A Joint Feasibility Study group, consisting of representatives from Columbia Borough and Columbia Borough School District, will meet in the Council meeting room, 308 Locust Street, on June 14th at 5:00 p.m. to consider whether there is sufficient interest to pursue a study concerning the possible consolidation of School District, Borough administration offices and the Borough Police Department at the School District Administration Office, 200 N 5th St, Columbia.
18 comments:
Why doesn't Columbia hire another consultant like they love to do with our money.
You people know it is! Stop pocketing our tax dollars or using our tax dollars for your benefit!! And i mean RIGHT THIS MOMENT!! I mean RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!
What are they going to do with borough hall and the police station make shops that is a big laugh we all know who wants to do that the coffee club why don't you just spend more of the tax payers for a pipe dream
Here is a crazy idea...instead of complaining, how about going to the meeting. Ask questions and listen to what they have to say
The borough recently paid about$76,000 for a feasibility study on potential use of the sewer plant as a natural gas production facility. A plant conversion will also cost us in tax dollars, it sure won't be free.
Rather than shelling out more money to conduct another feasibility study on moving borough offices and the police department...why not pay for a feasibility study focused on how to cut costs within the school district. In particular, is there a way to educate the special needs children right here in Columbia rather than pay for IU 13 services. Over three million dollars annually now for 118 special needs children.
I'm in favor of paying for a feasibility study that will help the taxpayers. How will having storefronts lower my taxes? I see businesses benefiting, but my taxes keep going up. If they decide to move the offices, who will be paying for the renovations? Taxpayers of course, so again the taxes would go up.
Next thing you know there will be a feasibility study on the new borough property, McGinness Airfield.
WILL THE MADNE$$ EVER END?
Show up, listen, wait to speak and be IGNORED!
Any 2017 prospective candidates willing to answer this taxpayer's questions?
Yes, that IS a crazy idea because when you do attend meetings and ask questions they do whatever they want in spite of resident concerns.
That's exactly why any big ticket spending projects should have to be voted on by the residents that are paying for it.
Why are we paying thousands of dollars for feasibility studies anyway? We have committees and we HAD a Municipal Authority that could provide recommendations and guidance on all of these projects FOR FREE. The Authority was scrapped because their services to the borough were no longer needed. Really?
Those in authority say they have "vision"
Seems more like they are blind.
THE recommendation of the Municipal Authority was NOT TO SELL THE SEWER PLANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you have any idea HOW MUCH $$$$$$ the sewer plant brought into the Boro every month??? Now, there is NO income. There IS strength in numbers.....us taxpayers must attend this meeting!
Yes I do...NOTHING. By law, (PaCS Title 11) revenues generated by the sewer plant could not be used to supplement the borough general fund except for administrative costs such as those for billing, oversight, etc. Please stop pushing this false narrative. We are better off without the sewer plant, and more importantly, the aging infrastructure, that we alone would have been stuck paying to upgrade and repair.
Why was't the upgrade being done yearly!! That would have paid for itself! Where did all the profits go where has it gone!!!!
Why would you have a meeting at 5:00 PM when most people work till 5:00 is that because you don't want anyone there to ask questions we know you are going to do what you want because you don't care what the people want you always want it your way
Will the Mayor have an office at the DAC like he does at Borough Hall? Maybe he can share Strickler's office! Is there room for the outsourced IT outfit that's running the Boro's computer system at the DAC? Most people really have NO idea how much money this Council has wasted and continues to waste. They got some money in the coffers when they sold the sewer plant and they're wasting that money and kicking future financial obligations down the road. Best plan is to rent your house and get the hell out of Columbia! I'd say sell your house, but no one is going to buy it with the taxes we have!
What they should be studying is how to consolidate the school district with a neighboring school, NOT Garden Spot and the police department with a neighboring department as these are the 2 biggest burdens to taxpayers in this town! Neither of these things will happen as long as Mayor Blowhard is around! We just hired another police officer for crying out loud! Just keep dumping money into the largest part of our budget!! The powers that be in this town really are clueless!!!
So by selling the sewer plant, now gives the right for Councilors to invest (2) years of plant revenue to purchase the airfield on Manor Street. We know George sheltered this land under a tax exemption which was detrimental on Columbia's tax base. But, the Borough just cannot purchase land of this magnitude without several
public meeting sessions for regard of public knowledge. No transparency is why the citizens are concerned and frustrated by both Council and school board. We need some strong write in candidates to adhere change for the struggling taxpayers.
As a parent and taxpayer of Columbia, I look into my future and say "where have all my children gone".
Sad Citizen
You are wrong. The authority voted unanimously in favor of the sale. Know the facts before you speak. Stop spreading FALSE NEWS.
Land and House! Whenever assessment came around he knew how to avoid the increase.
Get out and get to the meetings. The sewer plant renovation presentation was presented again at the 6/12/17 Borough Meeting. Request minutes from Borough to get up to speed. Get to the other committee meeting to find out whats going on. You can ask the question and get an answer. The ball's in you court on how informed you want to be. Dont rely on FB, this site, coffee counter or street corner gossip.
Now for the IU13 craziness. They need to renegotiate contract or come up with a better way to educate special needs kids... Big rip off. 3 million for 118 kids. Thats 3xs the rate for a regular attending student.
In normal towns business usually offset taxes since they pay a higher rate and pay other fees. Not Columbia. They can't even get places to come and stay even with given away the farm. Columbia needs to fix up its center of town and stop spending money on fantasy. Invest some hard money in the area to make a great downtown shopping area with boutique shops, dining, pubs, etc. Give the community something that they will go to and support. Not half assed things. Lets start making a effort get the downtown up and going instead of focusing on the Crossing with does draw people but not to the downtown. Its just another Turkey Hill Experience venture.
The airfield can be rented out for income until something more comes along. Stop buying those dump properties
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