Source: http://harrisburgpa.gov/boards-commissions/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 22:17:29+00:00

Document:
The City of Harrisburg is assisted by groups of citizens in many ways, such as setting policy, settling disputes, aiding fellow citizens and planning for the future. These groups include boards, commissions, committees, councils, corporations, authorities, agencies, etc. The Boards and Commissions involve residents of the City of Harrisburg who volunteer their time and expertise for the benefit of the community.
Community service is a rewarding experience. If you are interested in a serving in an area where your expertise and commitment will make a difference, please review the board and commission listings below and submit an application for consideration.
(2) Building and Housing Code Board of Appeals (Building Code Board of Appeals: Ordinance 1-1972; Housing Code Board of Appeals: Ordinance 48-1979; merged by Ordinance 15-1995).
(3) Business Revolving Loan Committee (Ordinance 11-1987).
(4) Cable Regulation Board (Ordinance 4-1994).
(5) Electrical Code Advisory and Licensing Board (Ordinance 18-1994).
(6) (Reserved) Editor’s Note: Former Subsection A(6), Fire Civil Service Commission, was superseded 10-28-2014 by Ord. No. 12-2014. See now Subsection A(17) and Ch. 2-513.
(7) Harrisburg Board of Health (Ordinance 33-1979).
(8) Harrisburg Property Reinvestment Board (Ordinance 26-1979, as amended Ordinance 3-1983; Ordinance 16-1989).
(9) Historical Architectural Review Board (Ordinance 13-1974, as amended Ordinance 14-1986).
(10) Human Relations Commission (Ordinance 6-1983, as amended and reenacted).
(11) License and Tax Appeal Board (Ordinance 1-1971).
(12) Planning Commission (Ordinance 3-1970).
(13) Plumbing Board (Ordinance 2-1972, as amended).
(1) Broad Street Market Authority. Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, Act of May 2, 1945, P.L. 382, as amended, 53 P.S. § 301 et seq. (Ordinance 35-1978; Ordinance 22-1981, as amended).Editor’s Note: See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601 et seq.
(2) Capital Area Regional Solid Waste Authority. Municipality Authorities Act (Ordinance 30-1986).
(3) Capital Area Transit Authority. Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, Act of May 2, 1945, P.L. 382, as amended, 53 P.S. § 301 et seq. (Ordinance 6-1973). Editor’s Note: See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601 et seq.
(4) The Harrisburg Authority. Originally created by Ordinance 66-1957 as the Harrisburg Sewerage Authority under the Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, Act of May 2, 1945, P.L. 382, as amended, 53 P.S. § 301 et seq. (Ordinance 2-1990).Editor’s Note: The name of this authority was changed to “Capital Region Water Authority” 2-25-2014 by Ord. No. 3-2014.Editor’s Note: See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601 et seq.
(5) Harrisburg Housing Authority. Housing Authorities Law, Act of May 28, 1937, P.L. 955, as amended, 35 P.S. § 1541 et seq. (Resolution 110-1937).
(6) Harrisburg Parking Authority. The Parking Authorities Act, Act of June 5, 1947, as amended, 53 P.S. § 344 et seq.(Ordinance 13-1972).Editor’s Note: See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5501 et seq.
(7) Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority. Urban Redevelopment Law, Act of May 24, 1945, P.L. 991, as amended, 35 P.S. § 1701 et seq. (Resolution 57-1949).
(8) Job Development Authority. Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, Act of May 2, 1945, P.L. 382, as amended, 53 P.S. § 301 et seq. (Ordinance 30-1990)  Editor’s Note: See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601 et seq.
(9) Leasing Authority. Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, Act of May 2, 1945, P.L. 382, as amended, 53 P.S. § 301 et seq.(Ordinance 7-1986).Editor’s Note: See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601 et seq.
Audit Committee (Ordinance 6-2007). Editor’s Note: Added at time of the adoption of Code (see Ch. 1-303).
