Ephrata addresses annexation, approves Homecoming festivities
Ephrata City Administrator Ray Towry at his desk in City Hall. Towry was raised in Ephrata and said he was excited to be able to return and take the reigns at City Hall and serve his home town.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
EPHRATA — City Administrator Ray Towry said the city is moving forward with a variety of measures after last week’s city council meeting, including a request from property owners to annex a small piece of land at the request of a property owner with land that overflows the city’s border.
“It’s a couple pieces of property that are split and one piece is in and some of it’s out,” Towry said.
The landowner, J. Jesus Sandoval, requested the annexation Sept. 11, according to city documents.
Towry said the annexation isn’t finalized at this point. The application submitted by Sandoval simply sets the process in motion for the annexation. That process includes public hearings prior to a final decision by the Ephrata City Council. While he did not know the exact details of Sandoval’s plans for the property, he explained that landowners generally apply for annexation to access city infrastructure such as water and sewer services.
“This is definitely where the landowner has come to us and they see a benefit for their property to come into part of the city – inside corporate limits,” Towry said.
City council voted unanimously to move forward with the legal process for annexing the property, as well as other agenda items.
One of those agenda items was new software to serve the Ephrata Fire Department’s needs. The software, provided by ESO Solutions, costs a bit more than $8,000 for a year’s subscription. Documentation from the city indicates that it will provide efficiencies by utilizing software implemented by five other fire departments within Grant County, thus making cooperative efforts with those departments easier to coordinate.
Council members also approved an event for Ephrata High School’s Homecoming week. That includes a bonfire event Wednesday, cleanup Thursday and a fireworks show associated with the annual Homecoming game this Friday the 13th against Grandview.
The city is also working with a property owner to fix an easement issue near Eighth Avenue.