Harrisburg Approves 2021 Budget
Harrisburg approved a 2021 budget last month, but not before making amendments to Police Bureau spending and personnel.
During a virtual legislative session, City Council unanimously approved a $136.5 million budget, which does not include a property tax hike.
The aggregate budget includes a $79.2 million general fund, a $17.9 million neighborhood services fund, a $15.3 million capital projects fund and a $12.5 million debt service fund.
The budget utilizes about $15 million of the city’s large reserve fund balance, which will draw down that account to $10.2 million by the end of 2021. The money will be used to add a number of positions and to pay down debt.
Included in the budget is funding for seven new civilian positions within the community services division. These community service aides will assist police officers with “quality of life” issues and work to improve relations with the community, said Mayor Eric Papenfuse.
Originally, 12 aides were proposed, but after receiving comments from residents concerned about the positions, council decided to give the program a trial run for 2021 and, therefore, reduced the number of positions.
In public comments, some residents stated that they didn’t want to see extra funding go towards the bureau at all, saying that’s not what the city needs.
“There are so many pressing needs in Harrisburg right now,” one resident said. “More policing funding does not provide houses, food, education, medicine or security. More cops and more money for cops does not make communities safer.”
An additional amendment was passed 4-2 to remove the community policing coordinator position from the budget. Blake Lynch has held this job, but he’s due to be promoted to director of community relations and engagement. Council member Westburn Majors said that he believes the community service aides can take on the responsibilities of the coordinator position.
“To me, that could be seven heads being able to do a job that we had one individual doing,” he said.
Harrisburg to Collect Trash for Boroughs
Harrisburg’s neighboring municipalities will soon see new faces on trash pickup day.
Harrisburg City Council last month approved two resolutions to begin collecting trash and recycling for Paxtang and Penbrook boroughs on Jan. 1.
In total, the city now has intergovernmental agreements with three nearby boroughs for waste pickup. In mid-2019, Harrisburg began handling Steelton’s refuse.
“I really believe that this regional approach to the delivery of services is particularly well suited for Pennsylvania, where we have so many different municipalities in close proximity,” Mayor Eric Papenfuse said. “We don’t all need to be duplicating services.”
Over the next five years, the city expects to gain over $2 million in annual revenue from the agreements.
An additional six sanitation workers and one sanitation manager will join the city’s Department of Public Works to assist with the new routes.
“I totally agree with the vision of shared services within municipalities as a benefit to the entire region,” council member Dave Madsen said.
In other action last month, council voted to continue a professional services contract with Harrisburg-based Maverick Strategies for lobbying-related services. The resolution passed with a 4-3 vote. The contract will last one year at a cost of $5,000 per month.
Additionally, council voted to apply for a Driving PA Forward—Level 2 EV Charging Rebate. If granted, the amount of $36,000 would go towards installing four electric vehicle charging stations on City Island.
Council also chose to continue an agreement with the Humane Society of Harrisburg Area to provide services to Harrisburg’s Animal Control Program for another year.
Condo Building Proposed
New condominiums may be headed for Midtown, as a Harrisburg-area developer is proposing over a dozen market-rate units in the former Salvation Army building.
Wormleysburg-based Integrated Development Partners has plans to construct 16 efficiency, one-bedroom and two-bedroom condo units in the mid-century brick building located at Cumberland and Green streets, said Jonathan Bowser, a managing partner. The building would be renamed “The Lofts” due to the high ceilings in several of the units, he said.
“It’s a nice building in a nice, historic neighborhood,” Bowser said. “For us, it’s critically important to keep the character of the building, which maintains the character of the neighborhood.”
The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region left its long-time home in late 2019 after moving into a new, larger facility on S. 29th Street. The 18,500-square-foot building has been on the market for many years and includes a small parking lot on Penn Street and a second, larger parking lot on Green Street.
Last March, another developer, Michael Lam, proposed a 25-unit apartment building for the space, but he bowed out as the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Bowser, a former chair of the Broad Street Market board, said that his company pursued the building after Lam dropped out.
“There’s the new courthouse and other plans that I believe are boosting the demand—the need—for housing,” he said. “So, we decided to look into that opportunity.”