The Audit Committee (hereinafter “the Committee”) shall provide independent review and oversight of the City’s financial reporting processes, internal controls, and independent auditors. In effectively carrying out its duties and responsibilities, the Committee will help ensure that the City properly develops and adheres to a sound system of internal controls, and utilizes procedures to objectively assess the City’s accounting and auditing practices.
Additionally, the Committee will help ensure that the independent auditors, through the independent audit, objectively assess the government’s financial reporting practices.
The Committee shall be comprised of five (5) voting members, who are appointed by Council, and the Chairperson of the Budget and Finance Committee of City Council or his or her designee, who shall serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the Committee.
Terms of the Committee shall be for five years and shall be staggered.
Broad Street Market Authority. Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, Act of May 2, 1945, P.L. 382, as amended, 53 P.S. § 301 et seq. Editor’s Note: See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601 et seq. (Ordinance 35-1978; Ordinance 22-1981, as amended).
The said Authority shall exist for the purpose of assuming management responsibilities for the Market, in improve, maintain, operate in a manner consistent with traditional market operations and to perform such other duties as the Mayor and Council may assign to it.
The power of the Authority shall be exercised by a governing body to be called the “Board” which shall be composed of five members; one member shall serve for one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for four years and one for five years from the January first next succeeding the date of incorporation or amendment. The Mayor, with Council’s approval, is to appoint five members of the Board.
The Mayor, with the advice and consent of Council, shall appoint a Building and Housing Code Board of Appeals of the City of Harrisburg (hereinafter “Board”) to hear appeals from orders in the form of written notices to comply with the Building Code, Mechanical Code, Housing Code, Electrical Code, Plumbing Code, Property Maintenance Code, Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, Fuel Gas Code, Existing Building Code, Uniform Construction Code, rent withholding ordinances and codified regulations promulgated under the authority of such enactments issued by the Codes Administrator, or his or her designee, and to perform such other duties as the Mayor or Council may assign it.
The initial membership of the Board shall consist of those residents of the City of Harrisburg who currently serves at the pleasure of the Mayor as members of the Housing Code Board of Appeals and whose terms shall expire at the time said terms would have expired had the Building and Housing Code Board of Appeals not been created (Editor’s Note: Amended at time of the adoption of Code (see Ch. 1-303).
There is hereby created a Cable Regulation Board (“Board”) to be composed of five individuals as follows: [Amended 11-23-1999 by Ord. No. 50-1999] (1) A member of City Council or a representative thereof, to be appointed as Council shall determine. (2) The Mayor or the Mayor’s designee. (3) Three residents of the City, one of whom shall be appointed by City Council and two of whom shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council.
Each member of the Board shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority or for a term of three years, whichever is shorter and shall serve until a successor is appointed; provided, however, that the initial term of the two new members shall be for two and three years, respectively. Notwithstanding the above, each member shall serve until a replacement is confirmed.
The purpose of the Authority shall be: to engage in acquiring, holding, constructing, financing, improving, maintaining and operating, owning, and leasing projects of the kind and character contemplated by law for a general purpose authority, as authorized and permitted by, and also as limited by, provisions of the Municipality Authorities Act.
To acquire, hold, construct, improve, maintain, operate, own and lease, either in the capacity of lessor or lessee, projects of the following kind and character: (1) facilities and equipment for the collection, removal or disposal of ashes, garbage, rubbish and other refuse materials by incineration, landfill or other methods; (2) steam heating plants and distribution systems; (3) incinerator plants; (4) facilities to produce steam which is used by the Authority or is sold on a contract basis for industrial or similar use or on a sale-for-resale basis to one or more entities authorized to sell steam to the public, provided that such facilities have been approved by resolution or ordinance adopted by the governing body of the municipality or municipalities organizing such Authority and that the approval does not obligate the taxing power of the municipality in any way; and (5) facilities for generating surplus electric power which are related to incinerator plants .
Township of Susquehanna, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 2.
Capital Area Transit Authority. Municipality Authorities Act of 1945, Act of May 2, 1945, P.L. 382, as amended, 53 P.S. § 301 et seq. Editor’s Note: See now 53 Pa.C.S.A. § 5601 et seq. (Ordinance 6-1973).
