Summary of the Carlisle Borough Council Meeting on December 11, 2025

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Big Trash Changes, Fire Safety Fears, and Saying Goodbye to a Leader

Our Borough Council met on Thursday, December 11, 2025, for the final regular meeting of the year. It was an emotional and busy night for our town. We saw important votes on how our trash will be picked up in the future, heard serious concerns from neighbors about safety, and said goodbye to a long-time council member.

Here is a quick summary of the main things that happened during the meeting:

The 2026 Budget Passed: Council approved the budget and tax rates for next year.
Trash Collection is Changing: We are moving toward a town-run trash service instead of using a private company.
Neighbors Spoke Out on Fire Safety: Residents demanded answers after a scary fire involving a recovery house on Franklin Street.
New Security Cameras Approved: Council voted to buy new cameras, though some residents had questions about privacy.
Housing Costs and Homelessness: People spoke up about high rent and the struggles of our unhoused neighbors.
Farewell to Deputy Mayor Landis: After eight years of service, Deputy Mayor Brenda Landis attended her final meeting.

The 2026 Budget and Taxes are Set

To start the official business, our council voted to approve the budget resolution for the 2026 fiscal year. Along with the budget, they passed ordinances to set our real estate tax rates and fire service taxes. They also updated the rates for our water, sewer, and stormwater services. These votes make sure the borough has the money it needs to keep running our services for the next year.

Big Changes Coming to Our Trash Service

One of the biggest moves of the night was about how we handle our garbage. Council adopted a resolution that says the borough intends to switch to an “in-house” trash and recycling program. This means instead of hiring an outside company, the borough will run the service itself. This change won’t happen immediately because our current contract runs through the end of 2027. To get ready, the council also voted to ask for a grant to help buy two solid waste trucks. For now, the trash fee was set at $91.89 per quarter starting January 1, 2026.

Residents Demand Answers After Franklin Street Fire

During public comment, we heard a very serious story from a neighbor on Franklin Street. A resident named Maureen Chang explained that a fire started next door at a property she described as a recovery house or group home on November 11. She and her brother, Kevin Wrench, told the council that there were failures in zoning and transparency regarding that property. They are asking the borough to enforce safety rules, fix classification errors, and deny re-occupancy until everything is safe to protect families living nearby.

New Security Cameras and Privacy Concerns

The council voted to spend about $25,500 to buy and install new security cameras from Hilton’s Lock and Security. Before the vote, a resident named Eric Smith questioned where the video data goes and who owns it, specifically worrying about big tech companies like Google or Amazon having access to our data. The police department clarified that the footage is currently stored on secure servers at the police department, but they agreed to look into the details of cloud storage to answer these privacy questions.

Struggles with High Rent and Housing

Housing was a major topic of conversation for us tonight. Residents pointed out that renting a home in Carlisle is now often more expensive than paying a mortgage. There were also concerns raised about our unhoused neighbors, especially with the cold weather here, and how some have faced dangerous conditions recently. Mayor Sean Shultz mentioned that he wants to put together a task force to look at the whole spectrum of housing issues to stop people from falling through the cracks.

A Tearful Goodbye to Deputy Mayor Brenda Landis

Finally, the meeting ended with a tribute to Deputy Mayor Brenda Landis. She has served on the council for eight years and decided not to run again. Mayor Shultz and other council members praised her for her energy, her work on land use reform, and her passion for making Carlisle a better place. She was given a plaque, a book on local history, and “Love Bucks” to shop at local businesses as a thank-you gift. Brenda thanked everyone and encouraged all of us to stay silly but take our work seriously.

Conclusion: Wrapping Up the Year

To recap, this December meeting set the stage for our future in several ways. We have a set budget for 2026 and a new plan to take control of our own trash collection services in the coming years. We also heard loud and clear from neighbors who are worried about fire safety codes and data privacy. While we are facing challenges with housing costs, we also took time to celebrate the dedicated service of Deputy Mayor Landis as she steps down. It was a night of planning, serious discussion, and gratitude for our community.

Watch the full December 11, 2025 Carlisle Borough Council Meeting here: