Tag Archives: Danielle Bowers

Harrisburg City Council to choose among 20 applicants for next council colleague

January 23, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg’s MLK Jr. City Government Center (file photo)

Who will be the next member of Harrisburg City Council?

On Tuesday night, city residents will find out who will fill the open seat on the seven-member body, as sitting council members interview and then vote to appoint the next member.

In all, 20 residents submitted applications for the slot. According to the city, they are:

Lewis Butts Jr.
Nicole Collins
Crystal Davis
Joan Downs
DeRon Jordan
Cole Goodman
Lavet Henderson
Thaddeus Hill
Rhonda L. Howard
Elyse Irvis
Robert Lawson
Lamont Jones
Jessica Marpe
James Bear Murray IV
Tina Nixon
Pamela Parson
Kathryn Rhett
Seth Rubinstein
Patricia Stringer
Aaron W. Ward

The council seat is open following the resignation of former council member Dave Madsen, who left after he was elected to the state Assembly. He now represents the 104th House district, which includes a large part of Harrisburg and several neighboring east shore communities.

Council has devoted all of Tuesday’s meeting, which starts at 5:30 p.m., to the selection process.

First, council will give candidates one to two minutes to introduce themselves. After that, sitting council members will be able to nominate one of the candidates. Council will then interview the nominees, followed by one or more rounds of voting. The first candidate to get four votes will earn the appointment.

The new council member will serve the remainder of Madsen’s term, which runs through January 2024.

Council last went through this process in October 2018, when now-council President Danielle Bowers was appointed to the seat vacated by former council member Cornelius Johnson.

Seventeen people applied for that seat, though only 15 went through the selection process, as one was eliminated in the city’s vetting process and another didn’t attend the meeting.

Editor’s Note: We have updated this story after receiving a new, updated list of applicants from the city clerk’s office.

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Applications for new Harrisburg City Council member to open in January

December 14, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council (file photo)

Community members will soon have a chance to toss their hat into the ring for a spot in Harrisburg government.

City Council announced on Tuesday that, in the new year, they would begin the search for a new council member to fill a soon-to-be vacant seventh seat.

Council member Dave Madsen recently won the election for state representative of the newly redrawn 104^th district. Tuesday was his last council meeting, as he is set to begin his new position in January.

According to council President Danielle Bowers, the applications for a candidate to fill the vacant seat will open on Jan. 3 and close on Jan. 13. Council will hold a public meeting to interview candidates and make a selection on Jan. 23. During a legislative session the following day, Jan. 24, council will swear in the new member.

Applications will be available on the city’s website and in the MLK City Government Center.

Madsen began on council in 2017 and served as the community and economic development chair and public works chair during his years.

“I want to say thanks to the administration and my colleagues for a great five years,” Madsen said on Tuesday. “When I look back over what we’ve accomplished in the last five years together, I think there’s a true story to tell.”

Like Madsen, state representative-elect Justin Fleming, who won a seat in the new 105^th House district, recently left his role as a Susquehanna Township commissioner. He served as the Ward 8 commissioner for eight years.

On Dec. 8, the board of commissioners swore in attorney La Tasha Williams to fill Fleming’s seat.

Both Madsen and Fleming will assume their new positions as state Assembly members in January.

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Harrisburg City Council presents “Unsung Hero” awards to local activists, volunteers

September 27, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

“Unsung Hero” awardees (from left) Cynthia Watkins, Eugene Spells and Rafiyqa Muhammad (Angel Fox was not present)

Several Harrisburg activists and volunteers were honored by Harrisburg City Council on Tuesday night.

At a legislative session, council members named its four recipients of the 2022 “Unsung Hero” award, which recognizes city residents who have volunteered their time to make the community better.

“Each of these people truly embody what it means to be an ‘Unsung Hero,’” said council President Danielle Bowers in a statement. “Our city wouldn’t be able to function without the work they do, most, if not all of the time, behind the scenes. We want to make sure that everyone sees how much we appreciate them.”

Angel Fox, Rafiyqa Muhammad, Eugene Spells, and Cynthia Watkins received the awards.

The “Unsung Hero” award was last presented in 2019 and returns this year after a pandemic hiatus.

Fox, nominated by council member Jocelyn Rawls, is the district director for State Rep. Patty Kim (D-103) and owns Fox’s Wash & Go laundromat on Market Street. Fox also founded the nonprofit, Tears for Tarina, to help bring awareness and provide assistance to victims of domestic violence.

Muhammad, nominated by council member Shamaine Daniels, established Ngozi, Inc., a nonprofit that provides training and cultural, nutritional and economic education to the African American community. She also provides programming at the Camp Curtin YMCA community garden and serves on state and city environmental advisory boards.

“I’m excited,” Muhammad said. “It’s an honor to be recognized.”

Spells, nominated by Bowers, is the principal at Camp Curtin Academy. He has worked in the Harrisburg School District for 25 years and has been the principal at four other district schools. He has also coached little league football in the city and served as Basileus of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Kappa Omega Chapter.