CAT is organized under the Municipality Authorities Act, pursuant to which members shall be appointed by the “governing Bodies” of the incorporating municipalities. The City of Harrisburg shall appoint two members to the Board of the Capital Area Transit Authority (CAT); such appointment shall be made by the Mayor with advice and consent of Council.
There shall be appointed by the Mayor, with the consent of Council, upon the recommendation of the Bureau of Codes Enforcement, an examining board to be known as the Electrical Code Advisory and Licensing Board (“Licensing Board”). The Licensing Board shall determine the fitness of applicants for license and shall investigate and report on all proposed suspensions or revocations of licenses.
(7) seven volunteer members, of which (3) three are appointed by the Mayor and (4) four are appointed by City Council.
The Board of Health, so appointed, shall have all power and authority and perform the duties now or hereafter conferred and prescribed by law upon Boards of Health of cities. Further, the Board will serve as an advisory panel to the Mayor, Council and the Health Officer.
The Board of Health shall function as a Board of Review of the administrative decisions of the Health Officer and his/her employees. The Board shall be composed of five members who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of Council. The members of the Board of Health shall be residents of the City, except in the case of physicians, who shall be residents of or have an office in the City.
The Harrisburg Parking Authority was created pursuant to the provisions of the Parking Authority Law of June 5, 1947, P.L. 458 and by the passage of Harrisburg City Ordinance 13-1972 on September 26, 1972. Since incorporation, the Authority has had a separate existence with purposes and powers as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation and in the Act.
It is considered by law to be an instrumentality, not of the municipality which incorporated it, but of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is, in effect, a separate corporation formed for public purposes. The Board of Directors is the governing body under whose guidance and control the affairs of the Authority are carried out.
The role of the Board is to review and approve policy matters, to oversee management, to appraise its performance and to counsel the Chief Executive. The Board of Directors of the Authority is set at five in number, the majority of whom must be residents of the City. The members of the Board are appointed by the Mayor for five-year terms, each term expiring June 1 in successive years. Members receive no compensation for their services.
A Board of Historical Architectural Review, identified as the Harrisburg Historical Architectural Review Board (hereinafter “Board” or “HARB”), is hereby established and shall be composed of seven members, appointed by the Mayor, with the advice and consent of Council, one of whom shall be a registered architect, one a licensed real estate broker and one the Codes Administrator of the City or designee.
Four additional persons with a knowledge of and interest in the preservation of the Historic District, and who reside therein, shall be appointed. All members of the Board shall be residents of, or own real estate located in, the City during their membership. The Deputy Director of Planning or his/her representative shall provide staff services to the Board.
The initial terms of the first seven members shall be as follows: two shall be appointed for one year, three for two years, and two for three years. Their successors shall serve for terms of three years. Board members failing to attend three consecutive meetings shall forfeit their membership unless the Chairperson of the Board receives written notification from the member involved that the absence was due to personal illness or the death or illness of an immediate family member.
Should any Board member fail to attend three consecutive meetings without providing the notification set forth above, the Chairperson of the Board, or the City representative (if the absent member is the Chairperson), shall notify the Mayor and City Council of a vacancy on the Board by virtue of said member’s unauthorized absences. Any member of the Board who shall cease to qualify as a member as herein set forth during his/her term of membership shall immediately create a vacancy on the Board. An appointment to fill a vacancy shall be only for the unexpired portion of the term so vacated.
The Commission shall consist of nine members, eight of whom shall be appointed by the Mayor as provided below, and one of whom shall be appointed by City Council by resolution. The Mayor shall appoint or reappoint a Commissioner within 90 days of the occurrence of a vacancy or the expiration of a term of a member.
If the Mayor does not act on a vacancy or expired term within 90 days, Council may appoint a person by resolution to fill such vacancy. Should the Council fail to make its appointment within 90 days of the occurrence of a vacancy or the expiration of the term of its member, the Mayor may nominate a citizen to fill the vacancy.
