May 2019 – Page 5 – Columbia Spy

Judge hands Columbia Concerned Citizens Association its first victory in lawsuit against the Columbia Borough

Columbia Borough taxpayers scored a legal victory last Thursday when Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Judge Leonard G. Brown III denied the Borough’s request for a stay of proceedings in a legal case. The Borough had requested the stay in response to a lawsuit filed by the Columbia Concerned Citizens Association (CCCA). The suit ultimately seeks to have the Borough’s Revolving Loan Fund and recent tax hike repealed. If the stay had been granted, the Borough could theoretically have delayed the proceedings indefinitely. The judge’s decision allows the suit to move forward.

The Revolving Loan Fund, which was established last year by Ordinance 897, is a program by which Columbia Borough (through Community First) lends taxpayer funds to private business. CCCA believes that the Pennsylvania State Constitution and the Borough Code prohibit such loans. Columbia Borough, in an effort to push back, is asserting that Borough taxpayers do not have standing to file the suit. If standing is established, CCCA will request an injunction to prevent the lending of any more funds until the case is decided.

CCCA’s lawsuit – and the organization itself – grew out of residents’ dissatisfaction with the loan fund and subsequent tax hike. In December 2018, petitions containing approximately 1,160 signatures were presented to Borough Council members. The petitioners sought a meeting with Borough Council to eliminate the $800,000 allocated to the Revolving Loan Fund, and to repeal the Fund and the tax hike for 2019. Council ignored the request for a meeting, and at its January 8, 2019 regular Borough Council meeting, it summarily dismissed the petitions, thus ignoring the will of Borough taxpayers.

CBFD gives water safety presentation at Columbia River Park on Sunday

Members of the Columbia Borough Fire Department with Fox 43 reporter Grace Griffaton (4th from left) Sunday at Columbia River Park

The Columbia Borough Fire Department provided a presentation on water safety for Fox 43 at Columbia River Park on Sunday afternoon. The Department reminds boaters of the following guidelines:

To stay safe and within the law –

Always, always, always wear a personal flotation device or PFD.
Let someone know when you’re going out on the water and when you expect to be done
Take the Pennsylvania Boater Safety Course – which is actually required by law if you’re born after January 1, 1982.

Fox43’s report and video on yesterday’s presentation is HERE.

About Town 5/5/19

This week’s photos from around Columbia

The “Onewheels” invaded Columbia yesterday. A Onewheel is a type of electric skateboard.

****************

Something happens Tuesday 7AM-11AM

Blossom on the trunk

Replacement tree at Rotary Park

And there it is.

A little late, but here are some students’ Arbor Day illustrations on the 200 block of Locust.

Residents at the Columbia Animal Shelter

Resident of the outdoors

Assorted throwaways, including tires, an antique TV and, of course, a mattress

Three-star flag

Under the bridge, things aren’t looking so good.

Here’s the tree that was down at Rotary Park.

The 100 block of North 4th, self-explanatory

Always make sure your drawers are snug.

Down around the bridge

Bike cache

Free-range eggs available at Mullen Books, 121 Walnut Street

Seagull rising

Fully risen

Let’s hope we won’t need it at least until December.

Bug, elevated

Street, swept

One of the ubiquitous ROAD CLOSED signs

Seen at River Park

Apparently official

Line-up at Tollbooth Antiques

Vehicle full of deer heads in the Turkey Hill Experience parking lot:

The disembodied heads are owned by a guy named Randy who was driving the Penske truck and said he’s moving to Georgia.

One last look

****************

Lending a hand

Ready to shovel

The red, white & blue, and black

The junk artist is at it again.

Historic steps

On a mission on Bank Avenue

The mission: Move remnants of the Eberly Myers apartment building project at the bottom of Locust Street away from the parking lot.

Mission accomplished

This election is not about party but about replacing the two incumbents running for re-election with candidates for change. As the saying goes, “Throw the rascals out!”

A wheelchair for all seasons

Watcher in the window

That’s strange. You’re walking down the sidewalk on Poplar Street, and suddenly you’re in someone’s front yard.

ABC27 on the scene at the High School to learn about the upcoming security upgrade

One of the five workout stations around the track at the High School

Pictographs help explain the exercises.

