Author Archives: Maddie Conley

Harrisburg positions re-funded following council, mayor agreement; bill proposed to limit city involvement with ICE

February 10, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Hall. File photo.

Harrisburg City Council has re-funded several previously defunded top city positions following an agreement between council and the mayor.

At a legislative meeting on Tuesday, council reallocated money to fund salaries that they had removed as part of the 2026 budget, a move that had resulted in a lawsuit from Mayor Wanda Williams.

Shortly before the meeting, council and the mayor filed a joint motion in Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas to reopen the case and adopt a joint stipulation that would refund the business administrator, project director for business administration/LERTA and create a new director of economic development position. The agreement came after a legal battle between council and the mayor that began with a lawsuit from Williams in early January, in which she alleged that council acted outside of its power.

In the budget, council also removed funding for the police bureau’s director of community engagement and relations and partially defunded the director of building and housing and economic development. Those changes will stand.

“I would like to commend the council and the mayor on coming to a resolution,” said City Solicitor Neil Grover during the meeting.

As part of the joint motion, Williams agreed to end the practice of appointing “interim” directors without council’s approval, an issue that informed council’s decision to cut funds for some positions.

Council President Danielle Hill also said that council will bring forth legislation that would remove funding for “acting” directors after 120 days on the job without council approval.

“I’m glad we made it to this point where we’re able to have a resolution,” said council member Ausha Green. “We were able to come to an agreement with the administration. “I’m still disappointed that it took lawyers to do so.”

Council members said that they did not meet with Williams herself, but that the agreement went through both parties’ lawyers.

Council member Ralph Rodriguez said that he’s hopeful that this is the “first step forward” to a better relationship between council and the administration.

The new economic development director salary will be $78,633, the business administrator salary will stay the same at $133,900 and the project director for business administration/LERTA will stay the same at $67,784.

The money comes from the city’s general fund.

Council members said that the new economic developer position was created to address current challenges Harrisburg is facing.

“This is a new day for Harrisburg. It’s a shining moment for us,” said council Vice President Lamont Jones. “I think with working alongside the administration, being able to resolve these issues to make sure our city could move forward in the right direction.”

Council also reallocated $20,000 from the general fund into council’s legal services fund to pay for an attorney to advise them on an as-needed basis. Several council members said that the move was aimed at helping them draft legislation faster and take the burden off the city’s law bureau.

Also on Tuesday, council introduced a bill that would amend Harrisburg’s administrative code to limit the Harrisburg Police Bureau’s ability to work with ICE.

Council members expressed interest in creating such legislation after residents spoke about their concerns, during recent public comment, about ICE presence in the city and amidst growing nationwide tensions.

The proposed bill would prohibit city officials and employees from inquiring into or collecting information on people’s citizenship or immigration status, except when required by federal or state law. Employees would also be restricted from using city funds, personnel, equipment, data, technology, property or facilities to assist in the investigation, detention or arrest anyone due to an immigration violation.

The legislation would also prohibit employees from giving ICE access to non-public city facilities without a warrant. Employees would also be unable to detain anyone based on a civil immigration non-judicial detainer or administrative request and would not be able to provide advance notice to ICE of release dates, except as required by law.

Police bureau officials have stated that they do not interact with ICE unless called to an incident. They are also required to report to federal agents if they come across someone with an immigration warrant against them.

Council simply introduced the bill and has yet to discuss or vote on it. However, some residents already had thoughts on the proposal, expressing concerns during public comment.

A few residents said that they believed the legislation didn’t go far enough.

City resident Brian Keisling said that while the law would restrict employees from cooperating with ICE, it wouldn’t do enough to protect residents themselves.

“It doesn’t stop ICE from doing anything,” said Keisling. “It really just prevents employees of the city from going the extra mile to help ICE more than the city otherwise would.

Another resident called it “quite bare bones.”

Council member Jocelyn Rawls told TheBurg that she welcomes residents’ input and is “more than open” to weighing amendments to the proposal.