The Mayor shall, with the advice and consent of Council, appoint the members of a broadly representative cross-section of the racial, ethnic and economic groups of the City. Members shall be residents of the City. Members may be reappointed. Persons appointed and qualified as Commissioners shall serve for a term of three years; provided, however, that in making the first appointments to the Commission three members shall be appointed for a term of one year each, three members shall be appointed for terms of two years each, and three members shall be appointed for terms of three years each.
Click here to visit the official page for the Human Relations Commission.
The purpose of the Authority is to increase and retain jobs in the City of Harrisburg and strengthen the economic base of the City through the establishment of a Surety Bonding Assistance Program (BAP) to assist minority and small businesses obtain surety bonding.
The Authority may also provide contract advance and working capital loans for firms in the BAP to assure successful completion of assisted contracts and continued existence/growth of such firms, and any other assistance incidental to the success of the program.
The Authority shall be governed by a five-member board of directors who, except for the initial members appointed, shall serve for a term of three years. The members shall be appointed by the Mayor subject to confirmation by majority vote of the members of City Council. City residence shall be a condition precedent to appointment; no member may continue to serve if city residence is terminated.
The Mayor’s Office of Equal Economic Opportunity (MOEEO) is responsible for the development, administration, and implementation of the Community Development Block Grant Revolving Loan Program (RLP). The RLP provides low-interest financing to firms in the City which will, in turn, strengthen existing jobs, create new employment opportunities, stabilize or increase the tax base, and increase private investment. Funding for the RLP can be appropriated only by the action of Council.
The committee of five members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council, consisting of two representatives of the community and three representatives of the business community. The LRC will reflect the demographic makeup of the community at large. The term of office shall be three years. Terms of office shall be staggered.
There is hereby created a Planning Commission pursuant to the provisions of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, Act 247 of July 31, 1968, P.L. 805, as amended, 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq. The Planning Commission hereby created shall have seven members, to be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council, in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Code. Editor’s Note: See Title 2, Administrative Code.
There is hereby established a Board of Plumbing which, for administrative purposes, is assigned to the Department of Building and Housing Development.
The Board shall consist of five members, one a professional engineer, one a master plumber, one a journeyman plumber, one a lay member and one an employee of the City serving in the Department of Building and Housing Development. The member of the Board required to be a lay member shall be a resident of the City. Each technical member of the Board shall have at least five years’ experience in his or her respective field.
Board members shall be appointed by the Mayor and shall be confirmed or rejected by Council within 30 days of the date of the appointment, or the appointment shall be deemed approved. The Mayor shall appoint a Board member within 90 days of the occurrence of a vacancy. If the Mayor does not act on a vacancy within such time, the authority to appoint said member shall vest with Council; provided, however, that each member shall serve until a successor is appointed. Each member of the Board shall serve for a term of three years commencing from the date of appointment, except that two persons initially appointed to the Board shall be chosen for the term of three years, two for a term of two years, and one for a term of one year.
The Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority is the governing authority of Harrisburg International Airport, Capital City Airport, Franklin County Regional Airport and Gettysburg Regional Airport in south-central Pennsylvania.
There is hereby created the License and Tax Appeal Board, which shall have the powers set forth in this chapter and whose membership shall consist of three residents of the City who shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of Council. Their terms of office shall be three years and shall be so fixed that the term of office of one member shall expire each year. The Board shall promptly notify the Mayor of any vacancies, which occur. Appointments to fill vacancies shall be only for the unexpired portion of the term. Members of the Board shall hold no other office in the City. At least one member of the Board shall be a Certified Public Accountant.
The purpose of the Youth Commission shall be to advise the City government on all matters pertaining to youth in the City and to offer recommendations on issues of concern to our youth.
There is hereby created a Zoning Hearing Board of the City of Harrisburg, as authorized by the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, which shall consist of three members.

References: § 301
 § 5601
 § 301
 § 5601
 § 301
 § 5601
 § 1541
 § 344
 § 5501
 § 1701
 § 301
 § 5601
 § 301
 § 5601
 § 301
 § 5601
 § 301
 § 5601
 § 10101