February News Digest

Council Cuts Salaries

City Council last month cut the proposed salaries of top members of the Papenfuse administration, redirecting that money to a diversity officer position.

Council voted 6-1 to OK a new spending plan that replaced the one passed in December under then-Mayor Linda Thompson.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse hoped to increase the salaries of his senior managers, providing raises that ranged from about $5,000 to $9,500 compared to similar positions under Thompson. With cuts to other areas of the budget, Papenfuse made the raises revenue-neutral.

Nonetheless, council voiced objections, saying it needed to hold the line on spending, just like it did under Thompson. It then reduced the salaries back to Thompson-era levels.

“We must make concessions,” said Council President Wanda Williams.

Council members, though, then took the savings to fund the new position of diversity officer. Papenfuse objected, arguing futilely that the responsibility was not a full-time job and already was covered by another position, meaning that council essentially had created a second diversity officer.

Moreover, council nixed the new position of sustainability officer, who would have overseen Harrisburg’s environmental initiatives and recycling efforts. That position would have been funded by the city’s “host fee,” more than $200,000 it receives each year because the incinerator sits within the city and accepts trash from outside its borders.

Firefighters OK Concessions

The Harrisburg chapter of the International Association of Firefighters agreed last month to a new labor agreement.

The agreement, which the union approved by a 38 to 15 vote, includes reductions in scheduled salary increases, an increase in employee health care contributions and salary cuts for new hires. It also represents the final concession from the city’s labor unions required as part of the state-appointed receiver’s recovery plan.

“I think the important thing to note here today is that a tremendous number of sacrifices are being made by the members of the firefighters’ union in an effort to allow this city to move forward,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said.

In meetings with the firefighters, he said that he had tried to convey that, without contract modifications, “the budget would not be balanced and the city would stay mired in the financial difficulties that had gotten us first into Act 47 and then into receivership.”

The mayor’s proposed budget for 2014 already included the expected savings under the new agreement, projected to be around $1.6 million or around $20,000 for each of the 79 bargaining-unit positions in the fire department.

Some of the savings are achieved through the elimination of scheduled pay raises, previously set under a contract extension signed by former Mayor Stephen Reed. The raises, which had been set at 3 percent per year beginning in 2013, will be zeroed out in 2013 and 2014 and replaced with a 1-percent raise in 2015.

A sizeable portion of the projected savings—around $485,000 per year, according to Susan B. Friedman, a lawyer for the receiver—will come from a change in firefighters’ health care plans. Formerly, the majority of firefighters contributed nothing to the cost of coverage beyond their co-pays. Under the new agreement, their health care plans will now include partial contributions from each paycheck, at a rate of $40 for individuals and $90 for family care, as well as deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums and a change in co-payments for prescriptions.

The largest chunk of the savings, around $520,000, is expected to come from a reduction in numbers manning each shift, from 16 to 14 firefighters.

Rehab to Close Mulberry Street Bridge

The historic Mulberry Street Bridge will close later this month or in early April to start a major rehabilitation of the century-old structure.

The state Department of Transportation expects the bridge to be closed to traffic for about one year after work begins. In January, PENNDOT announced that Neshaminy Constructors of Feasterville, Pa., had submitted the lowest construction bid of $12.2 million.

The project involves placing a new deck over the original one; substructure and superstructure repairs; a new concrete barrier between the roadway and the sidewalk; new pedestrian railing; new railroad protective fence; and new bridge lighting and drainage.

Work will continue throughout much of 2015, even after the bridge re-opens to traffic. The bridge connects Allison Hill with downtown, spanning Cameron Street, Paxton Creek and several railroad tracks.

The 1,600-foot-long concrete arch bridge was originally built in 1909 and was rehabbed in both 1957 and 1982.  Netting was placed beneath the bridge in 2008 to catch falling concrete from the deteriorating structure.  

County Awards Gaming Grants

Dauphin County last month announced the recipients of $7.5 million in gaming grants, the county’s share of revenue from Hollywood Casino.

County commissioners approved grants for 66 projects, including: 

• $545,841 to Harrisburg for a new fire tower engine and police records management.
• $250,000 to Susquehanna Township for expansion of the public safety building.
• $100,000 to Steelton for Adams Street storm water improvements.
• $182,479 to Swatara Township for bridge replacement and fire apparatus debt reduction.
• $250,000 to Middletown for a streetscape and improvement project.
• $270,000 to Hummelstown for a new municipal complex.
• $156,138 to Highspire for road improvements.
• $126,329 to Lower Swatara Township for a new fire boat, trailer and truck.
• $89,000 to PinnacleHealth System for a new ambulance.
• $250,000 to the Greenbelt/Dauphin County Parks & Recreation for a Wildwood to Fort Hunter extension.
• $60,000 to Capital Area Transit for Market Square improvements.
• $55,000 to the Community Action Commission for an Allison Hill parking lot project.
• $100,000 to Whitaker Center for facility improvements.
• $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Club for lighting of a public field.
• $25,000 to State Street Improvement Association for streetscape improvements.
• $185,000 to Dauphin County Parks & Recreation for capital improvement projects.
• $50,000 for the Harrisburg Stampede.