“It’s a starting point,” she said. “But we needed something because we had nothing.”

Also on Tuesday, council approved a grant application submission to the U.S Department of Transportation (DOT) for $3 million to fund design services for road safety projects on Division, N. 6^th, Market and S. 17^thstreets. Construction on each project is still several years away, city Engineer Joel Seiders said.

Council also ratified a grant application for $387,380 to the DOT for safety upgrades to Market and 17^th Street in Allison Hill.

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Harrisburg mayor, city council come to agreement on defunded positions, avoiding appeal

February 10, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Dauphin County Courthouse

Harrisburg’s mayor and City Council have come to an agreement following a legal battle over who holds which powers.

Council and Mayor Wanda Williams on Tuesday filed a joint motion to reopen the case, in which Williams sued council for defunding several top city positions, and to adopt a joint stipulation that will refund several roles.

Williams filed a civil suit against council in early January, alleging that council was acting outside of its jurisdiction when, as part of the 2026 budget, it defunded the city business administrator role, the project director for business administration/LERTA and the police bureau’s director of community engagement and relations. They also partially defunded the director of building and housing and economic development.

Last week, Dauphin County Judge Jeffrey Engle issued his order siding with council. Williams responded by saying she would appeal the decision.

However, a court filing submitted Tuesday evening showed that council and Williams requested that Engle reopen the case to approve a new agreement between the two parties.

As per the agreement, council would make reallocations in the 2026 budget to refund the business administrator and the project director for business administration/LERTA. They would also create and fund a new position, director of economic development.

The police bureau role would remain unfunded and the housing director’s salary reduced.

Additionally, the stipulation states that the mayor and council should honor each other’s role in appointing and approving city directors. The mayor will also need to appoint a successor to fill the business administrator role, subject to council’s approval.

As per the filing, Williams may no longer appoint “interim” directors, a practice that council said circumvented their authority to approve of director appointees. As part of their reasoning for defunding the business administrator, Sam Sulkosky, and partially defunding the housing director, Gloria Martin Roberts, roles, council said that both “interim” directors had remained in the roles without council approval. Currently, the city code states that council must approve department heads within 120 days of their hiring. Both parties agreed to follow that.

The filing states that Williams and council “wish to avoid a costly and time-consuming appeal, especially given the serious economic challenges facing the City of Harrisburg and its residents.”

Engle still needs to issue his decision on the joint motion.

While both parties have reached an agreement, council must reallocate funds to refund the positions. Their next legislative session is tonight at 6 p.m.

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Dauphin County Concert Series announces two summer shows

February 10, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

The String Cheese Incident. Photo by Credit Woody Carroll.

Two alternative bands are slated to take the stage in Harrisburg this summer.

Dauphin County’s Live Concert Series in Riverfront Park will feature alt-pop-soul-jazz fusion group Lake Street Dive on Friday, July 31 and eclectic jam group The String Cheese Incident on Aug. 5, announced Grand Rising Curations on Tuesday.

The music series will run this summer, as it has the past several years, along the river. So far, organizers have also announced Joe Russo’s Almost Dead on July 19 and Rainbow Kitten Surprise on Sept. 15. They plan to announce more as well.

Lake Street Drive, which originated in Boston, released its most recent album, “Good Together,” in 2024. They will be joined by special guest The Dip for their July show.

The String Cheese Incident formed in Colorado in 1993 and released its latest album, “Lend Me A Hand,” in 2023.

Tickets for both shows will go on sale to the public on Friday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. Fans can sign up to participate in presale.

To purchase tickets and for more information, visit Grand Rising Curations’ website.

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Harrisburg gets extension for millions in grant funds for park upgrades as work continues

February 6, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Gorgas playground on Jefferson Street

Harrisburg has received an extension to complete several park renovations.

City officials said that they now have until March 3 to complete work at 7^th and Radnor Park, Gorgas playground, Wilson Park and Reservoir Park using a $13 million state grant.

In October 2022, the city was awarded a $13 million reimbursement grant for COVID relief by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for improvements at the parks.

