Tag Archives: Joyce Davis

Harrisburg gets closer to exiting Act 47, as state body backs 5-year financial plan

May 29, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

City Solicitor Neil Grover speaks during today’s meeting of the Harrisburg Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority.

The state-appointed body tasked with overseeing Harrisburg’s finances today approved the city’s five-year financial plan, getting Harrisburg a step closer to exiting Act 47.

The Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) unanimously endorsed the city’s long-term financial plan, following some tweaks and updates from an earlier draft plan.

“I believe that working on this will allow us to take a first necessary step for the city of Harrisburg,” said ICA board member Kathy Speaker MacNett.

Next, the ICA and the city need to draft an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement, which will formally set the terms and conditions of the intergovernmental relationship. A draft should be ready by mid-June, said ICA Chairman David Schankweiler.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that he hopes the final agreement will be approved by the ICA and City Council before council goes on summer hiatus in early July. At that point, with Commonwealth Court approval, the city can formally exit Act 47, the state’s program for distressed municipalities. The city has been in the program since 2010.

The financial plan approved today had some good news in it.

Since the May 1 draft, the city’s financial picture has brightened considerably. Real estate taxes, earned income taxes, local services taxes and interest income have all been stronger than projected, adding about $1.1 million in projected revenue for 2019.

Meanwhile, projected medical expenses for this year were reduced by $750,000.

As a result, the city expects to be able to pay down its debt faster than it projected just a month ago. It also expects to have to use less of its fund balance over the five-year period.

Nonetheless, Papenfuse remained concerned over what will happen when the five-year plan period expires in 2023. At that point, the city would lose some $12 million in extra taxing authority granted by the state legislature.

If, in the interim, the state does not allow Harrisburg to continue its elevated earned income and local services taxes, the city’s options would be to slash expenses, raise property taxes or perhaps pass a home rule charter, which could allow it to recoup some of the lost taxes.

Several ICA members voiced one reservation about the five-year financial plan. They noted that projected revenues were expected to be basically flat over the period, prompting several members to advocate a strong economic development policy for the city.

“There’s a lot to be done on the economic development front,” said ICA board member Audry Carter.

Following the meeting, Papenfuse said that he welcomed all ideas and proposals from the ICA to spur economic development in the city. He also said his administration is proposing transferring money that was used to fund a city communications director to hiring an economic development director.

The communications director position has been vacant for several months after Joyce Davis left to join PennLive. The economic development director job, which had been funded by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber, has been vacant since last year when then-director Jackie Parker left.

February News Digest

March 1, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Delay in School Board Appointment

It may be months before Harrisburg residents learn who will be the newest member of the district’s school board, as a court hearing in the matter isn’t slated to take place until late April.

Court of Common Pleas Judge John McNally has scheduled an April 23 court date to hear a citizen’s group response to a petition supporting Ralph Rodriguez, a city resident who wants to fill the vacant seat.

The group known as Concerned about the Children of Harrisburg (CATCH) responded to the petition filed on Jan. 24 on behalf of Rodriguez. As part of its response, CATCH asked the court to appoint its own preferred candidate, Cornelius Chachere.

This petition response appears to have triggered a series of events that will take several months to resolve.

The parties now have until mid-March to finish their discovery processes, followed by the April 23 court hearing.

Jayne Buchwach, a member of CATCH, said that her group opted to respond to Rodriguez’s petition, as opposed to filing an original petition in support of Chachere, after they saw that Rodriguez’s supporters had filed first.

“The response states our objections,” she said. “It also tells the court—this is who we think should be on it.”

The response touts Chachere’s qualifications and, like an original petition would, asks the court to appoint him.

To add further complexity to this issue, former school board Director James Thompson also has filed a petition with the court for the seat. Technically, this makes four candidates for the seat: Rodriguez, Chachere, Thompson and Marva Brown. In their petition, Rodriguez’s supporters mention that appointing Brown also would be acceptable to them.

The board seat became empty following the Dec. 16 death of school board Director Melvin Wilson. The remaining board members, split between Rodriguez and Chachere, failed to muster a majority of five votes to replace Wilson within a 30-day time period, throwing the matter to the court.

Buchwach said that she wasn’t concerned about having only eight members on the board for an extended period.

“The board is contentious,” she said. “So, having eight there or nine there—it really doesn’t matter.”

Meanwhile, five of the nine school board seats will be up this election year. CATCH has vowed to put up its own slate of candidates for the board seats.

Fetterman Starts Listening Tour

A packed room and dozens of speakers greeted Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in Harrisburg last month, as he kicked off a statewide listening tour on the proposed legalization of recreational marijuana.

Some 300 people filed into the auditorium of the Harrisburg Jewish Community Center for the first of 67 such events, as Fetterman began to wind his way through every county in the commonwealth.

For about two hours, Fetterman listened patiently and respectfully as speaker after speaker rose either in support of or in opposition to the proposal, often sharing with him emotional stories from their lives.

One young man named Darryl said that he was arrested and jailed for possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia and now can’t find a full-time job because of those convictions.

“That’s why I’m struggling so badly, because of a stupid possession charge,” he said. “It’s time to end this.”

To that end, a few speakers recommended not only legalization but expungement of criminal records for those previously convicted.

Les Stark, executive director of Reading-based Keystone Cannabis Coalition, a pro-legalization advocacy group, said that, in Pennsylvania, about 25,000 people a year are arrested for marijuana possession.

“How many lives have been ruined in Harrisburg alone?” he asked. “Over the next 10 years, will we ruin the lives of 250,000 more Pennsylvania citizens?”

Several speakers identified themselves as users of medical marijuana, which is legal, and testified to the effectiveness of cannabis for treating their conditions.

While most attendees spoke in favor of legalization, some did not.

Several speakers said they feared that legalizing recreational marijuana would lead to greater threats to public safety—from the potential of more car accidents to the possible greater use of harsher drugs.

“My main concern is that I have a grandchild turning 16,” said one man. “My concern is that I believe recreational marijuana is a mind-controlling substance. I’m afraid for her to be driving out on the highway when some other driver’s mind is being controlled by marijuana.”

Other speakers accused the state of wanting to legalize recreational marijuana as a revenue-raising tool.

“I’m not against medical marijuana, but I am against use of recreational marijuana,” said one man. “I believe the administration just wants to create a new revenue source to tax and spend.”

Throughout the lengthy event, Fetterman said little from his seat on the stage, listening attentively as people spoke their minds.

At one point, he asked would-be speakers to allow a woman, who was holding an infant, to move to the front of the long line. The woman, who said she drove in from Hummelstown, offered a moving story about surviving AIDS then, relatively late in life, giving birth to her baby.

“Medical cannabis helped me survive by the skin of my teeth,” she said. “It can’t be denied to others.”

