Takeaways from February's Borough Council Meeting
Community Climate Initiative
Superintendent Tom Strickler said the district wants to get a handle on issues and develop an action plan.
Dr. Gregory McGough laid out the stages of the process.
McGough said that one of the first steps is to create a vision of what we all see the school as. He said the process began with preparation and planning at the school level, and we are now at Stage 2: Delivering assessments to all stakeholders. Stage 3 will be to understand the findings and develop an action plan. Next will be the implementation phase, working with short, defined goals. The final step will be to reevaluate and start the process over.
Programs and Funding
Mayor Leo Lutz mentioned Manos House and Benchmark Programs to help with problems with youth in the community. He said the programs can't be possible or sustainable if the borough has to solicit funds to pay for them.
"This is a community problem, this is a problem we must address. We need to fund these programs so that they're sustainable," he said. "We can put lights in the downtown, but that's not going to help these kids."
He said the challenge is trying to find grant money and getting organizations to donate. "We will not arrest our way out of these problems," he said.
Our Home of Hope
Our Home of Hope received a $10,000 donation from council.
Council considered a donation request from Our Home of Hope for $30,000 to defray costs of facility repairs /renovations and operations at the 223-225 Cherry Street facility but in the end approved a donation of $10,000.
208-210 Locust Street
208-210 Locust Street
Council donated the former Bigler property at 208-210 Locust to the Lancaster County Land Bank.
Council voted to donate the 208-210 Locust Street to the Lancaster County Land Bank Authority. At its November 2017 meeting, council approved $70,000 for the Lancaster County Land Bank to assist Brookline, a historic preservation company, with restoration of the property. Brookline’s budget for the project is $232,000. According to the agreement, the company will purchase the building for the token fee of $1 with the intent of restoring the facade and performing structural repairs. Brookline will then move its sister company, Lancaster Lime Works LLC, into the building.
MORE INFO HERE.
Funding for Study to Relocate Borough Offices
Council authorized an application to the Municipal Assistance Program. The program covers half the cost of a study the borough is undertaking to consider possible relocation of the borough offices and police station from its current location to other sites in the borough, one of which is the school district's administration center building at 200 North Fifth Street.
Residents voiced concerns about quick ticket citations.
MORE INFO HERE.
Funding for Study to Relocate Borough Offices
Council authorized an application to the Municipal Assistance Program. The program covers half the cost of a study the borough is undertaking to consider possible relocation of the borough offices and police station from its current location to other sites in the borough, one of which is the school district's administration center building at 200 North Fifth Street.
One-Way Streets
The borough approved the following one-way streets to accommodate traffic calming methods and new parking areas and to address a safety issue:
*Rotary Ave (Front to Commerce Street: East)
* Commerce Street (Rotary Ave to Walnut Street: South)
* Tenth Street (Ironville Pike to Spruce Street: South)
* Bethel Street (Ridge to Locust traveling North) changed to (Locust to Cherry traveling South).
Quick Ticket Complaints
*Rotary Ave (Front to Commerce Street: East)
* Commerce Street (Rotary Ave to Walnut Street: South)
* Tenth Street (Ironville Pike to Spruce Street: South)
* Bethel Street (Ridge to Locust traveling North) changed to (Locust to Cherry traveling South).
Quick Ticket Complaints
Borough Manager Greg Sahd said there were 70 snow code quick tickets issued on one day in January. He said that a resident who posts a $100 fee for a hearing will have the amount returned "probably net of the fine" at the hearing.
A resident argued that the borough should exercise discretion when citing residents for a small amount of snow on the sidewalk. Officials said that any amount of snow can be considered unsafe.
Councilwoman FitzGerald said that she received a quick ticket for snow as well and paid it.
Another resident said he received a quick ticket regarding his trash bag being out for pickup without being placed in a trash receptacle.
A landlord asked for a meeting with the borough manager and the code manager. He expressed concern about something said to him although he did not give details publicly. He said he was frustrated with the lack of response from borough officials.
Resident Gerald Maurer said the borough should exercise discretion on citations.
A resident argued that the borough should exercise discretion when citing residents for a small amount of snow on the sidewalk. Officials said that any amount of snow can be considered unsafe.
Councilwoman FitzGerald said that she received a quick ticket for snow as well and paid it.
Another resident said he received a quick ticket regarding his trash bag being out for pickup without being placed in a trash receptacle.
A landlord asked for a meeting with the borough manager and the code manager. He expressed concern about something said to him although he did not give details publicly. He said he was frustrated with the lack of response from borough officials.
Comments
It won't matter what program you put in place in Columbia without the support of the family! It has to be a unified approach!
disgraceful to a registered voter.
Give some yokel a tiny little bit of power/authority in a tiny little town and they think they're the f'ing pope. Maybe some year this state will wake up and get rid of these municipalities in favor of county governments. It isn't 1750 anymore.
How much time is wasted inside the office? Work orders can be transmitted via email or phone.
This is how you manage office space without interruption of downtown business.Citizens rely on convenient locations.
another thing....NO NO NO to relocating the Boro offices. ESPECIALLY TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MUST BE SHUT DOWN. The hardWORKING taxpaying homeowners can NOT afford to continue to carry ALL this baggage. and then, to top it off, this Council SPENDS MONEY LIKE IT HAS IT'S OWN MONEY TREE. Residents WAKE UP. Things will only get worse. Have you seen the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THIS COUNCIL HAS SPENT JUST IN THE PAST 2 MONTHS??????
Unbelievable. Unacceptable. spend that money on a couple of K-9 officers. or something for the kids of this town to do. and a huge shout out to Don And Becky Murphy for stepping up, believing in your town and continuing to improve the downtown every day. THANK YOU!!!!!!! What a wonderful example. We appreciate all these things that you are doing. Thanks :)
Sharon Lintner