Harrisburg is on its fourth extension for the grant funds, which would have originally expired at the end of 2023. The previous extension ended at the end of January.

“We realized that we weren’t going to finish for a variety of reasons,” said Parks and Recreation Manager Kevin Sanders of the latest extension, during a recent City Council meeting. “Reservoir’s still going to have some issues finishing.”

In November, TheBurg reported that three of the parks, not including Reservoir, were on track to be mostly finished by the end of December, according to city officials. While officials have now said that those three parks are about 90% complete, they’re estimating completion in March or April. No estimated end date was provided for Reservoir.

Because the grant is a reimbursement grant, the city must spend the money first and then send invoices to DCED to get reimbursed. According to DCED, as of Feb. 2, Harrisburg has been reimbursed for $5.6 million of the total $13 million, although Harrisburg officials told TheBurg they have received $7.1 million to date.

The city said that remaining work at 7^th and Radnor, Gorgas and Wilson parks includes mainly final surfacing, fencing, landscaping and select facility installations.

At 7^th and Radnor, in Uptown, new basketball courts, dugouts and scoreboards, pavilions, concession stands, restrooms, pedestrian infrastructure and more have been installed. A press box, bleachers, safety netting and finishing sidewalk and landscaping have yet to be done.

At Gorgas, which neighbors 7^th and Radnor, playgrounds, pavilions, paving and more have been done, with final paving and fencing work still needed. At Wilson, in Allison Hill, sidewalks, retaining walls, playground equipment and more are complete. Additional playground equipment, pavilions, restrooms and more have yet to be done.

Of the parks, Reservoir Park has the most work ahead as construction just began in November. Plans for the park include creating a splash alley with water features, among other upgrades.

Officials said that earth work has been initiated, with a site layout done and splash pad equipment delivered. Upcoming work includes construction of restrooms, installing electrical piping and relocating internet cables.

“Despite a later project start, work is progressing well and remains consistent with the planned construction sequence,” said a statement from the city to TheBurg.

The statement from Parks and Rec said that the complexity of the project and the location of the splash pad require extensive reviews.

However, during their most recent update in front of council, Sanders expressed concern that Reservoir would be done by the grant deadline.

“No claw-backs?” asked council Vice President Lamont Jones at the January council meeting.

“Outside of Reservoir, I can’t really speak to things. Reservoir is very difficult,” Sanders said.

According to the grant contract, the city must incur all of the funds by the end of the contract or unspent funds will be revoked. The contract states that the city has 30 days after the deadline to submit invoices.

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At Harrisburg council meeting, residents protest ICE; apartment projects approved

February 4, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Residents spoke during public comment at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

At a meeting on Tuesday night, Harrisburg City Council approved new apartment projects and heard concerns from residents about ICE.

The double-header meeting—a legislative session followed by a work session—began with over an hour of public comment during which residents said they wanted the city to develop a policy against working with federal ICE agents.

A group of a few dozen protestors also gathered outside city hall at the start of the council meeting with signs that read “ICE out of Harrisburg” among other messages.

“The community gathered outside this building is frustrated; some are scared; many are ready to defend their neighbors,” said resident Brian Kiesling, of the Harrisburg Palestine Coalition, during public comment.

Protestors outside city hall on Tuesday evening.

Kiesling and others said that they were upset by Police Commissioner Tom Carter’s remarks about ICE at a previous council meeting, when he said that residents confronted by ICE should comply with the officers.

“We all felt him dismiss the gravity of the situation,” Kiesling said. “We are talking about basic safety and the responsibility of the city to protect its residents, whoever they are, from any threat, even if that threat comes from the government.”

Police Deputy Chief Kenny Young previously told TheBurg that the bureau does not collaborate with ICE and is not alerted when they’re in town. The only points of contact, he noted, would be when police are called to the scene of an incident involving federal agents. The police are also required to report to ICE if they come across someone who has an immigration warrant against them.

