Treasurer Turmoil Continues

Harrisburg’s newly appointed treasurer stepped aside last month after the city learned that he had filed for personal bankruptcy.

City Council selected accountant Timothy East in late September to fill the post left vacant following the resignation of former city Treasurer John Campbell. East was one of six applicants deemed qualified for the office and one of four ultimately nominated by members of council.

East did not reveal the 2011 bankruptcy during his interview before council. The issue arose later when he needed to be bonded for the job. He was never sworn in.

The city now must re-start the process of selecting a city treasurer.

Campbell resigned in early September following his arrest on charges of theft from two nonprofit organizations unaffiliated with the city. The new treasurer will fill out the remainder of Campbell’s term, which runs through next year.

Note: An October news digest article about the city treasury incorrectly attributed a comment to the controller’s office, saying the office had reviewed the treasurer’s books and “found no anomalies.” To date, the controller’s review of treasury, involving questionnaires about treasury’s internal controls, has not yet been completed.

Arborist Position Created

Harrisburg soon will have someone looking after its trees, as City Council approved the new position of arborist.

The post, which will pay no more than $50,000 a year, including benefits, will be funded by the city’s Host Municipality Benefit Fee Fund, money that Harrisburg receives for being the host site of a regional waste facility, namely the incinerator now owned and operated by the Lancaster Solid Waste Management Authority.

The arborist will help ensure the health of the city’s extensive tree canopy. Among the arborist’s first jobs: the removal of about 200 dead trees identified in the city’s recently completed tree inventory.

In addition to hiring an arborist, City Council approved other administration priorities for the Host Fee Fund: $55,000 for a portable road salt shelter; $32,000 for liners for several leaking trash trucks; and $25,000 for charges relating to the city’s comprehensive plan.

Before the allocation, the city’s Host Fee account totaled about $400,000, according to Bill Cluck, chairman of city’s Environmental Advisory Council. The city should receive another $100,000-plus into the fund soon, said Cluck.

The city receives $1 for every ton of trash processed at the facility. The money then is set aside for environmental projects.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse admitted that the spending from the Host Fee Fund had been ad hoc this year. However, he said he would propose a 2015 budget that will set priorities for use of the monies going forward.

School Resource Officers Urged

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse last month urged the city school district to reinstate the school resource officer program, saying it would help make the student environment safer.

The administration has drafted a proposal for rebooting the program, which was suspended several years ago by the school district for budgetary reasons. The administration’s proposal would cost about $500,000 a year, the cost borne by the district.

He made the proposal following the sexual assault last month of a student just a block away from Harrisburg High School. He reiterated it after four teenagers, including three high school students, were arrested for allegedly trying to hold up two state assemblymen on a Midtown street, an altercation that resulted in gunfire between the suspects and the lawmakers.

Collection Agency Hired

Harrisburg last month agreed to hire a collection agency to recover some of the back business taxes and fees owed to the city.

City Council voted unanimously to engage Pittsburgh-based eCollect Plus to collect delinquent taxes such as the business privilege tax, business license fee, mercantile tax, zoning review fee, health license fee, amusement tax and parking tax.

The company’s fee will range from 20 to 25 percent of the amount recovered. However, it must recover at least $376,000, which is 10 percent of the city’s average business and mercantile tax collections over the past three years, to receive any compensation.

eCollect specializes in tax collections for Pennsylvania municipalities. Its client list includes Chester, McKeesport and Hanover Township.

HMAC Gets Funding

After years of trying to secure financing, the owners of the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center have received the funding that they believe will allow them to complete the renovation of the expansive arts space.

Michael Giblin, an HMAC principal, confirmed that he and his partners—John Traynor, Gary Bartlett and Chuck London—closed on financing that will allow them to add a restaurant, a 700-person entertainment space and a rooftop bar to the building at N. 3^rd and Herr streets. The restaurant will be designed and managed by Rehoboth Beach, Del.-based Highwater Management.

HMAC opened in 2009 with a single entertainment space and bar called Stage on Herr. However, the project remained uncompleted after hitting funding snags as banks scaled back lending in the wake of the financial crisis. The facility has been on the sheriff’s sale list numerous times over the past five years, though was never publicly auctioned.

The century-old building was originally Harrisburg’s Jewish Community Center. It later housed the city’s Police Athletic League. It had sat empty for many years before Traynor, Bartlett and London bought it from the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority in late 2007.

SAM Opening Set

The Susquehanna Art Museum has set Jan. 16 for the opening of its new building in Midtown Harrisburg.

SAM will debut the 20,000-square-foot facility with an exhibit titled, “Open: Icons of Pop Art from Niagara University.” The show will feature art on loan from the university’s Castellani Art Museum, including works from such seminal mid-20^th century figures as Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, Marisol and Roy Lichtenstein.

The new museum includes the original, fully renovated Keystone/Fulton bank building at N. 3^rd and Calder streets, plus an addition built in the former bank parking lot. It also will feature the Doshi Gallery for Contemporary Art, a sculpture garden and a new mural by Messiah College professor Daniel Finch.

