The Little Mermaid will appear at Columbia Jr./Sr. High School

The cast of "The Little Mermaid" appeared at Hinkle's Pharmacy Thursday afternoon to promote their upcoming performances at Columbia Jr./Sr. High School. 

Performances:

Thursday, March 16th at 7:00 PM
Friday, March 17th at 7:00 PM
Saturday, March 18th at 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Tickets are available at the door. Seating is general admission.

$6.00 for adults and $4.00 for students/senior citizens.

Two Columbians on the list of famous people from Lancaster County

GO HERE:

http://lancasteronline.com/features/more-famous-people-from-lancaster-county/article_84ae8aee-f84a-11e6-8871-ebfc1356f6d8.html

Three Columbia bridges deemed functionally obsolete

According to a recent Washington Post article, three bridges in the borough are classified as "functionally obsolete." The classification does not necessarily mean that a bridge will fail, only that it is need of repairs. Two of the bridges cross Shawnee Run, and one crosses Strickler Run. More information is shown below.

The full report can be found HERE.

Pete's Dragon at the Library Wednesday night, Feb. 22

Vehicle accident - Class 2 - 4th & Linden

Vehicle accident - Class 2 - 4th & Linden, 5:48 p.m., involving a Toyota Corolla and a Kia Soul.

The Toyota sustained front end damage. Kia had damage to rear driver's side door.

Former funeral home gets a new roof

Renovations continued today at the former Long's Funeral Home at 855 Chestnut Street. Workers kept busy installing roofing underlayment and shingles.

Another one bites the dust

What was once a building is now a pile of rubble. This (former) brick building at 109 Perry is reputed to have been part of a livery stable years ago, and more recently a residence. It was demolished today to make way for a multi-unit self-storage facility to be developed by Associates Properties PA, LP.  The facility will also include properties at 243 S. Front Street and 319 S. Front. The facility will contain 10 x 20, 10 x 25, and 10 x 30 units, for a total of 40,000 square feet of storage space, according to Jeff Seibert of Associates Properties.  Construction is expected to begin in March and be completed by late July.

Below is a Google Maps photo showing how the building appeared in August 2011. The storage facility will cover the field shown in the photo.

Meetings for the Week of February 20, 2017

Borough

       Municipal Building, 308 Locust Street

Search the database of Pa. state government's top earners in 2016: $100,000 Club

GO HERE:

http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/02/100000_club_search_the_databas_2.html

Columbia takes action on blighted properties

At February's meeting, Columbia Borough Council took action on several issues, chief among them the large number of blighted properties in the borough.

BLIGHTED PROPERTIES

Mayor Leo Lutz said the Lancaster County Planning Commission approved six more vacant borough properties as blighted. They will now move through the blighted process. “By going through this process, they're not going to sit there much longer and deteriorate. Something's going to happen with them,” Lutz said.

Steve Kaufhold, manager of code enforcement, said there are currently 37 condemned properties in the borough, 14 of which have been placed into the blight process to be rehabilitated and put back onto the tax rolls. All of the blighted properties are vacant, according to Kaufhold. There are currently 26 total properties in the blighted program, with eight more in the process of being put into the program. Lutz said the blight program goes “hand-in-hand” with the Land Bank, another program that council recently initiated. He said the Land Bank is another entity that can buy blighted properties with an eye towards revitalization and future home ownership. Lutz also noted that Governor Tom Wolf just signed a new law that allows local municipalities to penalize owners of properties that are unattended for at least two years “up to and including jail time.” Lutz said he hopes to see improvements in the borough's housing stock within the next year or so.



LERTA (Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance)

According to Borough Consultant Rebecca Denlinger, Columbia has had the LERTA program in place for three years, and it is currently in its fourth year. Greg Sahd said that only one application was received recently. Denlinger said the program works in other communities but is not sure why it's not working in Columbia. Developers are interested in borough properties but hesitate due to financial issues, Denlinger said. The 5-year LERTA abates taxes on a property; i.e., only the taxes on improvements made on the property. Base taxes are still paid. On the first year after improvements are made, the abatement is 100%. (No taxes are paid on improvements.) Year two: 80%. Year three: 60%. Year four: 40%. Year five: 20%. After the fifth year, the property comes fully back onto the tax rolls.

Terms of the LERTA program as it currently stands are shown above. More information can be found HERE.

Denlinger proposed a 3-year abatement of 100%, with the abatement for years four and five at 50%. “Those three years of 100% abatement allow for new development whether it's commercial-only or mixed-use – residential and commercial mix – it allows for that property to become stabilized,” Denlinger said. She added that the next step would be to present the idea to the school district, after which it will go to the county level.