Council member Jocelyn Rawls said that council is in the process of drafting legislation that would limit the police bureau’s ability to work with ICE.

“If this bill is passed, I want assurance that the mayor, our police chief and our district attorney will support the provisions proposed in this bill,” said another resident during public comment.

Also on Tuesday, council unanimously approved the second phase of a project to adaptively remake the former Polyclinic Hospital building, at 2601 N. 3^rd St., into apartments and commercial space.

Former Polyclinic Hospital, the site of Pennmark’s adaptive reuse building. Phase two targets the large building on the far right.

The entire project includes renovating all three buildings on the property and constructing over 250 market-rate apartments. Council in November approved the first phase, which outlines renovations to the former nurses’ quarters, the northernmost building.

The second phase targets the largest building on the property and includes creating 130 units with studio, one-, two- and, possibly, three-bedroom configurations. There will also be commercial space. Developer Pennmark Harrisburg Holdings, an affiliate of Montgomery County-based Pennmark Management Company, is in talks with a local grocer who is interested in occupying one of the spaces.

Rent will likely start around $900 for studio units and cost closer to $1,400 for one-beds and $1,600 for two-beds.

Council members said they were impressed with Pennmark’s extensive community outreach on the project. The developer has hosted several meetings with neighbors and has made tweaks to the project based on feedback. Some neighbors even attended council meetings to speak in support of the project.

“It’s refreshing,” council member Ralph Rodriguez said at council’s previous work session. “A lot of times, we ask for this feedback. We ask for, you know, ‘have you done the outreach?’ You’ve come with a whole table and shown how it goes on. It’s very appreciated.”

Another adaptive reuse project also received the green light from council to renovate a former funeral home at 1332 N. 2^nd St. into apartments. The project will add eight units to the existing five that already exist on upper-level floors.

Developer Breneman Properties plans to construct one-bedroom units with one studio and one two-bed. Prices will range from around $1,000 to $1,800, a representative for the developer said.

Construction is slated to begin in March and last about eight months.

Council voted 6-1 to approve the project, with President Danielle Hill voting against it, citing a lack of affordable units.

Additionally, council approved the submission of a grant application to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for $19,500 to fund design services for renovating Vernon Street Park, at 15th and Vernon streets.

During a work session following council’s legislative session on Tuesday, council also discussed a grant application submission to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for $3 million to fund design services for road safety projects. Work would include sections of Division, N. 6^th, Market and S. 17^th Street.

City Engineer Joel Seiders explained that the improvements to the corridors would look similar to safety upgrades made to N. 2^nd Street in recent years. Grant funding would support the planning stage, while construction, he said, is still several years away.

Seiders also highlighted a need for council to ratify a $387,380 grant application that the city submitted to the DOT for safety upgrades to Market and 17^th Street in Allison Hill. The project would focus on retiming traffic signals and improving pedestrian infrastructure.

Council is slated to vote on the grant applications at its next legislative session.

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Judge sides with City Council in Harrisburg mayor’s lawsuit over defunded positions

February 3, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Dauphin County Courthouse

A Dauphin County judge has sided with City Council in a lawsuit filed by Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams.

Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Engle on Tuesday dismissed Williams’ lawsuit against council, in which she claimed that council overreached its power when defunding several top city positions as part of the 2026 budget.

On Jan. 8, Williams filed a complaint asking for an emergency injunction and declaratory ruling, in an attempt to reallocate salaries to four city officials, three of whom had been fired because their salaries were zeroed out.

On Tuesday morning, Engle dismissed Williams’ claims, allowing council’s budget decision to stand.

Council’s attorney, Casey Coyle, told TheBurg over the phone that council was “pleased with the outcome,” but that they were “disappointed that precious taxpayer dollars had to be expended in the first place.”

As part of the 2026 budget, council defunded the business administrator role, saying that the interim director had remained in the position without council’s approval, past the allowed time for a temporary employee. They reduced the salary for the interim director of building and housing development for the same reason. They also zeroed out the salary for the project director for business administration/LERTA and for the police bureau’s director of community engagement and relations. Williams vetoed those budget changes, but council overrode the veto.

