Such was the case last night at the special council meeting to discuss improvements to the borough's sewer plant and a couple of other items of business.
Front and center again again was Council President Mary Wickenheiser.
Toward the end of a public hearing, which was an information gather presentation on the proposed $16 million construction proect at the waste water treatment facility, the council president cut off up to four citizens, who raised their hands to ask funding questions regarding funding for the project, which could leaad to a major increase in sewer rates.
Wickenheiser's move came after an hour of a presentation and question ans answer session. When the citizens raised their hands to talk, the council president, quickly moved onto the next topic on the agenda, angering those who wanted to ask questions.
Then, council had to approve changes in a resolution to a previous resolution on small term borrowing, Wickenheiser chided fellow council member Mary Barninger for voting no on the resolution. Barninger voted no earlier this month othe resolution to borrow $125,000 for the purchase of new police cars, a ventilation system for the market house and bollards for the town square.
Barninger explained she was being consistent with her vote, which didn't sit well with the council president.
The final act came when the council sought to approve a previously approved request from the Ashley Tabernacle Church, who each August holds a baptism in the River Park.
In June, council approved use of the park but only for the canoe and kayak area. At the Community Development Committee meeting prior to the special meeting, representatives from the church asked if he baptism could be moved back to the main boat ramp to accommodate the several hundred people who attend the event.
At the committee level, the vote was 2-1 in favor of the request with chairperson Renae Sears and Anna Gerlitzki voting in favor and Wickenheiser voting against the request.
The park's boat ramp will be closed from 3-6:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 8.
Council woman Sandy Duncan said the move was needed to accommodate those attending the event and the fact the church didn't have time to look at the canoe/kayak area to see if it was suitable for the event.
"We've never had any real problems down there," Duncan said.
Resident Harry Knighton said council should approve the request.
"They shouldn't be denied that right," he said.
When it came for the full council to vote on the issue, Wickenheiser again voted no.
32 comments:
tsk, tsk, mary has NO right to deny questions from any citizens during the question & answer period as long as they are in relation to the subject-which they were. HOW DARE SHE? WE NEED TO AND MUST RUN HER OUT NOW...and take Leo the liar and Norm the nut who thinks he's a lawyer...wow, it seems like Romper Room
Barninger should be president
Mary does not support anything residents of this town want. It has always been her motto to disagree with everyone. When her term is up I will rally people to put someone more worthwhile in there. If it is not something she wants she goes to extremes to ensure it won't happen. Maybe WGAL should come in for the Community Talks, maybe then she'll get the point that residents can bite back twice as hard!
Mary Wickenheiser and the rest of this council are FINISHED,they continue to dig themselves into a deeper political hole. Enjoy your power while you have it, remember the next council coming on board can change every questionable move you all make. Mary Barninger is the only level minded council person in the group and I hope she will run for council again.
Huh. Ignored. Go figure. Shady people hate to be confronted.
J~
TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE...WE MUST REMOVE MARY, NORM AND LEO FROM OFFICE. HOW DARE SHE? WE, THE TAXPAYERS MUST DEMAND AN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS. RIDICULOUS.
Unbelievable. Unacceptable. We MUST oust Mary the puppet, Norm the lawyer and Leo the Liar... WE pay taxes in this boro and we must make council and management ACCOUNTABLE for all thier actions.
i've posted 3 comments-where are they? barry, hey wake up !! thanks for all you do. this is crazy. mary acts like she OWNS the boro and ALL the people in it. did you read about forming the vigilante group-the new boro council-i'm ready to sign up-where's the pen
this is totally totally unbelieveable and unacceptable. we, the taxpayers MUST fight to change the format of the boro council meetings. it's ridiculous. and mary is so far gone they ought to put out a APB (all points bulletin) on her.
Well put, she needs to go!! I heard many people in the audience last night refer to her as an a-hole.
I overheard Leo tell a citizen that the increase was only going to be 7%, just before the meeting started. Then I heard them say it would be a 60-70% rate increase!!! How can residents afford this? The ones who pay the minimum may not be as affected but those who already pay $40-$50 a month or more, this increase will be brutal!!! I suspect the water company will soon follow with an increase.
Yes, the Water Co. is going to expand also, someone has to pay for it.
so sad to see no professionalism in our council and especially Mrs. Wickenheiser. I was at that mtg and when the four citizens raised their hands she made one of her unprofessional gestures that made you not want to ask a question ever again. Then to top it off she voted against the baptism AGAIN at the river park. You mean to tell me that she can't give up 3 to 4 hours A YEAR so these christian people can have a spiritual reunion is nonsence. Why can't she use Union street access isn't that why they opened it during construction? Wasn't she voted in by her constituents I would think that the ones who voted for her would be kind enough to have the baptism go on. Mrs. Wickenheiser your true colors are showing real bad.So sad
I AGREE WITH THE ABOVE COMMENTS. SEVERAL PEOPLE GOT TO GO AND GO FAST. I THINK MARY BARNINGER IS DOING A GOOD JOB AND SHE SHOULD BE MOVED IN TO THE PRESIDENT'S JOB ON COUNCIL. FOR MARY WICKENHEISER, HER ONE GOAL ON COUNCIL WAS TO STOP THE ONCE OF YEAR BAPTISM AT RIVER PARK. THAT IS ALWAYS A GREAT DAY AT RIVER PARK BUT YOU ALWAYS HAD A FEW NITWITS THAT JUST WANTED TO CAUSE A PROBLEM DURING THE SERVICE.
WICKENHEISER IS TRULY THE DEVIL!!!!!
