About Town — May 3, 2026

This week's photos of Columbia 

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images. 

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

Keys on the Street

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Truist is leaving soon — the last bank in the borough. 

Buntings galore at Borough Hall for the 300th

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More work on Manor Street 

The unannounced road closure caused difficulty for the bus driver.

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Sunbathing 

Something's been added to the roof of the Von Hess building. 

Work continues there.

Curbing was installed at the project on South 9th.

There's a wandering minstrel.

A meeting at 1020 Manor with . . . interested investors?

Sometimes a train blocks the entrance to the borough sheds. 

When ya gotta go . . .

Two Air Force helicopters flew over loudly on Thursday.

There's one of them.

The Water Company at work on the 1000 block of Manor

Pedal Power!

Setting up for Saturday's bike rodeo 

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The governor ordered flags at half-staff to honor fallen firefighters. Columbia didn't comply...

...but West Hempfield did.

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Bill for Columbia Crossing improvements jumps to $500,000

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

Columbia Borough Council voted to increase its grant request to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) from $200,000 to $250,000 for renovations at the Columbia Crossing building. Derek Rinaldo, borough engineer, recommended the increase at the April 28 Columbia Borough Council meeting.

The request comes after Rinaldo undertook a facilities feasibility study that identified opportunities to improve the building, in addition to repairing existing problems. The total estimated project cost has jumped to $500,000, with the borough on the hook for half that, at $250,000.

The centerpiece of the proposed improvements is the removal of a large stone wall separating the interior exhibit space from the outdoor river view deck, to be replaced with a set of large glass doors. Rinaldo described the wall as the main barrier preventing the two spaces from working together.

"Those are the best views," Rinaldo said of the deck area. "When you're in the building, you can't even really see the river."

The proposed glass doors — which could be accordion-style, sliding, or hinged — would remain closed and locked to the public and opened by staff only when needed for larger events. A preliminary structural evaluation found the design to be feasible using the existing framing and columns, though Rinaldo noted engineers may look at eliminating a center column during final design.

Rinaldo: "The number one thing that we identified that would enhance the site is the ability to host larger events."

Currently, the facility must limit program attendance to 75 to 80 participants due to separate capacity ratings for interior and exterior spaces. With the spaces unified, staff estimates the center could host up to 150 or more people at once.

Columbia Crossing staff members Hope Byers and Megan Salvatore told Rinaldo that schools have often been turned away because the building lacks the capacity to accommodate full classes. Canoemobile programs, for example, typically bring 100 students, a number the facility currently cannot hold.

The grant application also includes improvements to ADA accessibility. Rinaldo said the borough would expand accessible parking, which earns additional credit in the DCNR scoring process.

The current proposal is not the first renovation at Columbia Crossing. In 2016, a three-phase plan (shown above) for customizing the building's interior was introduced. Several repairs have also been done, including roofwork and recoating the concrete steps.

 

Structural repairs

The project also addresses deteriorating columns on the outdoor deck. Currently, they're wrapped in stone veneer — a design that trapped moisture and contributed to structural decay. The interior columns would become black painted metal. Rinaldo noted that the wide stone-wrapped columns create tight clearances that make navigation difficult for wheelchair users.

Corner columns and any structural or facade-facing columns will keep their stone veneer appearance so the building's exterior aesthetics remain unchanged. Deteriorating horizontal beams will be replaced with a glue-laminated material to match existing materials.

What happened to the paperwork?
Renovation is necessary due to construction deficiencies dating to the building's completion around 2014–2015. Some issues were known as early as 2013, as Columbia Spy reported HERE. Rinaldo and Evan Gabel, borough solicitor, acknowledged that pursuing legal action against those responsible is unlikely to succeed due to expired statutes of limitations and a significant lack of documentation.

The building as it appeared in July 2014, when it was known as the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail Services Building.

Resident Sharon Lintner recalled that a prior council had voted to have the original firm re-evaluate the structure and paid several thousand dollars for that report, but no record of the outcome can be found.

"If you paid several thousand for something, you certainly hope it exists somewhere," Lintner told council.

"There was a prime engineer, an architect — there were others brought on at various times," Rinaldo explained. "By the end of construction, there wasn't adequate as-built documentation." He added that the original engineer of record was removed from the project before completion, breaking the chain of professional responsibility and leaving no one clearly accountable for the faulty connections now causing problems.

Gabel confirmed the borough has explored legal options but concluded the case would be difficult to pursue. The borough has since pivoted to grant funding as the most viable path forward.

Timeline and Funding
The DCNR grant application was due April 30. Rinaldo said the borough would not learn the outcome until fall, putting construction on track for spring 2027. Council members also discussed using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds as part of the local match, with staff confirming that federal funds can be used to match state grants.

"I feel pretty strong that we're on the right track," Mayor Leo Lutz said, noting that the DCNR engineer present at their planning meeting was enthusiastic and offered tips to help bolster the application. "It was probably one of the better meetings I've had with DCNR when you're asking for funding."

Columbia man claims contaminants at Columbia Water Co. tower exceed maximum federal level

JULISSA RODRIGUEZ | FOR LNP | LANCASTERONLINE

What happened: [On April 13] Columbia resident Adam Copenhaver told Mountville Borough Council that water test results sampled at a tower operated by Columbia Water Co. at 224 Eagle Path, Mountville, exceeded the federal maximum contaminant level for total trihalomethanes by 36% at 109 parts per billion versus 80 parts per billion, on Oct. 14, 2025. Columbia Water provides Mountville, Columbia and several other communities in Lancaster and York counties with public water.

