Author: SPY

Columbia Borough Council shakes status quo with requests for solicitor, auditor

When: Council meeting, Aug. 13.

What happened: Council voted to issue requests for proposals for five different professional services contracts, including the borough solicitor and auditor, two positions that have been filled by the same firms for several decades. Council also voted to advertise for requests for proposals for a new parking meter technician, a firm to do work on a survey of a proposed expansion of the borough’s historic district, and one to conduct a study of parking in the downtown area. Council also approved a proposal to retain Capital Construction Management to provide a cost estimate on proposed interior renovations to the Columbia Market House.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/columbia-borough-council-shakes-status-quo-with-requests-for-solicitor/article_79108c4e-bf82-11e9-aad0-6f2b1ca3d484.html

Columbia School Board president resigns abruptly; 3 new directors are chosen

 Kate Keyser (left) and Sandra Duncan were appointed to the school board at Thursday night’s meeting.

Lester Putt was also appointed to the board. Seated next to him is director Rachel Kedney, who nominated the three new appointees.

At Thursday night’s Columbia School Board meeting, it was announced that President Keith Combs resigned his position effective August 15 via a letter dated the same day. (No reason was given for the resignation.)

As a result, the board appointed Charles Leader as president and Kathy Hohenadel as vice president. Leader was formerly the board’s vice president.

The board also filled three vacancies by appointing Sandra Duncan, Kate Keyser, and Lester Putt to 3-month terms. Board Director Rachel Kedney selected the three in a single nomination. A fourth candidate, Robert Misciagna, was not nominated. The seats were open due to the resignations of Keith Combs and Jenna Geesey, and the passing of Barry Ford.

Lawmakers are talking about eliminating school property taxes. Again.

“From Columbia Borough… to Elanco, to Manheim, to Ephrata to Elizabethtown – I hear it everywhere,” Aument said in an interview in Harrisburg on Wednesday. “I don’t think there’s a district, at least in northern Lancaster County, that’s immune from passion around that topic and that issue.”

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/lawmakers-are-talking-about-eliminating-school-property-taxes-again/article_2368e464-bed6-11e9-8674-2b491a8bac2b.html

Used needles, heroin left in a makeup bag on a Carrabba's table lead to charges for Columbia woman

Caitlyn Amanda Hughes
A Columbia woman is facing charges after a Carrabba’s employee was poked with a used hypodermic needle.

The needle was left behind in a makeup bag on a table Aug. 11. The bag contained 20 used hypodermic needs, 18 of which were uncapped, police said.

There were also 16 baggies of heroin and a metal spoon inside the bag, according to police.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/used-needles-heroin-left-in-a-makeup-bag-on-a/article_a3f27e6a-bea4-11e9-bacd-b365eb6b51cb.html

THE COLUMBIA BOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS YOUR HELP TO IDENTIFY THIS MAN | Columbia Borough Police Department

The Columbia Borough Police are investigating an incident that happened in the 100 Block of South 4th Street.  The CBPD needs your help to identify the man in the attached photographs. 

Anyone with information about this suspect is encouraged to contact the Columbia Borough Police Department at 717-684-7735 or text LANCS to 847411. 
Date:  Wednesday, August 14, 2019 
Case Status: Current 
Case Type: Criminal 
Case Region: Northeastern 

https://lancaster.crimewatchpa.com/columbiapd/10552/cases/columbia-borough-police-department-needs-your-help-identify-man

Columbia Borough awarded $1.75 million matching grant (pending final application) for Market House, parking

Columbia Borough has been approved to receive $1.75 million for renovations to Columbia Market House and the creation of additional downtown parking.
The money comes from Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Grant program. Columbia’s project is one of six in the county that received a total of $4.95 million in the program’s most recent funding round.
Administered through the Office of the Budget, the grants must be matched with an equivalent or greater dollar amount from local sources — thus, in Columbia’s case, the total budget would be at least $3.5 million.
MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/state-redevelopment-grants-go-to-columbia-market-house-cleft-palate/article_0e94cf2c-bd54-11e9-9a82-bfe8fbd7e582.html

5 Lancaster County districts, IU13 receive nearly $1 million in state school safety grants

The Columbia Borough School District received the most funding within the county, with grants totaling $361,610 to replace its aging public address system, support the school resource officer position and create a visitor management system.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/lancaster-county-districts-iu-receive-nearly-million-in-state-school/article_ce0fbb8e-bd3e-11e9-b575-7bb765c4da0a.html