[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6425588,"mediaKeyId","5862550-d980a55799ddcb81884edc2f76237c6b","parentId",5862550,"title","Harrisburg council approves $14.4 million reallocation to restore Broad Street Market; total project estimate now about $19.1 million","audioSeconds",3342,"startMs",3914000,"endMs",7256000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5862550-d980a55799ddcb81884edc2f76237c6b&start=3914&end=7256","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5862550-d980a55799ddcb81884edc2f76237c6b/thumbnail_3914000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6425588/Harrisburg/Dauphin/Pennsylvania/Harrisburg-council-approves-144-million-reallocation-to-restore-Broad-Street-Market-total-project-estimate-now-about-191-million","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6425588-e7f44cd052b31927473732be9cd0ceec/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136972&Signature=NbMdWpXJ0kEUdEhYSob8K9~pR-NYbGprYdF7DReCfDt4yRd~sXlQaWxWC1ktlADzOyIbX~aD4tOWzFunEUTG5vrFgKW5ZoJuKgHgh--pFgYUtwfTBV7FogKaKbK6m7m7e1QhotwIQeMaWp1OEAVyQjNR0ySSoaVSKGWJyLLNf2URg6WhxlH3s7d2QdQ~XIUVybqqr8WHkb4whqe9r4ZWuxCiAb--RWieAl-tqAonC6VWD9bARw7JnvGP5SJODEPvodAFUa5tMpqwAUQxL7p6S6OVY0ls51INx7rKHCFxkIVOVEuBdDyk1AooUtCX-~wjXh1sCy5SbTjEatBJyqbEGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Harrisburg City, PA","date","2025-10-01T01:53:20Z","article","Harrisburg City Council voted 6-0 on Sept. 30 to approve a budget reallocation that will make $14,416,912 available to begin restoration work on the Broad Street Market brick building.

Council members cast the vote during a special legislative session after a lengthy policy work session. The action — Resolution 63 (2025) — increases general-fund appropriations so the administration can sign construction contracts, city staff said.

The vote followed presentations from city finance staff and the project team describing the scope and the funding gap. “The total estimated cost at this moment for the project is $19,120,000,” said Brian McCutchen, the city’s accounting manager, summarizing the budget schedule provided to council. McCutchen and city staff said prior payments and encumbrances reduce the remaining expense, leaving the $14.4 million reallocation request on the table.

Why it matters: the market’s brick building was severely damaged in a fire and has been the focus of revived interest to restore the historic structure and return vendors. The administration says contracts cannot be executed until the funds are posted in the city budget; council members warned that approving the reallocation is urgent if the construction schedule is to be met but also stressed the city’s overall fund balance and longer-term budget impacts must be monitored.

What council approved
- Resolution 63 (2025) authorizes the city to reallocate $14,416,912 in the 2025 budget toward the Broad Street Market brick-building restoration so the administration can proceed with contracting and construction activities.

The administration’s funding picture and contingencies
- The administration presented a line-by-line schedule that reconciles the $14.4 million request against a set of transfers and reimbursements, including additional insurance proceeds, grant reimbursements, interest earnings on grant funds, targeted CDBG transfers and hotel/street-cut receipts. McCutchen said those sources, combined with funds already paid, are intended to cover the project up to the administration’s estimate of roughly $19.12 million of remaining work.
- City staff said insurance proceeds are not yet fully settled and that a portion of the insurance payment is still an estimate. McCutchen characterized the current insurance estimate as not guaranteed and subject to carrier review; he said the city has already received roughly $5 million of insurance proceeds in earlier payments and that the policy valuation available for the building is larger (the administration has cited an estimated $11.7 million aggregate insurance valuation tied to various eligible repairs, including a $1 million allowance related to the temporary site).
- City finance staff estimated the general fund cash balance in late September at about $19 million to $19.5 million. Officials warned that using general-fund cash will reduce the city’s liquidity and that the administration should seek supplemental funding sources and plan for the project across multiple budget years.

