Tag Archives: Brian Ostella

Candidates hash out priorities, policies during Harrisburg school board debate

May 8, 2019 | by Lawrance Binda

Lewis Butts makes a point at Wednesday night’s school board candidate debate at HMAC.

There was a sense of déjà vu on Wednesday night as numerous challengers, but few incumbents, crowded the stage during a school board candidate debate in Midtown Harrisburg.

A large group of residents attended the event at the House of Music, Arts & Culture (HMAC), as did all eight Democratic challengers: Gerald Welch, Jayne Buchwach, Cory X. Williams, Lewis Butts Jr., Steven Williams, James Thompson, Doug Thompson Leader and Ralph Rodriguez.

Three incumbents—Lola Lawson, Ellis R. Roy and Patricia Whitehead-Myers—did not attend, though Roy had a surrogate read an introductory statement. One of the incumbents, Lionel Gonzalez, departed after attending only about 15 minutes of the two-hour event.

“We invited all 12, so who showed up, showed up,” said Brian Ostella of Friends of Midtown, the community group that organized the debate, which was held in anticipation of the May 21 primary for five, four-year seats on the board.

The most open-ended question arguably came first when moderator Brandon Flood, secretary of the state Board of Pardons, asked candidates to name a specific goal or two that they would like to implement to improve the district.

Challenger Steven Williams answered first, naming adherence to the state recovery plan and the desire to bring more counselors into the district.

“We have students dealing with serious issues outside the classroom,” he said
“Bringing in more counselors is crucial . . . to give students the life they deserve.”

Butts said that he wanted to put each of the nine board members into one of Harrisburg’s schools, presumably so they could get to know and advocate for the school.

“Each board member will be assigned to a school. They’ll have an office in that school,” he said, adding that improving nutrition is also a priority.

Rodriguez advocated “more services for students,” such as counseling and support. He also recommended an audit of contracts, saying he believed that there was overlap among services and vendors.

“I’d like to go through the books and do a full audit of programs in the district,” he said. “The school district should have just one umbrella of programs.”

Buchwach reiterated the themes of “transparency and accountability,” which she has brought up repeatedly at numerous forums and debates over the past month.

“That is the one big goal, to put in policies and procedures to do that,” she said, while also advocating “restorative policies in our schools, so that suspension and expulsion are not first results.”

Gonzalez, the only incumbent to attend, simply mentioned that he’d like to see students do better academically.

“I would love the children to get better grades. I would love the children to get motivation,” he said, before promptly walking off the stage and not returning for the remainder of the debate.

Welch mentioned improving graduation rates as a major goal if he were elected.

“I would like to see more college enrollment,” he said. “That’s the reason I got involved in the school board race, because we were lacking in graduation rates.”

James Thompson said that he’d like to see a change in the district’s leadership—the superintendent—and an improvement in reading performance.

“We have in our schools 20 percent or less that are making reading proficiency,” he said. “You cannot learn if you cannot read.”

Doug Thompson Leader built on the argument of top-down change, saying that the school board also needed new blood.

“I hope we get five independent-thinking, smart people on the board. I mean, five independent thinkers who are going to focus on policy,” he said, adding that communication also needed to improve among the district, parents and the community.

Cory X. Williams added to that point.

“First, I would work hard to bridge the gap between the schools and the community” he said. “As a community, it’s up to us. It takes a village to raise a child.”

Many times, the candidates espoused the importance of community involvement, even pointing to the crowded and often vocal group of residents gathered for the debate.

Organizer Ostella also complimented the turnout for the event.

“Harrisburg is nothing without its residents, and engaged residents make it a great place to live,” he said.

The primary election is slated for May 21. The competition is only among Democrats, as no Republicans are running in the race.

For more information on the candidates and their positions, please read our previous debate coverage here and here.

September News Digest

September 29, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda and Lizzy Hardison

Madsen Named to Council

Dave Madsen is Harrisburg’s newest council member, as City Council last month appointed the Midtown resident to a four-month term.

Madsen takes the seat vacated by former Councilman Jeffrey Baltimore, who resigned in August.

Six city residents applied for the position, and City Council named four finalists: Madsen, Brian Ostella, Jennie Jenkins and Joshua Burkholder. In the end, Madsen, Ostella and Jenkins received nominations from council, which selected Madsen, a technician with the state Department of Revenue, by a 4-2 vote.

Also last month, the Democratic Committee of Dauphin County selected Madsen to appear on the November ballot as its nominee for a two-year council seat to fill the remainder of Baltimore’s term.

In that committee contest, Madsen narrowly bested city official Devan Drabik after Jenkins withdrew her name from contention and threw her support behind Madsen.

Civil War Museum Accord Reached

Harrisburg’s mayor and a city museum have put aside their contentious past in a deal that would give the museum ownership of its permanent collection.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse and board members of the National Civil War Museum last month outlined an agreement in which the city would sell the collection to the museum for $5.25 million and begin to charge the museum rent.

“My goal has always been to reach an agreement in the city’s best interest, and I believe this is in everyone’s best interest,” Papenfuse said.

After becoming mayor in 2014, Papenfuse strongly objected to deals reached under former Mayor Steve Reed that allowed the museum to display the city-owned artifacts at no cost and that charged the museum just $1 a year in rent for the city-owned building. The new agreement, which must be approved by City Council, addresses both those issues.

First, the city would sell the artifacts to the museum for $5.25 million. In turn, the city would put $1 million into a reserve fund to pay for capital improvements to the building, which the city would continue to own. The other $4 million would pay for improvements to Reservoir Park, where the museum is located.

