Agenda - Columbia Borough Council Meeting - August 23, 2022

 

Download the meeting packet HERE.

About Town - August 21, 2022

 Recent photos of Columbia

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

Sailing near Columbia River Park

The first letter of "The Lord's Prayer" in the big book at Laurel Hill

Statue, and shadow in heavenly light

Ornate cross at Mount Bethel

Silhouette on North 2nd

Window with reflected dumpster

Sheltering Sky

Fence, well-ventilated

Former Cookman Church at 6th & Chestnut

Another look

Emirates in our air space

A few flowers in the morning

Free

Historic Society building on North 2nd

Full name: Columbia Historic Preservation Society

It used to be the First English Evangelical Church.

Ghost sign in Bank Avenue

The saga continues . . .

CVS is getting a makeover.

(Now about those weeds . . . )

WWW.MISSION-BBQ.COM

The bridge

Jet-skiing

A sea of river

Kayaks at Chiques Rock Outfitters

The controversial cannon

Downtown windows and webs

Venue available for rent

Money bags

Cross - and man, possibly cross

Drive-thru BBQ

Sidewalk sale on South 3rd

Mushroom cloud on the edge of town

Aloft

A new area code is coming to Pennsylvania soon

Go HERE for the article.

Demolition of former McGinness home complicated by "a ton of asbestos"

[Photo: Planning Commission meeting packet]

A proposed demolition of the former McGinness home at 1020 Manor Street might be delayed due to the presence of asbestos.

According to borough engineer Derek Rinaldo, "There is a ton of asbestos in the property - a ton." Rinaldo made the remark during discussion at the August 16, 2022 Columbia Borough Planning Commission meeting. Rinaldo didn't say how the borough will handle the asbestos. At the July 12, 2022 Columbia Borough Council meeting, however, borough manager Mark Stivers said remediation will be necessary. (July 12 was apparently the first meeting in which the issue of asbestos at the property was mentioned.)

Rinaldo said the borough had looked into the possibility of allowing the fire department and EMS to use the property for training but due to the asbestos that is no longer a possibility. However, borough councilman Eric Kaufman, who was in the audience, said that the fire company had already used the property the day before. (At the June 28, 2022 borough council meeting, council president Heather Zink said the police department had been using the building and the fire department also planned to use it before demolition.)

Facilities Manager Wilson Affeld told commission members there is a full basement under the property which will need to be filled in after the property is demolished. A contractor will do the demo and the borough will fill in the basement using its own materials and equipment, according to Affeld.

After discussion, the planning commission voted to recommend demolition of the property to borough council. Borough council previously voted to approve the demolition at its June 28, 2022 meeting. No cost estimates for demolition or asbestos remediation were provided at either meeting.

The borough is demolishing the building due to liability concerns and costs of utilities and maintenance. The house is located at the former airfield which the borough purchased last fall.

Recovered deed allows Columbia Borough to receive 1st part of $3M state grant

When: Columbia Borough Council meeting, Aug. 9.

What happened: The borough may now apply to receive $1.348 million, a portion of the state grant money it was awarded, for refurbishing Columbia's Market House. Borough solicitor Evan Gabel found a missing deed a few weeks ago, and the document proves that the borough owns part of the land under Borough Hall and the Market House.

Quotable: "This is all the proof we need to show ownership of the land," Borough Manager Mark Stivers said after the meeting. Although two deeds would account for both pieces of land, the one deed is enough to apply for reimbursement, he said.

Why it's important: The borough had been unable to claim the grant money because it didn't have a deed to show ownership for two parcels Samuel Wright gave to Columbia school trustees in 1807. Those trustees then gave the land to the borough in 1850, Gabel told council members. Although internet searches and documents say the borough owns the land, the original deeds were thought to have been lost in a Borough Hall fire in February 1947. One deed was re-recorded in June 1947 but did not show up on any indexes Gabel searched.

Quotable: "We stumbled across the deed just looking (at) what Samuel Wright has done here," Gabel said.

More information: The money should come to the borough in 2023, Stivers said. Columbia will receive about $3 million in total, and the rest will go toward downtown economic development and parking spaces, Stivers said.

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/recovered-deed-allows-columbia-borough-to-receive-1st-part-of-3m-state-grant/article_6c02d706-1fff-11ed-9fb8-cf5b79d8921f.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share 

Columbia Crimson Tide ready to defend Lanc-Leb section title with new head coach

From WPMT

Columbia Crimson Tide ready to defend Lanc-Leb section title with new head coach

The Tide move to section five in new Lanc-Leb reshuffling

https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/columbia-crimson-tide-ready-to-defend-lanc-leb-section-title-with-new-head-coach/521-b29c6fd3-6683-453e-b7af-32297a8b1af1 

NO TAX INCREASE FOR COLUMBIA BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR 2022-23

 

Columbia Borough and Warwick school districts did not raise taxes, marking their third and fourth consecutive years with no property tax increase.