Tag Archives: Karl Singleton

TheBurg Podcast, Feb. 12, 2016

February 12, 2016 | by Admin

Welcome to TheBurg Podcast, a weekly roundup of news in and around Harrisburg.

To listen to this week’s episode, click here.

Feb. 12, 2016: This week, Larry and Paul talk about a bill before City Council to reduce the penalty for possession of small amounts of marijuana, plus the passage of more or less the same 2016 budget that was adopted in December. They also talk about problems of editorial control and sensitivity to city issues with an NRA-sponsored exhibit at the Civil War museum. And, as always, they nominate their candidates for the Most Harrisburg Thing This Week.

TheBurg Podcast is proudly sponsored by Ad Lib Craft Kitchen & Bar at the Hilton Harrisburg.

Special thanks to Paul Cooley, who wrote our theme music. Check out his podcast, the PRC Show, on SoundCloud or in the iTunes store. You can also subscribe to TheBurg podcast in iTunes.

Peacemaker

May 13, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

Jeffrey Baltimore, right, takes the oath of office as Harrisburg’s newest City Council member.

“I only want to serve. I want to do the best job I can for the people.”

Jeffrey Baltimore spoke those words following a whirlwind evening that saw him plucked from the audience and ushered in as Harrisburg’s newest councilman. No one seemed more surprised by the selection than Baltimore himself, a postal worker who had served for years as a mid-level official in former Mayor Steve Reed’s administration.

Dressed in denim, Baltimore, after taking the oath of office, gingerly approached the plush chair last occupied by Eugenia Smith, whose sudden death last month shook her council colleagues and the city itself. Baltimore sat down, and council President Wanda Williams patiently explained some procedure to him, offering a little background on the rather complex issues they’d be voting on that night. Just minutes in office, a steep learning curve ahead, Baltimore held equal authority to the other six members of council.

There are certain people who are well known in Harrisburg’s political circles. Of the four finalists for the council seat, two would fit that category: former Councilman Kelly Summerford and Alex Reber, who helped run former Controller Dan Miller’s recent mayoral campaign. Two would not: Baltimore and Michelle Blade, a retired conference facilitator and moderator.

So then why did the relatively unknown Baltimore prove successful, especially over Summerford and Reber, both well-connected and politically savvy? In the end, Baltimore’s selection seemed to be equal parts quality, politics and serendipity. Let’s begin with serendipity.

Last evening’s council meeting started with an unsettling revelation. Previously, council said it had received 12 applications for the open seat, which it winnowed to the four finalists. Actually, 16 were sent, the city revealed, as four were caught behind an anti-virus firewall, unceremoniously dumped into a spam folder. So, four applicants, who may have been well qualified, were immediately shut out.

In terms of quality, Baltimore, by some measures, is well-positioned for this role. He served for years in the Reed administration, ending his tenure in 2000 as acting deputy director in the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. In that capacity, he administered Reed’s revolving loan fund program. He then took jobs both in the state Department of Community and Economic Development and in the York County Economic Development Corp. For the past seven years, he has worked as a building contractor, a mail carrier and an advocate for healthy city living.

But it’s perhaps the political dimension that seemed so fascinating in his selection. Through six rounds, Reber received three votes, Baltimore two and Summerford one, with council members refusing to change their votes despite the gridlock. Then Summerford took to the public microphone, withdrawing, as he said, for the good of the city.

With Summerford out, Councilwoman Sandra Reid switched her vote to Baltimore, tying the tally at three. With all rounds expired, it was up to Mayor Eric Papenfuse to break the stalemate. He rose from his seat, went to a microphone and firmly declared his support for Baltimore. With that, the man from the Reed administration completed his unlikely reintroduction to the body politic.

Immediately, the press and onlookers began to speculate on Papenfuse’s vote. Was Baltimore’s selection a swipe at the mayor’s former political rival, Dan Miller? Was it, as PennLive columnist Matt Zencey seemed to imply in a tweet denounced by several council members, partly racially motivated?

Personally, I found it fascinating that Papenfuse cast his deciding vote for the man who, for years, headed up Reed’s revolving loan fund, which loaned public money to private businesses. Just a couple of years ago, during a weekend-long program on Harrisburg history held at his Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Papenfuse characterized the fund as a source of corruption in the Reed administration. In a promotional blurb for the program, a Midtown Scholar brochure stated that the money was given to an assortment of unproven and unsavory businesses. Indeed, many of the businesses that received loans never paid them back.

For his part, Papenfuse told me today that his vote for Baltimore was proactive, that he admired his “dedication to education and youth,” and that he seemed “well-connected to the community and independent-minded.” He said he also was impressed with Baltimore’s “extensive background in economic development.”

