Columbia hires new trolley driver

A source tells Columbia Spy that Bobbi Jo Weber of Wrightsville is the new driver for Columbia's trolley.

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Quick Tickets Explained!

Code Enforcement Manager Steven Kaufhold explained the borough's quick ticket system at Monday's borough council meeting. Kaufhold said residents have 30 days in which to pay a quick ticket fine. If it is paid within the first 15 days of issuance, the fee is $25. If the fine is paid within 16-30 days, an additional $10 is added. After 30 days, a citation will be issued and the matter will be entered into the court system within a year. A resident may appeal within that time. Kaufhold said that once a ticket has been issued, he is the only one who can rescind it.

Another quick ticket can be issued for the same offense upon re-inspection if the violation has not been corrected. The length of time before re-inspection depends on what the offense is. For example, a parked/abandoned car is allowed seven days before re-inspection. A trash violation, four days.

Council President Kelly Murphy explained the purpose of the quick ticket program: "It's not meant to be punitive. The real outcome is - fix the problem. The whole point of quick ticket or being cited by codes is to enact some action to get it done."

The borough's "codes book" provides this information:

§ 1-19Issuance and serving of tickets.
Upon finding a violation of any of the above code and/or Borough Code sections, any Borough of Columbia Code Enforcement Officer, police officer, fire official, or similar officer hired by or appointed by Borough Council or the Borough Manager, or any other public officer authorized to enforce the ordinances of the Borough of Columbia, may issue violation tickets to the owner and/or occupant of the property at issue or to the individual known to have violated the code and/or Borough Code section. Violation tickets shall be issued in the amount of $25 and shall be served by mail. The Borough may, however, serve the violation ticket by handing it to an adult member of the household or other person in charge of the residence at the residence of the person to be served, by leaving or affixing the violation ticket to the property where the violation exists, or by handing it at any office or usual place of business of the violator, to his/her agent or to the person for the time being in charge thereof. Any person who receives a violation ticket for a violation of this article may, within 15 days, admit the violation, waive a hearing and pay the fine in full satisfaction of $25, as indicated on the violation ticket.

Kaufhold said there are four codes officers besides him, each policing one of four quadrants in town, and the codes department issues a monthly report to council. The quick ticket ordinance was passed at the July 28, 2014 borough council meeting.

More information on quick ticket codes can be found HERE.

Police ask Lancaster County to encrypt radios, barring public and media from hearing scanner broadcasts

Lancaster County police departments want to encrypt radio transmissions so that people with scanners — including the media — are no longer able to listen in on their broadcasts.

MORE:

http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/police-ask-lancaster-county-to-encrypt-radios-barring-public-and/article_bdb3e59e-5080-11e7-80e4-73a12d9e8c8d.html

Police seek information in assault incident

On 06/14/2017 at approximately 12:30 am. Columbia Borough Police were dispatched to a residence in the 200 block of Cherry Street for a domestic disturbance. When police arrived, they made contact with the a 21 year old female victim. The victim stated her ex-boyfriend Terrance Faus Jr. "beat" her and placed his hands around her neck and "choked" her. The victim sustained visible injuries to include scratches on her arm and redness around her neck. Terrance Faus Jr. fled the residence before police arrived.

Charges were completed for one count of Strangulation Felony second degree, as well as one count of Simple Assault (Domestic Violence) Misdemeanor second degree. The charges were filed through MDJ Bixler's Office in Columbia. Terrance Faus Jr. is wanted by the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office for an outstanding probation violation. Anyone with knowledge of the whereabouts of Faus is encouraged to contact Columbia Police Department at (717) 684-7735.
Incident Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 - 12:30am

Incident Type:
Assault - Other

Case Number: 16152-06-14-17
Offenders:
Faus, Terrance Lee Jr.

Location:
200 Block of Cherry Street
Columbia, PA 17512

Source: Columbia Borough Police Department

Will the Borough move its offices? Joint Feasibility Meeting Wednesday, June 14 at 5 p.m.

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 Wednesday, June 14 at 5 p.m. to consider whether there is sufficient interest to pursue a study on the possible consolidation of school district, borough administration offices and the borough police department at the District Administration Center, 200 North 5th St, Columbia.

Street Sweeper blows up - When will new one run?

"It blew up!" 

That was Public Works Director Ron Miller's response to a resident's question about the borough's street sweeper at Monday's borough council meeting. Austin Hogentogler asked why it's been nine weeks since the sweeper has run by his house. He said he has had to sweep by hand in front of his house despite various health concerns.

"The other one blew up. The motor blew up," Miller said of the street sweeper. Hogentogler asked why a newer, recently purchased street sweeper was not running.

Mayor Leo Lutz replied, "The street sweeper is not running, because the company we're buying the street sweeper from has not released it to the borough, because they will not release it until they train operators on how to use it." Lutz said that it is incumbent on the company to train the borough's operators.

At its April 10, 2017 meeting, council approved the purchase of a street sweeper at a cost of $221,877.

Parking restrictions for two events this Saturday