“I think you do so much, and you want to see youth in the community be successful, but you don’t always stop and think about all the hours you have put in,” Spells said. “Just to be recognized for your work in the community is really heartwarming.”

Watkins, nominated by council member Westburn Majors, worked as a long-time employee for the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus. Most recently, she served as an administrative assistant for PA Legal Services, ARC of PA and Harrisburg Uptown Neighbors Together (HUNT), among other positions.

“I just do what I do and don’t think about it,” Watkins said. “This feels wonderful.”

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Harrisburg to use portion of federal COVID-relief funds for public safety building, personnel

June 14, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council’s legislative session on Tuesday

Harrisburg has decided to allocate a portion of its federal COVID relief funds to its public safety departments.

At a legislative session on Tuesday, City Council approved the allotment of about $15.6 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for public safety initiatives and reimbursement for lost revenue during the pandemic.

In total, the city was allotted $47 million in ARPA funding.

Under the bill, $5.5 million will fund the replacement of the HVAC system in the city’s Public Safety Building in downtown Harrisburg. According to Mayor Wanda Williams, the system is antiquated and in need of an upgrade.

“It’s a pricey, but necessary expenditure, as well as a health risk,” she explained at a previous council work session.

Harrisburg will also give $1.2 million in one-time bonuses to uniformed personnel in the Harrisburg Fire Bureau and Bureau of Police. Each staff member will receive a $5,000 bonus.

“The bonuses, I feel, are instrumental because we were considering those at-risk workers during the hardest times of COVID,” said council member Ralph Rodriguez. “If we don’t take care of them, we will continue to lose them.”

Another $8.8 million will be used to reimburse the city for expenses and lost revenue due to the pandemic, which was initially approved as part of the 2022 budget.

Williams announced her proposed plan for the use of the ARPA funds in mid-May, including the items that council approved on Tuesday. Her proposal also includes uses for the remaining funds, such as for an affordable housing initiative and the replacement of the city’s Hall Manor pool with a waterpark. Those projects, among others, will require future approval by council.

“I would really like to hear the full presentation with presence from each of the directors that would be impacted by the mayor’s proposal,” said council President Danielle Bowers. “I would also like to hear from the residents.”

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June News Digest

May 31, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Proposes Use of Federal Funds

After months of consideration, Harrisburg announced how it hopes to use millions of dollars in new federal funds.

Last month, Mayor Wanda Williams proposed using the city’s $47 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to support low-income residents, upgrade pools and parks and cover public safety needs.

“It’s not every day we get $47 million to spend to make the city better,” Williams said. “The pandemic has taken so much from us in so many ways over the last two years. This is why it is important we get this right, right now.”

In total, Williams proposed using $42 million of the pandemic relief funds, saving the additional $4.6 million for future uses. Her proposal includes four spending buckets: $14.5 million to help low-income residents, $10 million for beautification, parks and recreation, $9.16 million for public safety and $8.8 million to reimburse the city for lost revenue during the pandemic.

Besides the money that would be used to pay back the city for revenue it lost during COVID, the largest allotments would go to creating an affordable housing program and constructing a water park in south Harrisburg. Williams has delegated $8 million for each.

“We feel that every dollar we requested is certainly necessary,” Williams said.

The affordable housing program would primarily seek to direct financial assistance to nonprofits and developers planning to construct and sell homes to low-income residents. According to city officials, organizations or companies would apply to the program and be evaluated based on standards developed by the Department of Building and Housing Development. The city hopes the money will help build a few hundred new affordable homes, according to city Business Administrator Dan Hartman.

Also for low-income residents, the city proposed allotting $5 million to assist homeowners with necessary home repairs and another $1 million to pay for delinquent trash utility bills. Another $500,000 would fund grants for small businesses affected by the pandemic.

“It’s always been my stance that the people of Harrisburg deserve safe, affordable housing, and this proposal would help that,” said Dennise Hill, director of the Department of Building and Housing Development.

The proposal to create a water park to replace the current Hall Manor pool would constitute another large chunk of funding. Williams said that the park would include a spray area, lazy river, slides, ADA-zero entry points, concessions and community spaces for families. Additional funding would go towards installing ADA-accessible playground equipment in city parks and for tree removal services.

With the funding for public safety, Williams wants to use $5.5 million to upgrade the public safety building’s HVAC system. She also proposed giving $5,000 bonuses, totaling $1.26 million, to police officers and firefighters, using $900,000 to upgrade radio systems for the fire bureau and spending $1.5 million to demolish dilapidated buildings.

The city plans to use the $4.6 million left out of the proposal to possibly cover administrative costs and to act as a buffer in case costs for other projects increase. It may also be used for additional projects, such as repaving city streets, Williams said.

The proposal will now go to Harrisburg City Council for consideration. Hartman said that the administration will formally present the plan to council on June 7.