Project timeline and construction constraints
- Director Jason Baker (project program lead) told council the timeline is aggressive but achievable if funding is in hand. The work has been broken into multiple bid packages; some demolition and preparatory activity has begun under existing, limited appropriations. Baker said many packages are interdependent (for example, site shoring must occur before full demolition proceeds) and that missing funding would interrupt the schedule.

Council and public reaction
- Several council members said they were reluctant but felt they could not impede the contracts because delay would raise costs. Vice President Green, chair of the Budget & Finance Committee, urged the administration to continue pursuing outside funding and to build the project into next year’s budget planning so the city’s fund balance is not unduly strained.
- Members of the public who spoke during the meeting urged transparency about the budget details and said the city should ensure minority and local business participation in contracts. The administration and legal staff said statutory and contracting limits constrain the city’s ability to mandate specific subcontracting percentages without an approved legal framework.

Vote
- Council approved Resolution 63 (2025) on a 6-0 recorded vote; the resolution passed and the administration was authorized to post the funds so contracts can be executed.

What happens next
- City staff will post appropriations so selected contracts can be executed. The administration said it will continue to submit documentation to the insurance carrier seeking additional reimbursement and will pursue available grant and interest-earning resources identified in the reallocation schedule. Council members asked for periodic updates and noted the need to reflect the project in the 2026 and 2027 budget cycles.

Ending note
- Officials said the project will likely span parts of 2025–2027; the administration and council signaled their intent to push for additional external funding and to monitor the city’s cash position as the work proceeds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Harrisburg City Council Policy Work Session 9-30-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Harrisburg City Council voted 6-0 on Sept. 30 to approve a $14,416,912 budget reallocation so restoration work can proceed on the Broad Street Market’s brick building.","taxTitle","Harrisburg, Dauphin, Pennsylvania","taxId",4675,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6425584,"Harrisburg holds policy work session on boards and commissions; committees report vacancies, roles and early priorities",4825,1596000,6421000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5862550-d980a55799ddcb81884edc2f76237c6b&start=1596&end=6421","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5862550-d980a55799ddcb81884edc2f76237c6b/thumbnail_1596000.jpg","/articles/6425584/Harrisburg/Dauphin/Pennsylvania/Harrisburg-holds-policy-work-session-on-boards-and-commissions-committees-report-vacancies-roles-and-early-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6425584-3dbe6edbc7079fab33ccf48a9cdff114/orig.mp4?Expires=1771136972&Signature=ONYb6afcrkfWagYhpatbIRRQrXQLz6XSJInXhICI~HQp2svNa125XfEm0cTvQtELCQyTNG6VWeOaDf2~TZDY8pbj1ObqVCvPG6byuExT7hIAINjG7LMNrZquiNrLr-hMnnGaDYlcZDSSQtM-dGGi60MZdhmDjAdg4v2IRwQpKY4UeLmnpBaHKidxxUjq3btHY5z3o~P-DbX7vVq9GRvnFxlXiNacPLalzuKUEY6x65PFA6HFBudh9WTq8kRcLhsJu487XrnxbipjtMpWGdfkAKe2IABG~CKgJgtNGJdr1iR~WU0zicqW7DncS5sgq~4IgILg1DqBPGu8iT-V~rXVYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","HARRISBURG — City officials and volunteer leaders briefed Harrisburg City Council at a Sept. 30 policy work session on the purpose, membership and immediate needs of city-affiliated boards, commissions and authorities.

The session’s stated goal was to give council a shared understanding of each body’s function, membership status, public meeting cadence and reporting relationships so council and the public can identify vacancies and opportunities for citizen engagement.

Key takeaways
- Audit Committee: Austin Cheers, who identified himself as the audit committee chair, said the five-member committee provides independent oversight of the city’s financial reporting, internal controls and the work of independent auditors. The audit committee holds quarterly meetings and requires one member with a CPA designation; the committee reported one vacancy and noted it was wrapping up its review of the 2022 audit while staff were working on 2023.