Speaking with me, Baltimore said he cared greatly about his community and only wished to serve the people. He seemed genuinely overwhelmed by his selection and vowed to be a conscientious, attentive member of council. In addition, as Reid pointed out when promoting Summerford, City Council should have more than one member from Allison Hill, the city’s most densely populated area. Baltimore, who lives on 17th Street, provides that geographical diversity.

However, I believe the greatest immediate benefit to the city would be if the appointment helped smooth the rocky relationship that has been building between the administration and a majority of City Council. Upon his election, Papenfuse vowed to work closely with council. However, the growing animosity between the two bodies has begun to resemble the antagonistic, dysfunctional relationships during the Reed and Thompson administrations.

In voting for Baltimore, Papenfuse sided with members of council who have opposed many of his initiatives, starting with a battle over the budget and growing after police arrested the Bishop Augustus Sullivan for code violations after his church partially collapsed. Last week’s strange public spat between city official Karl Singleton and council President Wanda Williams demonstrated just how frayed the relationship had become between administration and council.

Baltimore may end up being a fantastic councilman–or he may not. However, both sides should use this opportunity to re-set their relationship. To progress, Harrisburg needs its branches of government to respect one another and try to get along. The inability of the mayor and council to communicate and cooperate has been a continuing problem for years, leaving residents caught in the middle of a seemingly endless feud.

Baltimore, both as a symbol and through his actions, could offer a way to break free from this escalating hostility. He could even make it a priority to promote understanding between city officials, helping them seek common ground. The administration and City Council legitimately will never agree on everything, but, for the city to move forward, peace needs to be made.

January News Digest

January 30, 2014 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg Receivership to End

The state last month submitted a petition to end Harrisburg’s 26-month-old receivership, stating that “critical components” of the city’s financial recovery plan had been completed.

If the petition is approved by the Commonwealth Court, the receivership would conclude on March 1, concurrent with the end of the state-declared “fiscal emergency” for the city. At that time, an Act 47 coordinator would replace the receiver to oversee and help guide implementation of the rest of the Harrisburg Strong Plan.

Just last November, the receiver’s term was extended for two years.

“The receiver is no longer vital and necessary to successful implementation of the remaining components of the Harrisburg Strong Plan in the absence of a fiscal emergency, and the remaining components of the plan can be successfully implemented by a coordinator appointed by the secretary (of DCED),” according to the petition by C. Alan Walker, secretary of the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

While most of the plan has been implemented—including the sale of the incinerator and the long-term lease of the city’s parking assets—a few parts remain unresolved, such as a new labor agreement with the city’s firefighters’ union.

The state imposed receivership on Harrisburg in November 2011 after the squabbling city government could not reach an agreement to resolve its financial crisis. Bond lawyer David Unkovic served several months in the post, drafting the initial recovery plan.

After Unkovic resigned, Air Force Maj. Gen. William Lynch took over as receiver, overseeing the creation of the final recovery plan and its implementation to date.

Officials Sworn In

The leadership of Harrisburg’s municipal government changed dramatically last month as several recently elected officials took the oath of office.

Eric Papenfuse became the city’s 38^th mayor at a brief swearing-in ceremony in City Hall, replacing one-term Mayor Linda Thompson in the office.

At the same event, Charles DeBrunner took the oath as the new city controller, and Ben Allatt and Shamaine Daniels were sworn in as new council members. Returning Councilwomen Wanda Williams and Eugenia Smith also began four-year terms.

Following the ceremony, City Council held its reorganization meeting. Williams was re-elected council president, while Sandra Reid became council vice-president.

In addition, council made committee assignments. The new committee chairs are:

Administration Committee: Wanda Williams
Budget and Finance Committee: Ben Allatt
Building and Housing Committee: Shamaine Daniels
Community and Economic Development Committee: Brad Koplinski
Parks, Recreation and Enrichment Committee: Susan Brown-Wilson
Public Safety Committee: Eugenia Smith
Public Works Committee: Sandra Reid

Each committee is made up of three council members except for the administration committee, which includes all council members.

Papenfuse Announces Cabinet

Mayor Eric Papenfuse last month announced his choices for most of the top administrative posts in city government. These include:

Neil Grover, who took over as city solicitor from Jason Hess. An attorney in private practice, Grover had served recently as special counsel to City Council.

Aaron Johnson, who replaced Kevin Hagerich as director of the Public Works Department. Johnson, previously the department’s deputy director, ran against Papenfuse as a write-in candidate for mayor in November, garnering about 17 percent of the total vote.

Bruce Weber, director of budget and finance, a post last held by long-time director Bob Kroboth. Weber formerly served on City Council.

Joyce Davis, a key Papenfuse advisor, as director of communications.

Jackie Z. Parker, a former mayor of Lebanon, as director of community and economic development.

Roy Christ, former president of the Harrisburg school board, as director of building and housing.