According to council President Danielle Bowers, council plans to hold additional public hearings on the proposed use of the ARPA funding before voting on a final plan.

State Street Meetings Set

Harrisburg residents this month will get a chance to offer their input on a State Street construction project.

The city has announced three public meetings for residents to review and comment on draft redesigns of the roadway.

“What is clear is we need to give our residents more of an opportunity to voice their concerns on this project,” said Matt Maisel, the city’s communications director.

The State Street Rapid Response project, which began planning in 2018, broke ground in Allison Hill in April. However, only two weeks later, the project came to halt when residents expressed concerns. At a City Council meeting last month, city officials announced that they would go back to the drawing board for a redesign.

The city will bring new drafted designs to the public to gather feedback. Engineers will attend to answer questions and speak to residents.

The meeting dates and locations are as follows:

Wednesday, June 2, 6 to 8 p.m., Harrisburg School District Administration Building, Lincoln School, 1601 State St.
Monday, June 6, 6 to 8 p.m., Kappa Omega Fraternity House, 2020 State St.
Wednesday, June 22, 6 to 8 p.m., Harrisburg School District Administration Building, Lincoln School, 1601 State St.

The meetings on June 2 and 6 will offer residents the chance to comment on draft designs. After those meetings, Dawood Engineering Inc., which provides engineering services to the city, will use public feedback to create a single design. This will be presented to the public at the June 22 meeting, where residents will again have the chance to comment.

Additionally, the city announced a website that will allow residents to send in public comments.

According to Maisel, the process of taking public comment, redesigning the project and resuming construction may take only a matter of months. PennDOT must approve the new plan, as the commonwealth owns State Street.

To comment on the State Street Rapid Response project, visit www.harrisburgpa.gov/state-street.

Harrisburg Council OKs Apartment Building

A developer can move forward with renovating a long-abandoned building in Allison Hill.

Last month, Harrisburg City Council approved the transformation of a blighted building at 100 N. 13th St. into apartment units. Council voted in favor of the resolution 5-2, with council member Jocelyn Rawls and council President Danielle Bowers voting in opposition.

Radon Construction plans to renovate the 11,500-square-foot building, formerly the Church of God/Central Publishing House. The renovation includes creating 12 apartment units, which the developer said should rent for about $1,000 to $1,100 a month.

“I believe that would leave our residents cost-burdened,” Bowers said, explaining her opposition to the project.

At a previous council meeting, developers explained how they had to adjust the planned rental rate to cover the rising cost of construction.

Also at last month’s meeting, council approved a resolution to contract with an organization that will assist the city with gun violence prevention efforts. The Research Foundation of the City University of New York, on behalf of the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College, will provide the service. The $210,000 contract is funded through a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The organization will study violence in Harrisburg, determine a strategy to address it and assist with implementation. The contract term is two years.

“I think it’s something that’s needed in the city,” council member Ausha Green said.

Street Name Honors T. Morris Chester

A street in downtown Harrisburg has a new, second name to honor local Black history.

Last month, officials unveiled the designation of part of Walnut Street as T. Morris Chester Way, named after a prominent figure in Harrisburg history.

“We are very excited to be celebrating this momentous occasion,” said Harrisburg City Council President Danielle Bowers.

In October, council approved the street name designation to honor the historic figure. The IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade, which installed the Commonwealth Monument on 4th and Walnut streets, is responsible for the initiative.

City officials recognized Thomas Morris Chester on what would have been his 188th birthday. Chester was a Harrisburg native and the nation’s first Black war correspondent during the 1860s. He helped recruit Black men into the Union Army and gave a voice to Black soldiers fighting for rights and equality.

“He never backed down from a fight, and the city will never back down from memorializing him,” Mayor Wanda Williams said.

Chester is also recognized as one of the bronze figures in the Commonwealth Monument.

Walnut Street will keep its name, but, from Commonwealth Avenue to Front Street, it has gained T. Morris Chester Way as a second name.

Home Prices Strong, Sales Slip

Harrisburg-area home prices jumped in April, even as sales dipped.

In the three-county region, the median price of an existing home rose to $250,500, a sharp increase from $225,000 in April 2021, as sales fell to 628 houses versus 704 the prior April, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, the median price rose to $230,000 compared to $197,950 in the year-ago period, with total sales falling to 314 from 380 housing units a year ago, GHAR said.

Cumberland County had a median sales price of $290,950 versus $260,000 a year ago, as sales decreased by 20 units to 268 houses, GHAR stated.

In Perry County, the median price also increased, to $208,900 from $156,000 in April 2021, as sales held steady at 36 homes, according to GHAR.

In April, houses were selling briskly, with the “average days on market” at just 16 days, compared to 23 the prior April, GHAR said.

Mural Passport Debuts

Visit Hershey & Harrisburg (VHH) last month announced “Murals & More—A Walk of Art,” audio-guided tours of two suggested routes that highlight murals, monuments and art.

