When: Columbia Borough Council meeting, May 14.
What happened: The McGinness Innovation Park soon will reach an important developmental milestone after council members approved submitting subdivision plans to the Lancaster County and Columbia Borough planning commissions, Derek Rinaldo, borough engineer, told council members.
Quotables: “This is a big step forward for this project,” Rinaldo said. “This subdivision plan locks down the outer boundaries of the business park.” “This is a huge moment,” said Heather Zink, council president.
Why it matters: Converting seven individually purchased lots into one area for a technology park and another for a recreation area means the borough can close on its $5 million loan and $3.3 million grant, both from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, Mark Stivers, borough manager, said in a May 22 phone call.
More info: This money will allow Columbia to install infrastructure and list parcels for sale, Stivers said in the phone call.
Details: The borough paid $1.5 million in August 2021 to buy about 58 acres of the former McGinness Airport property with plans to turn it into a business and technology center. Parcels, which will be “shovel ready,” should be available for sale in about 18 months, Stivers said May 22.
Clean audit: Columbia Borough has received a satisfactory audit report for 2023 without any listed deficiencies, said Senahid Zahirovic, a CPA and principal at Boyer & Ritter LLC. This news comes after several years of financial warnings from auditors.
Quotable: “We’re being fiscally responsible to our constituents,” Zink noted.
Financial issues: The borough failed to account for about $10,000 during the 2020 budget year. For 2021, auditors warned council members they were spending down the borough’s capital fund too quickly. The 2022 audit listed deficiencies with the borough’s financial software and noted that the capital fund had a deficit of close to $600,000.
Quotable: “When I came into office, I saw, year after year, we had a lot of audit issues,” Zink said. “We have been chipping away at them, so to have an audit where we have no deficiencies has been great.”
Improvements: Council members authorized staff to apply for a $200,000 grant to upgrade curbs and sidewalks on the 900 and 1000 blocks of Walnut Street. The money would come from the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities as part of the 2024 Community Development Block Grant Program fund, Rinaldo told council members.
More: The work would restore ramps that are not in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Rinaldo said.
Quotable: “With that being a route to school, it’s important we get them corrected,” he said.
What’s next: Council will meet at 7 p.m. May 28 at 308 Locust St. The meeting also will stream live on the borough’s YouTube channel. Go to: https://www.youtube.com/@columbiaborough9899 to access the meeting.