Residents fed bullshit soup and they ate it all up:
At tonight’s Community Development Committee meeting, Cleon Berntheizel criticized “media” reporting about the requested $650,000 hotel grant.
He blamed the media for its reporting on the issue. What WAS reported, was clearly said at the May Finance Committee Meeting. There was NO confusion about the grant request.
The grant was in fact requested by Cimmaron properties at the May Finance Committee Meeting. In fact, Mr. Don Murphy clearly said that the project would not move forward without the grant, as I recall, his words were, it would be “dead in the water.” At that time the committee voted to pass it on to full council. It was in fact printed on the final June borough council meeting agenda. It was tabled after the final agenda was printed.
The attorney should have reviewed this first before it ever went to council. In fact, the committee members should have known the answer and said it cannot be done. Then and there…over. The committee is responsible for upsetting residents, not the media.
At the Community Development Meeting tonight, Janice Nikoloff (CEDC) took to the podium in support of the hotel project. She said that she doesn’t like hearing people say “Not on my dime,” which was directed at Sharon Lintner. Problem being, it never will be on “Nikoloff’s dime” because she does not live in Columbia. She does not pay taxes here, we pay her salary.
Cleon Berntheizel passionately supports the hotel. Trouble again, Cleon is currently on the delinquent tax list as of June 12, 2018 for $3,291.55. (for 2017). His name also appears on the borough’s open invoice list as of April 30, 2018 as owing $1,975.00, due date was 08/15/2013.
I’m sick of people that aren’t spending “their dime” telling me to be happy with the way they want to spend mine.
I’m not hiding behind anonymous, my name is SHARON LINTNER and I’m not eating the bullshit soup.
Columbia Spy 
SOUNDS like Cimarron and Grab are trying to Exhort money , they said with out the ( tax payer)money the whole thig is dead in the water . Cimarron should pay its taxes first just like the council man
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What does the mayor have to do with the cottages along the river
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Keep up the good work with the Spy informing us on what happens in our town. How else would we know what's going on.Thank you
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he owns one along with other borough employees
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minutes only say what they want
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Are ALL negative comments “misguided” ?
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Doesn't Grab know that this type of a grant is not even legal ?
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everything
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Amen
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I'm sure that by now with all of the demolition and no re-construction over the last decade Borough Council was smart enough to “Bond” Myers Brothers to a commitment to re-build after demolition permits, like most other towns do, right ?
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wasn't the building they took down one of those early “Federal Style” buildings know to be rare in the State of Pennsylvania ?
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They had no significant, identifiable architectural elements left on them on the exterior through many, many alterations over the years.
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beside the union street ramp , that's why nothing gets done to the borough owned ramp .
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Any attorney saying without the grant (tax payer money ) the hotel is dead knows it is illegal to try to exhort money , he is just as bad as cimmeron to try this.
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Does codes do any thing at the cottages , there seams to be a lot of construction going on there and NO visibly permits , or is it off limits per the mayor ?
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I would like to know who is doing construction at the cottages who also said the mayor and other brough people have a cottage at the river
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Why is everyone., with there comments., Anonymous??????😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕
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Unless you have a Google account, that's almost the only way you can post a comment. We do wish more people would use their names at the end of the comments, though.
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Because it seems the working class can't have a voice anymore. If they make an unpolular opinion (truth) it will go back to their employer to have them fired.
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look and see
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Indeed. Everyone has a problem with everyone else's views. So much so that there is no room for understanding both sides or even, dare I say, resolve the problem.
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Love the Monday Morning Quarterbacks. Easy solutions put your mouth and opinions to work. Run for office instead of running with words on here. But that would be to,easy!
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Love how your argument is just a red herring.
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The Mayor has Everything to do with Everything. Like it or not, Like what you Got !
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LIST THEM public needs to know.
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THANK YOU Sharon! Very well said and you speak for many of us.
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So, what is the projected Assessment value of completed? $2 million? $3 million. So, how much in taxes are lost if they are permitted to pay the broken down warehouse tax of $7,600 on $200 thousand assessment for the first 10 years of operation?
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Open letter from the Spy to the Spy. Your media is ridiculous. Read the motions. Your biased reporting is very sad. Remember the granted labor of the Borough highway department employees that the Turkey Hill Experience received towards their infrastructure work for an entire summer. Remember the money that was offered again to that out of town developer who needed quick money for a call center that the borough quickly offered. You have no concept of economic development, yet this is what drives our nations economiy and rebuilds communities. Come out of your box and see how it really works. Your credibility is worthless. But keep up the good work. This is probably why the Lancaster News dropped you as a reporter because you don’t gather all your facts prior to reporting.
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We, borough residents, are paying the new borough manager to know the answers. She should have shut the grant request down at the onset. It is not legal for the borough to provide grant funding to businesses for private gain or profit. That is common knowledge.