In addition, the market for housing in Midtown has improved immensely for both rentals and sales, driven in part by the relocation of people to Harrisburg from larger cities, Bowser said.
Right now, the plan, Bowser said, is to build for-sale, market-rate condo units, ranging in size from about 650 square feet to about 1,200 square feet. However, that plan is fluid and could change if the company deemed rental apartments to be a better option, he said.
“There isn’t enough condo product in the walkable downtown or Midtown,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of vacancies there.”
He declined to provide a potential range of sales prices.
The project includes 32 parking spaces on Green Street. A brick building on that lot probably will be converted to storage units or maybe a gym for residents, Bowser said.
He hopes to begin construction in the summertime for completion in early 2022. His company has a contract on the building pending site plan approval from the city.
Harrisburg Buys Former Bank Building
Harrisburg has plans in 2021 to move its engineering and traffic departments to a former bank building on N. 7th Street.
City Council last month approved the reallocation of 2020 funds to purchase the M&T building for $375,000.
Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that the city received a significant discount as the building was appraised at $675,000.
According to Papenfuse, the purchase was necessary because some of the city’s public works facility will be lost to eminent domain as part of PennDOT’s I-83 expansion project. The city’s traffic department, which is housed in the building, will need to move.
In addition, the engineering department will move out of the public safety building downtown, freeing up space for the new community policing team to have its main base there.
Renovations and remodels of the building are part of the city’s 2021 budget. Papenfuse said that it would likely cost around $192,000 for demolition, renovations, HVAC replacement and security additions, among other items.
The annual cost of utilities and maintenance for the building would be around $60,200, he estimated.
“This is the first new real estate acquisition for the City of Harrisburg, I guess, since the public works facility,” he said.
Utility Bills to Increase in 2021
Utility bills in Harrisburg will be somewhat higher next year, as Capital Region Water has approved rate increases for both drinking water and wastewater.
Late last year, the CRW board approved both the 2021 budget and the new rates.
The board voted to raise the drinking water rate by 2% from $9.84 to $10.04 per 1,000 gallons, with a “ready to serve” charge of $7.93 for a standard residential customer.
The wastewater rate will increase by 3% for 2021 from the current $7.99 per 1,000 gallons to $8.23 per 1,000 gallons.
Under the new rate structure, the average Harrisburg customer consuming 45,000 gallons of water annually will pay about $1.80 per month more for water and wastewater services, according to CRW.
The new stormwater fee, which began in October, is unchanged at $6.15 per month for most residential customers.
Home Sales, Prices Up
Home sales and prices were up in the Harrisburg area in November, continuing a months-long trend.
For the month, 728 houses sold compared to 581 in the year-ago period, while the median sales price jumped to $215,000 from $180,000 for the three-county region, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).
In Dauphin County, GHAR reported that 353 housing units sold in November versus 280 the year before, while the median price increased to $185,750 compared to $162,000.
In Cumberland County, sales rose to 327 homes from 244 a year ago, with the median price rising to $238,000 versus $195,500 in November 2019, GHAR stated.
Perry County saw a one-unit increase to 36 houses sold in November, though the median sales price dipped to $165,000 from $185,000 a year earlier.
Houses were also selling much faster this year, as GHAR reported that the average “days on market” fell to 26 days compared to 46 days in November 2019.
Home sales and prices in the Harrisburg area have been strong all year long, especially since pandemic-related restrictions were lifted on the industry in May.
So Noted
Amy Rote was named last month as the new president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region, which serves five counties in south-central PA. She started with the organization in 2013 as vice president of programs and most recently served as interim president and CEO.
David Black plans to retire later this year from his longtime position as president and CEO of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC. Black has served in the post for 20 years and expects to officially retire in mid-2021. A search firm has been hired to help identify Black’s successor.
Dauphin County will keep taxes steady this year, as last month it approved a $187.7 million budget for 2021. The county commissioners kept taxes unchanged for a 16th straight year, despite increased expenses wrought by the coronavirus pandemic and the election.