Unprofessional and unethical on Wickenheiser's part. I am embarrassed to admit that she represents our town. God help us.
I am so confused on this town called Columbia.... Council open your eyes. We put you in office and we can vote you out. What apologies has council ever given for letting our town run into the ground. What excuse has been given for our town reps to the visitors that say... hmmm, I'll pass? While I believe this sounds negative to read.... Its the truth. Look around, do you hear anyone saying... I LOVE COLUMBIA AS IT IS?? No! you hear, I LOVE COLUMBIA FOR WHAT IT SHOULD BE! I truly believe what I stated earlier. I believe that a rally should occur, but occur with a positive outlook. It shouldn't be about a so called bitch session. We are all aware of the negative points in this town. We DO NEED TO PULL TOGETHER! Divide and plan. Painters ask columbia for paint, weed pickers ask columbia for gloves and so on. afterall, they can pay for the materials we are doing for the boro. Then organize block captains, street programs, crime watch and then the Bike Squad. People need not fear to run for council for fear their name will be on this blog. If you run for council-say what you mean and prove it! If Mary cuts you off in mid sentence-speak anyway. She has no right not to listen and she knows that. I believe an awful lot of power trips are a big play. Boro council can improve. think about it!
Well of course, Mary didn't want them down there, It's her private boat ramp!. How could the deny them after 40 years?.
Geez Mary!!! You certainly don't have any fans on the other side of the table, do you? GET RID OF YOUR PERSONAL AGENDA!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are a self serving loathsome person.
HA!! Her get rid of her personal agenda!?!?! That's like asking Norm to not act arrogant. I'm surprised her head even fits through the borough office doors any more. Unfortunately for having a head that size it's not filled with too many brains.
She treats that park like it's her own and treats Columbia residents like their idiots and blind. Last I checked Columbians don't take too kindly to that. She batter make darn sure she's not living in a glass house while she throwing all of these stones because everyone is keeping an eye on everything she does waiting for her to slip just once.
Heck, her and her husband must already think they're above PAF&BC law while running their boat with no lights at night.
Just another example of how she thinks she's above everyone else.
This is interesting, then someone should call the proper authorities if this is happening, which I believe it is.
Who is PAF & BC? Who is the proper authority that governs the water 24/7 so that this can be stopped?
Of course Mary Wick thinks she is above having to follow the very same ordinances she puts in place and votes for. She doesn't have her dog on a leash at river park, she doesn't carry bags for dog waste pickup and yes she uses the river park whenever she feels like it, whether it is closed or not.
I wouldnt waste good tar and feathers on her.
barry, barry barry..... I do believe we need bigger help..... this is getting out of hand.....its gonna come down to a picking right outside boro hall until it becomes national news and everyone gets plastered on the news!
this is all 1,000 % TRUE. The Wickenheisers DO run their boat AT NIGHT WITH NO LIGHTS - ILLEGal as hell, I GUESS SHE HAS FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES. HOW LONG DID SHE THINK SHE COULD GET AWAY WITH ALL THIS BULLSHIT? dog NOT on leash. NO lights on boat AT NIGHT (in the dark) and making faces, strange freaking noises and damn near pissing herself IF you by chance want an answer to a question. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE
The voters still reelected her...
yeah and now they are finally realizing just what an idiot she is! that's why we MUST oust her, and norm and leo. they are NOT doing their jobs to satisfy the MAJORITY of the taxpayers. also, in regards to council -TRUST NO ONE
This town's been going downhill for years, and it's taking all of what has been happening over the past few months for you people to realize! Get up off your rear ends and do something about it! Go to meetings, voice your opinions, do what you can! You all complain about taxes, and so on and so forth? Okay, that's fine and dandy but GO TO MEETINGS! Don't just tell us about it, DO something about it! That's part of the problem, it isn't just the council people, but us as well! No one wants to or are willing to admit it but we need to be more involved in this town! Get it back to the way it was and get a new council while we're at it! They say they're out there to help us? Okay, at what cost? Mary, Norm, Leo? Your time is up, you've all shown what you can do for this town, NOTHING! You've just put us more in debt, raised taxes, congratulations on your failure! Because if you think you're doing this town a favor by being on council, having that "power", you have another thing coming. Realize that what you might have originally set out to do, is becoming another thing entirely...
PAF&BC is Pennsylvania fish & boat commission. They are responsible for the baoting laws and should be contacted when she or her husband are acting as if the laws do not apply to them. The law enforcement office is located in Lititz and the number is 626-0228. This number is to be used during business hours but the DEP can be contacted 24/7 at 1-800-541-2050. The boat commission instructs people to call the DEP after hours for any disturbance in a public waterway. A boat you can't see would surely qualify.
i can tell that most people on this Blog have their own agenda and that they have NO idea what they are talking about on the issue of the boat ramp and the river. 1st where was the Ashley Tabernacle Church during the variouss steps in the creating of the boat ramp and kayak ramp. they had thier permit for months and did not have time to check it out??? oh by the way Sandy visited the kayak ramp back in the spring. last running without lights man post your name on that one. that is the biggest lie there is on this blog.
oversea - where do you think Ashley Tabernacle was ? - DUH - they were where they always were and doing what they were always doing - PRAYING!! - praying for the town, praying for lost souls, praying for the town leaders, praying for the homeless, and maybe even praying for you!!!!!!!!!
pk
In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary. ~Aaron Rose
pk,,, Ashley Tabernacle was at NONE of the meetings that were open to the public on the design of the river park and these were multi year labor. that was what i was talking about. but hopefully that will change.
Post a Comment