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Committee recommends consent-agenda approvals for summer and holiday events, subject to insurance and safety reviews
Summary
The Highway Committee recommended conditional approval of several event requests from the Ephrata Rec Center and Mainspring of Ephrata — including the Firecracker 5 Mile Race, Memorial Day 5K, a South Academy Drive closure (date listed in request as July 4, 2025), a Tree Lighting with fireworks, and a Veterans Day Railroad Avenue closure — subject to emergency-management and police review and certificates of insurance naming the Borough as additional insured.
The Highway Committee reviewed multiple event requests from local organizations and recommended that Borough Council conditionally approve them, with conditions recorded in the committee notes. Items forwarded to the March 9 consent agenda included:
- A Feb. 2, 2026 request from the Ephrata Rec Center and Ephrata War Memorial Association to hold the 49th Annual Firecracker 5 Mile Race; the course is not finalized and the committee conditioned approval on EMC Gockley and Chief McKim review and receipt of a certificate of insurance naming the Borough as additional insured.
- A Jan. 20, 2026 request from the Ephrata Rec Center for the 8th Annual Memorial Day 5K; the committee indicated resident notifications are not necessary and conditioned approval on EMC Gockley and Chief McKim review and receipt of a certificate of insurance naming the Borough as additional insured.
- A Jan. 27, 2026 request from the Ephrata Rec Center to close South Academy Drive between West Main Street and Hammon Avenue "on July 4, 2025 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m." for fireworks traffic; the committee recommended conditional approval pending a satisfactory certificate of insurance naming the Borough as additional insured. The date listed in the request (July 4, 2025) is included here exactly as it appears in the committee record.
- A Feb. 19, 2026 request from Mainspring of Ephrata, presented by Joy Ashley, to conduct the annual Tree Lighting & Santa’s Arrival event with a fireworks display and Santa’s House; the committee conditioned approval on an Incident Support Plan from EMC Gockley and Chief McKim, a certificate of insurance naming the Borough as additional insured, and a PennDOT Special Events Permit if a numbered state route closure is required (Mainspring to be the permit applicant).
- A Feb. 19, 2026 request from Mainspring of Ephrata to close Railroad Avenue on Nov. 11, 2026 between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. for Veterans Day activities; the committee conditioned approval on a certificate of insurance naming the Borough as additional insured.
All event requests were placed on the consent agenda for Council consideration. The committee record records conditional approvals and the required items (insurance, EMC/Chief review, PennDOT permit) but does not show final Council approval.
