We apologize | We discovered (and subsequently repaired) a bad .pdf posted with this Sunday post (It’s not the Lazy K property): Lower Locust Street (LOLO) property trans-action 

 The borough “public services” vehicle was parked on East Market Street at Cherry Street — clearly outside the designated parking space. People emulate what they see. We were at the borough hall to attend the meeting incorrectly announced in an LNP – Always Lancaster Municipal Briefs notice that a special session would be held to discuss “possible acquisition” of the property known as the McGinness airfield. The borough once planned to purchase the property but than backed off. Now, evidently, the borough council has reason to reactivate the conversation.

Upon arriving at the borough hall, we were informed that the meeting was an executive session not open to the public.

Neither Columbia news, views & reviews nor Columbia Spy reported on the executive session following the July 9 Borough Council meeting. Both Columbia news, views & reviews and Columbia Spy returned later in the evening last night to attend the Finance Committee meeting that followed. Here’s the agenda for that meeting:

On the agenda was the topic of a police department to buy  of more surveillance technology (at a cost of at least $14,000); the committee discussed the request to buy a license plate reader system.

Here are a few articles we found about license plate reader systems:

• “Pennsylvania drops vehicle registration stickers, but new tech too pricey for police” 
• “YOU ARE BEING TRACKED | How License Plate Readers Are Being Used To Record Americans’ Movements”
• “How License-Plate Readers Have Helped Police and Lenders Target the Poor | Law enforcement can access privately-collected location information about cars—and some low-income neighborhoods have faced extra scrutiny.”
• “Privacy Implications of Automatic License Plate Recognition Technology” 
• “Nowhere to Hide From License Plate Recognition |  From recouping parking fines to catching thieves, more agencies are expanding the use of license plate recognition systems and realizing their benefits.”

Last night, councillors said a primary benefit would be determining whether a vehicle is legally registered.

Anyone can do an Internet search to find our more about the pro’s and con’s of license plate readers. Interested persons can also find Websites that claim to have products that block the license plate reader. We were unable to find any substantiation for these claims.

A January 2018 WDAC radio article says, “House Bill 1811 now heads to the Senate for consideration.

In the bill, it states: “A State or local law enforcement agency or government entity that maintains an automated license plate reader system shall establish, make public and enforce a written policy governing the use of the automated license plate reader system. Use of an automated license plate reader system without adoption of a written policy under this section is prohibited.”