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Ephrata staff report wins for sidewalks, stormwater planning and other grants; water tower comes online
Summary
City staff reported progress on several grants: an amendment to a sidewalk grant (additional ~ $163,000 requested), a Department of Ecology stormwater planning award offered with most costs covered, second‑round advances for Department of Commerce CURB and a WSDOT Community Connections application (increased to about $450,000), and plans for a lower‑cost covered structure for recreation fields. Staff also reported the water tower is online and pressure improvements are underway.
City staff provided several project and grant updates during reports to the council.
Sidewalks and lighting: Staff said an amendment to a previously awarded sidewalk grant will expand sidewalk construction to both sides of a street; an additional funding request of about $163,000 was mentioned in the presentation. WSDOT’s Community Connections review encouraged increasing the grant scope and adding street lighting and crossings, which pushed a conceptual grant scope to about $450,000.
Stormwater planning: Staff said the Washington State Department of Ecology offered a draft award for a comprehensive stormwater quality plan. The draft award was described as covering 95% of the project with a 5% forgivable loan component; staff said the offer still requires final legislative or administrative approval before it is finalized.
Economic and recreation grants: The city moved to the second round of the Department of Commerce CURB economic grant (working with the port), with a presentation planned next month. For recreation, staff described a lower‑cost “Paymark” cover option for new pickleball and futsal fields estimated at about $250,000, compared with an earlier $2,000,000 estimate for a larger enclosed structure.
Water system: A council member asked about water pressure; water‑system staff reported the water tank is online, being cycled with a booster pump while a control issue is resolved, and that residents should notice a modest increase in pressure. No system breaks were reported.
What happens next: Staff said they will continue grant applications, prepare presentations for the next funding rounds, and pursue in‑house planning where feasible. Most items were informational updates; the transcript does not record additional council approvals tied to these updates.