Illegal Guns Seized

Harrisburg police have seized hundreds of firearms over the past few years, following a department-wide push to take illegal guns off of city streets.

At a press conference last month, police lined three long tables with handguns, rifles and shotguns, which they said was a small sample of the 646 illegal weapons confiscated from 2016-18.

Capt. Gabriel Olivera said that, in 2016, city police Commissioner Thomas Carter instructed officers to focus on the epidemic of illegal weapons in the city.

“All these guns were seized mostly without officers engaging these individuals with gunfire,” Olivera said. “Our officers have shown great restraint.”

According to Olivera, 196 guns were seized in 2016, 252 in 2017, and 198 in 2018. The far majority of these weapons have been handguns.

Carter said that, even before 2016, his officers routinely seized illegal firearms. But he wanted them to be more mindful of illegally owned guns, most of which have been stolen, as they patrolled and made arrests.

“I work with these amazing men and women on a day-in and day-out basis, and I know their capabilities,” he said, referring to his officers. “It’s something the entire agency bought into.”

Olivera mentioned that, for 2018, Harrisburg had about a 10-percent drop in “Part 1” offenses, which include the most serious crimes like murder, robbery and aggravated assault, compared to 2017. He also cited a 5- to 6-percent reduction in “Part 2” crimes, such as simple assault, disorderly conduct and most drug possession offenses, which are generally considered to be less serious.

“I can’t tell you that the number of guns has reduced the homicide rate,” Carter said. “But I can tell you that it has reduced violent crime.”

Olivera said that, after police seize a stolen gun, officers try to determine the rightful owner, so it can be returned. If no owner is identified, the gun eventually is destroyed, he said.

ICA Board Complete

A Harrisburg resident and former media executive has secured the final seat on Harrisburg’s new financial oversight board.

David Schankweiler, former publisher of the Central Penn Business Journal, was appointed to the five-member Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (ICA) by state Senate Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati.

Schankweiler joins UPMC Pinnacle executive Tina Nixon, nonprofit professional Audry Carter, attorney Kathy Speaker-MacNett, and property developer Ralph Vartan on the newly created ICA, which will oversee Harrisburg’s finances for five years.

Until 2016, Schankweiler was the CEO and owner of Journal Multimedia, which published the Central Penn Business Journal and other publications. Since his retirement from the publishing industry, he has served on numerous nonprofit boards.

The board met for the first time last month for an organizational meeting.

New Police Gear

Harrisburg police last month showed off a pile of new protective gear, equipment it purchased with a grant from UPMC Pinnacle.

At a press conference, the city’s police bureau shared samples of new vests, helmets and steel plates, part of about 120 pieces of protective gear that will help protect officers from lethal, high-caliber weapons, according to police Commissioner Thomas Carter.

In total, UPMC Pinnacle donated more than $40,000 for the equipment purchase. That figure includes about $20,000 raised last June from the “3.2 to Protect the Blue” race, which was organized by UPMC Pinnacle emergency room nurses, with the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation donating much of the remainder.

“I had no idea of the dedication and love that these people showed our officers,” said Carter, flanked by UPMC nurses and Harrisburg police officers.

The new gear includes 60 helmets, 40 “body armor level 3 ballistic” protective vests with steel plates and 20 additional steel plates. The vendor, Royersford, Pa.-based Body Armor Megastore, contributed another 10 armor body vest sets.

Carter said that the need for the equipment arose last year following the death of U.S. Deputy Marshal Christopher Hill during a raid on a house in Allison Hill. The bureau realized that its helmets and vests were not adequate to protect against today’s powerful firearms, he said.

Deputy Police Chief Deric Moody said that his officers will not wear the equipment regularly, but will keep it nearby in case it’s needed.

After the press conference, Mayor Eric Papenfuse stressed that the equipment was not the full body armor “riot gear” that the bureau requested in 2017 after high-profile clashes throughout the city between “anti-Sharia” protestors and “antifa” counter-protestors. That gear was already purchased following a $68,000 allocation from City Council, he said.

Teachers Protest Pay

A sea of teachers dressed in red and carried homemade signs at a Harrisburg school board meeting last month, protesting what they perceive as unfair pay.

Hundreds of teachers flanked the standing-room-only gymnasium and wore “Red for Ed,” demanding to know why the school board denied a grievance settlement that would have raised the pay of veteran teachers.

In response, the district claimed that the pay raises would be prohibitively expensive for the struggling district, saying, in a prepared statement that “the settlement costs would run into the millions of dollars because of its continuing impact on salary costs in the district.”

At the heart of this fight is a set of intersecting problems: the Harrisburg school district’s budget issues, complaints of low pay and high teacher turnover rate. Veteran teachers demand that their pay reflect the time they’ve invested in Harrisburg schools, but the district asserts that veteran teachers are already being paid competitive wages.

“The more veteran the teacher is at Harrisburg, the more competitively they are paid under the negotiated salary schedule,” the statement read. “The board also believes that if the [Harrisburg Education] association was so concerned about the turnover problem in the district, it would have recommended that this be addressed in our ongoing labor contract negotiations where the teachers have refused to make a salary proposal after 14 months of negotiations.”

“We haven’t refused anything,” Barksdale responded. “We have to settle this before we agree on anything.”

The events culminating in the protest began in August when the Harrisburg Education Association filed a grievance against the board, claiming that veteran teachers were underpaid.

In it, they stated that the district had hired new teachers at rates higher than veteran teachers with equivalent experience, violating their contract. In January, the union reached a verbal agreement to raise the salaries of some of the lowest paid veteran teachers, but the board voted down that contract.

2019 Arts Awards Announced

Theatre Harrisburg has announced the recipients of the 2019 Awards for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region (“Arts Awards”).

Ronnie Waters, a jazz musician, arranger, composer and educator, will receive the “Award to an Individual,” and The State Museum of Pennsylvania will receive the “Award to an Organization, Company or Group.”

The awards will be presented on Sunday, June 2, in a theatrical gala at Whitaker Center in downtown Harrisburg. The event is open to the public, and proceeds benefit Theatre Harrisburg.

For more information about the awards, including banquet reservations, visit www.theatreharrisbug.com/artsawards.

Mural Fest Returns

The Harrisburg Mural Festival is returning for another round, as Sprocket Mural Works last month announced a 2019 festival.

Co-organizer Megan Caruso said that Sprocket will oversee the creation of 10 murals over 10 days, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 8. The purpose, she said, is to add density to Harrisburg’s existing “mural trail,” which runs mostly along 3rd Street in downtown and Midtown.

“We want Harrisburg to be a mural-dense city,” she said. “So, they have to be concentrated.”

Sprocket also plans to mount a mural in Allison Hill, Caruso said. The organization created 18 murals during its first mural festival, which was held in 2017.

