Author: SPY

About Town 6/30/19

This week’s pics from Columbia (and beyond)

 They’re growing up. 
Compare with last week’s photos of them.
(They’re black vultures.)

 This building, once a part of the Colonial Metals operation, is FOR LEASE.

 Several-day-old trash, once again, on North 3rd (near Walnut). We understand that the borough is now starting to pick up this trash.

 Cesar (Viveros) fretting over the masterpiece
 This building on North 3rd, formerly part of Colonial Metals, and before that a restaurant, is now FOR LEASE. 

 The cause of this “traffic jam”…

 at the T intersection of Walnut and North 2nd was this double-parked and unoccupied car…

 even though ample parking was available.

 More guys at work – 5th and Locust

 Bethel Street roadwork

 Cesar and associate, adding a few finishing touches

 Vote for Hobie.

 A surveyor is surveying, but what’s that guy doing on the right?

 Nope, wrong way

 Painting the Lloyd Mifflin House on Walnut

 Fireworks for sale

Morning light

 Morning flight

 Peeking out at 401 Locust
 Two young men on a “mission”

 Details of another of our historic buildings
 The town belongs to all of us, not just a self-chosen few.

 This once read “FIRE ESCAPE.”

 There’s the fire escape (at the rear of Hotel Locust).

 Lookin’ good at 101 North Front Street, soon to be a coffee and ice cream shop

 Public Art Station at Columbia Crossing

 Fishin’ on the dock

 Pondering the next move

 Reading and relaxing

 Stars and Stripes

 Posting signs for the Antique, Art & Craft Show

 Sidewalk table at 301 Locust

 At 3rd & Locust
Why is it here?
Didn’t we have a bypass built or something?

 On track, on the tracks

 It’s a clean machine.

 Formerly Rita’s, soon to be Dunkin.

 More to do at 101 North Front

 Someone went to a lot of toil and trouble to stack these rocks at River Park.

 Most likely to help launch canoes and kayaks
(Or is it River Park Phase III?)

 He carries his own toy.

 Towers

 Nestled among the trees

 If you go far enough down Maple Street, you might end up in Wrightsville.

 MedEvac

Director B Harrison Smith addresses the audience at the premiere of The Special Friday night at the Appell Center in York.
 Most of the actors were present after the screening. The film will probably be shown on Netflix in the near future.

 Some of the scenes were filmed in Columbia, as Columbia Spy reported on HERE.
(Director Harrison Smith is pictured far right.)

There was even free popcorn provided by Popcorn Buddha on the way out.
Here are a few pics from Todd Stahl:
 Railroad tunnel

 Canada geese advancing

 The Columbia Crossing trailhead

The long and winding trail
Properly parked

CCCA to raffle off this bicycle Saturday, June 29

The Columbia Concerned Citizens Association is raffling off this red, white and blue Klinedinst Special antique ladies bicycle.

Just buy a $5 ticket at the CCCA station this Saturday, June 29, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Locust Street during the Antiques, Arts & Crafts Show

A winner will be chosen at 2 p.m.

The winner will be notified if not present.

(Proceeds help fund the Columbia Concerned Citizens Association.)

OPINION | macabre, curious, bizarre and just-plain strange … not objective at all or befitting the role of councillor. – Columbia news, views & reviews

At the Council meeting on Tuesday evening, Borough Councillor Todd Burgard stepped out of role. The councillor abdicated his role as a councillor and was granted time to speak as a citizen during the citizens’ comments of the agenda near the end of the meeting.

MORE:

https://columbianewsandviews.com/2019/06/28/macabre-curious-bizarre-and-just-plain-strange-not-objective-at-all-or-befitting-the-role-of-councillor/

Borough Council repeals Revolving Loan Fund, citing reversal by bond counsel

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY

In a unanimous vote Tuesday night, Columbia Borough Council repealed Ordinance 897, which created its Commercial Revolving Loan Fund. The ordinance was adopted by Council on March 12, 2018. The program’s stated purpose was to provide funding that will encourage the purchase, ownership and renovation of commercial and industrial buildings within Columbia, to create employment for Borough residents, and to encourage new private investment, among other goals. The ordinance provided for a total of $1.5 million for the fund.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Council President Kelly Murphy said he had intended for the general obligation fund of 2016 to fund the program, based on the understanding that the program could be funded by bond proceeds. “That’s what we were told,” Murphy said. The first indication that this could not be done, however, came from the Borough’s auditor, Sager & Swisher in its 2017 audit, presented in May 2018. As a result, the Borough’s former finance director switched the funding source to the general fund.

Murphy said Council had received guidance from its legal counsel (who authored the ordinance on Council’s behalf), from the State Attorney General’s Office, and from the bond counsel that it is not illegal to operate such programs. “However, as our bond counsel also reminded us, the second part of the equation deals with whether the funds to capitalize the loan program can be legally taken taken from the general obligation bond proceeds as we intended,” Murphy said. Bond counsel subsequently advised that bond proceeds cannot be used for the purposes of the Revolving Loan Fund, a determination that Council is taking as final, according to Murphy.

Murphy suggested that the borough actively investigate the possibility of resurrecting the revolving loan program in the future, possibly with funding through legislative grants or other resources. He also noted that Council is aware of the repeal’s effect on the Columbia Home Improvement and Home Loan program (CHIHL), which has been used by 25 new homeowners to date.

During the roll call vote, Councilman Cleon Berntheizel said, “It’s unfortunate that the bond counsel in initially starting this program gave the borough a green light, then to come back almost a year and 3/4 . . . two years, with a reversal of that decision.” Berntheizel said he hopes for a way to bring the program back, through grants or donations.

At its June 11, 2019 meeting, Council voted to transfer $53,951.10 in unused funds provided to the Community First Fund for the Revolving Loan Fund, to the general fund. There had been $300,000 set aside for the Loan Fund: $250,000 for the one loan currently in play (to Cimarron Investments LLC for Hinkle’s Restaurant) and $50,000 for another loan for which the application was withdrawn. Tuesday night, Murphy stated that the loan approved for the Hinkle’s property is “legally in place and will continue in force until such time that the loan is paid in full according to the terms of the loan agreement.” A line item for $800,000 is still in place.

The loan program was a source of controversy for many Columbia taxpayers, who saw it as a scheme to fund business interests with taxpayer revenue. A lawsuit filed earlier this year by the Columbia Concerned Citizens Association, calling for repeal of Ordinance 897, is currently still active.