For the tours, VHH has developed a mobile passport that users can add to their phone’s home screen.

“When you walk through Harrisburg, examples of artistic creativity and collaboration are everywhere,” said VHH President and CEO Mary Smith. “We loved the idea of creating suggested routes that allow visitors to not only see a variety of artwork within a few hours, but also learn about the artists and inspiration for the work through audio clips on the passport.”

The free passport features location information about each stop, along with audio overviews of the artwork, monuments and museums. At each stop, passport users are encouraged to use the check-in feature. After 14 check-ins, they’ll earn an art-themed prize.

Smith praised the work of Sprocket Mural Works, a nonprofit working to enhance communities through art and the organization behind many of the murals featured.

“Murals & More” is the latest addition to a collection of VHH Trails and Experiences designed to package certain themes within the region’s many tourism assets in a way that makes it easy for visitors and local residents to enjoy. Other trails and experiences include:

Brew Barons Beer Trail
Chocolate & More Sweet Treat Trail
Adventure Trail
The Black Travel Experience

“Murals & More” may be primarily centered on free public art, but it’s designed to have a positive overall effect and economic impact for Harrisburg.

“Every project VHH develops is a piece of the overall tourism puzzle in the Hershey Harrisburg region,” Smith said. “By encouraging people to take part in a walking tour, they’ll be passing restaurants, attractions and other small businesses that can also benefit from extra foot traffic in the city.”

For more information, visit www.visithersheyharrisburg.org.

Summer Events Scheduled

Just in time for the warm weather, Dauphin County last month announced its 2022 summer events season.

“We are excited to be back in action this year and here to kick off the 2022 events series,” said Michelle McKeown, the county’s parks and recreation program manager.

The county has a full lineup of seasonal events, including their annual Jazz and Wine Festival, which will take place at Fort Hunter on Sept. 10 and 11. The event will feature eight bands, as well as wine tastings and food vendors. To kick off the weekend, the popular Jazz Walk will return to Midtown Harrisburg.

Dauphin County also has family-friendly events running all summer, from June 3 to Aug. 26. The Sunset Music and Movies series will feature performing arts organizations and movies.

All of these events are free and will take place at Fort Hunter Park Centennial Barn. Families are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chairs and a picnic basket. Food trucks will also be on site. Movie showings and live performances will alternate every other Friday.

Proudly PA! is another big event for the county, set for June 11 at Fort Hunter. The event will offer tastings from PA wineries, breweries and distilleries, as well as live music and food.

Other events include BrewFest on July 16 at Fort Hunter, Cultural Fest on City Island in Harrisburg on Aug. 20, Fort Hunter Day on Sept. 18 and Celebrate Wildwood on Sept. 24 at Wildwood Park.

“We wanted to make sure it’s a welcoming experience,” said county Commissioner George Hartwick. “We were intentional about pulling together diverse programming.”

For a full list of events and additional information, visit Dauphin County’s website.

So Noted

Harrisburg University last month announced a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace to support its scholarship program. Under the initiative, people will be able to purchase unique, HU-themed NFTs to help support student scholarships.

MASA Authentic Mexican Cuisine is slated to open this month in downtown Harrisburg at 316 N. 2nd St. Enrique Armas is the third-generation owner of the business, formerly known as Mexico Lindo, which ran as a popular food truck on Market Street in Allison Hill for about two decades.

OurBus is launching a new intercity bus route that will make stops in downtown Harrisburg, the company announced last month. The route begins in Slippery Rock and ends in New York, with additional stops in Pittsburgh, Breezewood and Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.ourbus.com.

Susquehanna Soniqs, a Harrisburg-based professional e-sports team, will open a state-of-the-art e-sports facility on S. 3rd Street downtown, said Soniqs CEO Darren Moore. The LAN Center should open to the public later this summer as a hub for gaming in the area, Moore said.

West Shore Theatre in New Cumberland debuted last month after an extensive renovation, with the grand-opening weekend featuring a variety of film and live performances. The 82-year-old art deco-style theater had been closed since early 2018.

Whitaker Center last month unveiled the new PNC Innovation Zone, a 7,000-square-foot gaming studio that offers children 8 years and older the ability to learn about coding, gaming and related technologies The Innovation Zone also is one of the region’s largest Comcast Lift Zones with free public internet.