Here’s the flip side.

Totally gone

Free

Engineers engineering

Aftermath of last week’s fire at 521 Locust Street

Notes of encouragement

Free skids, etc. at Peerless Hardware

In need of care

Are they on the right track?

Defiant vehicle

Mosaic of some sort

School board candidates

More junk in the street

Kirklin Hammill-Torres and a ’72 Impala at Saturday’s “Cruisin’ for Cats” car show sponsored by the Columbia Animal shelter

Pollinator Friendly Garden/Bird Habitat on 10th Street

And there it is.

Soon-to-be sidewalk on Bethel

Double-parked

(The red car in the background was making a U-turn at the intersection. A few seconds later, another car came barreling through the stop sign on Second Street and made a right turn down Walnut and swerved to avoid the double-parker.)

At the offices of the former Colonial Metals

Adhesive tape works wonders.

@page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } p { margin-bottom: 0.1in; line-height: 115%; background: transparent }

Agenda – Columbia Borough Council Work Session – May 7, 2019

The 22-page council packet can be downloaded HERE.

Columbia's Taco to Go among the 12 best taco places in Lancaster County

Taco to Go offers lots of “American-Style Mexican dishes,” according to their Facebook. The family-owned business has become a favorite among those who live in Lancaster County.

Reader testimony: “Friendly service and great tasting tacos. Choice of hard or soft. Once I ate theirs, others could not compare.”

More information: 243 Locust Street, Columbia | 717-342-8095 | Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Friday | Website

https://lancasteronline.com/features/food/readers-pick-the-best-taco-places-in-lancaster-county/article_2d0d66c8-6c67-11e9-b09c-e3ddba1a8311.html

Columbia residents challenge borough's authority to lend public funds to private developers | Pennsylvania Record

LANCASTER – A group of citizens is challenging a new revolving loan program in the Borough of Columbia, arguing the borough has no authority to use public funds to make investments in private entities.

The suit filed by Columbia Concerned Citizens Association seeks to have the loan program declared invalid, and asks that the borough be required to cancel or adjust a tax increase that it enacted after creating the loan program.

https://pennrecord.com/stories/512477520-columbia-residents-challenge-borough-s-authority-to-lend-public-funds-to-private-developers

Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board Celebrates Grand Re-Opening of Fine Wine & Good Spirits in Columbia

COLUMBIA, Pa., May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) today welcomed local officials and the public to the grand re-opening of the Fine Wine & Good Spirits at 36 S. 18th St., Columbia, Lancaster County.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pennsylvania-liquor-control-board-celebrates-grand-re-opening-of-fine-wine–good-spirits-in-columbia-lancaster-county-300843057.html

First overturn of a Manheim Township student’s expulsion leaves Lancaster County school districts concerned – Blue Streak News

“The ruling in the Manheim Township case creates a situation where it becomes potentially ‘OK’ to make threatening posts or statements without fear of any consequence,” claims the superintendent of Donegal School District, Michael Lausch. Additionally, Eastern Lancaster County Superintendent, Bob Hollister, and former Columbia Borough School Board President Tom Strickler also supported the school district, saying this was not an easy decision and students should be held accountable for what they say.

http://bsnonline.mtwp.net/2019/05/02/first-overturn-of-a-manheim-township-students-expulsion-leaves-lancaster-county-school-districts-concerned/

Security upgrades coming to Columbia Borough schools via $350K grant

Columbia Borough School Superintendent Tom Strickler

The district is getting a total of $350,000 to make the changes. Superintendent Tom Strickler said that’s money that doesn’t have to come out of education funding.

https://www.abc27.com/news/local/lancaster/security-upgrades-coming-to-columbia-schools/1974135365

House fire on 500 block of Locust Street reportedly caused by unattended cooking; 3 firefighters hurt

Several fire departments and other emergency personnel responded to a house fire at 521 Locust Street at about 3:30 p.m. today. Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire that also threatened an adjoining house and another neighboring house at 523 Locust. The fire was believed to have been caused by unattended cooking. WGAL reports that three firefighters were hurt: two from electrical shocks and one from heat exhaustion.