Under the deal, the museum has five years to raise the $5.25 million to purchase about 25,000 artifacts. If it fails to raise the money within that time, the city would be allowed to sell 20 percent of the museum’s collection.

The agreement also outlines a graduated schedule for the payment of rent.

For the first five years, the museum would pay the city $45,000 per year in rent. However, no money would change hands, as the cumulative amount over that period almost equals the amount of money that the museum is owed by the city for unreimbursed building repair costs dating back to 2009.

“It took us a long time to be here, but I think we realize that this made a heck of a lot of sense for both (parties),” said Gene Barr, a museum board member.”

Harrisburg Finances Praised

State officials last month offered an optimistic forecast for Harrisburg’s 2017 finances, but the city’s ability to maintain a balanced budget through the end of the year remains uncertain.

Members of the city’s Act 47 team appeared before City Council to give a mid-year assessment of the current budget.

Praising the “exemplary” leadership of Mayor Eric Papenfuse and City Council, the team summarized the city’s 2017 finances through June and offered recommendations for the second half of the year.

While the team commended the city’s financial vigilance, Harrisburg will see some challenges looking into the second half of the year.

For example, the city doesn’t yet know if it can count on its annual payment from the state. In past years, the state has made a single, lump-sum payment to Harrisburg to cover the costs of supporting the state Capitol complex.

“Not getting $5 million from the state is a little concerning,” said Bruce Weber, city finance director. “Even though we may be in good financial position now, it’s tenuous.

Term Limits Proposed

Former Harrisburg Mayor Steve Reed served seven full terms, leaving financial devastation in his wake when he left office after 28 years.

City Council President Wanda Williams says she now wants to prevent a future mayor from staying in office too long, thus endangering the welfare of the city. So, she has introduced an ordinance that would limit future Harrisburg mayors to two terms.

“I don’t want that to happen again,” she said.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that, in general, he supports term limits for officeholders and might even consider them as part of a new Home Rule charter. However, he does not support this proposal because, he said, one branch of government cannot use term limits “to control” another.

In contrast, he said he might support a proposal that subjects all municipally elected officials to term limits. Williams said that she might go for that.

“If he wants to consider council members, that’s fine with me, too,” said Williams, who, with 12 years on council, is the longest-serving elected official in the city government.

Hamilton Health to Expand

A planned expansion at Hamilton Health Center in Allison Hill will increase pre-K access for children in that neighborhood, while also providing additional parking for the facility’s patients and employees.

Last month, Harrisburg City Council approved Hamilton Health’s application to add a new parking lot and a 25,000-squre-foot building to its facility on S. 17th Street. The building will house classrooms for Capital Area Head Start and another childcare facility.

Jo Pepper, executive director of Capital Area Head Start, said that the Hamilton Health expansion will allow her organization to direct more resources to its highest-need area, adding 80 slots starting next year.

“Every year, one of our biggest problems is finding safe, age-appropriate facility space in our areas of need,” Pepper said. “We’ve been looking for additional space in Allison Hill for five years now.”

Capital Area Head Start will occupy five classrooms in the new Hamilton Health building.

“We are a one-stop shop for families to access what they need,” said Jeanine Peterson, CEO of Hamilton Health. “Co-locating with Head Start eliminates a lot of the barriers that a lot of families have in ensuring that their kids get quality health care.”

New Office Building Planned

Downtown Harrisburg may soon get its first new office building in several years, as Harristown plans to clear and develop a narrow space off of Market Square.

Asbestos remediation work began last month on 21 S. 2nd Street, a small, three-story, dilapidated brick building that once housed the Coronet restaurant on the ground floor. Demolition will follow, said Brad Jones, president and CEO of Harristown Enterprises.

“This building was beyond repair,” Jones said. “Rehabilitation is always our preference when working on an old building, but, unfortunately, this former restaurant had severe water damage and asbestos and couldn’t be saved.”

Harristown hopes to construct a new, six-story office building next year, with retail or restaurant space on the first floor, once demolition is completed in February 2018. It expects to combine the space with a renovation of the historic SkarlotosZonarich building next door.

Home Sales Continue Rise

Area home sales resumed their upward trend in August, rising 4.4 percent year over year.

Sales totaled 989 units versus 947 in August 2016, while the median price rose to $184,900 against 169,900 the year earlier, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors.

In Dauphin County, 325 homes sold compared to 311 homes in the year-ago period, and the median price was $169,900 versus $157,500, GHAR said. In Cumberland County, sales increased by 10 to 346 units, and the median price rose to $204,950 compared to $178,450 in August 2016.

Perry County had sales of 36 homes, down by two units, while the median price decreased to $159,450 versus $162,250 a year ago.

GHAR covers all of Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry counties and parts of York, Lebanon and Juniata counties.

So Noted

Amanda Arbour last month was named the new executive director of the LGBT Center of Central PA. Arbour replaces Louie Marven, who served for more than five years in the post.

Beau MacGinnes, gallery curator for Zeroday Brewing Co., captured the first-place prize for “Windows of Perception,” his entry into Wildwood Park’s annual “Art in the Wild” competition. Eve Gurbacki and Adrianne Zimmerman took second place with “When Trees Dream,” and Sean Rafferty and Katlyn Goodyear won third for “Equus Cabullus.”

Boo-Boo’s Barbecue held its grand opening last month at 912 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. The new eatery, which features barbecued meats and homestyle sides, is owned by Litho “Boo Boo” Ware, a former city police officer.

Harrisburg Bike Share plans to launch this month with 10 city locations downtown, Midtown and on City Island. For a $25 annual fee, users will be able to use the bike-sharing service. For details, visit www.bike.zagster.com.