More: Copenhaver asserted TTHMs are a carcinogen. According to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, total trihalomethanes, or TTHMs, are a byproduct of a reaction between a disinfectant and natural organic matter in water.

Acknowledgement: Council members thanked Copenhaver for bringing this issue to their attention.

Public matter: The information Copenhaver provided is readily available on DEP’s website, where LNP | LancasterOnline found the most recent sample date for 224 Eagle Path, Mountville was Jan. 12 of this year when TTHMs were measured at 19.5 parts per billion.

For comparison: TTHM levels for the other dates in 2025 besides the October water sample Copenhaver referenced were the following, according to DEP: Jan 14 at 23.6 parts per billion; April 14 at 29.5 parts per billion; and July 14 at 91.5 parts per billion.

Columbia Water statement: “Recently, statements shared online have suggested that our water system is automatically in violation of federal drinking water standards because one TTHM sample result was above the maximum contaminant level. That is not how the federal compliance rule is applied,” Columbia Water posted on its website to explain how the annual average is calculated. EPA sets the maximum contaminant level of TTHMs based an annual running average at each monitoring station based on the most recent four quarters of sampling results at that location.

More: After the meeting, Copenhaver said he maintains that the human body does not consume TTHMs by the annual average; contaminants are consumed per day. David Lewis, president and general manager of Columbia Water Co., did not immediately respond to a reporter’s attempts to reach him for comment.

Columbia Borough Officer Jack Kopp promoted to Corporal

Lieutenant (soon to be Chief) Holly Arndt honored the promotion of Corporal Jack Kopp at Tuesday's Columbia Borough Council meeting. 

[Photos: Joe Lintner]

The promotion of Officer Jack Kopp to the rank of Corporal was recognized during the Columbia Borough Council meeting on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The promotion was presented by Lieutenant Holly Arndt, who is set to assume the role of Chief of Police on May 1.

Corporal Kopp, who came to Columbia from the Harrisburg area, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a focus in Criminology, graduating with honors from Millersville University in 2022. He also minored in Psychology. Before joining the department, he briefly worked for the Lebanon County District Attorney's Office as a booking agent.

Kopp began his tenure with the Columbia Borough Police Department in December 2022 and attended the 122nd HACC Municipal Police Academy, where he graduated near the top of his class. He was formally sworn in as an officer on March 11, 2025, and was recognized as the department's Employee of the Month for December 2024.

Since joining the force, Corporal Kopp has become a certified bike officer, a certified field training officer, and serves as the department's community anti-threat officer. He has also received specialized training in crime scene investigation and evidence collection, skills he regularly uses in major incidents in the borough.

In her remarks, Lieutenant Arndt praised Kopp's development as both an officer and a leader. "Throughout his tenure with the Columbia Borough Police Department, Corporal Kopp has demonstrated strong work ethic, sound judgment, and a commitment to the community we serve," she said. "Whether handling calls, supporting fellow officers, or stepping up in challenging situations, he has proven himself to be a dependable and professional leader."

Arndt, who helped train Kopp at the police academy, said, "The rank of corporal carries a new responsibility — it's a transition from being solely responsible for your own work to helping guide others, setting the tone on a shift, and mentoring younger, or older, officers, and leading by example."

She remarked to Kopp: "Wear the stripes with pride. Stay grounded and continue to lead the way you always have — with integrity, professionalism, and respect. Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge."

Agenda — Columbia Borough Zoning Hearing Board Meeting — April 29, 2026

Holly Arndt becomes first female police chief in Columbia Borough history

Mayor Leo Lutz swears in Holly Arndt as Columbia Borough's new police chief.

[Photo: Joe Lintner]

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

History was made Tuesday night as Columbia Borough Council voted unanimously to approve the promotion of Holly Arndt to Police Chief, making her the first woman to hold the position in the department's 131-year history.

Arndt succeeds Jack Brommer, who is retiring at the end of April and will assume the position of Columbia Borough Manager on May 1.

Arndt is a graduate of York College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. She launched her law enforcement career in 2004 as a corrections officer at York County Prison, and in 2006 became a deputy sheriff with York County. She joined the Columbia Borough Police Department as a patrol officer in March 2008. 

Over the course of her 18-year tenure with the department, Arndt became the first — and only — female officer to achieve the rank of lieutenant in the department's history when she was promoted from sergeant in 2025. She had been promoted to sergeant in November 2023 and corporal in 2019.

During her career, Arndt helped shape the department and was involved in developing a field training program and a defensive tactics program. For the past 11 years, she has served as the primary or secondary trainer for every officer hired by the department. She has also completed the FBI National Academy's leadership certification program and the Penn State Criminal Justice Program's police leadership series, and is a graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command — an intensive 10-week program for command-level supervisors. 

Arndt is a member of the Lancaster County Crash Investigative Unit, the Lancaster County Forensics Team, and the Lancaster County Crisis Intervention Team. In addition, she coaches girls basketball for the CBAA, mentors youth through the Big Brothers Big Sisters "Bigs and Blue" program, serves as a lead instructor at the Harrisburg Area Community College Municipal Police Academy, and contributes to the development of annual in-service training for the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission.

Arndt's promotion takes effect May 1 at an annual  salary of $123,497.

Will Lt. Holly Arndt become Columbia's next police chief?

Lieutenant Holly Arndt

[Photo: Joe Lintner]

Council will vote on it at Tuesday's meeting.  Here's the agenda:

The meeting packet is HERE.