Since the posting of the Columbia Borough Council Meeting Agenda on Tuesday, we have been working on an abbreviated rendering of several of the issues that were discussed and deliberated at the meeting. We intended to have these thoughts collected before now, but the research has taken a bit longer.

[Editor’s Note: On the final agenda for the Borough Council Meeting, we inadvertently entered a “pen and ink” note under item 9. d. Please note the note “date conflict with previously planned event” should have been listed with item 9. c. The date conflict was in reference to the Columbia Historic Preservation Society denial of facilities of the parking lot. We apologize for this error and thank the person who brought it to our attention.]

The Market House will be open on Saturday, June 25 during the Annual Craft/Antique Show in Columbia.

“Zero tolerance” … The mayor commented about the incident that happened at the Memorial Day celebration … the published photograph in daily newspapers showing an officer pointing his weapon at a law-breaker. The mayor stated during the meeting that he has instructed the police (and fire police) to adopt a “zero tolerance” stance when someone disobeys a blocked intersection or cordoned area from now on. Officers will “get a license number.” While he did not elaborate further on the level of the continuum of force response for a violation, he did re-state the “zero-tolerance” posture that Columbia’s law enforcement officers have been directed to observe.

Citizen observations … A citizen voiced some of his concerns about how to improve perceptions about the borough from his abbreviated list. The list included:

• His concern for public safety when he saw someone drive around a parade route “road closed sawhorse” on Central Avenue.
• He asked why there was no deadline mentioned in postings for the position of police chief. The council response was that the absence of a deadline was intentional in case there was a need to re-advertise the position due to not receiving qualified responses. Re-advertising would cost more.
• The citizen noted that he was concerned about the condition of more than a few houses in Columbia; he wondered what could be done to get property owners to “clean up” their properties. (NOTE: During the mayor’s comments, he, too, made observations about “quality of life” and “deteriorated housing” concerns. Councilor Smith also delivered an impassioned plea as he recalled “watching the property in the borough decline over the past several years.”)
• The citizen also noted that more than a few properties had unsightly weeds growing in side walk cracks and wondered “what the borough could do to get property owners to clean up weeds.” The borough manager replied that codes department personnel monitor code violations and notify property owners by including the notices with sewer bills when weeds are “over 12 inches tall.”
• The citizen further observed that several tree branches from the weekend’s high winds and storm were not yet cleaned up. Council noted that the public works personnel had been working very hard to respond to this atypical storm incident.
• The citizen stated that a number of visitors would be coming to Columbia because of the spate of weekend events in the borough and in the area. He asked when the trees would be replanted along the primary business area … the two, three and four hundred blocks of Locust Street. The borough manager responded that the trees would be planted “by the fall.”
• The citizen also asked about the new lighting standards for Locust Street. The borough manager stated that PPL will be removing the current lighting and the borough will be installing new standards. He “hoped to have the new lights up by July.”
• The citizen cited that the Turkey Hill Experience will be attracting visitors to Columbia and that it is really important to have these visitors find out what else Columbia can offer them to encourage them to go to “the Chamber, Hinkle’s and other places.”
• The citizen also wondered (in light of the recent instances of extreme weather) what was the borough’s emergency preparedness for informing its citizens and for sheltering them in the happenstance of a critical incident. he recalled a preparedness drill “some 20 -30 years ago.”

Tobacco-free zones … The Committee chairperson on Property introduced a motion to designate all borough owned property as tobacco-free (no smoking, chewing, dipping or otherwise ingesting) areas. There was a good amount of councilor discussion about infringing on personal liberties; becoming “big-brother-like;” wondering whether the definition of “parks” included river park, too; how far from public buildings, etc.

The policy within the Columbia Borough School District states “Use Of Alcohol, Drugs And Tobacco – Drinking of alcohol, possessing or using illegal drugs in any form, and smoking or other use of tobacco is strictly forbidden on the school property. These restrictions apply to both indoor and outdoor areas. Violation is punishable by a civil fine for the amount announced at the commencement of the activity.”

The Pennsylvania Health Indoor Clean Air Act “already provides prohibition of smoking in a public place or a workplace and lists examples of what is considered a public place. The bill allows for some exceptions, including a private residence (except those licensed as a child-care facility), a private social function where the site involved is under the control of the sponsor (except where the site is owned, leased, or operated by a state or local government agency) and a wholesale or retail tobacco shop. It also imposes penalties for those establishments not in compliance, as well as those individuals smoking in prohibited areas.”

Because of the amount of questions, observations and concerns, the council tabled the motion and sent back to committee for more review, study and subsequent recommendation. What is your feeling about the issue of smoking and using tobacco products in/on borough-owned facilities? Give your opinion here.

Fire Department and Public Safety Consolidation …   

Councilor Barninger stressed that the public is encouraged to attend the “informational session” concerning the consolidation process on June 28 at the Columbia Jr./Sr. High School. More information about the meeting is shown at the Borough Website.