Meeka Fine Jewelry last month held a ribbon cutting at its location at 2135 Market St., Camp Hill. Owner Monika Kroll co-locates her studio in the renovated space, which features products from eight independent artisans.

Rep. Lou Barletta (R-11) last month announced that he would run for the U.S. Senate in 2018. Barletta, who is in his fourth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, would vie for the seat currently held by Sen. Robert Casey Jr.

Sam Jordan has been promoted to vice president, commercial banking, for S&T Bank. He previously served as assistant vice president, commercial banking.

Timothy Reardon last month announced his retirement as executive director of Tri-County Regional Planning Commission following a seven-year tenure in the position. The commission provides planning services and expertise for the greater Harrisburg area.

Zeroday Brewing Co. last month celebrated the grand opening of the Zeroday Outpost inside the stone building of the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg. To mark the occasion, a “community ribbon cutting” was held, with patrons cutting small pieces of ribbon.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2249: N. Townsend to T. Bui, $48,000

Berryhill St., 2338: M. Ortiz to PA Deals LLC, $30,000

Berryhill St., 2432: PA Deals LLC to E. Shelly, $63,500

Boas St., 421: B. Andreozzi to M. Berlin, $115,000

Boas St., 433: D. & D. Dreher to S. Rives, $120,000

Brookwood St., 2619: B. Sweger to J. Torres, $65,200

Buckthorn St., 223 & 225; 1208 Walnut St.; 1468 Zarker St.; 2144 N. 4^th St.; 1835 North St.: LMK Properties LLC to RT Propertiez LLC, $86,867

Calder St., 102: K. Goodling & K. Shepherd to C. Hommel, $164,900

Derry St., 2435: PA Deals LLC to J. Tucker, $64,000

Fulton St., 1408: J. Bancroft to K. Black, $109,900

Fulton St., 1413: A. Beasy to C. Wilson, $118,000

Herr St., 214: Leonard J. Dobson Family Limited Partnership to P. Dee, $58,000

Green St., 800: J. & S. Wesley to D. & C. Seltzer, $219,900

Green St., 922: M. Roan to S. Winkeljohn & D. Black, $184,900

Green St., 1201: Equity Trust Co. Gordon Trump IRA to D. & L. Butcher, $189,900

Green St., 1417: B. Williams to L. Santos & O. Labinjo, $173,000

Green St., 1926: W. O’Brien to M. Stier & D. Gottlieb, $210,000

Green St., 2014: H. & S. Johnson to R. & J. Tilley, $135,000

Green St., 2137: N. Morrison to T. Sangrey, $51,000

Green St., 2138: C. Ly to Round Rock Investments LLC, $87,000

Green St., 2340: E. & K. Woolever to J. Clmens, $184,000

Green St., 3240: J. Mueller to M. Sangrey, $115,000

Hamilton St., 232: T. Gagnolet & M. Barth to A. & M. Fretz, $165,000

Harris St., 238: D. Leaman to W. Davis & T. Helwig, $194,824

Harris Terr., 2483: H. Nguyen to HT Properties LLC, $35,000

Lenox St., 1910: M. & J. Bryant to RTD Properties and Management, $40,000

Lexington St., 2600: M. Sink to Harrisburg Properties LLC, $38,500

Logan St., 2000 & 2001 N. 3^rd St.: Otterbein Evangelical & Z. Haverstock to New Day Way of the Cross Church in Christ, $85,000

Logan St., 2246: Dobson Family Partnership to S. Powell, $42,294

Maclay St., 219: Kusic Capital Group LLC to Good Management LLC, $105,000

Mercer St., 2424: L. Barber to R. Murphy III, $50,000

Mercer St., 2455: MidFirst Bank to D. Pham, $32,500

Moore St., 2122 & 2122A: 3 Anvi LLC to Harrisburg Homes Investment LLC, $50,000

Nagle St., 120: J. Piglacampo to J. & D. Griffin, $168,500

Naudain St., 1522 & 1524: H. & C. Myers to ERD Small Property LLC, $40,000

N. 2^nd St., 1105: K. Brett to Hamr Second Street LLC, $112,000

N. 2^nd St., 1331: E. Benion to S. Mimm, $70,120

N. 2^nd St., 1714: R. & N. Walborn to Harrisburg Redevelopment Group LLC, $325,000

N. 2^nd St., 1909: PA Deals LLC to S. Jusufovic, $35,000

N. 2^nd St., 2527: S. & A. Andrus to GRSW Stewart Real Estate Trust, $193,500

N. 2^nd St., 3031: J. Ritchie to D. & M. Main, $96,000

N. 3^rd St., 1620: K. Reimer to J. Reimer, $90,000

N. 3^rd St., 2010: R. Blumenstein to N&R Group LLC, $31,000

N. 3^rd St., 2204: R. & M. Zeigler to P. Ford, $146,000

N. 4^th St., 1701: R. Steinmetz to S. Biray, $129,000

N. 4^th St., 1703: D. Hopkins to S. Bradley & R. Daman, $123,900

N. 5^th St., C. & M. Enoch and S. Pollard to S. Jawhar, $35,000

N. 6^th St., 1316: A. Kraft & B. Kephart to T. Jones, $92,000

N. 7^th St., 2612: Great Foods Inc. to V. Galasso, $50,000

N. 18^th St., 112: Bigfoot Properties to Amiracle4sure Inc., $52,500

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 208: I. Valeo to S. & L. Weitzman, $115,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 511: A. & C. Yastishock to S. Sulecki, $200,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 601: A. Prashar to J. Devine, $174,900