Changing Hands

Balm St., 21: Straw Family Trust to D. Boyle, $40,000

Bellevue Rd., 1945: R. Sheffield & L. Adams to 946 S 18th LLC, $64,900

Bellevue Rd., 2024: D&J Properties of Harrisburg to SPG Capital LLC, $58,000

Berryhill St., 1425: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to D. Boyle, $49,275

Berryhill St., 1443: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to C. Wheeler, $144,995

Berryhill St., 1616: Rivera Realty LLC to J. de Grullon, $65,000

Boas St., 107: J. Kundrat to C. Michalopoulos, $182,000

Boas St., 1812: MidAtlantic IRA LLC & C. Raup IRA to Cooperwink LLC, $74,900

Briggs St., 253: 253 Briggs St. LLC to SJL Rentals, $140,000

Briggs St., 1708 & 1712: PI Capitol LLC to J. Stoltzfoos, $107,708

Brookwood St., 2450: V. Nauman to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $66,000

Conoy St., 104: D. Wolf to S. Miller, $175,000

Derry St., 1634: E. Bertot & N. Gaskin to M25 Capital Investments LLC, $144,900

Derry St., 2121: W. Zhang to Y. Rodriguez & J. Savendra, $146,000

Edward St., 260 & 3115 Susquehanna St.: C. & K. Gehman to S. Dunklau & R. Anzel, $430,000

Ellersie St., 2417: R. & D. Edwards to K. Tillman, $185,000

Forster St., 1917: T&E Property01 LLC to Neidlinger Enterprises LLC, $56,000

Forster St., 1934: M. Gillespie to S. Harrison, $90,000

Fulton St., 1420: V. & D. Poplaski to M. Dean & J. Kost, $130,000

Girard St., 735 & 737: Silver Maple LLC to DIMA Properties LLC, $110,000

Green St., 1616: Vandaleh Real Estate Associates LLC & P. Costa to Green Scapes Investments LLC, $140,000

Green St., 3007: R. & T. Speece to V. Agnone & M. McKee, $280,000

Green St., 3011: M. Palermo to K. Bajracharya, $265,000

Harris Terr., 2481: S. Hill to R. Bachrach, $95,000

Herr St., 1615: D&J Properties of Harrisburg to SPG Capital LLC, $58,000

Hummel St., 343: A. Semanick to D. Montes, $66,000

Jefferson St., 2247: R. Rammouni to Louis Group LLC, $64,000

Kensington St., 2110 & 2116: M. & A. Robinson to NA Capital Group LLC, $60,500

Kensington St., 2261: E. & D. Ward to J. Scott, $50,000

Kensington St., 2314: J. Regalado to E. Brown, $89,000

Lenox St., 2001: We Buy PA Inc. to Global Reach LLC, $105,000

Lewis St., 323: M. Swilkey to E. Cotelo & C. Shell, $150,000

Lexington St., 2710: T. Lewis to First Choice Home Buyers LLC, $80,000

Liberty St., 1428: Silver Maple LLC to DIMA Propeties LLC, $59,900

Luce St., 2361: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to J. Tobe, $125,000

Maclay St., 241: B. & J. Myers to E. & C. Onyewu, $85,000

Market St., 1404: San Pef Inc. to 101 S. 17th Street LLC, $125,000

Market St., 1406: San Pef Inc. to 101 S. 17th Street LLC, $125,000

Market St., 1600: Lucas Properties to SDFC PA1 LLC, $475,000

Market St., 1850: C. Texidor to R. Torres, $70,000

Market St., 1935: TLC Construction & Renovations LLC to TRYB Investments LLC, $40,000

Market St., 2046: R. Hood to Twelfth Root LLC, $82,193

Mercer St., 2426: A. & G. Kocevar to B&E Development LLC, $70,000

Nagle St., 123: F. Rubinic to S. Kramer, $186,000

North St., 1611: R. Taylor Jr. to D. Scott, $119,000

North St., 1819A: PA Deals LLC to N. Salgado, $120,000

N. 2nd St., 2986: Pennsylvania Commonwealth c/o Dixon University to Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg, $4,560,000