River Baptism … No fewer than a dozen members of the Ashley Tabernacle Church of God In Christ and other interdenominational groups appeared to petition the council for clearance to use the River Park for the annual river baptism ceremony on Sunday, August 14. At the conclusion of a restrained, calm “dialogue” the council approved the Council of God In Christ’s petition to conduct the annual religious event.

The spokesperson for the interdenominational churches wondered why their requests for approval were not approved. The council did inform the spokesperson that the receipt of the request happened after the last council meeting and before this one.

The group’s spokesperson asked for clarification about the timing. The council related that the request for facilities use could be made “now for next year.”

The spokesperson for the baptism ceremony groups wondered if the borough could provide for no “boater interference” of the solemn ceremony as there was last year.

(Photo from http://columbiapa17512.blogspot.com/ blog, August 11, 2010)

The issue of where parishioners could park and the placement of tents were also discussed. The spokesperson wondered why these issues have to be re-defined each year since the ceremony has been being held in the river shallows for more than 60 years.

A “google” of the issues, the ceremony and past history produced these archived newspaper articles:

Columbia congregation protests limits on baptism
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL (LANCASTER, PA.) – By Maureen Landis, Correspondent   
 August 15, 2002

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA – After members of Ashley Tabernacle performed their annual baptism ceremony in the Susquehanna River Sunday, they packed a council meeting Monday in Columbia Borough. Members of the largely black congregation protested being limited by the decision of council July 8 to use of only half of River Park’s parking spaces and boat ramp. 

“‘We are asking for only three hours’ of complete access, said church member Eugene Smith. He said the borough closes streets and the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge to allow for festivals and parades. 

“Smith said, ‘You say this is not a racial affair. It is so obvious to me that it is. It is uncalled for and you should correct the situation you have made.’ 

“Elmer Marbury, a church elder, said, ‘We have fought for things in this town. I have paid my taxes religiously every year, and all we’re asking for is three hours out of 8,760 hours a year.’ 

“Councilman Paul Resch said, ‘I apologize for the disruption. It was the wrong decision.’ 

“Council members agreed to support future efforts by the congregation, whose church is on Fifth Street, to hold the baptism. 

“Joseph Wright, council president, said, ‘I’m upset by what’s going on here. I don’t want anyone to think that this has anything to do with your church group. There is no color involved here,’ he said. ‘There’s no issue like that.’ 

“The council president said, ‘If it’s council’s wishes in the future, I will close the whole ramp and give you carte blanche, but the reverse side of that is that those boaters that are giving you the problems will be in here just as you are en masse.’

“Wright said, ‘Somewhere we were trying to strike a balance. No offense was meant to any group. It’s not about God or religion or color. It’s trying to balance your needs with the needs of everyone else. I think we’ll all take an opportunity to review it again.’ 

“Continuing demand for the river baptism should be expected. 

“‘We’ve had a 55-year tradition of baptisms in the Susquehanna River. There has not been one incident during the ceremony,’ said Stanley Lawson, district superintendent of the Church of God in Christ, the world’s largest African-American Pentecostal denomination. 

“Lawson said the state Fish and Boat Commission granted the group the use of the entire ramp and 50 parking spaces. The letter from the commission authorized 50 vehicles and 250 participants from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, with no interference. 

“He said, ‘If you let the boats go up and down while the pastor is baptizing, that’s an accident waiting to happen. That’s a suit waiting to happen,’ Lawson said. 

“The Rev. Wendell Yorkman of Ashley Tabernacle said the church requests the same date and time annually. ‘We don’t intend to go away. We intend to be here every year baptizing in that river, and we would appreciate upholding the decision to allow us to do that.’ 

“When Wright mentioned the safety factor associated with the event, Yorkman said, ‘The only safety factor has been the boats and the trucks coming down the ramp while we’re trying to baptize. We thought we had resolved this and now you come up with a new excuse. Next year what will it be?’ 

“Yorkman said, ‘The members of the (Columbia) ministerium were appalled that you would even try to desecrate our baptism services with boats coming in and out. They told me that they have had streets closed for festivals and carnivals and outdoor things.'”

Take time for baptism (editorial) SUNDAY NEWS (LANCASTER, PA.), Published: October 13, 2002 

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA – “For the last few years, (Columbia) borough council has been wrangling with the issue of whether Ashley Tabernacle’s annual baptism service ought to have full use of the boat ramp in the Susquehanna River, or whether a two-hour closing is too much inconvenience for boaters.

“This year, the solution was to force the church to share the ramp with boaters. Mayor Leo Lutz said next year, the church can use the ramp without interruption. That’s only fair. 

“We understand that boaters’ access to the river has been hampered ever since the Norfolk Southern railroad began enforcing its no-trespassing policy, but we can’t understand why a brief closing has caused such grief. 

“The baptism service has been held since 1947. Two hours once a year isn’t too great an imposition. Let the church have a turn.”