Coyle said the mayor’s lawsuit was an “analogue” of national discussions of who holds which powers and that it confirmed the meaning of legislative versus executive powers.

In his memorandum opinion, Engle agreed with council that it was within its rights to make budgetary changes to salaries. He spent over three pages discussing the business administrator position, and refuting Williams’ argument that it is a statutory, legally required position.

During an evidentiary hearing on Jan. 21, Williams’ attorney, Renardo Hicks, argued that the business administrator, which acts as a chief of staff for the city, was a mandated position under the Optional Third Class City Charter code, which Harrisburg adheres to. Williams also emphasized the importance of the position in the daily operations of the city.

In his written opinion, Engle said the office is “not specifically mandated as a required department” and that it may be “necessary perhaps, however, the position is not mandatory.”

For all of the positions, Engle said, “The City Council may fund or defund positions it deems necessary, subject to the lawful veto of the mayor and its override […] We do not find here that the budgetary process was in violation of the Charter Law or any other statutory scheme.”

Coyle said that, had the judge ruled in Williams’ favor, it would have “opened a can of worms” on how much council could reduce salaries and where the line would be drawn.

Williams, in her complaint, also argued that, if council wanted to get rid of the business administrator, it should have enacted an ordinance repealing the city code that created the position. Engle ruled against that notion, saying the position is not mandatory.

While much of the discussion during the evidentiary hearing focused on the validity of “interim” positions, Engle declined to state an opinion on that matter.

Williams had argued that interim business administrator Sam Sulkosky and interim director of building and housing development Gloria Martin-Roberts were not under the same restrictions as “acting” department heads, who may only serve 120 days without council approval.

Sulkosky was appointed to his position in October 2024, but council later denied affirming him in his role, leading Williams to make him an interim director. Martin-Roberts was appointed as an interim director in 2024.

Council argued that there is no language for “interim” directors in the city code, with their attorney Casey Coyle calling the concept “imaginary.”

Coyle told TheBurg that council wished the ruling would have cleared up the “interim” versus “acting” dilemma, but he said that council could potentially explore ways to address that with legislation in the future.

“Council is not going to look the other way on this matter anymore,” he said.

In a footnote to his opinion, Engle added an encouragement that council and the mayor work towards a resolution that may refund the positions.

“Our legal opinion, however, does not contemplate the immediate need for any of the four positions to be funded and filled,” he said. “We have little doubt that the failure to properly fill these positions, especially that of the Business Administrator, may soon have severe consequences for City Government. We would urge both parties to engage in immediate and meaningful negotiations regarding their future course.”

Williams was not available for immediate comment Tuesday morning and her attorney could not immediately be reached.

Williams has 30 days to appeal the decision.

Coyle said that Engle’s decision is backed by precedent, which he believes would make it difficult for Williams to argue against in an appeal.

“We hope further precious tax dollars aren’t expended on this,” Coyle said.

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Faith leaders to host peace walk this week in response to national, local division

February 2, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Grace UMC (file photo)

City faith leaders are encouraging people to practice peace with an upcoming event.

The Downtown Clergy, a group of Harrisburg Protestant and Catholic pastors, has organized a Peace Pilgrimage for Wednesday, hoping to inspire unity in the midst of national and local division.

“We’re so inundated with anger and fear and that can really eat away at folks. There’s this hunger for peace,” said Matthew Best, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church on S. 13^th Street. “We were talking about things going on in the country and said, we really want to do something.”

The walk will begin on Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Market Square Presbyterian Church and travel to Salem UCC, Zion Lutheran Church, Soldier’s Grove, Messiah Lutheran Church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Grace UMC and Pine Street Presbyterian Church.

At each stop, pastors will share scripture with themes of peace, hold a moment of silence and pray.

Best emphasized that this is not a protest or political event and is open to everyone.