Lobbying Contract on Hold

Maverick Strategies will need to wait until mid-month to find out if its lobbying contract with Harrisburg will be renewed.

City Council was expected to vote on a one-year, $60,000 contract with the city-based lobbying shop last month, but pulled the resolution at the start of a council legislative session.

Earlier, council had asked Maverick for detailed billing statements for their prior contract, which ended Dec. 31. That information was received just before February’s legislative session, and council needed time to review the bills, said President Wanda Williams.

“We need clarification on these invoices,” Williams said. “City Council has additional questions they want to ask.”

Williams said that they’ll request that Maverick appear at the next council work session, which is slated for March 5, with a contract vote likely at the following legislative session on March 12.

So Noted

Brooks R. Foland of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman and Goggin has been named president of the Dauphin County Bar Association for 2019. The rest of the 2019 executive committee includes Lisa M. Benzie of Navitsky, Olson & Wisneski LLP; Paula J. McDermott of Post & Shell P.C.; Scott B. Cooper of Schmidt Kramer Harrisburg; and Thomas P. Gacki of Eckert Seamans.

D&H Distributing plans to move its headquarters from Harrisburg to Lower Paxton Township later this year, it was announced last month. The century-old company will relocate from the 2500-block of N. 7th Street to a 50-acre campus near I-81.

Harrisburg University has named former professional player Alex Chu to coach its “League of Legends” e-sports team. Chu joined Giuseppe Gramano and Chad Smeltz to round out the e-sports coaching staff at the university.

Joyce Davis has left her position as Harrisburg’s communications director to take a post as the new opinion editor at PennLive. At press time, her replacement in the city had not been named.

National Association of Collegiate Esports last month announced that it had selected Harrisburg for its 2019 annual conference. The July 17-19 convention will attract 300 to 400 attendees, with most events taking place at Harrisburg University and Whitaker Center.

Wildheart Ministries is seeking skilled artists to do small art installations for its third annual Summer Project in Allison Hill, June 9 to Aug. 3. For more information, contact Serena Viera at serena@wildheartministries.net.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2156: M. & J. Rider to V. Marsico, $42,500

Bigelow Dr., 37: BSR Rental Trust to L. Pate, $67,500

Briggs St., 2018: D. Patterson to Cohen Altman Properties LLC, $40,000

Brookwood St., 2202: D. McCahan to Z. Hess, $80,000

Calder St., 517: R. Godshall to PA Deals LLC, $80,000

Crescent St., 332: Dynaspek Holdings to K. Stoute, $55,000

Croyden Rd., 2963: M. Thomas to D. Jamison, $49,900

Emerald Ct., 2450: S. Manly & J. Ebenezer to J. Gilliam, $80,000

Emerald St., 235: R. Valentine & C. Frater to R. Liddick, $35,000

Green St., 1022: Dilks Properaties of Harrisburg LLC to S. & J. Toole, $100,000

Green St., 1605: C. Frater to Fratelli Property Investments LLC, $110,000

Green St., 1609: C. Frater to Fratelli Property Investments LLC, $110,000

Green St., 2035: G. Neff & City Limits Realty to Heinly Homes LLC & W. Hoover, $55,000

Green St., 2037: WCI Partners LP to D. Ranson, $219,000

Green St., 3224: Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB & Selene Finance LP to C. Wise, $51,500

Greenwood St., 2516: W. & C. Davenport to R9 Holdings LLC, $33,000

Hoffman St., 3010: Innovative Devices Inc. to R. Wiley, $122,000

Hummel St., 250: Y. Martinus to M. Fragoso, $150,000

Kensington St., 2135: A. Segin to L. Scott, $61,000

Lenox St., 2011: R. Volcy to N. Burrell, $162,000

Logan St., 2303: M. Arnold to S. & S. Stridiron, $30,000

North St., 251: Peleton Investments to Trip Aces 251 LLC, $135,000

N. 2^nd St., 719: J&S Estate LLC to Hasan Properties LLC, $265,000

N. 2^nd St., 1937: M. Horgan to B. & A. Klinger, $201,000

N. 2^nd St., 2449: L. Lee to J. Reed & M. DePhilip, $120,000

N. 2^nd St., 2739: S. Staub & E. Adler to K. Werner & D. Neyman, $242,000

N. 2^nd St., 2953: PI Capital LLC to V. Edwards, $272,000

N. 3^rd St., 1931 & 1933: C. Frater & R. Valentine to GMG Harrisburg A LLC, $350,000

N. 4^th St., 1729: J. & E. Lonon to C. & E. Little, $142,000

N. 4^th St., 1924: Equity Trust Co. Custodian Julie Burns IRA to C. Williams, $117,500

N. 4^th St., 2030: I. Alderton to B. Russ, $87,000

N. 4^th St., 2448: A. Barber to S. Lewis, $84,000

N. 6^th St., 1002: A. Antoun to N&R Group LLC, $31,000

N. 6^th St., 2933: C. Wise to J. Ryan, $134,900

N. 6^th St., 3105: M&T Bank to K. Kissam, $52,000

N. 18^th St., 59, 61& 63: MSP Associates Inc. to Shutter Real Estate LLC, $85,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 314: D. Forney to A. Winch, $90,000

Paxton St., 1626: S. Reed to D. & B. Chisolm, $55,000

Penn St., 1933: D. Ranson to J. Hunter, $149,900

Race St., 600: D. Korlewitz to K. Douglas, $135,000

Randolph St., 1416: A. Campbell to N. Tran, $74,000

Reel St., 2742: L. Polite to W. Edgerton, $58,900

S. 13^th St., 401: N. & A. James to C., A., F. & S. Weaver, $59,000

S. 17^th St., 1112: Wells Fargo National Association to HT Properties LLC, $35,920

S. 18^th St., 1039: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to T. Bilbo & J. Seay, $42,200

S. 19^th St., 1141: Z. Robinson to PA Deals LLC, $42,000

S. 20^th St., 512: GKT Enterprises LLC to Equity Trust Co., $34,000

S. 25^th St., 448: J. & J. Nuhfer to K. & M. Stone, $100,000

S. 26^th St., 737: S. Wedemeyer to W. Quezada, $33,000

S. 27^th St., 728: E. Patterson to H. Alcantara, $33,621

S. Front St., 577: M. Kuhns to E. Stover, $138,000

State St., 1816: M. Ochoa to H. Plaza, $50,000

State St., 1900 , 1902 & 1904: D. Kapp & W. Cupp to Cassiano Properties LLC, $175,000

Wiconisco St., 523: N. McCoy & M. Gordon to Equity Trust Co., $42,000

Wiconisco St., 623: V. Rivas to L. Cruz & I. Perez, $55,000

Wyeth St., 1405: J. & M. Reis to L. Stamm, $115,000

Harrisburg property sales for January 2019, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Harrisburg installs more signs to warn of dangerous Dock Street Dam

August 22, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda

The Dock Street Dam in Harrisburg

Harrisburg is installing additional signage to warn boaters of the dangers of the Dock Street Dam, the city announced today.

