By Jesse Sweigart, The Columbia Chronicle
The bags of parking-meter coins that Police Chief Holly Arndt found in the department’s evidence room are still at the police station, borough officials said Tuesday. They’re waiting for an armored truck to haul them away.
Resident Frank Doutrich asked during public comment whether the money was still there. “Yes,” an official answered.
Council members explained that parking enforcement collects the coins. Staff used to walk them over to Truist Bank, but the borough has since moved its accounts to Fulton Bank, which does not take coins over the counter. Fulton agreed to arrange a pickup by Loomis, the armored car company.
“Loomis said it’s out of their norm to do that, but they are scheduling a truck,” council said. “Holly’s aware of it. We are aware of it.”
No pickup date was given.
Arndt has told the Chronicle there are 21 bags. A Chronicle editorial earlier this month put the number at 19, based on her remarks at a public meeting. The borough has not said how much money the bags hold.
“We must have a lot of money if we can let it sit around like that,” Doutrich said. “It could be in the bank, maybe working for us.”
Arndt first raised the coins in her Oct. 13 report to council, along with a police checking account she said she inherited without records of its history. She has said she will not use that account until it is audited. Resident Robert Thompson told council Tuesday that the account had been off the borough’s books since 2021.
Arndt and Mayor Leo Lutz were both on vacation and did not attend Tuesday’s meeting, officials said.