Penn St., 1706: W. & M. Fontana to C. Harris, $132,000

Race St., 612: C. Pinto to D. Amaguayo, $180,000

Rudy Rd., 2492: My Neighbor LLC to HT Properties LLC, $33,600

S. 2^nd St., 21: D. Bratic to South Second Associates LLC, $150,000

S. 17^th St., 209: K. Lawson to M. Khan, $60,000

S. 17^th St., 447: O. & Y. Han to C&P Property Management, Inc., $60,000

S. 28^th St., 726: R. McClure to P. & L. Brown, $35,000

S. 29^th St., 712: C. Kiscadden to M. Gill, $92,900

State St., 234: G. & L. Martin to Harrisburg Buildings & Grounds Co., $163,000

State St., 1508: 1508 State Street LLC to Harrisburg Homes Investment LLC, $40,000

Woodlawn St., 2511: T. Hoa to PA Double Deals LLC, $130,000

Harrisburg property sales for August 2017, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Heated Exchange: Harrisburg council, administration argue over political influence, alliances

September 6, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

Harrisburg’s newest councilman, Dave Madsen, posed for a picture following last night’s long, sometimes heated, City Council meeting.

A discussion about mayoral term limits and political alliances in Harrisburg drew sharp words at a Tuesday night council meeting, ultimately ending with the City Council president accusing the mayor of trying to influence a council selection process.

Council is considering a resolution that would limit Harrisburg mayors to serving two, four-year terms. The bill was first introduced at the Aug. 29 legislative session and discussed again at Tuesday’s non-voting work session.

While the consensus on council seems to favor term limits, Mayor Eric Papenfuse said that he would only support an ordinance that established term limits on all elected offices.

“It’s a problem to have the legislative branch impose term limits on the executive branch,” Papenfuse said.

He also said that city hall needed to engage the public on the issue and compromise on the length of the term limit before making any change.

Williams agreed that term limits should apply to all branches of government, but then accused the mayor of interfering with legislative activities by trying to influence council votes. The exchange that followed, wherein Papenfuse defended his right to express opinions to council people, became a referendum on the perceived mistrust between the city’s executive and legislative branches.

Williams rebuked Papenfuse for allegedly texting members of council to tell them how to vote in the selection of a new council person. Council held a special session on Tuesday to appoint a replacement for Jeffrey Baltimore, a councilman who resigned last month.

Dave Madsen got the four-vote majority he needed to take the vacant seat, an appointment that only lasts about four months until the winner in the November election can claim the seat. Papenfuse, though, favored another nominee, Brian Ostella. He drew Williams’ ire for sharing his preference before Tuesday’s vote.

“How are we going to be transparent if you text a council person to select a certain individual?” Williams asked Papenfuse. “You should not have been involved in that process—how can we work together if you keep doing things like that?”

Papenfuse defended sending text messages to councilmen Westburn Majors and Cornelius Johnson, saying that he only told them how he would vote if he were called in to break a tie.

“The mayor gets to participate if there’s a tie, so I thought they should know where I stand if there was,” Papenfuse said. “I expressed my opinion that, for a four-month term with the budget vote coming up, that Brian Ostella would be a good addition to council.”

Williams accused Papenfuse of sending a text message to Councilwoman Destini Hodges, who was absent from last Thursday’s special meeting when council began the selection process.

Hodges voted for Madsen at Tuesday’s meeting, bringing his vote total to four and ending the election. If she had voted for Ostella, however, there could have been a tie between the two nominees. Papenfuse denied texting her about the vote.

“I had no conversation with Hodges at all,” Papenfuse said.

The long evening ended with Karl Singleton, special assistant to the mayor, getting into a heated exchange with Williams. He implied that Papenfuse had every right to voice his preference and that, in any case, Madsen was the choice of Williams’ backer, Jimmy Pianka.

Following this tense, loud exchange, Madsen got up briefly to say, “I look forward to working with all of you in a constructive manner.”

Author: Lizzy Hardison
Lawrance Binda contributed to this story.

Decision Made: Madsen named new Harrisburg councilman.

September 5, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Dave Madsen (center) chats with fellow council hopeful Brian Ostella at last week’s Harrisburg council meeting.

Dave Madsen is Harrisburg’s newest council member, as City Council today appointed the Midtown resident to a four-month term.

Madsen takes the seat vacated by former Councilman Jeffrey Baltimore, who resigned last month.

Council members Wanda Williams, Ben Allatt, Shamaine Daniels and Destini Hodges supported Madsen. Councilman Cornelius Johnson voted for Ostella, and Councilman Westburn Majors voted for Jenkins.

Madsen remained for the lengthy work session that followed his appointment. He is expected to be sworn in before council’s legislative session next week.

This was the second time that council attempted to fill the seat. Last week, council met in a special session to name a new member to the seven-person body. However, because Hodges was absent, no nominee could garner the four votes necessary for the seat.

Madsen will only serve four months. In the November general election, voters will decide who will serve out the remaining two years of Baltimore’s term. Both the Dauphin County Democratic and Republican committees are eligible to nominate one candidate to appear on the November ballot for the seat.

Tomorrow night, the Democratic committee will meet to decide who will be its nominee. Madsen said he also has applied for that nomination.

Author: Lawrance Binda

Come Back Next Week: Battle still on for empty City Council seat.

August 31, 2017 | by Lizzy Hardison

Brian Ostella (left) and Dave Madsen (center) emerged as the final two nominees for an open Harrisburg City Council seat.

Harrisburg City Council nominated two candidates on Thursday night to fill a vacant short-term seat, but ultimately failed to summon a majority to make a final appointment.

Brian Ostella, a longtime member of the city’s audit committee, and Dave Madsen, a technician with the state Department of Revenue, each garnered a nomination from council members at the end of a special session this evening. But since Councilwoman Destini Hodges was absent, the remaining five members split the ballot 3-2 in favor of Madsen – one vote short of the four-member majority it needed to appoint him.