N. 3rd St., 3017: J. Crossett & M. Hochstetler to B. & S. Sisco, $166,000

N. 3rd St., 3021: Innovative Assets LLC to I. & J. Vitale, $214,900

N. 4th St., 1727: R. Moss & J. Stark to E. Timothy & C. Moore, $200,000

N. 4th St., 2106: W. Martin to I. Folkner, $100,000

N. 4th St., 2114: M. Goldberg to W. & M. Hyatt, $90,000

N. 4th St., 2404: F. & R. Scott to D. Boyle, $46,400

N. 4th St., 3211: D. Cameron to Q. Loper, $140,000

N. 4th St., 3225: J. Wright to A. Ramirez & C. Barrios, $90,000

N. 5th St., 1706: J. Hawkins to A. & J. Norris, $200,000

N. 6th St., 3161: P. Freeman to D&A Homes LLC, $66,500

N. 12th St., 56: B. & L. Young to F. Velez, $90,000

N. 15th St., 1202: Y. Griffiths to 946 South 18th LLC, $55,000

N. 15th St., 1314: Neidlinger Enterprises LLC to Chand Living Trust, $149,900

N. 15th St., 1340: M. Alvarez to M. Tornay, $87,000

N. 15th St., 1415: E. Mantilla to M. Gomez, $94,500

N. 16th St., 523: R&K Realty Group LP to 523 N 16th Street LLC, $50,000

N. 17th St., 66: Great Row LLC to Bond Wolf & Fox LLC, $44,900

N. 17th St., 80: Wofford Enterprises Ltd. to E. Mendoza, $62,000

N. Front St., 2701: Jonas Rupp House LLC to Dilks Properties of Harrisburg LLC, $875,000

N. Front St., 2909 & 2917: M. & S. Wilson to Benmarsh LLC, $1,400,000

Penn St., 1420: P. & K. Lopushansky to Hobbeze Inc., $40,000

Penn St., 1716: D. Rhodes to K. Bentz, $170,000

Penn St., 1828: K. & Y. Cunningham to Panda Real Estate LLC, $110,000

Penn St., 1925: G. & K. Capoferri to A. & J. Norris, $181,000

Penn St., 2119: Obear Properties to JJC Properties, $55,000

Penn St., 2427: M. & Y. Speece to M. Powell, $67,500

Pennwood Rd., 3209: M. Ramirez to P. Grove, $170,000

Pennwood Rd., 3212: M. Udit to I. Foye, $148,000

Radnor St., 642: D. Webber to Horizon Investments RE LLC, $75,000

Royal Terr., 125: El Pejano Trucking LLC to L. Almonte, $91,000

S. 13th St., 1432: R. Mosley to AP Properties Services LLC, $52,000

S. 13th St., 1443: J. & V. Pettis to K. Quinn, $125,000

S. 13th St., 1541: Y. Al Refae & H. Esmaeil to B. Muzirwa, $72,500

S. 16th St., 11: Lynn & Ryan Investment Properties LLC to HTTRINH LLC, $87,000

S. 17th St., 18: M. Nichols to C. Peguero, $68,000

S. 19th St., 19: M. Goldberg to J. Antoine, $99,000

S. 19th St., 226: Great Row LLC to F. Galan, $68,000

S. 20th St., 624: DMA Rentals LLC to M. Ortiz, $90,000

S. 24th St., 704: C. Allen to A. Jacques, $68,000

State St., 1847: Bridger Investments LLC to Adom Investment Group LLC, $190,000

Susquehanna St., 1637: S. Henry to S. & N. Kelly, $115,000

Susquehanna St., 1703: L. Mayton & A. Quick to N. Hoy, $170,000

Susquehanna St., 2130: Zion Management LLC to SPG Capital LLC, $65,000

Swatara St., 2014: Neidlinger Enterprises LLC to Chand Living Trust, $129,900

Sycamore St., 1622: T. Nguyen to C. Coronado, $150,000

Taylor Blvd., 30: JEG Properties LLC to Brethren Housing Association, $130,000

Verbeke St., 120: B. & L. Clemente to LanPro Properties LLC, $130,000

Walnut St., 1220: L. & E. Keefer to J. White, $119,900

Walnut St., 1318: C. Tatum to D. Boyle, $42,000

Wayne St., 1713: D&J Properties of Harrisburg to SPG Capital LLC, $64,000

Whitehall St., 2050: Wheatland Restore LLC to T. & D. Smith, $209,900

Wiconisco St., 618: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to Mentzer Gap Holdings LLC, $129,995

Zarker St., 1927: M. Baltozer to E. Ayala & N. Vogt, $50,500

Harrisburg property sales, April 2022, greater than $40,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Harrisburg designates Walnut Street section as T. Morris Chester Way to honor Black historical figure

May 11, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Mayor Wanda Williams and City Council President Danielle Bowers unveiled the new street name.

A street in downtown Harrisburg has a new, second name to honor local Black history.

On Wednesday, officials unveiled the designation of part of Walnut Street as T. Morris Chester Way, named after a prominent figure in Harrisburg history.

“We are very excited to be celebrating this momentous occasion,” said Harrisburg City Council President Danielle Bowers.

In October, council approved the street name designation to honor the historic figure. The IIPT Harrisburg Peace Promenade, which installed the Commonwealth Monument on 4^th and Walnut streets, is responsible for the initiative.

Thomas Morris Chester was recognized by officials on what would have been his 188^th birthday. Chester was a Harrisburg native and the nation’s first Black war correspondent during the 1860s. He helped recruit Black men to the Union Army and gave a voice to Black soldiers fighting for rights and equality.

“He never backed down from a fight and the city will never back down from memorializing him,” Mayor Wanda Williams said.

Chester is also recognized as one of the bronze figures in the Commonwealth Monument.

Walnut Street will keep its name, but, from Commonwealth Avenue to Front Street, it has gained T. Morris Chester Way as a second name.

For more information on the Commonwealth Monument Project, visit their website.

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Harrisburg City Council approves Allison Hill apartment development and violence prevention contract

May 10, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council legislative session on Tuesday

A development project can now move forward with renovating a long-abandoned building in Allison Hill.