The meeting with the school board is scheduled for March 2.

Councillor John Novak said, “We're increasing the incentives to get people in our community involved in the revitalization of a great town.”

OTHER BUSINESS

Council confirmed the appointment of Mary Wickenheiser to borough council to replace Stephanie Weisser whose resignation the council accepted on January 9, 2017.

Council appointed Marlene Geltz as Columbia Borough/County/Municipal Tax Collector, term to expire December 31, 2017. She replaces Mary Wickenheiser, who was appointed to council. Finance Manager Georgiana Schreck was appointed deputy tax collector.

Council voted to advertise a rental ordinance amendment requiring owners and managers of rental units to notify the borough of vacancies and schedule an occupancy approval inspection with a code enforcement official prior to a change in occupancy. Currently, there are 53 unlicensed rental properties in the borough, according to Steve Kaufhold.

Demolition begins on Avenue G

Demolition has begun on a building in the 400 block of Avenue G. The brick structure, once a livery stable, was condemned in June 2015 and suffered a fire the following September. Owners Samuel and Cynthia Bigler previously submitted a request to demolish the fire-damaged building. The issue was heard at the Historical Architectural Review Board's August 17, 2016 meeting, in which the Biglers stated the case for demolition.

Happy Presidents Day!

Columbia Spy was lucky enough to get this photo of a flag at Locust Street Park today.

This photo could be titled "Reflecting on the Flag." 

(We noticed that flags in both photos were facing left.)

Old Glory waves in the wind (under the bridge)

An observant reader gave us a tip about a U.S. Flag flying under the Wright's Ferry (Route 30) Bridge. The flag is suspended on a cable with a weight on the end and is about a quarter of the way out on the Columbia side of the bridge.

Some Lancaster County municipalities cover health insurance for their elected officials

While few elected officials here and across the state take advantage of the benefit, some do — to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars in coverage a year per person.

MORE:

http://lancasteronline.com/insider/some-lancaster-county-municipalities-cover-health-insurance-for-their-elected/article_a090bdc8-f57e-11e6-9fd9-c3f9cc16804a.html

At the Library - Home Buyer Prep and Job Fair Prep

Monday, February 20 - Home Buyer Prep

Tuesday, February 21 - Job Fair Prep

Columbia Police to get new Tahoe

Columbia Police will be getting a new Chevy Tahoe similar to the one pictured here.

The Columbia Police Department will be getting a new vehicle thanks to Columbia Borough Council. Council voted unanimously at last Monday’s meeting to purchase a commercial four-wheel drive, four-door 2017 Chevy Tahoe from Whitmoyer Auto Group in Mount Joy. The cost of the vehicle is $37,200 with additional charges of $13,114 to K&C Communications of Harrisburg for parts, labor, and equipment upfitting. The price includes a discount of $9,989 from COSTARS, Pennsylvania's cooperative purchasing program. “The purchase was a 2017 capital budget approved funded item, according to Council President Kelly Murphy.

The existing police department Tahoe will be reassigned to the Public Works Department for Director Ron Miller to use. The current Public Works Tahoe is “on its last legs,” according to Borough Manager Greg Sahd.

Columbia man awaiting trial on October shots fired incident threatens to shoot 2 people, police say

A Columbia man awaiting trial on charges of shooting into two Lancaster City homes in October is now accused of threatening to shoot two people last week.

MORE:

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/columbia-man-awaiting-trial-on-october-shots-fired-incident-threatens/article_8bdf79a6-f537-11e6-b82d-8f34ff2cd52a.html

Thousands fail to pay Columbia head tax

According to a 2016 Delinquent Per Capita Tax report provided by the Columbia Borough School District, 2,169 accounts remain unpaid - for a total of $35,788.50.

The 2016 Columbia Delinquent Per Capita Tax Report can be found HERE.

New therapist at Columbia Life Network on Wednesdays

Marquas Fountain, a new therapist from Pressley Ridge, will be providing counseling services at Columbia Life Network on Wednesdays. CLN is located at 336 Locust Street, Columbia. See above for further information.

New Early Childhood Program at Columbia Crossing

Beginning in March, Susquehanna Heritage will introduce its monthly early childhood program, Tadpole Time, at Columbia Crossing River Trail Center. Tadpole Time will feature monthly themes that explore the natural world along the river, with a nature-themed story, songs, and activities that will encourage your child's curiosity about the world around them.