Council recessed and will attempt another round of voting at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday with all four finalists back in contention: Ostella, Madsen, former mayoral candidate Jennie Jenkins and former congressional candidate Joshua Burkholder. Council members can nominate any of the four for the seat.

The purpose of Thursday’s meeting was to hear from six residents hoping to replace Jeff Baltimore, a councilman who resigned on Aug. 11, two years into his four-year term. Following procedure set by the city charter, the special session consisted of three rounds to select a replacement: introductions, interviews and nominations.

Each of the six candidates who applied for the position — Burkholder, Jenkins, Madsen, Ostella, Christopher Conroy and Patricia Stringer — was permitted two minutes to address council about their experience and qualifications. Burkholder, Madsen, Ostella and Jenkins were all invited to appear for interviews, but, in the end, only Madsen and Ostella received nominations from council members.

Council President Wanda Williams said that the council tried to reach Hodges by phone for voting, but lost their connection before the nominating round. Hodges wasn’t present because of previously planned trip.

The candidate that council selects on Tuesday will serve through January.

Separately, the Democratic and Republican county committees are allowed to nominate one candidate each to appear on the general election ballot in November for the seat. The winner will take office in January and serve the remaining two years of Baltimore’s council term.

This story was updated to clarify that all four finalists will be back in contention on Tuesday when City Council reconvenes.

Author: Lizzy Hardison

Your Next Rep.: Six residents apply for open Harrisburg council seat.

August 25, 2017 | by Lawrance Binda

Next week, Harrisburg City Council will select from six applicants to fill the vacant council seat.

Six city residents want to be the next Harrisburg City Council member, as the deadline passed today to submit applications for the open seat.

The applicants include a former city councilwoman and several residents who have run previously for elected office. They are:

Joshua Burkholder, a former CBS21 News reporter who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress last year and now works as a multimedia digital artist at Hollywood Casino at Penn National.

Christopher Conroy, a political newcomer who manages a medical practice affiliated with PinnacleHealth.

Jennie Jenkins, a former Harrisburg police officer who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for mayor last May.

Dave Madsen, a tax account collections technician with the PA Department of Revenue who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for council in May.

Brian Ostella, a long-time member of the city’s audit committee who previously ran unsuccessfully for Harrisburg treasurer.

Patricia Stringer, a former city councilwoman who since has run unsuccessfully for another seat on council.

Residents had until noon today to declare their interest and submit applications to serve on the seven-member body. The seat became vacant earlier this month following the resignation of former Councilman Jeffrey Baltimore.

On Thursday, beginning at 5:15 p.m., council will choose from among the six applicants. Candidates will be given one to two minutes to explain why they’re interested in the seat. Afterwards, council members will nominate one candidate of their choice. Council then will interview the nominees before voting for their selection.

The new council member will only serve a four-month appointment. The Dauphin County Democratic and Republican committees are slated to select their own nominees, who will appear on the general election ballot in November for a two-year council seat to serve out the remainder of Baltimore’s term. The winner of the election will take office in early January.

In their applications, candidates were asked to state why they want to serve on City Council. Their responses were as follows:

Burkholder: Working closely with the public in the media and during my run for Congress, I recognized in myself the strong desire to become involved in my community and take part in issues that affect so many lives. I listened to the people and began to realize that their voices weren’t being heard, and they were not being represented by those they trusted to do so. It is vital to stay close to the community and listen to the concerns of the constituents and to make government and its process accessible to all people. I have been a part of the Harrisburg community for many years and I would like to take on a role that will improve the quality of life for our people.

Conroy: I am born and raised in Harrisburg, and feel a strong commitment to the continual improvement of our city. I believe that as the city continues to grow and change, we citizens must contribute all of our personal skillsets to our government so that it is fully responsive to the needs of each and every person living here. I would like to bring my understanding of new technologies to engage new avenues of growth for Harrisburg. The committee on which I would chair, if chosen, is working on precisely the issue for which I have ideas.

Jenkins: I want to represent the public, while balancing the well-being and interests of the city.

Madsen: I want to be a councilman that works for everyone and makes sure every voice is heard in city hall. If elected to the council, I will push for real change that will preserve our city for future generations. I would like to work with members of council and the mayor’s office to ensure that Harrisburg is set on a stable path.

Ostella: I am interested in serving on Council because I want to help the citizens of Harrisburg. I believe true leadership is found in serving others and Harrisburg needs more leaders who are willing to serve and do what is best for the whole, not just what is best for themselves. I believe that my government, corporate and nonprofit experience make me qualified to help serve all of the stakeholders in Harrisburg. Whether they are a citizen, a business owner, a government official, and/or a visitor to our city, they all have a voice in how the city’s policy decisions impact them.

Stringer: I have always wanted to serve the residents of Harrisburg by representing them in a professional manner, engaging them civically, speaking out on their behalf and assisting them with any concerns relating to the city of Harrisburg.

Author: Lawrance Binda

Spradley Resigns as Harrisburg Treasurer

May 17, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg Treasurer Tyrell Spradley as he took the oath of office last January.

Harrisburg will need to find another new treasurer, as Tyrell Spradley today announced his resignation after 18 months on the job.

In a letter to City Council President Wanda Williams, Spradley said that he would leave effective Friday.

“It is with great gratitude, and a little bit of sorrow, that I resign as City Treasurer of Harrisburg, effective May 20, 2016,” Spradley wrote.

Spradley’s letter states that he will go onto other opportunities in the public sector. He could not be reached immediately for comment.

