A three-page agenda greeted the just under a dozen people who came to the Columbia Borough council meeting last night. Seated around the u-shaped table configured at the head of the room were the seven councillors, the solicitor, the former-borough-manager-now-contractor substituting for the acting-borough-manager-who-is-on-illness-leave-following-surgery and the borough’s assistant secretary/treasurer. Only the mayor, of the elected public servants, was absent from the meeting.

The meeting was called to order by the council president at 7:04 pm; it was adjourned at 9:40 pm.

A couple notes on some of the topics discussed follow below:

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• Three news outlet representatives, including this one, attended the meeting. Columbia news, views & reviews consistently and regularly encourages citizens to attend meetings so they can hear, see and question what’s being said during transactions. Reading reports or listening to second-hand information from someone who may have been at the meeting provides, at best, superficial and selective accounts of what actually transpired or was said. Columbia news, views & reviews does record all public meetings and offers copies of the meetings. If you want a copy of the audio recording, send an email to 17512@mail.com.

• A second financial institution representative, this one from Wells Fargo’s Ed Sarmiento, Fixed Income Institutional Sales, made a pitch to the councillors concerning the investing of funds received from the sewer sale sale. The representative stressed the importance of a conservative course of investment action and the importance of liquidity and funds availability.

• The councillors approved nearly every “consider approval of” item on the agenda following motions, votes and discussion. There’ll be a slew of “legal notices” coming in the publications of record as the councillors approved numerous ordinance revisions for consideration, review and and potential passage.

• No to “medicinal cannabis” – Council did not go along with the Pennsylvania State Association of Borough’s recommended approval. The councillors, in a 5-2 vote, reasoned that the regulation of this is not a local municipality prerogative.

• Locust Street closings, at least a couple of blocks, for Chamber of Commerce “Fourth Friday Feasts” planned for July’s and August’s Fourth Fridays.

PHOTO SOURCE: Columbia Spy

• Second Street building barricade – The chain link barricade in front of the structure in a state of possible collapse is another attempt to dissuade pedestrians from walking near the front of the building. The wooden saw horses and warning tape did not work. Now pedestrians are redirected onto Locust Street. The owner of the property’s insurance company’s contractor is supposed to have delivered documentation that will provide an immediate work plan to shore up this property by yesterday.

PHOTO SOURCE: Perfect Settings Website

• Meanwhile, the owners of Perfect Settings, patiently waited through the proceedings last night until the part reserved for citizen comments. Their next-door business is suffering significantly as potential Customers visit their venue and are totally put off by the barricades and appearance of the building next door. They asked whether the owner of the barricaded building is being more cooperative with the borough than in previous years.

The property owner of 518 North Third Street, read from a prepared script about his “dealings with the codes department” in an ongoing multi-year series of disputes with codes department personnel. His comments included claims of selective codes enforcement, citing of hostile treatment and “fleecing of Columbia’s tax payers.” Following his presentation, the former borough manager refuted the initial premise by stating the property owner had not obtained a permit before adding decking and a hot tub to his property. The councillor who is chair of the personnel committee commented that the council will look into the allegations of improper behavior.