Site of the future Uptown police substation in the Uptown Plaza shopping center (middle).
A police substation, a Reed-era auction, and city budgeting assistance were all given the green light by Harrisburg on Tuesday.
City Council approved several resolutions following lengthy discussions last week, most notably pushing forward the police bureau’s plan to enhance its presence in Uptown and a plan to coordinate an auction of former Mayor Steve Reed’s artifacts.
Harrisburg police plan to lease a vacant former pet store at 2965 N. 7th St., in the Uptown Plaza shopping center, for $1 a year for use as a substation. The space will initially be used as needed, but will eventually have regular hours open to the public once the bureau is able to staff it full-time.
Additionally, council approved the city to work with Harrisburg-based Cordier Auctions to sell what officials say are the remaining artifacts collected by the late mayor Reed. Reed purchased thousands of items and artifacts, using city funds, which he wanted to use for a series of museums that never got built. Over the past several years, Harrisburg, as well as Reed’s estate, has been auctioning the items off.
The city can now move forward with cataloguing everything that’s left, stored in city basements, closets and offices to make a list to later present to council.
In other news, council approved a contract with Keystone Municipal Solutions for budget management assistance. The Harrisburg-based firm will utilize Marita Kelley, a former finance director for the city, to assist the city, since Harrisburg currently has a vacant budget manager position. Harrisburg will pay Keystone $140 per hour. Council voted 5-2 to approve the contract, with council President Danielle Hill and council member Jocelyn Rawls voting “no” due to what they said was a dysfunctional 2023 budget process, when Kelley led the city department.
Finally, council voted to require that the city solicitor respond to council legislative requests within 30 days.
Resolutions related to reallocating money to city parks projects and a proposed apartment project at 100 N. 13th St. were tabled.
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