City Council now will need to appoint a new treasurer, its third in less than two years.

The revolving door began in September 2014, when elected Treasurer John Campbell resigned in wake of theft allegations against him. He since pled guilty to charges involving taking money from several organizations, though not from the city.

Two months later, Spradley was appointed, but only after city council’s first choice withdrew his name from contention. He then was elected in his own right last year, narrowly besting primary opponent Brian Ostella.

Council now will need to accept applications for the city treasurer post. In the past, council members interviewed each applicant, nominated their preferred candidates and chose among the finalists.

Ostella declined to comment whether he would apply for the job.

City treasurer is a part-time position that pays $20,000 per year. Deputy Treasurer Celia Spicher runs the office on a day-to-day basis.

May News Digest

June 1, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

Mayor’s Slate Victorious in Council Primary

Three candidates endorsed by Mayor Eric Papenfuse won nominations last month for four-year terms on Harrisburg City Council.

Incumbent Jeffrey Baltimore and challengers Cornelius Johnson and Westburn Majors emerged victorious in the Democratic primary for three council seats. Challenger Destini Hodges tallied the most votes for the lone two-year seat.

No Republicans ran in the primary, meaning the winners of the Democratic primary will be strongly favored in November’s general election.

Moreover, Papenfuse vocally denounced incumbent Brad Koplinski, pleading with residents to vote against him. Koplinski placed fourth, losing to Majors by just 18 votes for the nomination for the final four-year seat.

“This is a big night for Harrisburg, absolutely phenomenal,” said Papenfuse after the final votes were reported. “I’m elated that we’re finally going to get new leadership to move the city forward.”

Primary results were as follows: Johnson, 1,474; Baltimore, 1,429; Majors, 1,257; Koplinski, 1239; Ellis “Rick” Roy, 1,048; Rhonda Mays, 760; Jeremiah Chamberlin, 719; Ron Chapel, 332; Koscina Lowe, 226.

In the race for city treasurer, Tyrell Spradley defeated challenger Brian Ostella by a count of 1,279 to 1,221. Council appointed Spradley last year to fill the unexpired term of former city Treasurer John Campbell, who was arrested on theft charges.

For Harrisburg school board, Jennifer Smallwood, Monica Blackston-Bailey, Matthew Krupp and Melvin Wilson Jr. won nominations for four-year seats. At press time, Daunessy Penn and Lionel Gonzalez were tied for the final four-year slot, each with 1,159 votes. Judd Pittman defeated LaTasha Frye for the nomination for the sole two-year seat.

Tax Abatement Plan Passed

Harrisburg City Council last month narrowly approved a 10-year tax abatement ordinance that many had considered dead.

By a 4-3 vote, council members passed a plan that would provide full tax abatement on residential property improvements and new construction in Harrisburg for 10 years.

“For the first time ever, we have 100-percent tax abatement,” said Mayor Eric Papenfuse. “Before, there wasn’t enough of an abatement (to promote development). This is a stronger, more powerful LERTA.”

Council twice before had failed to pass the administration’s plan for the Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program.

Councilman Brad Koplinski last month introduced his own LERTA plan, a program that would have diminished the tax abatement by 10 percent a year over 10 years. However, a council majority opted instead to re-introduce and pass the administration’s plan, along with certain responsible contracting provisions.
“I was totally shocked,” said Papenfuse. “I didn’t see this coming, but it’s great for the city of Harrisburg.”

The LERTA ordinance now must be approved by Dauphin County and the city school board, which are the other entities in Harrisburg that tax property.
Veno Announces Departure

Gene Veno, the state’s chief recovery officer for the Harrisburg school district, said he would step down at the end of June.

In December 2012, Veno was appointed to help revive the struggling, debt-ridden district. Several months later, he presented a five-year plan that he hoped would lead to a financial and academic revival.

Since then, the district has been in financial surplus, due to a combination of tax increases, school closures, staff layoffs and the discovery of millions of dollars that had been kept off the books. Academically, however, the district’s performance has deteriorated further.

Veno said he was departing to focus more on his consulting and lobbying firm, Gene Veno and Associates.

Last year, Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse asked the state to remove Veno, claiming he was too focused on financial, not academic, improvement.

As of press time, the state Department of Education had not announced a replacement for Veno.

Comprehensive Plan Team Named

Harrisburg last month awarded a contract to a consulting team for the first update in more than 40 years to its comprehensive plan, a document that will guide development across the city for the next two decades.

The $200,000 contract went to a team led by Bret Peters of the Harrisburg-based Office for Planning and Architecture and that includes designers, planners and engineers from both local and global firms.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse and city planner Geoffrey Knight said the update was long overdue and would help speed the city’s recovery.

Papenfuse described the plan as “the vision of the residents and the business owners and the stakeholders and everyone who has a stake in Harrisburg and its future development.”

The mayor added that he expects the plan to be ready for formal approval in April 2016 and that it will probably result in a revision of the city’s zoning code.

Knight said the plan, when finished, would overhaul an existing comprehensive plan dating back to 1974.

“So we’re in arrears by about 20 years with updating and adopting a new one,” he said.

Moose Lodge Conversion OK’d

The landmark Moose Lodge Temple in Midtown Harrisburg took a step closer to revival and reoccupation last month, as the city’s Zoning Hearing Board approved a plan to renovate it as mixed-use space.

The board unanimously granted a variance to WCI Partners LP for 33 apartments on three upper floors with commercial space on the ground floor. WCI needed the variance because the size of the apartment units, about 500 square feet apiece, is less than the 1,200-square-foot size permitted under the zoning code for the 900-block of N. 3rd Street.

