COLUMBIA SPY

Columbia Mayor Leo Lutz questions the Columbia Water Company's proposed rate increases at a hearing in Marietta on September 27. Columbia Borough Council President Kelly Murphy and Mayor Leo Lutz questioned the Columbia Water Company's recent request for a rate increase of just over 13% at a hearing on Wednesday.  Murphy and Lutz spoke under oath at a hearing conducted by the PA Public Utility Commission's Office of Administrative Law Judge at Marietta Borough Hall. Murphy requested that the rate increase be denied. In a prepared statement, he described as "excessive" the requested rate increases of 13.18% for residents using 3,000 gallons of water per month, and 13.21% for commercial customers. He said Columbia residents cannot afford the rate increases requested. Murphy said rate increases typically follow capital improvement projects within the municipality in which increases are being proposed. He noted, however, that the borough is not aware of any ...

Residents have expressed concern about the LEAD-SAFE COLUMBIA project that will be initiated by Healthy Columbia under the fiscal sponsorship of Catholic Health Initiatives-St. Joseph Children's Health. This is a voluntary program that will offer lead screening and financial assistance if necessary. Columbia Borough will begin its LEAD-HAZARD Screening program by first ensuring that all Blighted Properties, Vacant Properties, and Condemned Properties, are screened prior to occupancy. The program will expand after educational programs are presented to the public and training of Borough Officials is completed. A time and location will be announced shortly for a community information session. Lead is dangerous for children, and a community health issue. Many studies have proven that the higher the lead exposure, the lower the standardized test scores in school-age children. Even low levels of lead exposure can result in behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, hyperactivity, slowed g...

Columbia Borough will not suspend the U.S. Constitution. That's the message Borough Manager Greg Sahd would like to convey to residents. Due to inaccuracies in a recent LNP article, many mistakenly believe the Borough will force draconian regulations on property owners because of a recently introduced lead paint inspection initiative. Doing so would be a violation of the Constitution's Fourth Amendment guaranteeing citizens the right to be secure in their houses, Sahd pointed out. He added that bringing properties into such strict compliance could also bankrupt owners. The Borough can’t take any action independent of current federal and state regulations dealing with lead in residences. The LNP article's first sentence caused concern for many residents: “Columbia will begin testing every home and apartment in the borough for lead beginning next week.”  This statement was repeated in an editorial in today's LNP. Sahd said that no Borough official made a state...

"We commend borough officials for recognizing a problem and taking steps to solve it — a welcome change of pace for government at any level." MORE: http://lancasteronline.com/opinion/editorials/much-needed-help-for-the-opioid-crisis-and-testing-for/article_0f553d26-a47d-11e7-b175-fb99c97aac81.html

Columbia will begin testing every home and apartment in the borough for lead beginning next week. MORE: http://lancasteronline.com/insider/new-program-in-columbia-aims-to-test-every-borough-home/article_0733c1c8-a2ff-11e7-b9e8-6b1c29328f94.html

It's an opportunity for the borough. Right now, there's no medical marijuana facilities set to come to Columbia, but officials say it's about being proactive. MORE: http://fox43.com/2017/09/26/neighbors-react-to-columbia-looking-to-amend-zoning-ordinance-for-medical-marijuana-facilities/

Folks took advantage of the warm weather over the past few days to get out and about to fix up, clean up and dig up around town... There was a JLG on high at 3rd & Locust.  And a pressure washing project at 4th & Locust.  And an "Amish" high and dry, aloof on a roof at South 2nd & Cherry.  There were guys in white looking up ladders on North 3rd. And the rest of a lightning-damaged chimney at Locust Street and Bank Avenue was coming down.  Here are some of the bricks that were collected. And here's a longer view. And there's another JLG.  And there are the guys taking down the bricks. Just up the block - yes, another JLG And there's the driver.  And there he goes. The self-storage project along Front Street appears to be done. Rewiring was being done yesterday on North 4th. UGI was digging up the 500 block of Walnut to install new services and redo old mains. W...