Harrisburg University Presents last month announced a three-day blitz of concerts in the city. Cage the Elephant will appear in Riverfront Park on Sept. 23, followed by Dawes at XL Live on Sept. 24 and Portugal. The Man on Sept. 25. HU Presents also has rescheduled many concerts for 2021 that were cancelled in 2020.
James Thompson last month was named the new president of the Harrisburg School District board of directors for the coming year. In addition, Steven Williams was voted in as the new vice president of the board.
Steven Rowley last month was named the new chief executive officer of Vista Autism Services, which provides autism services to children and adults in central PA. Most recently, Rowley managed his own consulting firm, Advokat Services, helping educational companies with strategic planning and executive development.
Summit Trail Advisors last month cut the ribbon on new office space in downtown Harrisburg at 108 Locust St. Nationally, the wealth management company has client assets of $10 billion, and its Harrisburg office manages over $1 billion in client assets, according to the firm.
Ward of Health, a vegan food stand, opened recently in the Broad Street Market’s stone building. Owner Craig Ward offers his own, vegan spin on many dishes, including mac and cheese, tacos and a “crab cake” sandwich.
Zen Leaf opened its doors for business last month, the second medical marijuana dispensary in the city of Harrisburg. The store is located at 137 S. 17th St. in the city’s Allison Hill neighborhood.
Changing Hands
Agate St., 2503 & 2510: T. Brown to Boy on Boyd LLC, $45,000
Agate St., 2719: D. Miller to DJam Property LLC, $830,000
Allison St., 1507: M. Fukac et al to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $42,000
Bellevue Rd., 2201: J. & B. McCoy to A. & K. Clark, $325,000
Boas St., 1923: CR Property Group LLC & R. Sykes to B. Patel, $109,995
Chestnut St., 2040: C. McCann to M. Cedeno, $86,100
Crescent St., 223: S. Gutshall to Bachaouch Properties LLC, $50,000
Croyden Rd., 2826: J. McErlean to W. & E. Daughtry, $110,000
Derry St., 2103: BSR Rental Trust to H. Qasim, $51,000
Derry St., 2426: P. & C. Ambrose to PA Prosper & Grow LLC, $68,136
Division St., 535: A. Eckert to F. Travers & E. Brown, $170,000
Dunkle St., 542: C. Hood to A. Linan, $39,000
Emerald St., 223: M. Horgan to A. Finley & D. Rhodes, $143,000
Evergreen St., 311, 313, 315, 317 & 319 and 1248 & 1250 Reese St.: RC Realty Holdings LLC to NA Capital Group LLC, $115,000
Green St., 1325: K. O’Donnell to S. & E. Rairigh, $134,000
Green St., 1421: Real Life Ministries International Inc. to J. Davis, $32,000
Green St., 1515: J. Barton to B. Brown, $191,000
Green St., 2122: Tassia Corp. to KMM Development LLC, $82,000
Green St., 2134: V. Rivas to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $40,000
Green St., 2230: A. Manderino to SPG Capital LLC, $59,000
Hanna St., 110: M. Knouse to S. Blades & N. Brody, $195,000
Herr St., 263: Summerhill Partners LP to F. Branch, $205,900
Herr St., 271: M. Fagan to C. Solimine & P. Frownfelter, $177,500
Herr St., 1509: D. Boyle to J. & B. Dilone, $38,000
Herr St., 1727: Mango Properties LLC to Gold Key Properties LLC, $50,000
Logan St., 1712: T. & V. Williams to H. Hawbaker, $134,500
Logan St., 2157 & 2222: B. & K. Saltzgiver to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $75,000
Market St., 2105: E. Ruggieri to H. Pacheco, $195,000
Muench St., 203: J. & T. Moffitt to D. Harmon, $90,000
Muench St., 430: W. Teats to Your New Home Rental LLC, $54,000