WCI President David Butcher assured the board that the apartments, while small, would have high-end finishes that would appeal to young professionals. He estimated that the units would rent for around $1,000 per month.

WCI is purchasing the four-story building at the corner of N. 3rd and Boas streets for $900,000 from Atlanta-based Mosaica Education, a for-profit charter school company that is in receivership.

The purchase includes several adjacent parcels of land—three dilapidated townhouses and a 40-vehicle parking lot. Butcher said that WCI also plans to renovate the townhouses into apartments and retail space and would landscape the area around the parking lot to make it more attractive.

Harrisburg City Council now must approve WCI’s land use plan. If all goes smoothly, the project should start by the end of summer with completion expected in 12 to 18 months, said Butcher.

For five years, the former Moose Lodge housed the Ronald Brown Charter School. However, the building has been empty since 2005, when the school district’s board of control refused to reauthorize the school’s charter.

The Harrisburg Moose Lodge Temple was built in 1924, designed in the Beaux Arts style by renowned Harrisburg architect Clayton J. Lappley.

Disclosure: Alex Hartzler, publisher of TheBurg, is a principal with WCI Partners.

Changing Hands

Benton St., 634: 8219 Ventures LLC to S. Jawhar, $32,000

Briarcliff Rd., 135: J. & J. Lawrence to A. Sawyer, $215,000

Briggs St., 207: PA Deals LLC to S. & K. Plummer, $90,000

Brookwood St., 2424: G. & M. Tipton to R. Patterson, $70,000

Capital St., 911: K. Dolphin to B. & A. Lentz, $171,000

Chestnut St., 1925: J. Harbilas to J. Munoz Tineo, $45,000

Cumberland St., 1322: D. & D. Oswandel to E. Brinkman, $109,900

Cumberland St., 1416: T. Lewis to Full Harvest Ministries, $80,000

Division St., 609: D. Miller to G. Barone & L. Ambrosino, $90,000

Edgewood Rd., 2309: W. & N. Robinson to M. Cool & J. Smith, $162,000

Emerald St., 405: P. Dobson to G. Venable, $40,000

Fulton St., 1710: Cartus Financial Corp. to W. Fletcher & K. Cropper, $97,872

Green St., 1819: K. Livingston to N. Fickes, $105,000

Green St., 3212: R. Darr to E. Griffin, $55,000

Hale Ave., 426: M. & J. Williams to Gandy Real Estate LLC, $40,000

Kelker St., 500: Hamilton Health Center to Ministerio Nuevo Renacer, $65,000

Logan St., 2446: PA Deals LLC to M. & J. Sather, $104,300

Melrose St., 1029: S. & J. Wydra to W. Hocker, $35,000

North St., 244: E&S Properties LLC to K. Bryner, $161,000

North St., 1719: G. & M. Ramsey to K. Siddal & D. Cook, $35,000

N. 2^nd St., 515: M. & B. Habib to Candlelight Properties LLC, $625,000

N. 15^th St., 1617: Ajaz Uddin Inc. to T. Sweet, $35,000

N. 16^th St., 911: E. & J. High to M. McManus, $82,500

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 404: R. & R. Fried to J. Kelley, $210,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 613: J. Wirick to Pact Enterprises LLC, $108,000

Peffer St., 220: R. Scarabello to G. Cudaback & S. Cox, $190,000

Rudy Rd., 1944: V. Kelly to V. & S. Reyes, $66,900

Showers St., 616: J. Forr to S. Clearfield, $112,000

S. 13^th St, 1530: M. Watson to W. Okello, $58,000

S. 19^th St., 1340: PA Deals LLC to S. Orr, $81,000

S. Front St., 623: D. Sullivan et al to G. Schwab, $117,500

State St., 231, Unit 401: LUX 1 LP to S. Sehar, $164,900

Susquehanna St., 1724: Fannie Mae to B. & E. Burchfield, $35,000

Swatara St., 2101: T. Sweet to R. Gonzalez, $55,000

Swatara St., 2224: H. Romanovicz & W. Shade to L. Ho, $105,000

Wyeth St., 1412: J. Cruz to PA Deals LLC, $82,000

Mayor’s Slate Victorious in City Council Primary

May 20, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

Campaign signs from earlier today outside a polling station.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse wasn’t on the ballot, but he may have emerged the greatest victor in today’s Democratic primary for Harrisburg City Council.

The three candidates endorsed by Papenfuse–incumbent Jeffrey Baltimore and challengers Cornelius Johnson and Westburn Majors–won nominations for four-year terms on council. Challenger Destini Hodges tallied the most votes for the lone two-year seat.

No Republicans ran in the primary, meaning the winners of the Democratic primary will be strongly favored in November’s general election.

He added that he believed the public, with its vote, sent a message that it was “tired of the dysfunction on City Council.” Papenfuse advocated for new blood on council to help move his agenda forward and to replace Councilwoman Wanda Williams as council president.

For Harrisburg school board, Jennifer Smallwood, Monica Blackston-Bailey, Matthew Krupp and Melvin Wilson Jr. won nominations for four-year seats. Daunessy Penn and Lionel Gonzalez were tied for the final four-year slot, each with 1,159 votes. Judd Pittman defeated LaTasha Frye for the nomination for the sole two-year seat.

March News Digest

March 30, 2015 | by Lawrance Binda

12 Run for Council

A dozen residents handed in petitions last month to run in the May primary for seats on Harrisburg City Council.

Four seats are up for grabs this year. Three hold four-year terms, while a fourth is a two-year seat to fill the unexpired term of Councilwoman Eugenia Smith, who died last year. Councilwomen Susan Brown-Wilson and Sandra Reid decided not to seek re-election.

