today’s news and information gleanings from here and there!

Quote for today… “This world of ours… must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.” – Dwight D. Eishenower

• Videos from yesterday – ColumbiaPAOnline’s facebook page

• Photos from yesterday – Columbia Spy

• Anything new at the Police Department facebook page? Nope!

• Columbia’s school superintendent is one of the guest columnists in today’s LNP – Always Lancaster

• The Reading Eagle‘s series on “What our towns pay … ” offers insight into the increased cost of municipal services, especially law enforcement. Of course, the consolidation of municipalities could reduce costs, which should lower taxes, but do we want to give up the independence of little fiefdoms? Here’s an interesting perspective from the reporter about how tough it was to get the compensation information from municipalities – despite “right to know laws” – it proved to be a lengthy, seemingly adversarial process.

• The beautiful property at 1100 Chestnut property sold for $250,000; listed in DEEDS RECORDED – Lancaster OnLine

Separate planning documents for the CEDC’s Columbia’s Downtown Master Plan – The Lancaster Alliance’s Economic Development Strategic Plan – Columbia’s Economic Strategic Plan.

• Take a look at the Lancaster Alliance’s plan

• According to Agenda II, 11-a on the Columbia Borough Council Meeting of the Whole on July 27, 2015, “Janice Nikoloff of the CEDC will be doing a presentation at the Borough Council meeting on August 10, 2015 regarding the Columbia Targeted Economic Development Plan.” – There was no mention of the announced presentation at the August 10 meeting.

• CEDC strategies identified for 2Q 2015 implementation – UPDATE –
  

 

• In York County – The York Sunday News

• In Lancaster County – Lancaster Online.

• A complete listing of all inspections at food serving facilities in Lancaster, York counties and the entire state, except those in Columbia, are listed at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Website. “Inspections are a “snapshot” of the day and time of the inspection. Also, at the time of the inspection, violations are recorded but are often corrected on the spot prior to the inspector leaving the facility. Inspection results are posted as inspections are conducted, and only represent eating and drinking establishments and retail food establishments that fall under the inspection jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and those county and local health departments which have elected to post results.”

• Of course, if you’re trying to see the results of any food serving establishment in Columbia, you’re out of luck – Columbia’s codes folks choose not to share that information, if it exists, unless a right-to-know request is submitted.

• Here’s one area of consistency in the inconsistent practices of the borough’s codes department: they don’t follow the rest of the state – they use their own inspection forms and formats and they don’t share the results of the “inspections” with anyone unless you pay for them!