Columbia Borough Council Meeting - August 3, 2023

 

Pennsylvania expands property tax/rent rebate program

(WHTM) – Governor Josh Shapiro signed a bill Friday that expanded the Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program.

Shapiro proposed the program during his campaign and he says it will ease the burden of rising costs for Pennsylvania seniors.
MORE:

https://www.abc27.com/pennsylvania/pennsylvania-expands-property-tax-rent-rebate-program/ 

Restaurant Inspections - Columbia Borough -August 4, 2023

 

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, 866-366-3723, uses a risk-based inspection reporting process for restaurants and other food handlers.

Level Up Pizza, 237 Locust St., Columbia, July 26. Pass. Raw shell eggs stored above lasagna in the reach-in cooler. Raw shell eggs stored above cooked pizza dough in the reach-in cooler. Frozen raw beef thawing above onions in the reach-in cooler; repeat violation of June 16, 2022. The scoop for ice stored on top of the ice maker, an area that is not cleaned and sanitized; repeat violation of Jan. 20, 2023. Refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food (cooked beef) prepared in the food facility and held for more than 24 hours in the reach-in cooler is not being date-marked; repeat violation of June 16, 2022, and June 23, 2022. Commercially processed, refrigerated, ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food (deli ham) in the reach-in cooler held more than 24 hours and is not being marked with the date it was opened; repeat violation of June 16, 2022, June 23, 2022. Pots and pans stored beneath hand-wash sink plumbing. Working containers of cleaners beneath the front counter stored on a shelf with to-go boats and plates; repeat violation of June 16, 2022, June 23, 2022.

Taco to Go, 114 N. Third St., Columbia, July 26. Pass. No violations.

Columbia Borough to hold public hearing Thursday, August 3

 

Photo: Sincerely Media

Columbia Borough will hold a public hearing on THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2023, as part of their regular monthly Council Workshop Meeting. The hearing will be held at Columbia Borough, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512, beginning at approximately 7:00 PM.

The Borough Engineer intends to present the most recent plans for street improvements along Walnut Street, from Front Street to 3rd Street. The presentation will cover the proposed project, traffic patterns during construction, proposed traffic patterns, and historic sites and provide time for public questions.

The Borough invites affected residents, property owners, and other stakeholders to attend this meeting to identify further needs that should be addressed and to comment on the proposed project.

Scenes from Columbia's National Night Out Tuesday evening

 

The Columbia Borough Police Department held its National Night Out at Glatfelter Memorial Field Tuesday evening. The event featured over 60 community stands, free food, a juggling act, two animal shows, a bouncy house, fireworks, and the borough's emergency management trailer.

National Night Out at Glatfelter Memorial Field - Tuesday, August 1

 

Will bridge weight limit hinder emergency vehicles?

 

When: Borough council meeting, July 25.

• What happened: Recent weight restrictions on the Veterans Memorial Bridge, which connects Columbia to Wrightsville, spurred concern about how the borough will respond to emergencies that occur on the span.

• Background: The state Department of Transportation limited vehicle weight to 10 tons July 17 after inspectors found more damage than expected during a routine inspection.

• More: However, some emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks and tow trucks, weigh more than the allowed 20,000 pounds. Fire trucks, for instance, weigh about 33,000 pounds, Stivers said during a July 28 phone call.

Details: The state already had scheduled the 93-year-old structure for renovation starting next year but will postpone work until 2025 to come up with a new architectural plan. The weight limit will last until repairs finish. PennDOT estimates that about 5% of the 11,500 vehicles that cross the bridge daily will have to use an alternate route.

• The issue: Stivers said PennDOT originally wanted municipalities to register emergency vehicles for $50 each to receive permission to access the bridge. That won’t work, he said, because no one knows which vehicle or which township, borough or city will respond to an accident, fire or other situation on the bridge.

• What’s new: Officials from PennDOT, Columbia and emergency services were set to meet this week to create a plan to allow emergency vehicles to access the bridge for free, Stivers said in a July 31 email.

Gayle Johnson, For LNP | LancasterOnline