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Residents press council over Market House manager firing, missing equipment and kitchen use
Summary
Multiple residents at the March 11 Columbia Borough Council meeting raised questions about the recent dismissal of the Market House manager, alleged missing catering equipment provided in lieu of rent, unsafe use of the commercial kitchen, and a recently repaired leak.
Columbia Borough residents used the March 11 public-comment period to press council on a cluster of issues at the Market House after the borough relieved the market manager of his duties.
Sharon Littner said she was concerned that council members might be considering reducing the livestream service for meetings and warned that cutting public access would reduce transparency. She went on to criticize budget suggestions discussed earlier and said the recent municipal tax and streetlight spending raised worries for low-income residents.
Several speakers focused on the Market House. Mindy Eisenhower described an arrangement she said occurred when the former market manager, identified in public comments as Ed Dillard and the Gypsy Kitchen, was told he owed back rent and, she said, received several thousand dollars of catering equipment in lieu of payment. "Where did they go, and is that gonna be investigated?" she asked. Borough staff told her the chief would follow up and asked for her contact information.
Margaret Schmidt and other residents emphasized the Market House's recent financial performance and community value. Multiple commenters identified the dismissed manager as Chris (full name not provided in the transcript) and urged council to explain the decision and consider alternatives such as splitting the duties among part-time staff instead of termination.
Allison Leebgot (identified in the transcript as Lisonbee Leebgot), an events organizer and Market House vendor, spoke in defense of the former manager, saying his work drew visitors from outside Columbia and that vendors relied on the space. She told council she had seen the Market House improve under his management and questioned whether the borough had offered assistance before removal.
Separately, borough staff and Mayor Lutz said a leak was discovered at the Market House the prior week and that a technician and staff had been working to repair audio and other problems. Borough staff said they had taken steps to prevent damage to vendor property and would investigate allegations about missing equipment and improper kitchen use. The chief took notes during public comments and asked for names and contact information to follow up.
Why it matters: Vendors and residents characterize the Market House as a community asset and say the manager's removal risks disruption to vendors’ livelihoods and to market operations. Council members repeatedly declined to discuss personnel matters in public, calling the manager’s dismissal a closed personnel matter but promising follow-up where appropriate.