The candidates, all Democrats, who filed for the four-year seats are:

Jeff Baltimore (incumbent) *
Jeremiah Chamberlin *
Ron Chapel *
Cornelius Johnson
Alan Kennedy-Shaffer
Brad Koplinski (incumbent)
Koscina Lowe *
Westburn Majors
Rhonda Mays
Ellis R. “Rick” Roy *

Two Democratic candidates filed exclusively for the two-year seat:

Destini Hodges
Pat Stringer

The primary is slated for May 19. No Republicans filed to run in the election.

* Also filed for the two-year council seat.

Treasurer, School Board Candidates File

Harrisburg will have competitive races this year for the Democratic nomination for both city treasurer and school board.

In the race for treasurer, challenger Brian Ostella will face off against incumbent Tyrell Spradley. Spradley has been in the office since November following his appointment by City Council. The seat was open after former Treasurer John Campbell was arrested last summer and resigned. No Republicans are running in the primary.

Six candidates filed for the Democratic nomination for five, four-year seats on the school board:

Monica L. Blackston-Bailey (incumbent)
Lionel Gonzalez
Matthew Krupp
Daunessy Penn
Jennifer Smallwood (incumbent)
Melvin Wilson Jr.

Krupp also filed for the Republican nomination, the only candidate to do so.

Two Democratic candidates filed for the sole, two-year term on the school board:

LaTasha Frye (incumbent)
Judd R. Pittman

No Republicans filed for the two-year seat. The primary will be held May 19.

2^nd Street Plan Gets Boost

Harrisburg’s plan to return N. 2^nd Street to two-way traffic received a key endorsement last month as the state Department of Transportation gave its preliminary approval.

Following a study, PennDOT concluded that the conversion of N. 2^nd Street from one-way to two-way traffic between Forster and Division streets is feasible. However, it “must be supported by a number of improvements on Second Street as well as other area roadways in order to safely accommodate redistributed traffic.”

Most importantly, N. 7^th Street north of Maclay Street must be converted from two-way traffic to one-way traffic northbound to Division Street. Moreover, improvements would have to be made at the intersections of Division and N. 7^th streets and Forster and N. 2^nd streets.

Finally, PennDOT urged additional study on the impact of the change before final planning for the conversion.

N. 2^nd Street was made one-way in 1956 to speed traffic flow out of the city. Since then, many have blamed the fast-moving, three-lane street for a number of ills, including decreased property values, blight and lessening the quality of life for some city residents.

Market Building to Stay Open

The Broad Street Market’s stone building will remain open, reversing an earlier decision to close it.

The market’s board of directors last month said it needed the space due to a flurry of applications by potential market vendors. In addition, some in the community opposed closing the building.

In late February, the board announced it would shutter the 150-year-old stone building temporarily and relocate the prepared food vendors there to the renovated brick building. The board now says it will try to make improvements to the stone building while keeping it open.

“There has been an influx of interest from new potential market businesses and, in order to house the increasing number of vendors, we are going to have to hold onto that space and figure out a way to renovate while doing business,” said board President Jonathan Bowser.

The market is still looking for new, food-oriented businesses. To apply, visit www.broadstreetmarket.org.

Reid Pleads Guilty

Harrisburg Councilwoman Sandra Reid pleaded guilty last month to a summary charge of disorderly conduct following an incident in November at a city service station.

The district attorney’s office charged Reid for allegedly interfering with an arrest at City Gas & Diesel in the 1500-block of State Street. She was ordered to pay $253 in a fine and court costs.

Following her arrest, Reid missed numerous council meetings and decided not to run for re-election.

Changing Hands

Bellevue Rd., 2034: J. & D. Weidler to F. & C. Ramirez, $88,000

Bigelow Dr., 12: W. Portzline to S. Adamson, $60,000

Calder St., 207: PA Deals LLC to J. Manzella, $73,000

Calder St., 208: MTM Property Group LLC to J. Martin, $58,500

Cumberland St., 270: W. Fritz Jr. to PA Deals LLC, $68,750

Fulton St., 1719: Sovereign Bank NA to PA Deals LLC, $67,000

Green St., 1120: P. & H. Jackson to N. Foote, $128,500

Green St., 1307: T. McNew to J. & D. Ruggiero, $89,900

Green St., 1309: Leasing Solutions LLC to L. Oberly, $100,000

Manada St., 2010: B. & S. Dean to N. Etter, $36,000

Naudain St., 1630: R. Eisner et al to R. Murphy III, $37,500

N. 2^nd St., 403: WCI Hotel Partners LP to 401 Hotel Partners LP, $482,709

N. 2^nd St., 2146: R. & W. Shoop to D&F Realty Holdings LP, $130,000

N. 2^nd St., 2530: B. MacDonald & M. Connolly to K. Dillon & D. Smyler, $106,000

N. 3^rd St., 608: P. Kumar & S. Sharma to 608 N. Third LLC, $177,500

N. 3^rd St., 2532: M. Hogan to D. Tamang & P. Moti, $125,000

N. 7^th St., 3101: PT Properties LLC & Realty Management Inc. to Conewago Contractors Inc., $1,378,000

N. 12^th St., 1500: Math Inc. to Greenworks Auto Recycling LLC, $250,000

Norwood St., 938: C. Weller to Edwin L. Heim Co., $70,000

Reily St., 225: M. Bitsko to M. Fickes, $99,000

Rumson Dr., 330: A. Pastula to G. Di Bosco, $41,500

S. 16^th St., 334: Tri County HDC Ltd. to M. Espada, $99,900

State St., 1839: G. & M. Robinson to M. Tiedrebeogo, $50,000

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