New Ephrata mayor presides over low-key inaugural meeting
With minimal fanfare, new Ephrata mayor Steve Oliver presided over his first city council meeting Wednesday evening, working through an agenda that was largely focused on several “housekeeping” measures.
EPHRATA – With minimal fanfare, new Ephrata mayor Steve Oliver presided over his first city council meeting Wednesday evening, working through an agenda that was largely focused on several “housekeeping” measures.
New city councilman James Mathis also attended, remotely.
Both were elected to their respective nonpartisan positions during the Nov. 4 general election. Oliver prevailed over longtime incumbent Bruce Reim; Mathis was unopposed for the Position 1 council seat previously held by Sarah McDonnell, who did not seek reelection.
Among business items they considered, the council approved recommendations from the city’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee in awarding $100,000 for tourism promotional funding in 2026.
Recipients and amounts included: Ephrata High School ($15,000 for costs in hosting regional/state sports tournaments and events); Ephrata Enforcers Softball ($15,000); Ephrata Chamber of Commerce for advertising and operations efforts ($17,500) and three community festival events (Sage-N-Sun Festival, $20,000; Cork+Craft Crawl, $5,000; Bells on Basin Winter Festival, $10,000).
The city itself was awarded $7,500 in funding for general promotions and $10,000 to sponsor the Sage-N-Sun 3x3 basketball tournament.
Ephrata recreation/public relations director Josh Johnson said the city has $100,000 available in so-called “hotel/motel taxes” available for disbursement to applicants this year, but funding requests totaled $112,500. To achieve the lower figure, the lodging tax committee met twice in December and pared $10,000 from the Ephrata Enforcers’ request and $2,500 from the chamber’s advertising/operations’ request.
The funding comes from a tax collected on guests staying in local motels, campgrounds and other short-term lodging facilities. Under state criteria, cities and counties can allocate lodging-tax funds to qualifying groups and organizations for promotion of activities and events which attract visitors, generate overnight stays – dubbed “putting heads in beds” – and support the local economy.
Council member Valli Millard abstained from the vote, noting that she serves as treasurer for the chamber of commerce.
In other business Wednesday night, the council:
- Approved a resolution to apply for an additional $163,567 in funding to supplement a previously awarded transportation grant of $690,962 for an overlay project on three blocks of A Street S.E. just north of the State Route 282/Dodson Road roundabout.
City engineer Shawn O’Brien said the additional funding would pay for sidewalks on the west side of the street in the project area, along with curbing, gutter, and stormwater improvements. The current grant only provides for sidewalks on the east side of the street.
If the amended grant request is approved, the city is prepared to pay an additional $25,528 in matching funds, O’Brien said.
- Accepted an apparent low bid of $125,330 from North Central Construction of Moses Lake to enclose and add electrical service to an unused portion of a pole-barn building at Ephrata’s wastewater treatment facility. The enclosure would provide a secure, heated space to store the city’s new sewer-vacuum “vactor” truck, which has components susceptible to cold-weather damage.
The project will provide considerable savings over the cost of constructing a new storage building, public works director Rob Harris told the council. North Central was the lowest of seven compliant bidders, he said.
- Approved a resolution to amend a professional services contract with Blades Code Services of Ephrata to supplement city building duties in construction plan reviews and energy code inspections.
- Approved an ordinance that aligns Ephrata’s speed limit designations along Basin Street/State Route 28 to specific mile post designations by the Washington Department of Transportation between the Oasis Park area and the northern city limits. The action does not alter the existing speed limits themselves, said O’Brien and city administrator Ray Towry.
- Approved councilman Matt Moore’s continued role as mayor pro tem. And Oliver agreed to represent Ephrata on the Grant Transit Authority’s board of directors. Oliver’s mayoral predecessor was a longtime GTA board member and chair.
