Borough Of Carlisle

Carlisle Borough Council recently adopted a resolution for the Borough to become recognized as a Bird Town Pennsylvania! Bird Town Pennsylvania's mission is to work with local municipalities to promote community-based conservation actions. These efforts aim to create a healthier, more sustainable environment not only for birds but all wildlife and people. Carlisle Parks and Recreation is working with a committee to complete the required application to become a Bird Town Pennsylvania. The application focuses on municipal and school district actions, community engagement, habitat enhancement, collaborations, and advocacy. The Bird Town Pennsylvania mission also aligns with our Strategic Plan and Climate Action Plan.

Parking in Downtown Carlisle just got an upgrade! We replaced nearly 630 refurbished single-space meters with 56 new solar-powered parking kiosks. The new kiosks feature a full-color touch-screen accessible display that walks users step-by-step through the transaction process. The Pay by Plate system used by the kiosks offers more payment options and flexibility to people parking downtown. The conversion to kiosks upgrades our parking system to the latest technology available, improves the parking process, decreases the number of assets requiring maintenance, and enhances the collection of parking funds. 

Congratulations to Jason Pote of our Public Works Department on his promotion to Public Works Crew Leader! Jason joined the team in August 2022 and was promoted to Equipment Operator in October 2023. He demonstrates leadership in the department, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to serve where needed. Jason is also continuing his passion for knowledge and growth by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management at Liberty University. Congratulations Jason and thank you for all you do!

We continue celebrating National Public Works Week by introducing you to Silke and Joe, part of our field operations team. Silke started with the Borough just last Monday, while Joe joined the Borough in 1984! We thought it was fitting to ask the most tenured employee if he had any advice for the newest team member. "Enjoy every single day," Joe said. "You get to be outside! You get to be outside every day." Joe truly loves his job and serving the Carlisle community. Being outdoors is actually part of what drew Silke to the job. She recently came to Carlisle and the United States from Austria. She has previous experience as a mill worker and is excited to work outside and with her hands again. Silke is also the first full-time female in field operations here at the Borough! Thanks to Silke and Joe and all of our other Public Works and Water Resources team members for everything you do! #NPWW

It's National Public Works Week. We are celebrating the hard-working and dedicated professionals who keep Carlisle's essential infrastructure running smoothly! Our Public Works and Water Resources Departments are dedicated to advancing the quality of life for our community. From planting trees to fixing water main breaks, our field crews do it all every day. The folks behind the scenes at our treatment plants and lab work tirelessly to ensure clean water flows from your tap and is safely returned to its source. Happy #NPWW to our amazing team! Thank you for everything you do!

This weekend, our Water Resources Department, with help from Parks and Recreation, hosted its first Community Brunch & Barrel event! Participants enjoyed a light brunch while learning all about our MS4 Program and the importance of stormwater management. Following the presentation, everybody received their rain barrel to take home. Mo Geiger from Carlisle Arts Learning Center also showed attendees how to decorate their barrels. We hope to hold more of these events in the future! Funding for this project came from a grant from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.

Our Assistant Engineer Jeff Bergsten recently served as a panelist at Tri-County Regional Planning Commission's Annual Luncheon! Jeff was joined by representatives from the Harrisburg City Bureau of Police, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police, and Kittelson & Associates, Inc. to talk about the region's Safe Streets For All initiative.

Fieldwork began this week on a robust survey of architectural and historic resources in our Historic District! ASC Group, Inc. and ASC/Auxano is leading the survey, which will document properties in our designated Historic District, as well as the district as listed in the National Register of Historic Places and areas deemed eligible for expansion. Over the next few weeks, they will be photographing historic buildings and taking notes. Once the field survey is complete, ACS will compile the information to create an interactive map of our historic resources. This information will help guide our comprehensive planning efforts, identify significant resources, provide training, and engage in public outreach and education. This work is funded through two Certified Local Government (CLG) grants. As a CLG community, we are committed to preserving the historic character of our borough.

A little rain didn't stop us from enjoying the 4th Annual Earth Day Celebration, hosted by Earth, Artisan, & Outfitter! We hosted a table at Saturday's event featuring activities and snacks for the kids and resources on our recreation programs and stormwater management. The event also featured over 20 different organizations, live music, and a pollinator garden.

"I lived and it's all because of you guys." On the morning of December 9, 2022, Molly Edwards headed to the Penn State Dickinson Law campus on her bike to take a final exam. Molly was in her second year at the law school. She never made it to that exam; instead, she was struck by a car on South College Street. When she woke from a coma in January of 2023, Molly didn't remember anything about the accident. Fast forward to late 2023. After several surgeries and months of recovery, Molly was able to return to law school to finish her second year! While she still may not remember the details of the accident, others have helped her put together pieces. Molly credits the efforts of our local first responders as being crucial to her surviving the accident. She even calls them her angels. Those who responded to the scene included Union Fire Company firefighters Devin Beckes and Ben Thumma, Carlisle Fire and Rescue Services Chief Dan Grimes and firefighters Joe Manning and Brian Brenneman, Carlisle Borough Police Department Corporal Mike Sturm and former officer Mikal Primus, and Cumberland Goodwill EMS EMTs Tony Altland and Eric Coldren. Molly wanted to express her gratitude to the first responders on the scene, and she recently met a few in person to say thank you. It turns out they were just as happy to see her! Emergency service providers don't often get to follow up with those they have helped in the field. They were happy to see her recovery and find out she was back in law school. When thanked, they were quick to credit Molly herself for her survival and recovery. Molly is finishing her second year of law school and has an internship this summer in New Jersey before she returns for her third year in the fall.