The program will take place on the second Wednesday of the month, beginning March 8, 10-11 a.m. Tadpole Time is for children ages 2-5 with their caretakers. The cost is $4 per child, and registration is suggested. Register by calling 717-449-5607, e-mailing info@columbiacrossing.org, or pay at the door.

Susquehanna Glass to open retail shop in Columbia

Sometime in April, Susquehanna Glass, which has a Columbia factory where it does custom glass etching for wholesale customers, plans to open a small retail shop in town.

MORE:

http://lancasteronline.com/business/local_business/susquehanna-glass-to-open-retail-shop-in-columbia/article_b5dda834-f390-11e6-8f74-b791ecbbc8f8.html

Columbia launches home improvement & purchasing assistance program

Columbia Borough has announced a new home improvement and home purchasing assistance program, in partnership with the Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership (LHOP) (the main partner) and Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities. The program aims to improve the quality of housing stock and living conditions in the borough and to encourage home ownership and revitalize the North Third Street corridor.

At Monday's Borough council meeting, Borough Consultant Rebecca Denlinger said officials from the borough (elected and staff) were also involved with the project, including the Columbia Revitalization Commission, an internal staff group, which will help oversee the program. Columbia Life Network is also a critical partner in the program, according to Denlinger. The Columbia Housing Steering Committee helped to "get the ball rolling,"she said.

Mayor Leo Lutz said the North Third Street corridor was chosen due to deterioration from vibration from heavy trucks traveling through the area. “This area was picked by the housing steering committee," he said.

Fern Dannis, LHOP's chief operating/lending officer

Fern Dannis, LHOP's chief operating/lending officer, said the initial area also includes Second Street and Cedar Street - with a couple of small streets in between - and Walnut Street. She said the program is for single-family primary residences. Accessory buildings such as garages and sheds do not qualify. Dannis added that it is aimed primarily at repairs for code compliance. The interest rate is 1.5% with a seven-year repayment term that includes incentives for paying early and on time.

Borough Manager Greg Sahd emphasized the interest rate, which he termed as attractive. "Prime interest rate is 3.75%. That's the rate that banks lend to their best, highest credit-worthy customers. This is less than half of that," he said.

The undertaking, which partners LHOP with a specific municipality for loans is a first of its kind. The Lancaster County Community Foundation provided grant funding for the project, aimed at building or rehabilitating decent, affordable housing within the borough.

In a press release issued by the borough, Council President Kelly Murphy said, “We know we have a great community in Columbia. With this program, we want to enable homebuyers and homeowners to invest in their residences. This will have a ripple effect within the area – sprucing up a well-traveled corridor at the entry to our city, spurring neighbors and business owners to update their properties and building pride throughout Columbia.”

During the first year, which begins March 1, the borough and LHOP will each provide $150,000 in funding. $200,000 will be designated for home rehabilitation improvements and the other $100,000 directly for home purchasing costs.

Home Improvement Loans ranging from $500 to $15,000 will be available through an application process for single-family homes either currently occupied as a primary residence or that will be inhabited as a primary residence once renovations are completed. Following LHOP’s existing First Time Homebuyers Program, Homeownership Loans up to $10,000 will be available via an application process for first-time homebuyers who have not owned a home within the last three years. For both programs, eligibility is income specific, based on area median income as determined annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Ray D’Agostino, LHOP's executive director

“LHOP is excited to partner with Columbia Borough to offer a program enhancing housing conditions and increasing home ownership opportunities,” said Ray D’Agostino, executive director of the nonprofit, in a press release. “In a real sense, the program will improve living conditions and make home ownership more attainable and affordable in Columbia. LHOP and Columbia are grateful to the Lancaster County Community Foundation for seed funding LHOP’s housing improvement initiative, which has made this collaboration possible."

Since 2014, LHOP has worked with eight homebuyers in Columbia to achieve home ownership, three of which are still in the works. With this new program, additional residents will be able to overcome obstacles to purchasing their own houses.

Columbia will be considering applications for houses in the 200-500 blocks of North Third Street and the surrounding neighborhood, including North Second. Renovations can be for the main home, but not for sheds or garages, and can include exterior façade updates or internal improvements. Staff will be available at the Columbia Life Network, 336 Locust Street, twice a month to answer questions and help prepare applications.

LHOP is a nonprofit organization, certified as a U.S. Treasury Department-approved Community Development Financial Institution, able to underwrite and administer loans. Part of the program’s coordination will be through the Lancaster Housing and Redevelopment Authorities, to tap the federally funded Home Repair Program.

The initiative’s partners intend to create a revolving fund process, wherein repayment of the borrowed funds will be used to institute new housing improvement and home ownership opportunities within the borough.