Council president says no to "opt-out" on Knox Box ordinance
Columbia's decision to ban former employee from its property may be 'unconstitutional' [Lancaster Watchdog]
Chris Vera [Columbia Spy file photo] The following information is excerpted from a December 6, 2025 LNP Watchdog article by LNP | LancasterOnline reporter Jade Campos. Still reeling from an abrupt firing from his role as head of the Columbia Market House in March, Chris Vera was surprised to get a letter in the mail from a Columbia Borough attorney two weeks later telling him he was banned indefinitely from borough property. The letter gave no reason for the ban. Nine months later, Vera, who has served as president of the Columbia Historic Preservation Society for more than a decade and has helped with the borough’s comprehensive plan, is still banned from borough property. He believes the ban includes borough parks, which is part of the reason he moved his annual Albatwitch Day festival, which celebrates the myth of a local cryptid, to Wrightsville. Vera said he’s not sure why the borough went to such lengths to keep him away from public spaces given his termination from the borough s...
Comments
Haven't seen any update to this yet.....
My answer is still; "NO."
I. Establishment of Key Lock Box System.
A. The following structures shall be equipped with a key lock box at or near the main entrance or such other location required by the Fire Chief of the Borough of Columbia:
1. Commercial or industrial structures protected by an automatic alarm system or automatic suppression system, or such other structures that are constructed in a manner that restricts access during an emergency as shall be determined from time to time by the Fire Chief.
2. Multi -family residential structures that have restricted access through locked doors and have a common card for access to the living units.
3. Governmental structures and nursing care facilities. B. All newly constructed structures subject to this Section shall have the key lock box installed and operational prior to the issuance of an occupancy permit.
All structures in existence on the effective date of this Section and subject to this Section shall have one ( 1) year from the effective date of this Section to have a key lock box installed and operational.
Unanswered, however, is the addressing of home-based businesses, such as on-line or off-line buying & selling of services or goods.
In Columbia West (i.e., West Hempfield Township) the township specifies, "No multiple-family or single-family attached dwelling may contain a home occupation. And that B.
The practice of an occupation shall be permitted, provided that practitioner is a resident of the dwelling unit."
Incidentally, there's no mention of a "lock box" program in that township's ordinances. Saw on a social media site, someone stated that all Lancaster County municipalities subscribe to the Knox Box practice; that's just not true.
Knox Box, aka lock box is a "single point of failure". Keys to them can get lost, or stolen, etc. Do you use a single password on all your accounts?
Any decision, like this ordinance, or any big ticket spending needs to be on the ballot, not in the hands of four people. Same with the school board.
Where is it, Mary?
I don't have enough data to verify this link, can someone verify it has the story on it?
http://www.witf.org/listen/podcasts.php