Industrial growth cited as reason for increase

EPHRATA - The Ephrata City Council agreed Wednesday to pay $3,500 more next year to belong to the Grant County Economic Development Council.

The council is a group working to bring more jobs and businesses to the county.

The EDC raised Ephrata's membership fee because the EDC was heavily involved with Ephrata's increased industrial growth over the past two years, Ephrata City Administrator Wes Crago said.

The EDC is also requesting that Quincy's membership fee be increased from 50 cents to $1 because of the EDC's earlier work with Microsoft and Yahoo!, EDC Executive Director Terry Brewer said Thursday. Both companies have data centers in Quincy.

"We're trying to do more and it's hard to do more with less," Brewer said.

Brewer said his executive committee was looking at ways to increase the amount of money coming into the EDC. The EDC had worked with windmill tower manufacturer Katana for three years before its arrival in Ephrata, he said.

This year the EDC spent $6,000 on an economic impact analysis software and database and another $6,000 on a Web site allowing members to post job openings. The EDC is also spending more money on job fairs, he said.

The EDC also plans to hire a part-time person next year to work with industrial companies on permit and labor issues, he said. The hire was approved by the EDC board earlier this year because the EDC board believes there's more than existing staff can complete, he said.

Crago said scheduling problems had prevented him from meeting with Brewer before the city council meeting on Wednesday. Crago said he brought the matter before the city council because the city's working on next year's budget to approve this month.

Ephrata paid 50 cents per resident this year to belong to the EDC. The increase comes to $1 per resident for a total of $7,025, Crago said.

Mayor Pro-Tem Bruce Reim questioned why someone from the EDC wasn't at the city council meeting to explain the increase.

Coucilmember Ben Davis said he was in favor of the increase and the city council should give the EDC the benefit of the doubt.

"I think they do a good job," said Councilmember Tom Middleton.

Ephrata City Councilman Steve Lovitt was the only councilmember who voted against the increase. He said Mike Wren with the Port of Ephrata has done more work than the EDC to bring business to town.