On Tuesday, Harrisburg City Council approved the transformation of a blighted building at 100 N. 13^th St. into apartment units. Council voted in favor of the resolution, 5-2, with council member Jocelyn Rawls and council President Danielle Bowers voting in opposition.

“I believe that would leave our residents cost burdened,” Bowers said, explaining her opposition to the project.

However, at a previous council meeting, developers explained how they had to adjust the planned rental rate to cover the rising cost of construction.

Also at the meeting, council approved a resolution to contract with an organization that will assist the city with gun violence prevention efforts. The Research Foundation of the City University of New York, on behalf of the National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College will provide services. The $210,000 contract is funded through a $500,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The organization would study violence in Harrisburg, determine a strategy to address it and assist with implementation. The contract term is two years.

“I think it’s something that’s needed in the city,” council member Ausha Green said.

Additionally, on Tuesday, council confirmed the appointment of Stephen Ekema-Agbaw as the senior deputy city solicitor for Harrisburg.

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Harrisburg brings in local firm to serve as city engineer, approves Midtown development project

March 8, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council during a legislative session on Tuesday

Without a city engineer, many of Harrisburg’s construction projects aren’t able to move forward, and for months, that position has sat vacant.

However, on Tuesday, Harrisburg City Council voted in favor of filling the position, not with a person, but with temporary services from Lower Paxton Township-based Dawood Engineering.

The administration explained that Dawood will serve in the position for up to a year, while the city continues to seek out a qualified candidate for the role. However, according to city Business Administrator Dan Hartman, the job notice for the position, although previously posted, was taken down. After a request from council to repost the position, Hartman said that the city would have the listing published again by Wednesday.

The agreement with Dawood sets the price cap for its services at $150,000.

Wayne Martin served as the previous city engineer, but left his position in November.

According to Isaac Gaylord, deputy city solicitor, the city is required to have a professional engineer sign off on many of its construction projects. Dawood will fill that role, which the city has been missing for months.

While council approved the contract with Dawood, many members voiced concern over not having a professional engineer on staff.

“I implore the city to continue their search for an engineer,” said council member Westburn Majors. “As a city that has a lot of projects and will have a lot of money coming through it over the next four to five years, it is going to be incumbent upon us having someone on staff, full-time to be able to handle the work.”

In other news, council approved the re-development of a vacant property, formerly the Taproom bar, at 1402 N. 3^rd St. The vote was 5-2, with council President Danielle Bowers and council member Jocelyn Rawls voting against the project.

Sean Linder and his Bethlehem-based investment group, SJL Rentals LLC, plans to renovate the 4,000-square-foot, three-floor building to include five apartment units and a first-floor commercial space.

Linder said that he plans to rent the one- and two-bedroom units for around $850 to $1,300 per month. After receiving questioning from council about whether he will designate any of the units as affordable, he said he would consider it.

However, both Bowers and Rawls explained their opposition to the project by objecting to the fact that Linder’s current plans did not include what they deem to be affordable housing.

“Given the range of rent that he shared, I’m not confident that our residents would be able to afford to live in any of these units,” Bowers said.

Also on Tuesday, council approved a bill to allow virtual public participation in city council and board meetings.

“This bill comes out of the realities that we’ve all seen come out of the COVID pandemic,” explained City Solicitor Neil Grover at a previous council work session.

The bill allows for council to make a virtual option for participation in meetings, but does not require it.

According to Director of Information Technology Steve Bortner, providing virtual access would require significant technology upgrades and purchases and may take time to get up and running.

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Harrisburg City Council passes amended 2022 budget; spending plan is lower than last year’s

February 15, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council held a legislative session on Tuesday

Just weeks after officially reopening the city’s budget, Harrisburg has approved an amended spending plan for 2022.

On Tuesday, City Council approved a $70.7 million general fund budget that includes no tax increase. The bill passed with a vote of 6-1, with council member Shamaine Daniels voting against it.

“It’s a really good budget,” said Mayor Wanda Williams. “It puts us on good financial footing.”

The 2022 budget, although originally passed at the end of 2021, was reopened and amended as a new mayor and her administration took office in January. The budget process, which usually takes months, this year was compressed into a number of weeks.

The amended 2022 general fund budget is around $8 million less than the initial budget of $79 million passed in December, which was a replica of the 2021 budget and a placeholder while the administration changed. It also reflects the new administration’s priorities.

When Business Administrator Dan Hartman initially introduced the proposed budget, he explained that the city had made significant cost reductions to be able to “live within its means” and to balance the budget.

“We had to make a numerous amount of cuts, not that we wanted to, but it was in the best interest of the city to have a balanced budget,” Williams said.

Some cuts came from removing funding for unfilled positions. Hartman said that the budget did not include any layoffs.

Spending also dropped by crossing off projects that were already completed and limiting the use of outside consultants. In some departments, expenses such as contracted services or equipment purchases fell.

However, the approved budget also features a number of additional expenditures.

