At the April 11, 2016 meeting of the Columbia Borough Council, Council President Kelly Murphy read from a prepared statement explaining the borough's policy on transparency and presenting a new process by which the borough will post draft agendas on its website before meetings are held. The text of the statement, which was provided to Columbia Spy by Murphy, is published here:
"At no time has Council or the Borough of Columbia purposely failed to disclose, or to conceal from the public, items which will be discussed at its public meetings. Rather, the Borough’s process has historically (at least the 8+ years I have been on council) been to complete its agenda on the day of a meeting, which has made production of Borough’s agenda prior to the meeting difficult.
Borough Council of the Borough of Columbia has always been and intends to continue to be completely transparent with respect to its activities and the matters that it votes on. We encourage residents from the Borough of Columbia to appear at all meetings and to actively participate in discussion regarding Borough items. Many if not all of the items on Council’s agenda every month have previously been discussed at a public Committee meeting.
The Borough Manager and Council President are developing a new internal process to have agendas developed and finalized by Thursday or Friday of the week immediately prior to a Borough Council meeting and to have that agenda posted on the Borough’s website, along with the documents which are to be approved or discussed pursuant to that agenda. At no time has the current process violated Sunshine or Right To Know laws."
Recently, questions were raised regarding the availability of public documents requested from Columbia Borough through the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law. The borough was also criticized in a Lancaster Newspapers editorial focusing on compliance with Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
SCCA to present exhibits April 22
SCCA will present the following on Friday, April 22, 5-9 p.m.: Penn's Woods Printmakers; Jewelry by Richelle Leigh Walk; Print Signing by painter Frank Morgan and a special exhibition featuring art work from Hempfield High School's National Art Honor Society.
Most work is available for purchase.
Susquehanna Center for the Creative Arts
224 Locust Street
Columbia, PA 17512
Phone: 717-576-9628 or 717580-9031
Columbia man charged with endangering welfare of a child
Police arrested 25 year old Andre William Wilson, same address, for Endangering the Welfare of Children and Simple Assault Domestic Violence.
MORE:
http://fox43.com/2016/04/11/columbia-man-charged-with-endangering-welfare-of-a-child/
MORE:
http://fox43.com/2016/04/11/columbia-man-charged-with-endangering-welfare-of-a-child/
Monday, April 11, 2016
About Town
Some recent photos from around town:
Tons of tickets?
Some folks just don't get the message.
House sparrow coming in for a landing.
Yet another vehicle accident at Fourth and Chestnut
(Early April)
This intersection has seen several accidents over the past few months, all about the same time: 6 to 7 p.m.
This intersection has seen several accidents over the past few months, all about the same time: 6 to 7 p.m.
What were once stumps are now mulch (at Columbia River Park).
Doug's Tree Service cut down dead and dying trees along the riverbank a few months ago.
New trees are slated to be planted over the next few months.
Respirator and roses at the old railroad house, now Eastern Drillers.
Seriously, the air is not that bad here.
Off in search of another venue.
Really? Better check it again.
Cedar Street exit ramp to Route 30.
Just the essentials
Cedar Street exit ramp to Route 30.
Columbia Borough’s farm makes money!
Prior to leaving his council seat at the end of 2015, Jim Smith showed Columbia Spy how the borough does it.
“We've kept this a secret too long,” he said, referring to the farm hidden just off Blue Lane. Smith wanted residents to know about the operations underway on the property, which he sees as beneficial to the borough. He asked Public Works Director Ron Miller to explain the details:
According to Miller, the farm was in disarray just a short time ago. “ It was a dump,” Miller said. He said it took a year to clean up piles of concrete and debris that had been dumped at the farm over many years. Miller credits Jake Graham of the highway department with grading the entire area, with the aid of local excavator Sam Logan, who provided a bulldozer to help complete the work.
After this initial phase was finished, phase two was put into place: Miller applied for and obtained a permit to operate a yard waste facility. He also obtained a grant to purchase equipment required for the operation, thereby saving the borough thousands of dollars on the purchase. Currently, 12 municipalities dump yard waste at the farm, at a cost of $25 a ton. The material is then recycled and sold. (Used asphalt from from road milling is also taken to the farm, where it is processed for reuse in road paving.) Miller projects that the operation could potentially bring in $100,000 this year for the borough, simply by turning what was once perceived as trash into welcome treasure.
Former Columbia Borough Councilman Jim Smith and Public Works Director Ron Miller at the borough farm.
Used asphalt from road milling is taken to the farm, where it is processed for reuse as paving material.
Piles of stone are also kept at the farm for use in road projects.
Workers handle yard waste at the farm.
Materials for road construction are stored at the borough farm.
The borough farm, high on a hill, overlooks other farmland in this pastoral area of Lancaster County.
Crews are kept busy with the operation at the facility.
Just one of the pieces of equipment used at the facility.
Mulch piling up at the farm.
Friday, April 8, 2016
Draft Agenda for April 11, 2016 Borough Council Meeting
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