For the past several years, SAM has been without a permanent home, mounting exhibits in a gallery in the State Museum. It long exhibited in the Kunkel building downtown before that building was redeveloped.

Enterline Appointed Chief

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse last month named department veteran Brian Enterline as the new chief of the city’s Fire Bureau.

Enterline had been acting chief since his appointment a year ago by former Mayor Linda Thompson. He has served for 14 years with the department.

Heavy Equipment Bought

Harrisburg last month purchased two pieces of heavy equipment: one for road maintenance and the other for firefighting.

City Council approved the lease/purchase of a new Case 580 SN Loader Backhoe from Mechanicsburg-based Groff Tractor and Equipment. After a trade-in of an existing backhoe, the net sales price will be $47,425, amortized over 60 months.

Council also OK’d an intergovernmental agreement to buy a 1984 Sutphen Pumper Fire Engine from Swatara Township. The used pumper will cost $3,500.

Changing Hands

Adrian St., 2252: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. to E. Waters, $58,000

Adrian St., 2445: C. & T. Phillips to G. Goneste & G. Niguse, $70,000

Adrian St., 2459: M. Sopp to B. Rotta, $70,000

Barkley Lane, 2524: J. Paul to Codi Tucker, $53,200

Bellevue Rd., 2042: L. & S. Freeman to D. Miller & M. Heagy, $91,000

Brookwood St., 2610: Scottsdale Commercial Partners LP & Brickbox Enterprises Ltd. to University Park Plaza Corp., $230,000

Capital St., 1200: J. & D. Fuhrman to 8219 Ventures LLC, $70,000

Elder St., 821 & 808 S. 26^th St.: GR Sponaugle & Sons Inc. to AIS Property Management LLC, $939,500

Green St., 1900: WCI Partners LP to J. Bovender & J. Van Horn, $192,500

Green St., 1938: WCI Partners LP to I. Brea to O. Sanchez, $201,000

Green St., 2133: D. Ware to M. Brown, $40,000

Hale Ave., 420: V. Ly to Luckylan Properties LLC, $30,000

Harris St., 205: Arthur A. Kusic Real Estate Investments to J. Heinly, $100,000

Herr St., 256: C. Wilson to N. Hench & R. Wetzel Jr., $125,000

Hillside Rd., 109: L. & K. York to W. Morgan Jr. & A. Winans, $254,900

Hoffman St., 3133: S. Harvey to M. Sobkowski, $62,000

Hoffman St., 3235: Harrisburg Television Inc. c/o Allbritten Communications to WHTM Acquisitions LLC & Revac Inc., $598,400

Holly St., 1823: J. Johnson to S. & D. Fenton & Exit Realty Capital Area, $56,000

Hudson St., 1152: PA Deals LLC to Amboy MAA Properties LLC, $104,000

Kensington St., 2241: F. Marsico to L. Murphy, $40,500

Kensington St., 2400: M. Eck to R. Murphy, $49,000

Lewis St., 101: R. Alexander to T. Arora, $75,000

Market St., 2048: S. St. Clair Jr. to R. Monzon & L. Trinh, $35,000

North St., 216: E. & R. Maff to R. Lamberson, $75,000

N. 2^nd St., 1307: B. Winpenny to V. McCallum, $68,900

N. 2^nd St., 2101: JAD Development to SMKP Properties LLC, $229,000

N. 3^rd St., 1126: Cornerstone Realty Management LLC to BCG Holdings LLC & Lehman Property Management, $310,000

N. 3^rd St., 1200: Cornerstone Realty Management LLC to Keuka LLC & Lehman Property Management, $575,350

N. 3^rd St., 1626: C. Hoffman to C. Grilli, $119,000

N. 4^th St., 1630: PA Deals LLC to M. & J. Leahy, $48,000

N. 4^th St., 2032: M. Stransbaugh to A. & A. Gault, $81,000

N. 12^th St., 54: D. Schubert to J. Achenbach, $44,000

N. 19^th St., 43: Kirsch & Burns LLC to LMK Properties LLC, $52,669

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 202: C. Shoemaker to R. & A. Chappelka, $185,000

Reel St., 2719: J. Eby to E. Tilahun, $51,000

Reily St., 255: C. Ruegsegger & S. Kauffman to E. Harman, $139,000

S. 19^th St., 901: L. Zaydon Jr. to CSP Group LLP, $285,000

S. 19^th St., 1101: PA Deals LLC to Amboy MAA Properties LLC, $98,000

S. 27^th St., 701: Fannie Mae to A. Brinkley, $87,900

S. Cameron St., 535: J. Strohecker to Capitol City Holdings LLC, $175,000

Susquehanna St., 1622: D. Remm & E. Goshorn to R. & G. Harris, $116,000

Wilson Parkway, 2600: A. Sias Jr. & S. Gibbs to M. Cabrera, $50,000

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