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So whats the outcome for the $650,000.00 yes or no??
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Thank you Sharon !
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Yes for $95,000 a year plus benefits we could expect a little more. Plus, she should step down from the West Lampeter Township Zoning Board where she is listed as a member until 2020. With the money we're paying her, she should be available to Columbia 24/7.
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What I heard this evening was a proper explanation that the Borough cannot give public funds to a private entity. So, no payment by the Borough (i.e., tax dollars). This was explained quite clearly by Mgr. Denlinger. She also explained the Borough solicitor's opinion on the matter was not received in time to discuss the matter more fully at the meeting. I have worked my entire career of nearly 25 yrs in local government. Matters can be discussed if the Council desires, but it doesn't mean it must be voted on at that meeting. Requests of all kinds are made to Council all the time. Agendas can change at any time. I can tell you that this Borough is in good hands with Ms.Denlinger at the helm. She has the knowledge and connections to get things moving in the right direction. Let's keep the focus off personal attacks and work together to make Columbia the town we all know it can be.
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Thank You Sharon, they can not do these things and keep getting away with it and you are rite on target with the not my dime none of our dimes should be wasted on private businesses.
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This is what you get when you vote mediocre Council that cold have had a plan for a return on investment. If I took $650,000 from my company for a investment with no return I would be fired.A 5% room tax administered by Columbia Borough would show an investment return after 7 years with the proposed 65+ room hotel at a $100.00+ per night stay. Retail business rarely flow tax dollars to the homeowner, but brings commerce and investment to a borough's tourism district. The Council needs to be negotiators with the investors with the best interest of the taxpayer. Investment with negotiation is a standard, not an abuse of power on behalf of your investors (Columbia citizens).I guarantee Don Murphy would have listened to any offer that the Council proposed in a professional manner. Think about each homeowners investment when they are strapped from paying taxes and utilities. Homes sales are on the rise due to the negligence of BOTH governments in Columbia and our generation is coming to an end. What a shame!
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Cole Thank You, you shine the lite on these things that the borough does not want the tax paying people to know it does take a strong sense of rite and wrong to do this. we want you to know we the people are thankful for your work.
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What I know of “economic development” is that taxpayers subsidize business and get little or nothing in return. As for Lancaster Newspapers, get YOUR facts straight. Sharon was asked to stay on when she announced she was resigning. You can verify this by calling the supervisor of correspondents there.
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What you heard tonight was already clearly explained at the June Council meeting that you missed. It was told to council and to Denlinger by former borough manager Norm Meiskey. I guess it sounded good to hear it for the first time tonight.
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You are generous with your insults, but you need corrected. I was never let go or dropped from any job, including my work as a correspondent with LNP. I was in fact asked to remain on as a correspondent. This was a part-time job I was offered after retiring from a successful 34 year career. I put a lot of time into about 25 published articles. Several of which were “feel good” fluff about Columbia. As far as reporting, you have a choice, DON'T read it. We do not need you or anyone else to read it, we do not get paid. We do not have advertising. We do not want it. SHARON LINTNER
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No
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Well, it was a no for now. It came from the table that they are still looking for other ways to make it happen.
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Don't be anonymous your calling em out. I'm Shane Simpson. I don't have an issue Sayin my name
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So – which borough official wrote that reply?Amazing how fragile the egos of those that run this town are. Face it. You people SUCK at running this town. Find a new line of work. You people can NOT be trusted with tax money.
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FYI, whoever we is do not pay Nikoloff's salary. She is paid by CEDC. FACT!
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A total of five Columbia businesses owe back taxes from 2017. The combined amount for the five is over $133,000. If business is so great for our community why aren't they paying to support the community?
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Yeah, agendas can be changed anytime. However, any agency, entity or government interested in transparent actions will make every effort to convey agenda changes to the constituency it serves.Hidden agendas are exactly that: HIDDEN.And to what end?Just look at yesterday for instance. There was no agenda posted for the Community Development committee meeting, slated for last night, until sometime after 9:15 am ON THE DAY OF THE MEETING.What kind of notice is that providing to the constituents? Probably many constituents were at work or engaged in something else at 9:15 in the morning.The Pennsylvania Borough Council Handbook states:”The agenda also serves another useful purpose by enabling the borough to inform the news media in advance of relevant topics to be discussed at the meeting. The news media in turn helps encourage citizen participation in the borough’s decision making process.”Agenda items are not a secret – and if something changes, ethical leadership will assure that constituents are informed of the changes. Otherwise we turn into a authoritarian, despotic organization. Those kinds of organizations are destined for failure. History shows that.
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I am curious how you came to make these statements when you left the meeting about 640 when the meeting did not end until after 800. And so much anger and personal attacks. I expect better from Columbia citizens. Tide pride!
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The LNP Columbia Correspondent who was terminated some years ago was Maureen Landis – not Sharon Lintner.
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Thank you, Kerry.
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