The sample snowflake light shown above is currently on display in front of the borough offices at 308 Locust Street. The sample is a "cool" light, but the plan is to go with "warm" lights.
The old snowflake lights are in storage, because the current lamp posts that line the streets cannot support the size and weight of those older lights. Berntheizel has discussed other ways to make use of the old lights rather than keeping them in storage.
There are four designs of LED snowflake lights that will alternate on the poles.
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In other business, resident Frank Doutrich questioned why council tabled Councillor Stephanie Weisser's resignation in December. President Kelly Murphy said it was due to the Christmas season coming up. Later in the meeting, Mary Wickenheiser also questioned this move by council.
Wickenheiser said that the interviews for vacancies were being done at regular council meetings. She questioned why there was a separate special meeting scheduled for this on February 6. Wickenheiser also announced that she would have to withdraw her letter of intent because she would not be available to interview on that date.
She also questioned why filling this vacancy was delayed. President Kelly Murphy said it was due to the holiday season. Wickenheiser said it made no sense to her.
There was a brief discussion of having her interview via telephone, but she did not feel as if this was an option for her.
Council voted to change the meeting date from February 2 to February 6 at 6 p.m. All letters of intent must be received by February 2, 2017 at close of business that day.
Addressing council, Frank Doutrich said "With all due respect to Mary, would you do the same for me?"
What a ridiculous answer "Holiday Season" on delaying the resignation. Maybe it was because the Coffee Chambers did not have someone lined up to fill the position. Remember, it takes time to choreograph a new Councilman on what Cle wants for Columbia.
ReplyDeleteDoes Frank or Mary know they have NO chance to be installed due to their fiscal responsibility they have for the town. Bring Jim Smith back so he can scream at everyone, especially Mary.
Remember to vote in the primaries to drain the swamp and make Columbia great again!
TidePride!
I was thinking that very thing, bring Jim Smith back at least he wasn't afraid to question spending.
Deleteseriously....$15,000.00 for snowflakes????? WTH..... do you council people live? dO YOU HAVE any IDEA HOW MANY HOMEOWNERS ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES every YEAR??? do you UNDERSTAND WHY all these single family dwellings are being turned into rentals???? do your hoomework. educate yourselves. and stop spending our money on frivilous crap. if we added up all the bs shit you wasated money on this past year i imagine it would be more than 6 figures. that is totally unacceptable. people are losing thier homes BECAUSE THEY can"t AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE boRO. tHE TAXES ARE too HIGH. tIME TO CONSOLIDATE SCHOOLS, WHETHER hEMPFIELD WANTS TO OR NOT. nO CHOICE. gET THE STATE INVOLVED. THIS IS LUDACRIS.
ReplyDeleteWith the decorations, why did not council seek donations from businesses,or citizens before taking the money from the general fund. In most towns, donations are sought. I am not totally against the snow flakes, but that money could go towards some activities for the youth.
ReplyDeleteAs I recall hearing, council was reluctant to ask businesses to contribute because they had done so toward the old snowflake lights that are no longer being used.
DeleteBetter check to see if anyone is getting a kickback from the seller of the "sale price" lights.....like a finders fee or a purchasers commission.
DeleteThought the price of the snowflakes was suppose to be around $9600. What happened to that price or was Cle just making up numbers to get his snowflakes passed. Why not buy lights for every holiday, hearts, shamrocks, easter bunnies, stars, pumpkins, turkeys and x-mas trees since the snowflakes could be used in January for the winter season. All of these lights would easily cost over $100K. Cle should look into this since he likes to spend other peoples money. Council is a bunch of flakes.
ReplyDeleteWell now that we have the snow flakes for the poles why don't we buy a few other things for the poles like hearts for Valtines turkeys for Thanksgiving something for St Patrick's bunnies for Easter red white and blue stars for the fourth of July I think it would be a great idea go for it Cle you and the whole councile just love to spend the tax payers money oh and I forgot Halloween
ReplyDeleteI think those snow flakes are hideous. When do the taxpayers get a chance on how to spend our money. Time to get a whole new council who cares about us.
ReplyDeletetime to get rid of the mayor, all the council people and the finance manager!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHell maybe the borough can sell the old lights to an antique shop.. what buisnesses are left to get money from there is nothing left around here and by the time council is done this town will be bankrupt..