City spokeswoman Joyce Davis said that two warning signs have already been installed along the lower river walk on the east bank of the Susquehanna River. One is located about 200 feet upriver from the dam, and the other about 100 feet downriver.

The signs are intended to warn boaters of the dangers of the nearby low-head dam, which has led to numerous accidents, including fatalities, over the years.

Another sign has been installed on the walking path leading down from the parking area under the I-83 bridge, where a boat launch is located. Moreover, the city plans to install two more signs on the west bank of the river once waters recede enough to do the work, Davis said.

The announcement comes on the same day that 26-year-old Cody Binkley of Palmyra was arraigned on numerous felony and misdemeanor counts in the deaths of his girlfriend and daughter.

Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo said that Binkley, travelling upriver from Middletown, deliberately and recklessly steered a small Jon boat directly into the concrete dam on the night of May 7, capsizing the craft and leading to the two drowning deaths.

Already, there are numerous reflective signs in the river warning boaters of their proximity to the dangerous dam. The new signs, though, are along the riverbanks.

It’s estimated that some two-dozen people have died in accidents at the 3,800-foot-long, four-foot-high dam since its construction a century ago.

To Zero: “Vision Zero” aims for no auto-related deaths in Harrisburg.

April 30, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

A past accident at Front and Forster streets in Harrisburg.

Car crashes are falling across Pennsylvania, but they’re on a dramatic rise in Harrisburg.

Vehicle-related fatalities have quadrupled in the city in the last four years, according to PennDOT data, rising from two deaths in 2013 to eight deaths in 2017.

City officials say enough is enough. Harrisburg is adopting a new vehicle safety policy, “Vision Zero,” which aims to eliminate vehicle-related deaths within the next decade, city Engineer Wayne Martin said today.

The city is also undertaking a rapid-response study to improve transportation safety on State Street, the site of five pedestrian deaths in the past 17 months.

Martin couldn’t say what’s caused the rash of pedestrian deaths in Harrisburg, but he hopes the Vision Zero plan will help the city find an answer. He cited reporting from PennLive and TheBurg as an impetus for the city’s new scrutiny on its vehicle safety policies.

“We really have to figure out what’s going on,” Martin said. “The stats are really bad for Harrisburg.”

The Vision Zero policy, which has been adopted by such cities as Bethlehem and Philadelphia, represents a data-driven approach to curtailing vehicle accidents and improving pedestrian and cyclist safety. Harrisburg’s plan will consist of a public outreach and data-gathering period to determine hot spots for crashes and potential danger zones.

Martin said that the city has isolated patches of data from traffic studies. This more ambitious data-gathering project will help the city compile a comprehensive profile of its roadways and traffic patterns, he said.

Project leaders will combine data from official sources, such as hospitals and PennDOT, with input from residents. Martin said that the city needs citizens to report areas with reckless driving to help identify potential danger zones.

“Near-misses and reckless driving are things that don’t show up in police reports,” Martin said. “Lots of municipalities have outreach efforts where residents can record risky behavior.”

The data collected over the next four months will lead to official recommendations and, eventually, to changes in city infrastructure and policy, Martin said. He expects public outreach to take place at every step of the way.

“Nothing will be implemented without community input,” said city Communications Director Joyce Davis.” “There will be outreach and meetings, lots of opportunities for people to dialogue and discuss this.”

Those changes could include adjustments to the size of traffic lanes or the addition of bike lanes or transit lanes on busy thoroughfares.

Martin couldn’t comment on potential changes to police enforcement under the Vision Zero plan. He noted that the Police Bureau is perennially short-staffed and that the city could qualify for grants to fund additional police presence on dangerous roadways.

City officials are finalizing a $335,000 contract with McNees Wallace & Nurick to implement the Vision Zero plan and undertake the State Street study. The budget includes a $94,000 public outreach component that will be conducted by Eluminat, a Washington, D.C.-based firm.

The funds for the project will come from the city’s general fund, Martin said.

Cops & Community: Harrisburg introduces its community policing team.

April 3, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg police Cpl. Josh Hammer and new community policing coordinator Blake Lynch

“Less suit and tie, more jeans and Jordans.”

That’s the message that Blake Lynch wants to send to the public as he settles into his new role as the Harrisburg Police Bureau’s community policing coordinator, a civilian position that he assumed on March 26.

Lynch will share his title with Cpl. Josh Hammer, the officer who has been leading Harrisburg’s community policing program since David Botero vacated the civilian coordinator position last June. Lynch and Hammer said that Botero did not have a designated police officer counterpart, but they hope that their new partnership will let them cover even more ground in the city.

“This is a clear sign of how important the community is to our mayor and our police commissioner,” said Joyce Davis, Harrisburg’s director of communications. “No mission more important than making sure we have the trust of the community, and now we have two people assigned to build that up.”

As the civilian community policing coordinator, Lynch is charged with building trust in the city’s Police Bureau by serving as a liaison between the police and the public. He said he’s spent the first week of his tenure acquainting himself with different neighborhood associations and nonprofit groups across the city.

Soon, he hopes to start building rapport with residents and neighborhoods that might have a distrust of the police.

“I’m not a police officer, but I have the full backing of the police department,” Lynch said. “As people continue to establish trust with us… I hope we can close more cases.”

“Blake will be able to communicate and get into groups that might have a trust breakdown,” Hammer added. “If they don’t feel comfortable coming to us, we hope they will feel comfortable with Blake.”

Ultimately, Hammer and Lynch hope that a comprehensive community policing program will generate tips, cultivate informants and even cut down on crime. Lynch hopes to partner with local non-profits to create youth engagement programs, which would be aimed at reducing criminal mischief and juvenile crime.

“Our job is to make it easier for our patrol officers,” Hammer said. “If we build relationships and earn trust, it’ll help us down the road.”

Hammer said that there are no immediate plans to assign more officers to the community policing division.

February News Digest

February 28, 2018 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

CRW Releases Infrastructure, Rate Plan

Capital Region Water last month announced plans to spend more than $315 million over the next 20 years upgrading the city’s antiquated sewer system, which will bring Harrisburg into compliance with federal guidelines and carry a cumulative 150 percent increase to water and sewer rates.

Known collectively as the City Beautiful H2O plan, the improvements come following years of deferred maintenance to Harrisburg’s centuries-old combined sewer system. CRW says the updates will reduce sewer discharge into natural waterways, enhance sewer efficiency, and improve neighborhoods through the implementation of green storm water management systems.

