Harrisburg Council approves 48‑unit senior housing consolidation, allocates ESG funds to CCU and YWCA; audit and interpreting contracts pass

Harrisburg City Council approved a series of resolutions at its January legislative session, including a land‑consolidation and development plan for a 48‑unit senior housing project, reallocated a remaining federal Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) balance to two providers, and authorized contracts for the city audit and sign language interpreting services.

Resolution 81 of 2024 approved a preliminary/final lot consolidation and land development plan submitted by Amber Borelli on behalf of Latino Connection Foundation to consolidate three parcels at 1001 N. 18th Street and adjacent parcels and build a four‑story, 48‑unit senior affordable residential building. Council discussed parking; the developer said the project includes 47 resident parking spaces and will not provide additional visitor parking, noting a lower parking standard for senior housing. The resolution passed on a roll call vote, 6‑0.

Resolution 1 of 2025 (amended) allocated the remaining balance of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fiscal Year 2021 ESG funds after HUD identified an unspent balance. Administration staff reported the total remaining funds at $55,529; $10,461.01 was set aside for grant administration, leaving $45,067.99 to be split evenly between two eligible subrecipients, Christian Churches United (CCU) and the YWCA Greater Harrisburg. Shalom House was determined ineligible because of facility issues, and the Capital Area Coalition on Homelessness had already received a related sub‑allocation. The amended resolution extended subrecipient agreements through March 31, 2025, the expenditure deadline HUD granted. The resolution passed 5‑1 (Miss Daniels voted no; Miss Davis, Miss Green, Mr. Jones, Ms. Rawls and Ms. Bowers voted yes).

Resolution 2 of 2025 authorized the administration to negotiate and enter into a professional services agreement with Boyer & Ritter LLC to perform the city’s annual audit and financial report for the year ending Dec. 31, 2023, at a not‑to‑exceed amount of $117,955, and included an addendum increasing the previous contract for the 2022 audit by $28,000. The resolution passed 6‑0.

Resolution 3 of 2025 authorized a professional services agreement with Halcyon Interpreting Services LLC to provide sign language interpreting services. Council noted that in the previous year the city used 32 hours of interpreting services at a total cost of $5,744.81 and that meetings longer than two hours require two interpreters. The resolution passed 6‑0.

Resolution 4 of 2025, a $200,000 application for a recycling development and implementation grant under Pennsylvania Act 101 to purchase a new leaf truck, and Resolution 5 of 2025, a first 2025 budget reallocation to roll forward certain 2024 encumbrances and reaffirm capital appropriations, were both referred to the Budget & Finance Committee for further review.

During the ESG discussion council and administration reviewed HUD correspondence and a required HUD "workout plan" showing how the remaining FY2021 funds would be expended. Administration staff said HUD discovered the balance in March 2024; the city requested and received an extension to March 31, 2025. Staff warned that funds not committed and out of the city's hands by that deadline could be subject to recapture by HUD and could affect future allocations.

Council approved the measures with the recorded roll‑call tallies indicated below.