The group of clergy was inspired by the Buddhist monks walking for peace from Texas to Washington, D.C. They decided to do a small local walk due to the national division, as well as local division, as evidenced through a lawsuit between Harrisburg’s mayor and council.

And while Best hopes that the walk gives people a chance to settle their hearts and minds, he noted that the faith leaders don’t see peace as a passive state, but an active one of restoration.

“Here’s something we can do to settle our hearts and prepare to deal with these things,” he said.

Best advises people to bundle up for the weather and estimates that the walk will take around one and a half hours. For those who are unable to walk the whole route, people can participate in a portion of it.

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Harrisburg reminds residents of street sweeping, will continue snow removal

February 2, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

City street

Harrisburg is reminding residents to move their cars during street sweeping hours this week.

City spokesperson Mischelle Moyer said that cars will be ticketed this week if they do not adhere to street sweeping regulations, beginning today.

Capital Region Water will be sweeping streets, and the city plans to use the opportunity for curb-to-curb snow removal as well.

This week is the first of the month and will follow normal street cleaning for the corridors on the 1^st and 3^rd week of the month corridors.

For a full street sweeping schedule, click here.

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New AI-powered site promotes Harrisburg tourism with personalized recommendations

January 29, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Wake and Bake Cafe in Harrisburg. File photo.

A new platform can help you plan a date night, lunch break or day of sightseeing in Harrisburg.

Harrisburg area entrepreneur Adam Brackbill recently launched HBGVIBE, an app that uses AI to create itineraries and make recommendations locally.

“HBGVIBE helps people outside of the city and inside. If you can’t decide what to do, it can help you,” Brackbill said.

The platform draws from locally sourced data to share information on shops, events, restaurants, entertainment and more, prioritizing small, city-based businesses. Users can create a free account and browse the city’s offerings or use AI chatbot “Guy” who can answer questions and create itineraries.

The more you use it, the more “Guy” knows about you and can tailor recommendations to your preferences, Brackbill said.

“You can plan a date night and your girlfriend can be vegan and he’ll know it,” he said.

Additionally, the platform lets users share favorite locations and itineraries with friends, connect with other platform users, plan meetups and connect to public transit and rideshare apps.

Owners can also claim their businesses on the platform and update information. They can also offer deals, like coupons, to users.

Harrisburg residents have the ability to write blog posts and review restaurants. All HBGVIBE users’ feedback and data help curate suggestions for others, showing people the most loved and popular spots.

“The goal is for people to see the actual hidden gems of the city,” Brackbill said.

Brackbill said that, unlike some tourism sites, HBGVIBE is not a “pay-to-play” model and seeks to promote all businesses rather than featuring those that purchase space.

What sets HBGVIBE apart from general AI platforms is the local angle, Brackbill said. He programmed the site to pull from the most accurate local sources, rather than scraping the entire web, which can include outdated or incorrect info.

HBGVIBE is part of a wider VIBE network, which Brackbill is working on to include other cities. Businesses can also work with Brackbill to embed the AI tour guide “Guy” into their own website.

Brackbill, the founder of Urban Churn and co-founder of Pursuit Coworking, said that creating HBGVIBE began as a “passion project,” combining his love for the city and his entrepreneurial spirit. He also hopes that the platform will further tourism in the city, which he feels is lacking at the moment.

“It seems like the temperature in Harrisburg has gone a little cold. Harrisburg just needs a little extra love,” he said.

For more information about HBGVIBE, visit their website.

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Harrisburg says cars will not be ticketed on city streets until Thursday

January 27, 2026 | by Maddie Gittens

Parking meter and street parking on N. 3rd Street

Harrisburg drivers don’t need to stress about street parking fines for now.

The city shared on Tuesday that Park Harrisburg and Standard Parking will not ticket cars until 8 a.m. on Thursday due to the snow.

Harrisburg previously issued a snow emergency status as the storm hit the city, but lifted the emergency declaration on Monday evening.

The city also offered free parking at two garages during the storm, but the deadline to remove cars was Tuesday morning at 8 a.m.

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