The improvements also will significantly raise the rate burden for city households. The draft plan includes an extensive affordability assessment that helped CRW set rate projections for the duration of the project. The analysis concluded that many CRW ratepayers have significant financial limitations that preclude aggressive rate hikes.

As a result, CRW decided to seek the lengthiest improvement schedule permitted by federal environmental agencies, giving the authority 20 years to complete the projects. Water and sewage rates are set to increase by a cumulative 150 percent over that time period.

The rate increases will be most dramatic in the next decade, with annual 10 percent hikes projected from 2019 to 2022. After reaching a 106-percent cumulative increase in 2027, rate hikes will level off to just 2 percent a year from 2027 to 2038.

CRW set rates so that an average household will not spend more than 2 percent of its annual income on water, but households earning less than the median income could face significant burdens

“It is anticipated that there will still be affordability issues for some customers within the City, with some customers experiencing wastewater and storm water costs as a percentage of income exceeding 3.0 percent,” the report says.

The draft plan is part of CRW’s response to a partial consent decree it negotiated with the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection in late 2014. Earlier that year, the EPA alleged that sewage runoff in Harrisburg violated the federal Clean Water Act and PA Clean Streams Law.

Like many old cities, Harrisburg has a combined sewer system, in which storm drains connect to the same sewer system as toilets and showers.

When it’s not raining, all the contents of the sewer system flow to a treatment plant on Cameron Street, where they are cleaned and then discharged into the Susquehanna River. But heavy rain can cause the system to overflow, sending untreated water into the river and Paxton Creek.

Under state and federal environmental laws, Harrisburg would have faced financial penalties for those runoff incidents. After a year of negotiations, the EPA agreed to spare the city financial penalties as long as CRW agreed to update its long-term plan for the city’s sewer system.

A public meeting on the proposal is slated for March 1, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Camp Curtin YMCA.

Fight Against Dogfighting

Citing concerns over animal welfare and illegal gambling, Harrisburg is asking its residents to help stop a scourge of illegal dogfighting.

City communications Director Joyce Davis announced last month that Harrisburg obtained a $20,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to launch a public information campaign about dogfighting. So far, city officials have purchased ads on Facebook that explain the warning signs of dogfighting and ways to report it to law enforcement.

Davis said that the campaign did not arise as a response to a single incident or spate of reports. Rather, it seeks to curb an on-going animal abuse problem that also enables illegal gambling.

“We want to stamp this out,” she said.

The issue of dogfighting came to the fore locally in June 2017, when Harrisburg police officers staged a raid on a dogfighting ring on S. 14^th Street. Since then, the bureau has issued charges on three counts of illegal dogfighting in the past year, as well as one count of possession of dogfighting paraphernalia, according to animal control officer William Sandstrom.

If city residents suspect dogfighting, they can call 311 from within city limits to report it. Reports that result in charges are eligible for a $5,000 reward from the Humane Society of the United States.

Zembo Shrine to Sell

The historic Zembo Mosque and Shrine is set to sell after almost one year on the market.

The 65,000-square-foot property at Division and N. 3rd streets will be sold to Arkansas-based TempleLive LLC, which plans to operate the building as a meeting, gathering and performing arts venue, said city communications Director Joyce Davis.

“The goal is to make it a more culturally active space,” Davis said

TempleLive currently owns two Masonic temples similar to Zembo, one in Cleveland and one in Fort Smith, Ark. The company runs both properties as multi-purpose event spaces, according to the venues’ websites.

Mike Brown, vice president of acquisitions for Beaty Capital Group, TempleLive’s parent company, expects the sale to close at the end of March or beginning of April. He hopes the site will be operational by the fall.

Zembo went on the market in February 2017 with a $950,000 asking price. Davis could not confirm the property’s final sale price, which was reportedly reached at a special meeting on Jan. 11.

The deal includes 396 parking spaces adjacent to the building.

Since its opening, Zembo has been home to the Shriners, a fraternal organization affiliated with the Freemasons. The Shriners continue to meet there, but the group’s declining membership, coupled with the building’s high operating costs, forced them to sell the historic property.

Zembo was constructed in 1930 in a Moorish Revival architectural style. The building features interior arches, hand-painted motifs and ornate stone detailing. It houses large meeting rooms and a theater with a 2,500-seat capacity.

Youth Center Approved

The Harrisburg City Council last month approved the expansion of a teen center in North Allison Hill, which will double the facility in size.

Bethesda Mission plans to renovate an old printing plant on Herr Street adjacent to its current Youth Center, adding a full-size gymnasium, classrooms, office space and an event hall with a full-service kitchen.

The result will be a full-service community center with classes and amenities for all age groups, said Cindy Mallow, director of development at Bethesda Mission. The current youth center only serves children and teens.

“We’re hoping to involve families and expand out into the community even more,” Mallow said.

Bethesda Mission hopes to break ground on the $2.8 million project this summer and finish it by the end of 2018, Mallow said.

Bethesda Mission has operated its teen center from a former fire station at 1428 Herr St. since 1990. It purchased the former Kurzenkabe Press facility at 1424 Herr for $275,000 in 2015, according to Dauphin County property records.

The 10,000-square-foot space needs extensive renovations, Mallow said, including an overhaul of its HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems. Contractors will also raise the ceilings to accommodate the gymnasium and construct a connection between the print facility and the youth center.

Since Bethesda Mission announced its plan to renovate the printing facility back in 2015, it has raised more than $1.5 million from the community and private foundations, including $600,000 from the York-based Stabler Foundation.

The expansion will also allow the mission to double or triple the enrollment in its after-school program and summer programs for youth, Mallow said.

“There’s just a need for a place for the kids to go,” she said. “Our center gives them the opportunity to be with other kids and have a mentor.”

Grant Input Sought

Is there a nonprofit that’s doing good in your neighborhood?

That’s one of the questions that city administrators will pose at a public meeting this month, as Harrisburg begins to chart its priorities for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money over the next five years.

CDBG funds are allocated annually to organizations that help build community and stabilize neighborhoods in low- and moderate-income areas. The city received $1.9 million last year and expects the same this year, according to city communications Director Joyce Davis.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which disburses CDBG money, requires each municipality receiving grants to have a “consolidated plan” describing its development priorities and goals.

Harrisburg’s current three-year plan is set to expire in September. Roy Christ, Harrisburg’s director of Building and Housing, said that development projects started during Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s first term require a new plan with a longer duration.

In past years, CDBG funds have supported organizations such as the Heinz-Menaker Senior Center, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Harrisburg, the Latino Hispanic American Community Center and MidPenn Legal Services.

City departments can also apply for grants. Last year, the Harrisburg Police Bureau received $90,000, which paid for a community policing van and helped launch the police cadet program.

For this planning cycle, Christ said Harrisburg hopes to target projects in “tipping point” neighborhoods.

“These are neighborhoods that need a bit of help to bounce back and become self-sustaining,” he said.