North St., 1942: W. Johnson to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $50,000
N. 2nd St., 717: BCRA Realty to Scarn LLC, $220,000
N. 2nd St., 932: P. Keelen to C. DeRosier, $85,000
N. 2nd St., 1400: C. Utley to J. Charles Realty LLC, $330,000
N. 2nd St., 1603: A. Meyers & J. Dunn to S. Barr, $239,900
N. 2nd St., 1609: S. Barr to R. Solano, $214,000
N. 2nd St., 1913: Lansanah Home Services Group to H. Smull & B. Holmes, $200,000
N. 2nd St., 2428: D. & S. Zewe to A. & M. Moosa, $323,000
N. 3rd St., 1719: J. & J. McElhoe to B. & K. Shank, $164,900
N. 3rd St., 2534: Skynet 2534 LP to 2534 PNR Properties LLC, $140,000
N. 3rd St., 2626: 2626 North LP to Prompt 2626 LLC, $2,904,337
N. 4th St., 19½: J. & S. Rogers to Akshay Properties LLC, $375,000
N. 4th St., 1705: D. Witmer to SPG Capital LLC, $85,000
N. 4th St., 2427: B. Jones Sr. to N. Hamilton & L. Brown, $86,000
N. 5th St., 1940: Vanderbilt Mortgage & Finance Inc. to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $72,300
N. 5th St., 2030 & 2032: I. Druker to South Lake LLC, $50,000
N. 5th St., 2507: CR Property Group LLC to M. Hall, $110,000
N. 5th St., 2714: S. Elliott to J. Todd, $64,900
N. 6th St., 2225: Gilligan Realty LLC to 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC, $40,001
N. 6th St., 3152: J. Boynes to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $50,500
N. 17th St., 53: S. Kum to A. Shabalah, $150,000
N. 18th St., 713: MJE Properties LLC to SSoluciones LLC, $37,500
N. 18th St., 802: A. Butts to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $42,700
N. Front St., 1525, Unit 204: E. Reynolds to L. & R. Luftig, $212,000
N. Front St., 1525, Unit 401: P. & E. Showalter to A. Witte, $170,000
Park St., 1730 & 2552 Lexington St.: V. Rivas to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $40,000
Paxton St., 1924 & 1915 Lenox St.: S. Fisher Jr. & Steve Fisher Rental Properties LLC to Shawn Hall CRE LLC, $550,000
Penn St., 1607: M. Dell to Z. Bouanane, $176,000
Race St., 546: L. Fisher to B. Rickert, $125,000
Randolph St., 1420 & 906 S. 15th St.: A. Biegler & J. Tomlinson to J. Fernandez, $131,000
Reily St., 109: C. Love & S. Kehler to K. Bardon & E. Cameron, $205,000
Reily St., 224: PI Capitol LLC to SJL Rentals LLC, $128,000
Rolleston St., 1016: N. Barger to A. Diggs, $106,000
Rolleston St., 1249: CR Property Group LLC to Paul Winka Trust, $385,000
Schuykill St., 656: A. McDonald to F. Russ, $73,900
South St., 103: C. Longyear to J. Machek, $89,000
S. 13th St., 433: Master Ventures LLC to A. Gil, $45,000
S. 14th St., 234 & 236: A. Wardhana & L. Winami to J. Gritten, $53,000
S. 16th St., 409, 411 & 413: Jackson Investment Properties LLC to G. & M. Landis, $112,800
S. 17th St., 14: CR Property Group LLC to L. & S. Swan Trust, $100,000
S. 19th St., 1133: N. Colon & R. Romero to F. & M. Carvajel, $135,000
S. 19th St., 1205: T. Sanchez to N. Mitchell, $130,000
S. 24th St., 702: N. Kehler to Property Value Solutions LLC, $50,200
S. Front St., 801: M. Boyer to J. Blackburn, $165,000
Susquehanna St., 2150: M. Barrette to SPG Capital LLC, $49,900
Swatara St., 2027: R. Miller to M. Temba and C. & J. Liu, $71,000
Verbeke St., 116: W. Macavoy to T. Cotton, $129,500
Waldo St., 2640: A. Owens to P. Baquero, $49,900
Walnut St., 1244: LAGR Properties LLC to Shutter Real Estate LLC, $33,000
Walnut St., 1808: I. Druker to Aumiller Enterprises Inc., $40,000
Whitehall St., 2043: D. Taylor to O. Cotto, $80,000
Harrisburg property sales for November 2020, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.