ReplyDeleteSection II Number 9 Pennsylvania Borough Council Handbook
ReplyDeleteCommonwealth Court has ruled that a governing body member’s resignation was effective when tendered and accepted.The resigning officer establishes the effective date of the resignation and from that time the office is vacant. In this case, the court voided an action by the board to rescind the resignation acceptance at a subsequent meeting. The court held a vacancy existed on the board and could only be filled by action of the board members to appoint a successor until the next municipal election.
Council has thirty days to take action to fill a vacancy. If council fails to fill the vacancy within the prescribed limit, then the vacancy board fills the vacancy within fifteen additional days by appointing a qualified person.The vacancy board consists of council and one registered voter of the borough who is appointed by the council and acts as the chair of the vacancy board. If the vacancy board fails to fill the vacancy within the prescribed time, the chair then petitions the court of common pleas to fill the vacancy. In the case of a vacancy in the
chair, the remaining members of the vacancy board petition the court to fill the vacancy. Where more than a majority of the offices of councillor are vacant at any one time, the vacancies are filled by the court upon petition of at least fifteen registered voters of the borough.
I got to speak with Stephanie Weisser today and she stated that she tendered her resignation on December 1, 2016 to Kelly Murphy and Greg Sahd. So why the delay and not following the Pennsylvania handbook. The word "Holiday" is not mentioned in the handbook.
TidePride!
It is about time certain members of council take the borough concerns in their minds and not their personal goals and egos.
Deletei heard they are going to block off the bathrooms in the police lobby & lock the front door to the police station lobby denying the public access to both
ReplyDeleteAND WHERE IS ALL THE MONEY COMING FROM FOR ALL OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION GOING ON INSIDE THE POLICE STATION?
ReplyDeletewhy would you include Locust Park and River Park your not supposed to be there after dark
ReplyDeleteThat's true, it is closed after dark. It will be difficult to see the lights from the bridge unless you are walking across.
DeleteMaybe the residents of Wrightsville will enjoy the lights, courtesy of Columbia Council.
Why River Park???
DeleteThat was done at the mayor's request.
DeleteThink back to when the River Park building was being planned and built, it was said to be maintenance free! We see now that it requires maintenance on a daily basis. Costs will be ongoing and those that can... keep throwing money into it.
DeleteNot to mention the $50,000 per year to the Gateway Heritage group for another two years. Plus Columbia's flipping most of the bill on the reconstruction inside the building for the new wall (not Donald Trump's idea). Spend more money and no economic fortune for the downtown businesses.
DeleteThough the snowflake lights will make it brighter downtown for the camera's to get a better look at the criminals at night.
it's time for the mayor to go! he has been in office too long! when that happens you get comfortable & think you are high & mighty above everyone else!!!
ReplyDeleteLet's put them on the trail for a Winter Wonderland effect. It will only cost taxpayers another $10k. Who's with me?
ReplyDeleteThis town is a circus
ReplyDeletethe chief of police wants to shut down the police lobby & lock the door because public walk-ins are a nuisance! isn't that what the police station & police force is there for?
ReplyDeleteWhat?? That's why we are paying for a dispatcher and a police force. Wish I could lock the door at my job!
DeleteIt might be the mayor pushing this. He answers to no one.
DeleteAND WHAT ABOUT THE MAYOR'S PERSONAL PARKING SPACE AT 3RD & LOCUST STREET?
ReplyDeleteI WALKED BY THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING ONE NIGHT DURING A COUNCIL MEETING AND THE SIGNS SAY MUNICIPAL USE ONLY, THERE WERE A LOT OF PERSONAL VEHICLES PARKED AROUND THE BUILDING, I'M GUESSING COUNCIL PEOPLE'S CARS, THEY ARE NOT MUNICIPAL, THEY ARE PERSONAL VEHICLES THE LAST I CHECKED!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis Christmas decorations thing is interesting. Shouldn't this have been bid and do they know if they will fit the current lights? The spending is out of control and won't be stopped as Cle has control, which is another reason for the delay. He is running out of flunkies for this flunking town.
ReplyDeletePlease remember we already had 2 idiots claim they wanted to kill our police force. Why would you let the next idiot walk right in off the street and try it. we need to use caution in this decision.
ReplyDeleteAre the police going to stay inside the office to be sure that never happens again?
DeleteTwo Peas in a Pod, Lutz and Brommer
ReplyDelete