City residents can contribute input at the public meeting or through an online survey. The meeting will be held on March 5 at Jackson-Lick Tower at 5:30 p.m.

Strawberry Square Apartments

Harrisburg City Council last month gave the green light to another set of apartments inside Strawberry Square.

Council unanimously approved a land development plan submitted by Brad Jones, CEO of Harristown Enterprises, which will convert vacant office space in Strawberry Square into 13 apartment units. The project will add to the 24 apartments already inside Strawberry Square, the result of a 2016 office-to-residential conversion by Harristown.

It’s also the third project that Jones has put before council just this year, as, in January, council approved two other downtown projects proposed by Harristown: a new office building on S. 2nd Street just off Market Square and a small office-to-residential conversion at 221 N. 2nd St.

Approval came despite recent statements from some council members that they are concerned about affordable housing in the downtown district.

Earlier in the month, Jones defended his pricing structure, telling council that 15 percent of Harristown’s apartment units could be rented by someone with an annual income of just $25,000 to $40,000 a year, while another 40 percent could be afforded by someone with an average income of $60,000 a year.

Council has not proposed any plans to regulate rents in Harrisburg. In January, however, council President Wanda Williams said that she would continue to monitor housing development and advocate for affordable options.

Comp Plan Chugs Forward

The Harrisburg Planning Commission last month made plans to advance the city’s comprehensive plan towards completion, a process that could last into the summer.

City officials and business developers excoriated the plan at a meeting in January, saying it limited the discretion of private property owners. Mayor Eric Papenfuse called the document “unsalvageable” and urged the commission to reject it in favor of a plan proposed by the city.

Last month, though, commissioners hardly mentioned the planning document submitted by the city, except to ask if and when it had been published online.

“We’re moving ahead with our product,” said commissioner Vern McKissick, referring to the document that the commission developed with local architect Bret Peters and his assistants at the Harrisburg-based Office for Planning and Architecture.

The commission will host monthly workshop meetings for the next three months to incorporate public feedback and professional advice into the draft document, which is published online at BeHBG.org. They hope to reengage some of the consultants that Peters hired while drafting the plan in 2015 and 2016.

To do that, however, they’ll need to secure additional funding. They already have $10,000 allotted by City Council in the 2018 city budget, but McKissick said they will likely need more to consult with subcontractors and see the plan to completion. Commissioners will evaluate grants and other funding opportunities at a workshop later this month.

Spradley Chosen for School Board

The Harrisburg school board last month selected Tyrell Spradley, a tax consultant and former city treasurer, to serve an appointed term until 2019.

Spradley replaced Matt Krupp, a board director who resigned in January to serve as Dauphin County prothonotary.

After two rounds of voting, the board picked Spradley over three other candidates: newcomer Mariah Rodriguez and board veterans James Thompson and Kia Hansard.

In his interview before the board, Spradley touted his financial background and his two years of experience working in the district’s accounting department. He said he thinks many of the issues facing the district can be resolved, given the improved fiscal health he has seen since he worked as a district accountant.

“A lot of the issues I see are administrative issues, communication,” Spradley said. “Money isn’t a problem like it was before. We’re stronger now and have a stronger administration.”

Spradley joins the board as it braces for a number of contentious discussions, including the annual budget process and the expiration of Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney’s contract this June. The board must decide soon whether it will renew Knight-Burney’s contract or open an application process in which she may participate.

So Noted

AAA Central Penn last month named Jodie Daubert as its new president and CEO. In this position, Daubert will lead the nine-county club composed of 290 employees serving 11 offices. She succeeds David Meckley, who served as interim CEO.

Brandalynn Armstrong, co-owner of Harrisburg-based Zeroday Brewing Co., has been elected to the Brewers of Pennsylvania board of directors. The trade association works to protect and promote the brewing industry in the state.

Excel Interior Concepts & Construction last month announced two new hires. Thomas Fogie joined the Lemoyne-based company as project coordinator, and Alicia Mirando came on as designer.

The Harrisburg Senators last month signed a two-year extension with the Washington Nationals, their player development agreement now extending through 2020. The Senators are the Nationals’ AA-affiliate Minor League baseball team. Separately, the Senators announced that Dan and Michael Schwab, co-presidents of Harrisburg-based D&H Distributing, along with their sister, Amy Silfen, have joined the team’s ownership group as minority owners.

S&T Bank has named Jeffrey Scoutelas as vice president, private banker for central Pennsylvania region. Scoutelas, a graduate of Lynchburg College, has 12 years of private banking and management experience in the area, said the company.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 2155: L. & D. Sandoe to M. Macas & C. Pulla, $55,500

Boas St., 1826: Z. Weist to S. Henry, $59,900

Brookwood St., 2448: Wilmington Savings Fund Society to HT Properties LLC, $35,500

Capital St., 907: A. Sheaf to E. Ashenfelder, $148,000

Capital St., 1200: 8219 Ventures to R. & C. Steele, $76,000

Croyden Rd., 2951: K. & M. Zinn to A. Smith, $70,000

Derry St., 1433: A. Vaughn to Aum Investments LP, $32,000

Derry St., 1901: L. Nguyen to T. Nguyen, $150,000

Derry St., 2022: M. Khatoon to A. Saeed, $30,000

Emerald St., 226: C. Shokes to HBG Rents LLC, $210,000

Forster St., 1815: Blackscotch LLC to C. Burke, $50,000

Green St., 914: P. Vanitem to C. Williams, $138,900

Green St., 1401½: C. & C. Kellar to R. & F. Armetta, $80,000

Green St., 1623: S. Vemula & M. Chada to B. Golper & J. Wu, $132,000

Green St., 3118: US Bank NA Trustee & PA Housing Finance Agency to Hawk Vesta LLC, $65,750

Hale Ave., 436: M. Davis to J. Sayed & S. Sherin, $40,000

Hanna St., 103: S. Brown to DLK Properties LLC, $63,500

Harris St., 434: Alta Reo LLC to B. Parfitt, $83,000

Herr St., 1001: Harsco Corp. to Capital Region Economic Development Corp., $505,000

Hanover St., 1312 and 1283 & 1285 S. 13^th St.: Y. & C. Lee to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $50,000