Lenwood Sloan as director of the newly named and reorganized Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism.

Carlesha Halkias, former deputy city solicitor, as director of human resources.

In addition, Karl Singleton was named as senior advisor on education and youth and Catherine Stetler as scheduler.

The Harrisburg Regional Chamber and Capital Region Economic Development Corp. (CREDC) will fund Parker’s position in full for the first year and at 50 percent for the second and third years. The city will take over full funding of the position in year four.

Budget Revisited

Harrisburg City Council last month reopened the 2014 budget to better reflect the spending priorities of the Papenfuse administration.

The $78.5 million budget is about $280,000 more than the budget passed in December, reflecting a slight increase in projected revenues from the earned income tax and intergovernmental transfers.

The greatest changes came on the spending side.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse proposed abolishing the post of chief operating officer, which paid $110,000 a year. Instead, he wants to establish the position of chief of staff/business administrator at an annual salary of $79,500. A new post of community services coordinator, paying $50,000 a year, would replace the position of assistant to the COO, which paid $41,000 annually.

Other proposed changes included:

Creation of several new posts, including director of arts, culture and tourism, director of sustainability and director of planning.
Raises for a number of management-level positions, including for the director of building and housing development, the director of financial management, the director of human resources, the police chief and the communications director.
Consolidating certain positions, decreasing salaries for others and not filling several vacant posts.

The council’s first budget review committee hearing is scheduled for Jan. 30. A final vote on the new budget is currently slated for Feb. 11.

Transition Report Released

The Papenfuse administration last month released a report with dozens of recommendations on how to improve government performance.

The 17-page report contained suggestions ranging from aggressively seeking grant money to making greater use of technology to tighter integration and communication between segments of government.

A few of the recommendations include:

Adequately staffing the finance unit by filling vacant positions and completing financial reporting on a timelier basis.
Appointing or designating an arts, culture, heritage and tourism liaison officer to oversee programs, activities and events.
Developing and implementing a plan for upgrading the city’s website, improving content and implementing social media.
Negotiating public/private partnerships to supplement resources.
Creating a new department focused on education, youth, recreation and related matters, hiring a qualified director and staff and securing new funding and partnerships.
Adopting a “broken windows” law enforcement approach to reduce crime and preserve order in targeted neighborhoods.
Conducting an independent feasibility assessment of alternative ways of providing sanitation service.

More than 70 people served on Mayor Eric Papenfuse’s transition teams and contributed to the report, which was compiled by consultant Robert Melville.

“This report represents hours of hard work from very dedicated people who want to see Harrisburg rise out of its problems and become the model capital it should be,” Papenfuse said.

The report contains many more ideas to improve the city government’s functions and operations. Read the entire report on TheBurg’s website, www.theburgnews.com, under the “News” category.

Brewery Eyes Midtown Building

If all goes right, a new brewery will debut in the heart of Midtown Harrisburg in the early fall.

Alter Ego Brewing Co. hopes to open a brewhouse in long-vacant space at the corner of Susquehanna and Boyd streets, at the rear of Midtown Cinema. The 3,500-square-foot brick building would house a beer-making operation, in addition to a tasting room with a limited menu featuring small plates, paninis and finger foods, said Brandalynn Armstrong, who operates Alter Ego with her husband, Theo.

The Armstrongs have numerous hurdles to overcome before they can open, including securing a liquor license and probable land use approvals. The building also requires a complete renovation, which should begin in late spring.

The couple took their first step late last month, holding a community meeting at Midtown Cinema, where they presented their plan and answered questions.

“We want to be good neighbors and an active member of the community,” said Brandalynn. “We think it’s a good fit for Harrisburg and that Harrisburg is a good fit for us.”

In addition to offering Alter Ego beers and a limited menu, the Armstrongs will feature local Pennsylvania wines and art gallery space. No liquor will be served.

The building is owned by Lift Development LLC, which includes two partners of GreenWorks Development. A couple of years ago, the state tried to relocate the former Midtown magisterial district justice’s office and courtroom to the building, but an agreement could not be reached.

More information on Alter Ego Brewing is at www.alteregobrewing.com.

