EPHRAIM-- Eleven Boy Scouts attended the Ephraim City Council meeting held Nov. 19, to fulfill the requirements for the 'Citizenship and Community' merit badge.

The ordinance for snow removal in Ephraim is curb to curb. For many years, the city has attempted to clear the snow from curb-to-curb, but have found it doesn't work. The snow plows are too big and leave big snow banks in inconvenient places.

The snow plow drivers are trying to do their job, but sometimes cars get in the way. There is an ordinance that is effective from Nov. 15 through March 15, that all cars are off the streets from 1 a.m.-7 a.m. Cars that have been on the street in the past have received a warning and if those cars were not moved within 48 hours they were ticketed. Selective enforcement has been used in the past for the cars that have been on the street but still out of the way. Councilmember Elaine Reid didn't agree with this and said, "If we have ordinances either throw them out, or enforce them."

The council questioned whether it was reasonable to keep trying for curb to curb snow removal citywide. "New ordinances would be realistic and financially better than curb-to-curb," said Councilmember David Parrish,

The council agreed and decided to clarify and define the curb-to-curb ordinance. They also plan to inform all Ephraim residents about the hours cars cannot be on the streets. Cars that are left on the street will be warned and if they are not moved they will be ticketed if they are causing a hazard.

This year, the city has a new dump truck with a snow plow attachment and hopes it will help do a better job of digging Ephraim out of the snow.

"On stand-by, pagered up and ready to go," replied Fire Chief Kerry Steck when asked to report on Ephraim City fire department. The team recently trained in the city hall practicing routine procedures. Six members of the team are going to the St. George Fire Academy for Hazardous Material training. They will keep training and certifying new recruits that they are still accepting applications for.

The 1953 fire engine is out of service. A museum wants it but doesn't have any room for it, so they are going to sell it. The department is planning to get a new truck and hopefully a tanker system. Manti has a new truck on the way from Florida. Gunnison and Mt. Pleasant are also going to get new trucks.

Cattle guards

A safer trip up and down the mountain is what the city council is aiming for with new cattle guards. Cattle have been coming down the canyon because they are not being stopped.

Gates are being opened and fences are not secure enough. They want the guards put in at two particular places, one being Backbone Road. The city has turned this project over to the Forest service and Fish and Game.

Other business

The Youth City Council has been getting ready to decorate the Christmas tree this year. The City Cemetery is still undergoing construction and sod will be brought in to level it out.