Audio recording of May 23, 2023 Columbia Borough Council Meeting

 Due to continual problems with Columbia Borough's livestreaming, an audio recording of the May 23, 2023 Borough Council meeting is being made available by Columbia Spy HERE.

Dayspring students replace flags at Mount Bethel for Memorial Day

About a dozen 10th-grade students from Dayspring Christian Academy in Mountville replaced flags on veterans' graves at Mount Bethel Cemetery today (Wednesday, May 24th) in preparation for Memorial Day. They were joined by Mount Bethel Superintendent Ryan Sexton and two instructors from the academy. Old and damaged flags were set aside for dignified retirement. Students also weeded around grave markers. This is the second year that Dayspring students participated in this activity.

Sexton said 512 flags will be placed today on graves of veterans from all wars except Iraq and Afghanistan since there are currently no veterans from those conflicts buried at Mount Bethel.

Sexton also said 120 flags were placed a few weeks ago when volunteers cleaned veterans' grave markers. He said there are 700 veterans buried at the cemetery but not all have markers. 

The Water Company is flushing hydrants

Columbia Borough, PA NOTICE:

Columbia Water Company is in the process of flushing the hydrants. They are placing small green discs in the gutters to de-chlorinate the water. These usually dissolve during the process. They are environmentally safe to handle but it is recommended that you just leave them alone. If left undissolved. the Water Company will come back and clean them up.

Columbia Borough to consider purchase of properties for $1,350,000

An abandoned factory sits on one of the properties the borough is considering purchasing. The factory sustained a fire on April 5, 2023.

Columbia Borough officials are considering purchasing three properties for $1,350,000 for the purpose of relocating the borough's public works facility. The properties comprise 9.4 acres near 11th Street and Ridge Avenue.

Public documents show that RBLD Properties LLC purchased the properties for $1,000,000 from the Columbia Reduction Company in 2019. An abandoned factory, which sustained a fire on April 5 of this year, sits on one of the properties. Columbia Spy reported on the fire HERE.

Officials claim there will be no fiscal impact on the borough since funds for the purchase will initially come from the borough's Wells Fargo money market account that will be reimbursed through sale of the following properties:

* The wastewater treatment plant at 440 South Front Street (currently leased by JG Environmental)
* 137 Front Street (the former Columbia #1 firehouse, currently leased by KT Graham)
* 26 acres of the borough's Blue Lane property
* The residual Ridge Ave properties

The Backstory
In 2021, Borough Council began the process of selling the former wastewater treatment plant at 440 South Front Street to JG Environmental. To complete the sale, however, the public works facility needed to be moved from there to a new location.

Officials investigated the feasibility of relocating to borough-owned property on Blue Lane but found it would be cost-prohibitive and would result in public works being located on the southern end of the borough.

Officials subsequently approached the owner of 1100, 1110, and 1120 Ridge Avenue to ask about purchasing those properties and negotiated a purchase price of $1,350,000. Since the full acreage is not needed for the public works facility, officials plan to sell excess land to offset the costs of purchase and site development.

At its May 23 meeting, Borough Council will consider authorizing the borough manager and solicitor to execute an agreement of sale to purchase the properties.

[Some of the information in this article is contained in the current borough council meeting packet.]

Agenda - Columbia Borough Council Meeting - May 23, 2023

 

Shown below is page 1 of an agenda that was posted on May 19. Note the highlighted figure of $56,000. At some point between May 19 and May 20, that figure was changed to $58,000 (shown above) with no notification that the agenda had been updated or corrected. 

Lancaster city man convicted of sexually abusing three minors, including one in Columbia

Geraldo Josue Maldonado Jr.

Geraldo Maldonado had been a caretaker of the victims, the office said. Two of the girls testified they were abused multiple times at two locations in Lancaster in 2008 when one girl was 6 and the other about 4 or 5 years old, the DA's office said. The other girl testified she was abused when she was about 5 or 6 years old in Columbia in 2011 and 2012.

Maldonado is in Lancaster County Prison awaiting sentencing, which has not been scheduled. He faces up to 176 years in prison.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/lancaster-city-man-convicted-of-sexually-abusing-three-minors/article_7a6d5d42-f8e5-11ed-8e00-2bf61dd7af24.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share 

Deeds Recorded - Columbia Borough - May 22, 2023

The following were recorded at the Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds Office for May 8-12:

The estate of Deborah A. Beaston conveyed 1040 Grinnell Ave. to Erik D. Beaston and Cynthia E. Beaston for $1.

Vanessa J. Grove and Virginia L. Preston conveyed 544 Union St. to Vanessa J. Grove and Kamren R. Fletcher for $1.

Darwin Valezquez Morales and Ilanys Hernandez conveyed property on a public road to Randy Antonio Estevez and Fabia Estevez Demorel for $192,000.

Stephen N. Hartman and Krista A. Bryant conveyed property on a public road to Matthew E. Reich and Shirl A. Reich for $310,000.

Darwin Valezquez Morales and Ilanys Hernandez conveyed property on a public road to Randy Antonio Estevez and Fabia Estevez Demorel for $192,000.