Wednesday, April 20, 2011

No $75 Million Plan, and No $113.3 Million Plan Either

There is no additional $18 a month.  It would be much more.  Sounds like a referendum is in order.
http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/11110/1140565-100.stm#ixzz1K3aSJNBk

Update 8:30 AM 
Additional links: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_733105.html
                        VOICE flyer handed out at Foster School 5-4-10
                        Letter from Dirk Taylor
                        Writer defends former engineer
                        DAD Team promise
                        Lebo Citizens Keeping a Tally

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

But we DO HAVE an excellent two-year $20,000+ deal on 127 parking spaces!
- Giffen Good

Anonymous said...

I am confused.
The VOICE website indicates the construction climate is favorable.
Bids for the Bethel Park project came in 18 percent under projections.
Dale Ostergard and Dan Remely ran on a platform of keeping the HS project under $95 million.
Why is the District keeping the public from viewing the base bids for 5 more days?
You can bet the Master Design Team, having one member representing the community, is scrambling to figure out what to do at their next secret meeting.
David Huston

Liz Huston said...

This is an outrage. I want to e-mail the board, am not sure what to say. I want to know how the folks who wanted the $113 million plan are feeling right now. Are they just as happy with $127 million? Watch the For Sale signs go up in the next year. That will be a lot of fun!

Anonymous said...

Total embarassment to the Lebo, Sad.

Maybe it is time to look at rehabbing and improving where needed.

Jack Mulliken said...

So, with the bids $14M higher than the $113M, does that mean, if they were to accept one of those bids, it would have to go to a public vote?

Lebo Citizens said...

Jack, as I understand it, the lowest bid was $14 million over. The School District needs to rethink next week's groundbreaking ceremony because they have a serious dilemma. This could mean another Act 34 Hearing or it goes to referendum. I am hearing from people who signed the petition that they want the School Board to resign.
Sorry, I posted that anonymous comment. I was out this morning and approved all the comments at once.

Anonymous said...

I hope the school will give these bids---as well as its agenda---some very serious thought.
My mailbox this morning was filled with links to the bid boondoggle, with a number of them coming from *outside* Lebo.
But what really disturbs me are the comments from residents who don't live here, such as the following I overheard while walking to my seat at a meeting in another town: "And how about those poor SOBs in Mt. Lebanon?"
The comment was accompanied by a nudge for emphasis.
Our reputation, as well as our survival as a desirable community, are at stake.
I think it's time for that referendum; in fact, it's way overdue.

Carole Brown

Jack Mulliken said...

Ellen, thank you for the response. That's what thought.

Putting the High School to a public referendum would be suicide for the School Board. Remember, this is an election year. They want to get that ground broken so they can try to spin it as a win but it appears that it might be too late.

I think it's time to look at what Bethel Park is going through and re-think the entire project.

By trying to get a new high school, the board has wasted time and money. That time and money could have been put into a sensible renovation.

Lebo Citizens said...

Yes Jack, I couldn't have said it better myself. This is an election year. There are five seats for School Board on the May 17 ballot.
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

Anonymous, please identify yourself and resubmit your comment about the debt carrying costs. It is a valid point.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

From the Post-Gazette 10-FEB-2011:

"...we are looking forward to going to bid," school board President Josephine Posti said.

"The board has been eager to seek bids on the work to take advantage of the current competitive bidding environment. Mrs. Posti said she believed that the district should still be able to take advantage of a competitive environment."

David Huston