Year: 2015

Public forum will offer taxpayers an important chance to engage in school funding debate

The bipartisan legislative Basic Education Funding Commission is trying to come up with a formula for funding the commonwealth’s school districts. Lancaster County’s own Sen. Lloyd Smucker and Rep. Mike Sturla sit on that commission, as doesActing Education Secretary Pedro Rivera, former School District of Lancaster superintendent.
Pennsylvania is one of just three states that do not have a school funding formula based on student enrollment and characteristics.

Columbia hopes community policing, code enforcement will resolve neighborhood problems

Later this month, the borough hopes to roll out a community policing program paired with codes enforcement to address problems head-on.

By dividing the borough into three zones, officers will be assigned to patrol one of those zones each day that they work.

Officers have been asked to get out of their vehicles and walk the neighborhoods.

MORE:
http://lancasteronline.com/columbia/news/columbia-hopes-community-policing-code-enforcement-will-resolve-neighborhood-problems/article_734716b0-cc53-11e4-9636-37f823858a19.html

Hempfield board president believes apology is sufficient for violating Sunshine Act

Hempfield school board President Bill Otto delivered a public apology at the March 10 meeting because he says the board inadvertently violated the state Sunshine Act during its process to replace a school board member.

What I saw recently

 The addition to the Columbia Water Company is progressing.
Remember, it’s costing you money just to look at this.
(The charges are on your water bill.)

 Tundra swans soaring

 Under new ownership at Fourth and Chestnut
(Formerly Doutrich’s Automotive)

 Public service call on the 100 block of South Sixth

Let’s hope it thickens a bit.

Lead may be lurking where you don't expect it

In Columbia Borough, officials considered a similar ordinance before deciding not to proceed, said borough code enforcement officer Jeff Helm.
“There was a fear that putting the legislation in place would be too 1984-ish,” said Helm. Nonetheless, he said, the borough is aggressive when officials become aware of a problem. “We’ll write it up as a violation, and (the property owner) has to have a lead abatement contractor take care of the work,” said Helm.