- Citizens Law Enforcement Advisory Committee (CLEAC): Mitchie “Coach” Walker, CLEAC chair, described CLEAC as a nine-member citizen advisory body intended to be a liaison between residents and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Walker said seven of nine seats had been appointed and two remaining seats required council approval; the committee meets monthly and will issue an annual report and policy recommendations to the mayor and council. Council members praised the new board as an early step toward building community–police relations.

- Environmental Advisory Council (EAC): Pamela Parson and others told council the EAC had not met since reappointments and that three mayoral appointments remained outstanding. The council explained the EAC’s role in education, grant review and liaising with the city sustainability coordinator and urged the administration to connect the EAC with the city’s sustainability staff so the group can resume meetings and produce requested reports.

- Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and Land Bank: Brian Davis, HRA executive director, described both bodies’ roles in blight elimination, property acquisition and neighborhood stabilization. He said the HRA has five seats (three filled, two vacant) and the seven-member land bank adds two mayoral appointees. Davis cited ongoing projects — pocket parks, assembly for redevelopment and an involvement in the Governor Square receiver process — and described how the HRA and land bank assemble parcels and work with federal and state funding sources on large redevelopment and flood mitigation projects.

- Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB): Trina Gribble, HARB chair, described HARB’s advisory role over six municipal historic districts and said HARB reviews exterior changes visible from the public right-of-way, demolition, signs and materials using the Secretary of the Interior’s standards. HARB reported five members and two vacancies; Gribble asked for improved staffing support, digital meeting packets and outreach to help applicants understand guidelines.

- Parking Authority: Chairman Verma McKissick summarized the authority’s limited current role after the post‑bankruptcy transfer of most downtown parking operations to a third-party concessionaire and the Pennsylvania Economic Development Finance Agency. McKissick said HPA now serves primarily as an oversight entity and that its historical revenue role has been diminished by the transfer agreements.

- Planning Commission: Sean O’Toole said the planning commission is a seven-member advisory board that reviews comprehensive plan amendments, subdivisions and land-development plans under the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code. O’Toole said the commission currently has all seven seats filled.

- Zoning Hearing Board: A member of the zoning hearing board explained its quasi‑judicial role in hearing variance and special-exception applications, noted minutes are transcribed by a court stenographer and reminded residents decisions may be appealed to Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas. The board said it currently has three members and one alternate appointment structure, and warned tie votes result in denial.

- Capital Region Water: CEO Charlotte Katzenmeyer and board representatives said the authority provides drinking-water, wastewater and stormwater services and is governed by a five-member volunteer board whose members are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by council. The board meets monthly and files audits and compliance reports with the state Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Formal reports and next steps
Council members asked each board to provide the following, when available: (1) current membership lists and term expiration dates; (2) public meeting schedules and instructions for how residents can attend; and (3) copies or links to annual reports or recent activity reports that the committees supply to the mayor or council. Multiple boards said staffing contact and better distribution of meeting materials (electronic packets, QR codes and published property lists) would increase public participation.

Quotes
- “We act as an intermediary between the city and the independent auditors,” Audit Committee Chair Austin Cheers said of the committee’s role.
- “We are trying to build relationships,” CLEAC Chair Mitchie Walker said, summarizing the committee’s plan to foster non-enforcement community interactions with officers.
- “We have never met since my appointment,” Pamela Parson said of the EAC, urging a city liaison to resume communication.

Ending
Council closed the policy session after public comment and directed the clerk’s office and administration to post the session materials. Council members asked the administration to provide regular updates on vacancies and to publish meeting schedules, contact information and, where relevant, property lists that authorities maintain.","City-run policy session on Sept. 30 brought representatives from the audit committee, Citizens Law Enforcement Advisory Committee, Environmental Advisory Council, Redevelopment Authority/land bank, HARB, parking authority, planning commission, zoning hearing board and Capital Region Water to brief council on functions, membership and current gaps. ","actionData","errors"]

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Harrisburg council approves $14.4 million reallocation to restore Broad Street Market; total project estimate now about $19.1 million

Harrisburg holds policy work session on boards and commissions; committees report vacancies, roles and early priorities