In the mayor’s office, the city will hire a new director of Equity and Compliance and a special assistant for Community Affairs. Williams has appointed Karl Singleton and Gina Johnson Roberson to fill those roles, respectively.

Additionally, council voted to remove funding for the city engineer position, which is currently vacant, and, instead, move towards contracting with an outside firm for those services. Williams said that she plans to test this arrangement for a year.

Another change outlined in the document is that the director of Building and Housing Development, Dennise Hill, will also take on the role of director of Community and Economic Development. Hill said that she would spend four days a week heading up Building and Housing and one day a week working on Community and Economic Development.

In addition to the general fund, the budget includes an $18.1 million neighborhood services fund (mostly sanitation), $10.7 million debt service fund and $8.9 million capital projects fund. In addition, Hartman explained that this will be the last year that the city will need to make payments on one of its general obligation bonds, which is due to be paid off, allowing that recurring expense to be reallocated in future years.

On the revenue side, the city expects general fund revenue of $72.5 million, including the use of $8.86 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds as reimbursement for COVID-related expenses and revenue losses.

The city plans eventually to pass a supplementary budget to outline further ARPA allotments, but will first hold a series of meetings, starting this week, to allow for the public to provide input on the matter.

“This is the best budget that I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” said City Controller Charlie DeBrunner, who is tasked with ensuring that the budget is followed throughout the year. “This is an honest budget.”

When the new administration first introduced its proposed general fund budget, the overall amount was slightly less than the final approved budget. However, at a subsequent budget hearing, officials bumped up the spending figure to account for several added police and fire bureau positions.

Before passing the budget, council made a number of amendments, including adding several positions, such as a special assistant to the finance bureau, a human resources specialist and an assistant city solicitor. Council also voted to remove five community service aide positions, which were unfunded in the police bureau’s budget. The administration initially proposed using ARPA funds for those positions. The police bureau’s proposed advertising budget was also slashed, from $76,000 to $20,000, and $800,000 in proposed funding for a police van was completely eliminated.

“This budget process has been a marathon to say the least,” said council President Danielle Bowers. “At the end of the day, we did not settle for what was presented […] instead, we brought forth practical amendments that we feel are in the best interest of the residents of the city.”

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Council considers proposed Harrisburg public safety budget, which would increase police recruitment efforts

February 9, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg City Council held a budget hearing on Tuesday.

With little remaining time to approve a new 2022 budget, Harrisburg City Council met on Tuesday to question the proposed spending plan, specifically the category of public safety.

During the first of three budget hearings, the city administration explained amendments to their proposed spending plan, including additional funding to the police bureau.

Business Administrator Dan Hartman introduced the proposed plan last week, boasting a balanced $69.9 million general fund budget, $10 million less than 2021’s budget. At Tuesday’s meeting, he bumped that number up to $71.2 million.

That change primarily accounts for the decision to fund several new, or previously vacant and unfunded, positions within the police and fire bureaus.

The new proposal includes six new funded firefighter trainee positions and one new deputy chief of training. In the police bureau, there would be eight additional budgeted police trainee positions, which Hartman said they had originally pulled funding from because they didn’t believe they would be filled. The amended proposed budget also added a fleet manager role and extra funds for officer training.

While the police bureau has struggled with recruitment and retention, Commissioner Thomas Carter, who was present at the meeting, explained a plan to bolster those efforts.

The bureau, for instance, plans a significant boost to its advertising budget, which the city believes will help the bureau fill those extra budgeted positions.

“I think we’ve stepped up our recruiting game significantly,” said Deputy Chief of Police Dennis Sorensen.

However, council members had questions about how much the advertising would help.

“Throwing money at the situation clearly isn’t going to get more people involved, and advertising isn’t going to get more people involved in law enforcement,” council member Westburn Majors said. “What does this advertising look like? Are we talking to individuals about the process of becoming a police officer?”

The budget also includes several new positions that would possibly be funded using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars.

Currently, Harrisburg has six community service aides (CSAs) in the police bureau who work with officers to assist with quality-of-life issues and interact with residents. The budget plan proposes funding six more CSA positions.

Council President Danielle Bowers pushed for information on the success of the CSA program.

“Has the program been evaluated?” she asked. “We need something in writing stating that this program is, in fact, successful. Something needs to be evaluated, for me, before hiring six new people.”

Hartman explained that they are not making any concrete decisions on funding the positions or allotting ARPA dollars, but rather, presenting a “buffet table” of options to council. In the end, council will be the one to vote on how ARPA money is spent.

Overall, the proposed police budget is $19.5 million. The budget last year was $21.5 million, though, due to open positions and other issues, all that money was not spent. The fire bureau’s budget would sit at $10.3 million, not a significant change from last year.

The next two budget hearings will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 9, and Thursday, Feb. 10, each at 5:30 p.m. On Thursday at 5:15 p.m., council will hold a special legislative session to vote on amending the proposed budget.

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