Hoffman St., 3131: G. Hanslovan to O. Perry, $63,000

James St., 1315: J. Brinks & C. Wise to S., J. & N. Kindler, $95,000

Kensington St., 2101: Nationstar Mortgage LLC to HT Properties LLC, $48,500

Kensington St., 2103: PA Deals LLC to L. Myers, $65,900

Lawton St., 1416: M. Maloney to J. Foote & R. Tompkins, $429,500

Luce St., 2365: T. Nguyen & H. Truong to M. Phan, $30,000

Maclay St., 332: S. Hite & L. Ware Jr. to JTA Consulting Group LLC, $51,000

North St., 1836 & 1838: Reyart Properties to B. & R. Lomax, $72,000

N. 2^nd St., 1404: Tang Liu Realty LLC to C. Albers, $121,000

N. 2^nd St., 2323: M. Horgan & CR Services Inc. to A. & A. Mathew, $147,500

N. 2^nd St., 3118: P. & M. Rowan to D. Inghilterra, $203,000

N. 2^nd St., 3303: C. Myers to J. Myers, $90,000

N. 4^th St., 2735: S. Patrick to T. & L. Lydell, $107,900

N. 6^th St., 3111: R. & S. Hopkins to C. Morel, $62,000

N. 13^th St., 142: J. Forsyth LLC to 37 Estate LLC, $41,000

N. Front St., 1125: D. & J. McEnany to RMK Management Group LLC, $233,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 301: W. Cohen to W. Krenz & P. Meehan, $135,000

N. Front St., 3029: Pumphouse Partners LP to BXF Real Estate LLC, $450,000

Penn St., 1324: D. Stridacchio to S. Olsen, $117,000

Penn St., 1715: BencMarq Holdings LLC to Fratelli Property Investments LLC, $116,000

Race St., 568: R. Hunter to E. Fultz, $157,968

Rolleston St., 1239: G. Neff to J. McCloud, $45,000

Seneca St., 330: J. Runion to M. Saldana & R. Zavala, $87,500

S. 14^th St., 1418: R. Scott to City of Harrisburg, $52,000

S. 14^th St., 1422: G. Neff to City of Harrisburg, $48,500

S. 14^th St., 1424: C. Gamble to City of Harrisburg, $45,000

S. 14^th St., 1433: Z. Owens to City of Harrisburg, $51,000

S. 14^th St., 1440: G. Neff to City of Harrisburg, $51,000

S. 19^th St., 850: S. & N. Fulginiti to City of Harrisburg, $60,000

S. 23^rd St., 616: R. Bowers to D. & N. Gonzalez, $89,900

S. Front St., 601: A. Poindexter to R. & L. Firestone, $174,900

State St., 1504: A. Sandoval to 77 Estate LLC, $37,000

Susquehanna St., 1612: K. O’Neill & PA Housing Finance Agency to T. Weaver, $146,500

Susquehanna St., 1723: G. Neff to J. Hirt, $104,000

Valley Rd., 2308: L. & N. Eikenberry to Bean GST Trust II, $218,000

Washington St., 103: R. Bray to Q. Tran, $32,000

If you see something, say something: City campaign targets dog fighting.

February 12, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg animal control officer William Sandstrom addresses reporters at City Hall on Monday.

Citing concerns over animal welfare and illegal gambling, Harrisburg is asking its residents to help stop a scourge of illegal dogfighting.

City communications director Joyce Davis announced on Monday that Harrisburg obtained a $20,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to launch a public information campaign about dogfighting. So far, city officials have purchased ads on Facebook that explain the warning signs of dogfighting and ways to report it to law enforcement.

Davis said that the campaign did not arise as a response to a single incident or spate of reports. Rather, it seeks to curb an on-going animal abuse problem that also enables illegal gambling.

“We want to stamp this out,” she said.

Davis and Sandstrom both said that, aside from the charges issued by police, it’s hard to gauge the prevalence of dogfighting locally.

“It’s significant enough that the state would issue a grant,” Davis said. “It’s very underground, so it’s hard to give statistics.”

In the winter, most dogfights take place in basements, warehouses or garages, Sandstrom said. Residents should report an unusual number of people congregating in an abandoned space. Sandstorm also said that fights will elicit high-pitched squeals from animals, not aggressive barks.

An increasing number of dogfights are impromptu, according to Sandstrom. These fights do not attract large crowds, but are held when owners encounter each other in the street and let their animals fight.

Sandstrom said that residents should report any dog owner whose animal has severe scarring, cropped ears or a shortened tail, all of which indicate abuse and possibly fighting.

Sandstrom said that animal patrol officers might encounter dogfights on regular patrols, but stressed the importance of citizen reporting.

“Our goal is to bring people out and get them to call 311,” Sandstrom said about the city’s new campaign.

Davis said that community response to the campaign, still in its nascent stages, has been overwhelmingly positive. The city plans to expand the messages to billboards in the spring.

“Our community cares about this issue, we will work to wipe it out,” Sandstrom said.

Community Comment: HBG communications director reacts to Burg blog post, defends outreach effort.

February 8, 2018 | by Joyce Davis

Editor’s Note: Harrisburg Communications Director Joyce Davis issued the response below to a blog post published yesterday by TheBurg’s city reporter Lizzy Hardison, “Say What You Mean.” The blog concerned the city’s communication of a “community debriefing” at Hamilton Health Center on Tuesday night, specifically about whether the general public was permitted to attend the event, which addressed recent police-involved shootings. This response originally was an email sent this morning to TheBurg from Davis. She said that this email should be used as her official response. To better understand the context, please read the original blog post. TheBurg welcomes responses to our stories.

Joyce Davis’ response:

You had some inaccuracies in your blog today that I hope you will correct.

First, your news colleagues saw the information I posted information about the community meeting on Next Door and in other Social Media. The information clearly explained the nature of the meeting and that the media would not be allowed to participate.

While you indicated we had no direct contact with the media, that is incorrect. I was in direct contact with several news outlets and spoke directly to those who called, including Porcha Johnson, Logan Wilson and Mark Hall. In fact, Mark had been assigned to go to the meeting, but after speaking to me, explained to his editors that he should not go. Logan talked to me several times about the event.

Again, these good reporters saw the information I posted on social media and took time to contact me to discuss. I’m not sure why you didn’t see it, but I would suggest you follow the city’s on Twitter, Next Door and on its Facebook page and that you set up alerts so that you know when things are posted.

Here’s what was posted on social media and that your colleagues distributed to the public,

(I have placed in bold the pertinent information about the event and in red the alert to the news media):

Message from the Harrisburg Bureau of Police

Director of Communications Joyce Davis from City of Harrisburg · 5d ago

In the recent weeks, residents of the area of 17th Street, Mulberry Street, and the surrounding community have been witness to disturbing incidents. The Bureau of Police has invited the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team to Harrisburg.

The Keystone Crisis Intervention Team is a state crisis team that responds to crime related events to support crime victims, witnesses and communities in the recovery of an incident. The Bureau of Police of the City of Harrisburg invites you to a community gathering on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 at 6 pm at the Hamilton Health Center located at 110 South 17th Street.

The purpose of the meeting is to talk about reactions and responses to what has happened in your community. It is to support you and your neighborhood. It is not to investigate, review, or assess the events that have taken place. In addition, a resource table and staff members from several agencies will be there to offer resources.

