Ephrata council approves updates to fencing ordinance

EPHRATA – After tabling a public hearing on the issue about a month ago, the Ephrata City Council moved forward with approving updates to the city’s ordinance relating to fencing requirements. Staff with the city had recommended making the adjustments to ensure the code was easier to understand and set clear guidelines for fence placement.  

“The update is essentially adding the allowance to move – on the corner lots – the seven-foot fences closer to the back of the sidewalk,” said Ephrata Community Development Director Ron Sell during a briefing to city council. 

During the prior meeting on the issue, Sell had said the updates were especially necessary to address issues where corner lots with taller fences could cause visibility issues for drivers, causing safety concerns.  

The updated code makes a variety of changes. Hedges were added to the fence code due to them often meeting the definition of a fence, and allows staff the required tools to address safety issues when hedges and fences create hazards for people traveling along city streets. Fences on corner lots may be built within the building setback at a distance of 12 feet behind the curb, which is also the typical edge of related rights of way for most residential streets, provided the fence does not cause a visibility hazard. It removes the additional setback of one foot for each foot of height for a fence in a commercial or industrial zone when across the street from a residential property. Additional material limitations have been added to the ordinance and clearance around fire hydrants has been defined. Clarified the use of barbed wire, no longer allowing residential or central business districts to use that type of wire while allowing its use in commercial and industrial zones. 

The use of walls as fences has also been restricted.

Residents are encouraged to make sure they apply for a permit prior to building a fence and may want to speak with city staff and review the new ordinance prior to building a fence to ensure no code violations occur.  

No community members spoke during the public hearing held on the matter at the beginning of the meeting and council subsequently approved the ordinance unanimously.  

Citywide goals 

Council also unanimously approved the adoption of specific goals for the city to focus on in 2025, after drafting them during a prior working retreat. 

“What we did is we all got together and we decided to come up with citywide goals at a retreat and a couple of other meetings and such, and we’re just establishing the fact and putting them into a resolution,” Ephrata Mayor Bruce Reim said prior to adoption of the resolution. 

Goals include a focus on public safety, increasing community engagement, providing infrastructure and facilities for future growth, investing in city personnel through training and development opportunities, strengthening relationships within the community, enhancing economic vitality, committing to efficient governance while maintaining and building upon public trust and practicing sound, transparent fiscal management.  

Council also accepted a $1,000 grant from WalMart to support events such as Shop With a Cop that the Ephrata Police Department puts on. An interagency agreement allowing EPD officers to work with other area agencies for high-visibility patrol operations was also approved. EPD’s Troy Froewiss was also promoted to captain and sworn in by Reim and pinned by his wife, Michelle Froewiss. 

Finance Director Kristen McDonell also provided a review of the city’s budget for this year which the Columbia Basin Herald will review in further detail in next week’s Ephrata Insider after we’ve been able to speak further with city staff.