Author: SPY

[Source: Lancaster County Board of Elections]

The following legal notice was originally published in LNP/LancasterOnline on May 16, 2025:

PUBLIC MEETING ON CDBG NEEDS AND PROJECTS

Correction: The Planning Commission meeting will be on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.

Columbia Borough will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, as part of their regular monthly Planning Commission meeting. The hearing will be held at the Columbia Borough Hall, 308 Locust Street, Columbia, PA 17512, and will begin at approximately 7:15 PM. The purpose of this hearing is to discuss needs in the community which Columbia Borough is planning to address with funds available under Lancaster County’s Fiscal Year 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Columbia Borough Council has identified a project that it intends to submit to the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Lancaster to address one or more of the needs identified by Columbia Borough and contained in Lancaster County’s Fiscal Years 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan. Public comments or questions for consideration at the meeting will be accepted until 4:00 PM, May 21, 2025, to Steven Kaufhold, Borough Manager, via email at skaufhold@columbiapa.net or phone at (717-684-2467). The public may stream the meeting via the Borough’s YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcCBMngwpMdb1AmgtR_MlFQ. Columbia Borough Council invites affected residents, property owners, and other stakeholders to attend this meeting to identify other needs that should be addressed and to comment on the following potential proposed project(s): The request is for $200,000 in CDBG Funding for the rehabilitation of the 300 Block of Union Street. The project includes the installation of a new curb and sidewalk on both sides of the street, new ADA-compliant curb ramps, and street repaving.

A resident of Franklin Road in West Hempfield Township captured a video on his Ring camera of a bear roaming in his backyard Tuesday morning. The resident reported the sighting to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

This week’s photos of Columbia 

Click on photos to see larger sharper, images. 

Firefighters tried out new Hurst rescue and extrication tools at a training session on Monday, sponsored by MES (mesfire.com).

The “practice” cars were donated by Patriot Towing. 

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Jesus got some new flowers.

So, that’s what the P in ASAP stands for.

A killdeer dancing around in the river

Mark & Val Wines

At 208-210 Locust Street 

At 3rd & Maple

Flags at Laurel Hill 

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PennDOT workers cold-patched two potholes at 5th & Chestnut Friday afternoon. 

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Fog and high water this week 

On Sunday morning, the barricade looked like this.

(Was someone trying to make an arrow?)

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Ready to pull wire on North 2nd 

What a mess!

The nose knows. 

Well, of course, the plants are growing where the water is.

Just toolin’ along on Manor 

Outright defiance!

Painting continues at the Wrights Ferry Mansion. 

Formerly homeless

341 Chestnut St #102

New parking space

Artists at River Park 

Tree fungus

Message at 6th & Locust

Spring flowers . . .

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JB Supermarket Inc., 234 Locust St., Columbia, opening, May 7. Pass. Food facility is offering for sale: Surge Watermelon Gushers THC Gummies and Chill Out Chill Gummies THC, Delta 9 and Delta 8, that contain an unapproved additive as specified in 21 CFR 170-180 relating to food additives. Such products are under U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation and at which time CBD is not recognizable as a safe substance to be added to food. Observed raw shell eggs stored above drinks in the reach-in cooler.

Parma Pizza & Grill, 232 Locust St., Columbia, follow-up, May 7. Pass. The food facility does not maintain food employee certification records as required. The food facility has 90 days to enroll an employee in a state-recognized food safety course. Food facility does not have a certified food manager certificate for display. The ceiling in the back storage area is not finished, observed plastic draped in some areas due to ceiling leakage, and holes observed in the insulation sheets. Exposed insulation hanging from the open ceiling tiles in that food storage area in the back; repeat violation.

TRAVIS MUELLER | FOR LNP | LANCASTERONLINE

When: Columbia Borough Council meeting, May 13.

What happened: Council voted to adopt an ordinance creating a senior citizen parking program in the borough.

Background: The ordinance allows residents who are 65 or older to receive a permit for free parking in metered zones or borough-owned lots, entitling them to one hour of parking per location. Residents can apply at the borough municipal building for a Senior Citizen Parking Permit.

Quotable: “One of our big concerns with the parking meters and the parking solutions is how we can take care of our seniors that may not be able to embrace the newer technology,” President Heather Zink said, referring to the borough’s parking meters which are now primarily paid via mobile app.

Permit availability: The permit stickers, which would need to be displayed on the vehicles, have been ordered but are not yet available for distribution, Jack Brommer, police chief, said. He estimated they would be available in a month.

One permit per household: Applicants will be limited to one permit per household. Council member Barbara Fisher asked why the ordinance is limited to one per household and not one per senior citizen, saying senior couples may have more than one vehicle. Brommer said it was the decision of the working group that created the program, but did not elaborate.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/columbia-to-give-one-senior-citizen-per-household-1-hour-free-parking-per-visit-in/article_493fb8ef-58c7-45be-a327-8d5a3531ddd3.html

MORGAN HUBER | FOR LNP | LANCASTERONLINE

When: Columbia Borough school board meeting, May 6.

What happened: The school board voted 9-0 to approve a proposed final budget that will cut taxes by 3% for the 2025-26 school year.

Details: The expenses for 2025-26 are $33.7 million, an increase of 2.2% from last year. Revenue is projected at $33.2 million. The difference in revenue and expenses results in a $520,175 funding gap, which the district will close using money from its fund balance.

More: This is Columbia Borough’s first year with a decrease and the sixth consecutive year the district has not levied a tax increase.

Tax rate: The proposed real estate tax rate is 25.66 mills. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. For a house assessed at $100,000, the annual tax bill would be $2,566, down from $2,646 last year.

MORE:

https://lancasteronline.com/news/regional/columbia-borough-school-board-votes-to-decrease-taxes-by-3-for-next-year/article_ae5d41e3-6ab2-48ea-a26f-0b48b4e50582.html