Although the media may know about the gathering, they will not be permitted to participate.

We welcome your attendance.

Burg Blog: Say what you mean.

February 7, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

Hamilton Health Center on S. 17th Street.

At their bi-monthly work session in city hall last night, City Council members heard an hour-long presentation from members of Harrisburg’s communications department. Led by Director Joyce Davis, the department’s employees laid out their strategies for connecting with Harrisburg citizens in person and through social media.

I planned to miss the presentation so I could attend a meeting across town. Ironically, that event provided perfect case-study in how not to communicate with city residents.

Last Friday afternoon, city employees began announcing a “community de-briefing” to be held this Tuesday at Hamilton Health Center, following a series of tragic incidents that took place nearby. These incidents included an apparent suicide-by-cop that left Ahmed El-Mofty dead on Dec. 22, as well as a Jan. 18 raid by the U.S. Marshal Fugitive Task Force. That raid ended tragically when police fatally shot Kevin Sturgis after Sturgis opened fired on officers, killing Deputy U.S. Marshal Chris Hill.

Tuesday’s event was billed as a community gathering where residents could discuss the killings and learn about community resources to cope with trauma. The police had invited members of the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team to participate, as well.

It turns out that the crisis team members weren’t just participating in the meeting, but leading it. And the meeting wasn’t so much a “de-brief” as it was a group counseling session for the residents most closely affected by the violent events. That’s a good and admirable mission. But it came as a surprise to some of the 30 residents who attended last night. Those who weren’t Mulberry St. residents were allegedly asked to leave before the meeting began. Some left frustrated, claiming they weren’t informed of the true purpose of the event.

Looking back at messages from official city channels, one can see how those residents misunderstood the purpose of the meeting. These miscommunications ended up clouding a well-intentioned event. Here are three ways that can be avoided in the future.

Call it what it is.

I first learned about this event after a senior police official tweeted out this listing on Crimewatch, a website that police use to make public announcements:

Click to enlarge.

Since I cover city government, I try to attend any meeting announced by a city agency. After I arrived at Tuesday’s event and took a seat, I was asked to leave. Facilitators from the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team informed me it was a private session for the residents of Mulberry Street. Later that evening, after other residents who were asked to leave vented their frustration on Facebook and Nextdoor, I realized I wasn’t the only person who learned this on the spot.

I doubt that any of those residents intended to invade a private event. I’m sure many (including myself) would have stayed home if they knew it was a session for just Mulberry Street residents. But if that were the case, that’s how the event should have been advertised – not as a “de-briefing” or a “meeting,” as a closed-door counseling session. Which brings me to my next point.

If the event isn’t for the whole city, don’t advertise it to the whole city.

If the intended participants were residents of two or three city blocks, knock on their doors or leave them mailbox fliers. Don’t post an event listing to surrounding neighborhoods on Nextdoor or publicize it on Crimewatch. And definitely don’t tweet out reminders like this one, which reads as an open invitation to any resident who sees it:

All of the messages from the city characterized the event as a community meeting — not a closed-door counseling session for specific residents. If the city wants praise for providing these important services to residents, officials should hold the event quietly and release details about it after the fact.

If media aren’t allowed in, communicate with them directly.

City officials publicized the community gathering on different social media platforms, but the messaging wasn’t consistent. The post on Crimewatch said nothing about media access. The press release that Davis posted on Nextdoor hinted at it, but still wasn’t explicit. It said that, “although the media may know about the gathering, they will not be permitted to participate.”

Now we know that media won’t be allowed to “participate.” But are they allowed to enter the event or observe it? For future gatherings like this one, city officials should communicate directly with their contacts at PennLive, TheBurg, WITF and local TV news stations to explain the rationale.

I think everyone commends the city’s effort to help residents cope with trauma. More residents stand to benefit from the services offered on Tuesday night, and I hope that the city continues to sponsor similar events in the future. But I also hope that the city communicates the purpose of those events clearly and to the right people. That would save officials some of the ill will expressed by excluded residents on Tuesday night.

Grant Plan: Harrisburg seeks input for next 5 years of HUD funding

January 31, 2018 | by Lizzy Hardison

CDBG funds enable neighborhood improvement projects in low- and moderate-income areas.

Is there a nonprofit that’s doing good in your neighborhood?

That’s one of the questions that city administrators will pose at a pair of upcoming public meetings in February and March, as Harrisburg begins to chart its priorities for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money over the next five years.

“We planted a lot of seeds in these past few years,” Christ said. “We want to drive our roots deeper, because the projects we’re doing now are going to come to fruition in the next five years.”

City departments can also apply for grants. Last year, the Harrisburg Police Bureau received $90,000, which paid for a community policing van and helped launch the police cadet program.

For this planning cycle, Christ said Harrisburg hopes to target projects in “tipping point” neighborhoods.

“These are neighborhoods that need a bit of help to bounce back and become self-sustaining,” he said.

City residents can contribute input at public meetings or through a forthcoming online survey. The meetings will be held on Feb. 20 at the Latino Hispanic American Community Center and March 5 at Jackson-Lick Tower, both at 5:30 p.m.

Christ and Jackie Parker, director of Community and Economic Development, hope that public input will help the department determine which neighborhoods need investment in the next half-decade and which nonprofit groups can help them achieve those goals. The city’s five-year plan won’t dictate which groups will get funding in the future, but it will outline broad development strategies that will guide the city’s allocations.

CDBG funds vary year to year, which can complicate this type of planning exercise, Christ said. Local agencies expect that HUD cutbacks will continue under the Trump administration, which makes the process of allocating money more labored.

Harrisburg also has a significant limitation on its funding—almost a third of it goes straight into debt service. The city is still paying for the crimes of local developer David Dodd, who embezzled federal money while constructing the Capitol View Commerce Center at Cameron and Herr streets.

Harrisburg and Dauphin County awarded Dodd $860,000 in HUD funds to construct the building, which was abandoned halfway through the project and finally completed by another developer in 2015. Both parties also guaranteed loans for Dodd’s $28 million project, bringing the city’s liability alone up to $5 million.

As a result, Harrisburg has diverted as much as $600,000 of its annual CDBG funding to debt service in the years since Dodd’s conviction.

Limited funds have made CDBG allocations an annual point of contention between City Council and the mayor’s office. Nonprofit leaders who apply for grants don’t think that any long-term planning effort will change that.

“It’s the nature of the beast,” said Les Ford, director of the Heinz-Menaker center.

Ford has applied for HUD funding almost every year since he began leading the center in 2012. He said he’ll do so reluctantly this year, despite the shrinking pot of money and the cumbersome application process.

While Ford is ambivalent that a new five-year plan will streamline Harrisburg’s CDBG allocation process, he does hope that it will at least help the city communicate its development goals clearly to applicants.

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like