UPDATE: MEETING CANCELED Agenda - Columbia Borough Zoning Hearing Board Meeting - July 27, 2022

The Zoning Hearing Board Meeting scheduled for tonight is cancelled. The hearing is continued until August 31, 2022.

Alan Landsman appointed to Columbia Borough Council

Columbia Borough Council voted to appoint Alan Landsman to council at Tuesday night's meeting (July 26, 2022). He fills the position vacated by the resignation of Howard Stevens, which was announced at the July 5, 2022 meeting. Landsman was one of six candidates who interviewed for the position. 

Landsman, 42, has been a Columbia resident and homeowner since October 2020. He was recently appointed as chairman of the Columbia Cat Action Team (CCAT), a trap-neuter-return program for controlling feral cats in the borough.

Landsman was formerly a project manager for Sprint and later a VP of sales for a $50 million sales company. Currently, he is the regional manager for American Addiction Centers.

Councilman Peter Stahl and Eric Kaufman voted against the appointment.

Columbia Borough Council Meeting - July 26, 2022

 

A Columbia Borough Council meeting is scheduled for July 26, 2022. Shown above is a screenshot from the borough website. Citizens looking for the agenda/meeting packet will need to sort through the confusing list of updates and revisions to find information for the meeting. 

(Two weeks ago, Columbia Borough Council violated the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act by failing to post the July 12, 2022 meeting agenda on its website at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting. The agenda was posted sometime between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on July 12, 2022 - about 11 hours before the meeting. In addition, an agenda was not posted at the borough office, as required by the Act.)

  This is also a screenshot from the borough website, listing the duties of the mayor. This is all he is supposed to do - no more, no less.

Hometown Heroes Banners - Info and Order Form

Deeds Recorded - Columbia Borough - July 25. 2022

Dama Home Improvements LLC conveyed property on Poplar Street to Wendy G. Tipton and John D. Connell Jr. for $249,900.

Patricia H. Reese, Victoria M. Brommer and Barbara A. Mentzer conveyed 805 Spruce St. to Todd M. Kramer and Diana L. Kramer for $205,000.

Bruce L. Murray & Jane M. Murray Real Estate Partnership, Murray Bruce L. & Jane M. Murray Real Estate Partnership, Murray Jane M. & Bruce L. Murray Real Estate Partnership, Bruce L. Murray and Jane M. Murray conveyed property on a public road to Columbia Post No. 153 Amvets Home Association for $350,000.

Gregory J. Meley conveyed 544 Walnut St. to Highmount Properties LLC for $77,500.

Joseph J. Brenner and Margaret M. Brenner conveyed 440 Linden St. to Jorge Julio Cesar Garcia Bernuy, Jorge Julio Cesar Garcia Bernuy and Ruth Ann Garcia for $224,900.

Diana Jt Rebert conveyed 713 Walnut St. to Awakened Properties LLC for $110,000.

Renewed Concepts LLC, JP Development LLC, Joseph A. Dougher, Wayne Nauman, Wayne C. Nauman, Patrick Reardon and Patrick B. Reardon conveyed property on a public road to Aida Garcia for $230,000.

Doug Mastriano's proposal to arm teachers in Pa. faces pushback

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - State Sen. Doug Mastriano plans to introduce a bill that would arm teachers, and it isn't sitting well with many.

"It's completely ridiculous, I mean completely ridiculous to the point of being laughable. The notion that guns in schools would protect us from gun incidents in schools is just foolish," said Bethlehem Area School District Superintendent Joseph Roy.

Roy says arming teachers would do the opposite of solving the problem.

MORE:

https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/doug-mastrianos-proposal-to-arm-teachers-in-pa-faces-pushback/article_88c61d32-edb2-11ec-a57e-b7f9c51b2537.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share 

About Town - July 24, 2022

Recent photos of Columbia

(Click/tap on photos to see larger, sharper images.) 

Official Pace Car at Prospect Diner this morning

Here are two newly painted parking meters on the 200 block of Locust Street. Columbia High School student volunteers (under the guidance of borough staff) painted meters on the 200, 300, and 400 blocks of Locust Street on Tuesday in preparation for a new payment system for meters. 

Vandalism at Columbia Crossing

Statuette at Our Lady of the Angels/Holy Trinity

The spotted lanternflies are getting big very quickly. Kill them whenever you can.

The Columbia Water Company's water intake project continues. Water is being pumped from an inner area (shown above) to allow access for installation.

This was seen at Fragments of the Past on the 300 block of Walnut Street.

So was this.

This is all that's left of a Columbia taxpayer. Just wait until we start paying for the innovation park. Oh wait - we already are.

Cement truck at the corner of 3rd & Cherry

Here's the Utility Locator. It's a good gig if you can get it.

Baby on board?

Mayflies make a tasty breakfast for some.

Skid row? More like skid columns.

Cart for carrying planks and fenceposts

Stars on exterior walls, like this one, actually have a purpose. Go HERE to find out what it is.

Time for a morning coffee

New address?

Pentecostal church at 3rd & Cherry

Morning flight

Here's a cool cat trying to beat the heat, but he's going the wrong way.

Oil leak in the 300 block of Avenue F

That's a mighty big crane that crane is.

Architectural elements from the Glatfelter Field entranceway

The entranceway is being restored.

The Veterans Memorial Bridge rehab project can't come soon enough.

The bridge is literally falling apart.

A restoration project is underway at Zion Hill Cemetery.

Trees are being cleared to open up the space.

Friday's late night fire left two buildings damaged/destroyed on South 5th Street.

Firefighters from several companies were on scene for five hours.

Is this the McGinness Innovation Cornfield? No, not really. It's actually the former McGinness airfield - soon to be the McGinness Innovation Park. But if Columbia Borough is truly trying to promote itself, why wouldn't it be called the Columbia Innovation Park. After all, we're paying for it. The McGinnesses don't live here. Columbians do.

By the way, as things stand now, the project is estimated to cost $12 million to develop.