.

Crago said anyone wishing to inter a relative or loved one in the city cemetery can buy a burial vault that meets city standards either from a funeral home or directly from the city, which has a few on hand.

According to Crago, the cost for a burial in the city cemetery is $1,136 for city residents, while the burial vault alone costs $616.

Wilbert Prefab is a Spokane-based company that makes pre-cast concrete containers, everything from burial vaults to septic tanks to containers for radioactive waste.

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com.