Museum Funding Targeted
Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse has asked the Dauphin County commissioners to cease channeling a portion of the countywide hotel tax to the National Civil War Museum.
Papenfuse said that he objects to an arrangement worked out by former Mayor Stephen Reed that funnels a certain amount of money each year to the 13-year-old museum, despite a county ordinance designating that the money be spent on promoting tourism in the city. In the last fiscal year, the museum received $290,000 out of the portion meant for promoting the city, which totaled around $500,000.
The museum, located in Reservoir Park, used that money to pay for operational costs as part of its $1.1 million budget.
Instead of giving that money to the museum, Harrisburg would be better off using it to promote other tourism initiatives, such as the city’s annual summertime festivals, Papenfuse said.
The city owns most of the museum’s artifacts, as well as the building, which it rents to the museum for $1 a year. The museum pays its operational expenses, but the city is responsible for maintenance and upkeep of the building.
Tax Abatement Discussed
The Harrisburg school board last month listened to a proposal to revive tax abatement for property improvements in the city.
Brian Hudson, executive director of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, shared with the board a plan to stimulate development and renovation in the city through a 10-year, citywide abatement program.
Mayor Eric Papenfuse is expected to push this fall for an initiative that would lead to no tax increases for property improvements over a decade. Instead, taxes would be levied for that time based upon the pre-improvement value of the properties.
In order for the program to take effect, the school board, the city and Dauphin County all would have to sign off on it.
New School Administrator
Education consultant Drue Miles, author of the education chapter in the Harrisburg school district’s state-sponsored recovery plan, last month was named the district’s new acting school improvement administrator.
The position, which pays $600 per day, was vacant after the departure of Sherry Roland-Washington, who left Aug. 15.
Gene Veno, the district’s state-appointed chief recovery officer, said that he recommended the emergency hiring of Miles while the superintendent searched for a permanent replacement for Roland-Washington.
City Audit Delayed
Harrisburg’s audit has been delayed several months due to a budget oversight that did not fund the outside assistance the city needed for prep work before the audit could begin.
The Thompson administration did not request—and City Council did not approve—funds for the engagement of Trout Ebersole & Groff, the accounting firm that has assisted the short-staffed budget office with audit preparation in recent years.
The oversight stemmed in part from a decision by the state Department of Community and Economic Development not to assist the city with audit prep this year, as it had in prior years under Act 47 and receivership.
After taking office, the Papenfuse administration worked to apportion the necessary funding for outside help, which will cost around $45,000. Brian Ostella, chair of the city’s audit committee, said that prep work was completed in mid-June and actual audit work began in mid-July.
Maher Duessel, the accounting firm that has performed the city’s audit for the last decade, expects to complete the audit by mid-November, Ostella said.
Sinkhole Probe Launched
Harrisburg City Council has approved hiring an engineering firm to conduct an emergency sinkhole investigation.
Camp Hill-based Gannett Fleming is performing the work, focused around the 1400-block of S. 14th St., where several sinkholes have formed in recent months. The probe, which will employ seismic surface waves and verification drilling to develop a site map, should be completed by year-end.
The cost of the investigation will be shared with Capital Region Water. It is estimated to cost $166,000.
Trash Fees Adjusted
Harrisburg’s small business owners have received some relief, after City Council temporarily lowered fees for trash collection.
For years, small businesses have complained that they were subject to high commercial collection rates, even though they generated little trash.
Under the new provision, small businesses will be charged the same rate as residential customers: $156 a year or $13 a month. To qualify for the lower rate, they must produce no more trash each week than can fit into two trashcans with lids.
The lower rate applies only until the end of the year. In November, the Department of Public Works will assess the impact of the reduction and report to council whether it should be made permanent.
Mansion Re-Named
The mansion in Reservoir Park last month was officially re-named in honor of Harrisburg Councilwoman Eugenia Smith.
The prominent building was named the Honorable Eugenia Smith Family Life Center during a ceremony featuring music, speakers and a release of doves.
Smith, 53, died suddenly in April at the start of her second term as city councilwoman.
Changing Hands
Cumberland St., 119: R. Nordberg to JB Buy Rite LP, $50,000
Duke St., 2614: A. & V. Morelli to PI Capital LLC, $61,300
Ellerslie St., 2346: PA Deals LLC to D. Clark, $70,000
Fulton St., 1419: JP Morgan Chase to G. & D. Hanslovan, $63,000
Green St., 1112: M. Monathan & M. Taylor to M. Fitzgerald, $165,000
Green St., 1514: J. Couzens to E. Sheaffer & D. McCleskey, $180,000
Green St., 1711: R. Mehiel & L. Kackman to B. Rockwell & N. Gurley, $168,000
Green St., 1811: R. Ruiz to M. Bonsall, $100,000
Green St., 1921: J. & A. Webb to WCI Partners LP, $117,000
Green St., 2031: J. & A. Webb to WCI Partners LP, $119,000
Green St., 3234: R. Krasevic to T. Ash, $119,900
Locust St., 122: DLK Partners LLC to Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network Inc., $130,000
Luce St., 2332 & 2314½: R. & C. Sheetz to Care Properties LLC, $60,000
Mercer St., 2441: M. Davenport et al to O. Diallo & M. Barry, $46,000
N. 3rd St., 1408: F. & M. Cavanaugh to GreenWorks Development LLC, $139,900
N. 3rd St., 3026: L. Curtis to R. Daniels Jr., $35,000
N. 4th St., 2427: D. Seymore to B. Jones Sr., $35,000
N. 6th St., 3014: J. Hadfield & W. Grace to K. Dixon, $73,000
N. 6th St., 3212: R. & B. Snyder to RT Home Solutions Inc., $30,000
N. 12th St., 33: Kirsch & Burns LLC to LMK Properties LLC, $40,000
N. 18th St., 1000: JLB Properties LLC to S. Donald, $44,900
N. Front St., 111: J.A. Hartzler to BCRA Realty LLC, $250,000
N. Front St., 1525, Unit 101: A. Ferraiolo to A. Mohanavel, $156,500
N. Front St., 1525, Unit 602: M. & C. Heppenstall to R. Hostetter Jr., $250,000
Paxton St., 1924: L. Zaydon Jr. to Steve Fisher Rental Properties LLC, $125,000
Penn St., 1520: S. Litt to A. Fortune, $114,000
Penn St., 2411: J. Shockey to D. Wendt, $78,375
S. 2nd St., 314: J. Wansacz to D. Bowers & K. Shifler, $115,000
S. 3rd St., 19: P. Dobson to Dewberry LLC, $325,000
S. 13th St., 506: PA Deals LLC to J. & A. Garbanzos, $65,000
S. 19th St., 1133: M. & B. Faulkner to N. Colon & R. Romero, $85,000
S. 23rd St., 600: G., D. & M. Complese to S. Wright, $69,900
State St., 219: WCI Partners LP to B. & K. Sidella and J. & N. Jones, $225,000
State St., 1516: Kirsch & Burns LLC to LMK Properties LLC, $37,000
Susquehanna St., 1737: Secretary of Veterans Affairs to L. Reapsome, $43,500
Walnut St., 1206: Kirsch & Burns LLC to LMK Properties, $32,000
Walnut St., 1525: ABC Solutions LLC to Choukri Auto Services LLC, $40,000
Wiconisco St., 620; 621 Emerald St.; 2352 Derry St.; and 612 & 614 Seneca St.: R. Shokes Jr. & Shokes Enterprises to JDP 2014 LLC, $259,000
Harrisburg property sales for July 2014, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.