The grant amount was substantially less than the $9.8 million available last year due to lower gaming revenue at the casino.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2430: PA Deals LLC to S. Hill, $68,400

Barkley Ln., 2517: PA Deals LLC to S. Hill, $85,000

Benton St., 609: M. Jones to J. Gillespie, $70,000

Berryhill St., 2247: S. Newsome to S. Burner, $32,000

Cameron St., 600, 1000: Cameron Real Estate LP to Cameron Street Investments LLC, $250,000

Croyden Rd., 2870: R. Hanna to A. Menghesha & S. Abebe, $57,000

Cumberland St., 1322: Fannie Mae to D. & D. Oswandel, $51,000

Derry St., 2020: Tang & Perkins PR to S. Mohammed, $84,000

Duke St., 2452: U.S. Bank National Assoc. Trustee & Ocwen Loan Servicing LLC to PA Deals LLC, $38,299

Green St., 1703: PA Deals LLC to G. & J. Modi, $147,000

Hale Ave., 420: S. & H. Walter to V. Ly, $45,000

Herr St., 308: J. Wierman to M. Woodring, $89,900

Hudson St., 1152: C. Pietzsch to PA Deals LLC, $32,500

Hudson St., 1256: Lemoyne Land Corp. Inc. to M. Shatto, $86,500

Kensington St., 2028: P. Parise Jr. to Kerlason LLC, $36,000

Kensington St., 2437: G., J. & T. Keller to V. Osorno, $73,000

Magnolia Dr., 2319: D. Shue to J. & E. High, $132,750

Market St., 2464: Bayview Loan Servicing LLC to G. & J. Trump, $95,000

North St., 2022: T. & C. Rine to FBTB Group LLC, $57,500

N. 2^nd St., 803: T., J. & J. Harbilas to McClellan Development Group LLC, $200,000

N. 2^nd St., 3307: J. Hole to C. Myers, $216,500

N. 3^rd St., 608: PNL Penn Properties LP & T. Trite to P. & S. Kumar, $95,000

N. 5^th St., 1901; 1929, 1941, 1943 & 1945 N. 6^th St.; 601A, 603, 605, 607 & 609 Peffer St.: Buonarroti Trust to Home for the Friendless, $221,464

N. 5^th St., 2515: Welcome Home Rentals LLC to 2013 M&M Real Estate Fund LLC, $50,000

N. 6^th St., 1919 & 1923; 1920 & 1922 Wallace St.: Buonarroti Trust to Home for the Friendless, $56,048

N. 6^th St., 2647: S. O’Hara to D. & D. Silbaugh, $100,000

N. 7^th St., 2300: Pennsylvania Bronze & Co. & C.O. Lacy Foundries to McNelis Gutter Cleaning Inc., $86,000

N. 16^th St., 1306: J. & S. Taylor to M. Bailey, $85,900

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 504: R. Davis Jr. to J. Brown, $215,000

Penn St., 1510: S. Boshinakov to M. Staub & S. Hyser, $129,000

Penwood Rd., 3214: J. & D. Wells to 360 Home Services LLC, $78,000

Radnor St., 408: Harrisburg Rentals LLC & Norman’s Realty Services to H. Lee, $75,000

S. 13^th St., 932: 932 South 13^th Street Assoc. & Brimmer’s License Service Inc. to South 13^th Street Properties LLC, $545,000

S. 19^th St., 9: Freddie Mac to Wofford Enterprises Ltd., $39,000

S. 19^th St., 11: Freddie Mac to F. Wofford, $34,000

S. 19^th St., 1238: D. & S. Pinci to A. Sierra, $49,900

State St., 106: 106 St. St. LP & N. Katz to J. Dorbian, $209,000

Swatara St., 2249: P. & F. Corbin to J. Hill, $89,000

Vineyard Rd., 214: M. Bower to V. Grodner, $140,000

Walnut St., 210: Walnut Court Associates to 210 Walnut LLC, $325,000

Yale St., 229: J. & J. Rosa to W. Arevalo & Y. Russ, $60,000

Harrisburg property sales for January 2014, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Changing Hands is sponsored by RE/MAX Realtor Ray Davis.