Council approves telecom audit contract, firefighter insurance, railroad study match and engineering agreement

The Ephrata City Council approved four resolutions during Tuesday’s meeting related to audits, insurance, planning grants and engineering services.

Spinal Glass telecom audit agreement (Resolution 25‑39)
Staff described Spinal Glass as a telecommunications‑billing auditing firm that reviews phone and IT bills for overcharges. The contract carries no fee unless Spinal Glass finds recoveries: the firm takes 50% of recovered overcharges and, for eliminated duplicate services, charges 12 times the monthly service as a recoverable amount. Staff noted a prior engagement in 2017 yielded about $2,000 in annual savings and $840 in federal tax savings. Council moved and approved the resolution by voice vote.

Provident supplemental insurance for volunteer firefighters (Resolution 25‑41)
Council approved a supplemental insurance policy to cover volunteer firefighters and fire‑department staff for income gaps and certain injuries sustained during covered fire‑department activities. Jeremy, speaking for the fire department, said the policy fills a coverage gap similar to a labor‑and‑industries model and covers injuries during training, responses and department events. The city budgeted $10,000 for the policy in the 2025 budget; staff said the insurer’s quote is under $8,000. Council approved the resolution by voice vote.

Quadco UPWP railroad crossing/arterial study grant (Resolution 25‑43)
Council authorized submission of a Quadco UPWP grant application to study options for a second railroad crossing and a north‑south arterial. The council authorized applying with a 15% local match to strengthen the application; staff said the 15% match is approximately $7,500 if the city seeks the full $50,000 grant. Staff noted that if the grant is not awarded, the city would not be obligated to pay the match. The resolution passed by voice vote.

Professional services agreement with GEO Engineers (Resolution 25‑45)
Council approved hiring GEO Engineers to provide specialized groundwater/well‑drilling documentation required by the Department of Ecology for an active well project; the approval was subject to final attorney review. Council approved the agreement by voice vote.

Votes and procedure
For each resolution, council members approved the motions by voice vote; individual roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the meeting transcript. Where a mover and seconder were named in the record, they are noted below; otherwise the transcript records only a motion, a second and the chair’s call for the voice vote.

Why it matters: The measures authorize outside expertise and insurance to reduce financial and operational risk — telecom audits to cut recurring overcharges, supplemental insurance to support volunteers, a planning study to advance long‑term transportation options, and engineering services to meet state permitting requirements.

Actions taken (summary)
- Resolution 25‑39: Authorized telecom audit agreement with Spinal Glass. Mover: Mike (motion recorded). Seconder: Phil. Outcome: approved (voice vote). Notes: contingency fee model; no charge if no recoveries.
- Resolution 25‑41: Approved provident supplemental insurance for volunteer firefighters. Mover: Mike. Seconder: Kathleen. Outcome: approved (voice vote). Notes: 2025 budget line $10,000; quote under $8,000.
- Resolution 25‑43: Authorized Quadco UPWP grant application with a 15% match (~$7,500 of $50,000). Mover: not specified. Seconder: not specified. Outcome: approved (voice vote). Notes: match only paid if grant awarded.
- Resolution 25‑45: Approved professional services agreement with GEO Engineers, subject to attorney approval. Mover: not specified. Seconder: not specified. Outcome: approved (voice vote). Notes: needed for Department of Ecology well documentation.

Council directed staff to return with any contractual details that require further council action or budget adjustments.