Changing Hands

Berryhill St., 1940: PA Deals LLC to S. Maurer, $75,000

Briggs St., 1823: Wells Fargo Bank NA to S. Dial, $99,000

Brookwood St., 2420: P. White to M. Rodriguez, $63,900

Chestnut St., 2403: H. & L. Miller to L. & M. Walton, $149,000

Green St., 1703: Wells Fargo Bank NA & J. Landis to PA Deals LLC & J. Etzle, $116,500

Green St., 2013: WCI Partners LP to L. Binda, $209,000

Green St., 2135: D. Boyle to V. Brown, $35,000

Green St., 2233: R. Shokes Jr. & Shokes Enterprises LLC to R. & D. Requa, $60,000

Kelker St., 213: J. Henning to M. Porter, $124,500

Lewis St., 228: D. Hartman to C. Moss, $59,000

Manada St., 1903: PA Deals LLC to M. & D. Graeff, $90,000

N. 2^nd St., 606: D. Brown Jr. to 606 Dalmatian House LP, $754,000

N. 2^nd St., 1311: Susquehanna Bank to J. Feldman, $36,000

N. 2^nd St., 1313: Brick City Investments LLC to 1313 Real Estate Holdings LLC, $245,000

N. 2^nd St., 1522: T. & A. Magrory to J. Cantarell & A. Meck, $168,900

N. 2^nd St., 2731: Sierra Real Estate LLC to T. & N. Schmitt, $240,000

N. 6^th St., 2667: J. Vogelsong to G. Di Bosco, $31,500

N. 15^th St., 1603, 249 Maclay St., 438 Muench St. & 614 Wiconisco St.: R. Shokes Jr. & Shokes Enterprises to R. & D. Requa, $266,000

N. Cameron St., 1817: Integrity Bank to 1817 Cameron St. Associates LLC, $100,000

N. Front St., 1721: Susquehanna River Basin Commission to Hersha H. & Hasu P. Shah Family Foundation, $875,000

North St., 263: B. Josephs to B. Minner, $84,000

North St., 2009: J. & C. Mills to K. Snoke, $42,000

Paxton St., 1638: T. & A. Ferguson to CNC Realty Group Inc., $55,000

Penn St., 1612: J. & E. Rosentel to A. La Laz, $152,500

Penn St., 1703: Fannie Mae to B. Swisher Houtz, $63,000

S. 13^th St., 342: K. & S. Probst to B. & R. Lehman, $53,000

S. 13^th St., 502: PA Deals LLC to J. & A. Garbanzos, $45,000

S. 15^th St., 446 & 141 N. Cameron St.: G. Neff to San Pef Inc., $45,000

S. 17^th St., 325: R. Ekvall to J. Tran & D. Nguyen, $50,000

S. 18^th St., 1115: K. & W. Watson to M. Kaman & A. Phatimah, $68,000

S. 19^th St., 1670: The Harrisburg Authority to the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, $121,898,000

S. 28^th St., 806: DML Properties LP to AWK Consulting Engineers Inc., $225,000

Swatara St., 2025: Mussani & Co. to I. Fernandez, $65,000

Valley Rd., 2301A: F. & J. Haas to S. Thornsley, $195,000

Vine St., 114: F. Hutchinson to J. Robles, $135,000

Walnut St., 407: J. Brown & Graci LaPorta Partnership to J. & C. Bowen, $50,000

Harrisburg property sales for December 2013, greater than $30,000. Source Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Papenfuse Releases Transition Report

January 10, 2014 | by Admin

The Papenfuse administration today released its transition report, which offered analyses and recommendations on improving the operations of city government.

The final report was prepared by Robert Melville, who served as facilitator for some of the transition team meetings and provided guidance to the transition chairs. Karl Singleton and Joyce Davis served as co-chairs of the transition process.

More than 70 people were involved in the transition teams and included community activists, leaders of nonprofit organizations, educators, business people, political leaders and youth, said the administration. The teams spent several weeks following the November general election engaged in meetings, compiling information and organizing notes for the final report.

Read the report here: Transition report- Final

TheBurg Cover: An Explanation of Our Parody

October 31, 2013 | by Lawrance Binda

As many people may know, Norman Rockwell’s classic painting, “Freedom from Want,” depicts an American Thanksgiving dinner (above left) during the 1930s. In it, the family matriarch serves a feast to her hungry brood.

In our November issue, we used the painting, which has been parodied often, to humorously depict the current political situation in Harrisburg (above right). Our intention was to show Mayor Linda Thompson, with receiver William Lynch standing behind her, offering the main course (the transfer of political power in the city) to Democratic candidate Eric Papenfuse (and two of his principal allies, Joyce Davis and Karl Singleton) on the left side of the table and Republican candidate Dan Miller (and two of his principal allies, John Campbell and Nevin Mindlin) on the right side.

We thought this was a timely concept and cover, given that November is both the month of Thanksgiving and an important election in Harrisburg. In this space, we wished to make clear our intention so that it would not be misinterpreted.

—Lawrance Binda, Editor-in-Chief

Tag Archives: Karl Singleton

TheBurg Podcast, Feb. 12, 2016

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Peacemaker

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TheBurg Cover: An Explanation of Our Parody

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

With the help of a federal grant, Harrisburg is conducting a city-wide tree inventory

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Long-time Art Association of Harrisburg leader to retire; board names local gallery owner as new president