The Columbia Borough Council held its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. on October 13, 2014, at Borough Hall, 308 Locust Street. Highlights of the meeting are as follows:
Mayor Lutz
Mayor Leo Lutz asked Police Chief Jack Brommer to introduce newly hired police officer Amy Kuhrmann. Kuhrmann was raised in Maryland and attended Alvernia College.
[A decision was made previously not to apply for the grant for a school resource officer, due to required funding after grant money runs out.] Lutz spoke of the need for a school resource officer. He cited incidents in local schools involving fighting and assault. He said he had attended a football game two weeks previous, in which several skateboarders were disruptive. He said a school resource officer could help address such issues. Lutz praised School District Superintendent Carol Powell, saying she is the right choice for the job. He cited her words, "There's a new sheriff in town," but added that every sheriff needs a deputy [in terms of a resource officer].
Chief Brommer said, "Adding a school resource officer would not only assist the department, but it would most certainly assist the school with controlling many issues that occur there."
The grant for the resource officer would have been for one year, with the potential to renew itself without reapplication; in essence, it could be a two-year grant. The grant would cover salary and benefits up to $60,000. After grant funds run out, the program must be continued for three to four years. Continued funding beyond the grant was the deciding factor in not pursuing the program.
Lutz said local organizations had raised $13,000 to replace a section of fence on the Park School playground that the school said it could not afford to replace. He cited this example to show that the borough has been helping the district and that they could meet the borough halfway on the resource officer issue.
Lutz referred to an issue raised by Ron "Ollie" Fritz at one of the previous meetings regarding school funding. [The link is HERE. Go to "Citizen Comments (Non-Agenda Items Only)."] Lutz said he has been working with State Senator Mike Brubaker, State Rep. Dave Hickernell, and others on the issue. He said it is a state issue, not just a Columbia Borough issue.
"If this is the way things are going to be, it's almost time to take the keys up to Harrisburg, to the department of education, hand them over, and say, 'Here, you do it. We can't do it no more,' and maybe that'll start something and get something moving," Lutz said.
Changing topics, Lutz said that a group of Lancaster County mayors, of which he is a member, have been meeting for about a year, regarding the heroin issue. "It's at epidemic proportions," he said. Lutz said the mayors have created a heroin task force and have started enlisting partners such as Lancaster General Hospital and others. He said the effort would entail an enforcement side as well as a prevention/educational side to educate parents and children. He said ages 18-40 have been the hardest hit by the epidemic.
Committee on Public Property
Information about the discussion of a purchase of a fire police vehicle can be found HERE.
Wastewater Treatment Plant
Council raised the question of alternative uses for the wastewater treatment plant in anticipation of the LASA sale. Borough Manager Sam Sulkosky mentioned the possibility of using the plant as a hauled waste facility. He also said various callers had expressed interest in purchasing the plant. Sulkosky suggested undertaking feasibility studies on what the potential alternative uses of the plant could be. He said the asset is worth a few million dollars to the borough. Council voted to investigate alternative uses for the plant.
Committee on Public Safety
Council approved using $3,668 from the fire department radio fund to upgrade the borough's Knox Box system to make it compatible with the new radio system.
Information on consolidation issues discussed at the meeting can be found HERE.
Committee on Highway
Councillor Jim Smith said Ron Miller will present a 5-, 10-, and 20-year road plan at November's Committee of the Whole meeting.
10 comments:
unbelieveable. the mayor and the chief are not serious are they?? hire a resource officer....NO WAY.....WE CAN NOT AFFORD ALL THE OFFICERS now. really? 60,000 WON"T even begin to cover the salary and thats WITHOUT benefits. let the school handle the problem for Gods sake, the amount of taxes we pay we should get something for that.
So the WasteWater Treatment Plant land/area is worth a few million? Not as it stands, it needs updates to remain a sewer plant. So that means that is the value if it is NOT a waste water treatment plant? Can I remind all of the readers what the "river cottage" was assessed at according to Norm Meisley? A measley $300,000 at BEST! SO how is this property valued so high? Or is the question, were we "duped" again by the "good ole boy" when THEY sold the land to the cottage owners for pennies!!!!!
WAIT!!!! Maybe Donald Nicholaus will come in and steal this property from the tax payers too.
I'm not understanding where any of these people think the school or the boro have any money for new spending. The only thing these people should be looking at is consolidation with a school district that has the resources. Once again our leaders are leaderless. Bankruptcy can't come soon enough for the good kids in the district who are trying to get an education. When will people just look at what is best for the kids.
Unfortunately, there is not one school district that has the resources to take on our district. Even if another school district was forced to take on our district, it would be no savings to us. The problem is not with us, it is at the state level. When will our legislatures finally admit the current property tax system is failing? And another point, we would not be in this dilemma if our state leaders from the past would have realized the pension system for school teachers and other state workers was unsustainable. Another area you NEVER hear about is the pension benefits for the Pennsylvania State Police. Did you know they can retire after 25 years and receive 75% of the highest salary they earned in any given year, plus they keep their medical, dental, and vision benefits into retirement. Think about the troopers working tons of overtime in the search of the guy who shot the trooper up north. When it is all over with, you could have troopers making over $100,000.00 this year, meaning they would get a pension benefit of $75,000.00 a year, for life, and keep all their benefits. How many out there even make $75,000 a year at their job now? Trust me, your local police don't get anything near this yet they do the same job.
Anonymous asked: " When will people just look at what is best for the kids."
When our schools start focusing on education and get rid of sports.
--FMB
Its not a matter of sports being the problem, its a matter of too much money being spent on administrative expenses instead of on the kids. If we get rid of all these school districts & eliminate all of these uneeded superintendants & administrative positions, we could spend more money on the kids. There's more than enough money spent on education in the state of Pa, its just we waste way too much of it.
Rick get richer, they will stab you in the back to move forward! Its a game to them and guess what?? The game is soon up!!
WHAT??? You better do your homework. We don't have a single cop that makes less than $70,000/year.
say NO to a school resource officer. EVERY officer SHOULD be looking for the robbers and chasing away the punks at the park. PERIOD
i think the Mayor and Chief need the citizens to remind them of this.
NO...NO hiring a resource officer. absolutely NOT. i know we ALL get sick of hearing about our exorbitant taxes. but guess what....let the SCHOOL DISTRICT protect and hire..UNLOAD ALL THE SUPERINTENDENTS, WHEN we went to school there was 1 PRINCIPAL FOR ALL 3 SCHOOLS.....
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