Many fire departments offer free smoke detectors to homeowners and will install them.
Columbia's department, for example, had about 100 smoke detectors donated late last year. In the wake of a fatal fire that killed two people, the borough has given them away and is working on getting more.
“Abominable” will be shown on Wednesday, January 15, at 6 PM in the Columbia Public Library Community Room. Free for all ages. No unattended children please!
In a news release, Murphy said he has joined forces with a developer from New York state, Paul Guillaro, to revive the blighted former Hotel Columbia and Hotel Locust properties on the 300 block of Locust Street.
Murphy and Guillaro will work with a local architecture firm “to create a mixed-use commercial complex with market-rate living,” the release said.
The company, 315 Locust Street LLC, has acquired the historical buildings of 307, 309 and 315 Locust Street in Columbia, PA. Mr. Paul Guillaro, one of the members of the group, is a well respected developer in New York with over forty years experience. He was looking for a partner in a growing area like Columbia when he reached out to local real estate developer, Don Murphy. Together they will be working with a local architectural firm to create a mixed use commercial complex with market-rate living. The group has been working diligently to put together a great project for this site.
“These vacant buildings have been a real example of blight in the downtown. Our love for Columbia is well known, and this is an amazing opportunity to bring these significant buildings back to life by making the architecture sustainable, dynamic, and relevant for future uses” says Mr. Murphy. “Don has experience and a proven track record with a number of successful projects in this community, restoring some well-known historical buildings. It was important to have Don on board to make this another successful project in Columbia’s revitalization.”
Assisting in the transaction was Janice Nikoloff, Executive Director of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, who owned the two former hotels at 309 – 315 Locust Street and Justin Eby of the Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority.
[Source: Press release]
Several important budget items were addressed at this week’s two Columbia Borough Council meetings.
Reopening the 2020 budget
At Monday’s reorganization meeting, council voted 5-2 not to reopen the 2020 budget.
Council Vice President Sharon Lintner made the motion to reopen the budget to find cost savings, especially in the general fund expenditures. Councilman Howard Stevens seconded. Finance Manager Kyle Watts explained there is a deadline of February 15 to finalize changes, publish them for review, and then approve them. Council President Heather Zink then read a letter recommending that items should be examined and voted on as they come up throughout the year, instead of reopening the budget. In a roll call vote, council members Zink, Eric Kauffman, Pam Williams, Todd Burgard, and Fran FritzGerald voted against reopening the budget, with Lintner and Stevens voting for it.
Urgent action items
At Tuesday’s regular council meeting, Councilman Stevens referred to an email councillors received from Finance Manager Kyle Watts containing “urgent action” items printed in red. One such item recommended creating a general fund balance reserve to ensure an excess of revenue over expenditures in the general fund.
Stevens said that after studying the budget, he came up with almost $1.8 million in potential reductions in the capital fund. In addition to the Route 462 lighting project, he suggested examining the following items:
Stevens said he believes we should not wait to look at expenses and noted that the debt service fund creation is the most urgent information he had gotten from the finance manager.
Watts said the borough definitely needs a debt services fund in 2020. He said that in order to move money into that fund he needs to know from council which projects are being entertained and the timing of those projects. The timing is very important, Watts emphasized.
Lintner said, “I feel that there’s been many items on this budget that have never been challenged and questioned as to exactly what goes into that figure.” She recommended that council take time to review the items.
Over the last month or so, citizens and officials have commented pro and con at council meetings on reopening the 2020 budget passed last December. If significant cost savings cannot be found and revenues increased this year, council will need to raise the millage rate for 2021 to make up for any shortfall in the general fund. Council narrowly avoided a millage increase for 2020 by borrowing from reserves.
Collection of the Wreaths Across America wreaths will take place in the cemetery at 9:00 am this Saturday morning Jan 11, 2020. We’ll need help gathering the wreaths and placing them next to the roads for pickup by volunteers with pick up trucks. The wreaths will then be placed in a hopper for disposal.
Columbia Spy 