What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?This got me thinking about an anonymous comment which I approved on the thread, Posti too busy for Commission
That question prompted a lively debate on our deck one evening this past summer with people of various ages sharing good advice they had received ranging from the serious to the seemingly silly.
My parents and other caring adults surely gave me thoughtful advice that I followed, but I can’t recall their words specifically. What I remember more clearly are random comments that turned out to be useful advice.
Anonymous said...Oddly, both comments are conveying the same message to me. Maybe Jo's prayers are working.
I only occasionally come upon your blog and am certainly not a regular reader, but those time that I have, I notice that you do have hate in your heart. Jo Posti was right.
Did you ever watch the Muppet Show in the 1970's? Do you remember those grumpy old guys who sat up in the balcony? They never actually did anything but just criticized the performers. You and some of the commentors here ("anonymous" ones and otherwise) remind me of them, criticizing everyone but not actually doing anything except, in your case, running a blog -- which is fine, but unlike those you so readily and pettily criticize, you have zero accountability.
Instead of being defensive, if someone tells you you have hate in your heart, you should think about it.
September 27, 2012 2:32 PM
On another note, Peterson has instructed the Board to litigate $63,148 (cost of repaving Morgan Drive) with the Municipality after the project is completed.I sent this email to Steve Feller on September 18, 2012.
At last night's School Board meeting, a change order was approved for the work done on Morgan Drive. Their solicitor advised the School Board to litigate the amount of $63,148 because they believe it is the fault of the Municipality and Gateway. Have you responded either verbally or in writing to the District's claim?I promptly received this scorcher from my commissioner.
Elaine
Ms. Gillen,
I have spoken with numerous officials at the SD today about this rumor, and NONE of them told me that the SD plans to sue the
municipality. Mr. Remely, when discussing the change order, asked
their solicitor how they, if they were to choose to do so, would go
about seeking funds from someone other than the SD to pay for the
re-paved road. The solicitor did not "advise litigation" as you
suggest. He did tell them that such a process was an option. The
change order vote passed, and it was decided that the SD would speak with the other parties (architect, contractor, Muni., etc) to discuss the issue further.
In addition, Mr. Feller and Dr. Steinhauer are in contact often, as
affirmed by Mr. Feller today. At this time, there is no reason to
respond to a false rumor or misinterpretation. Talks are ingoing
bewteen our staffs, as always.
I hope this clarifies any confusion you may have had about the SD's discussion.
Kristen Linfante
Commissioner, Ward 3
Let's be clear here...anyone can go back to the podcast and make no mistake that both Dan and JoPo were throwing the municipal engineer under the bus.
The idea that now Kristen comes back and says there will be no lawsuit is a little early in the process I think. No doubt the school district will keep all options on the table until this is resolved.
I wonder if the municipality responded to the school board meeting from last week or not. I am sure they heard the comments from Dan and Jo. And I am also sure that if I was them, I would not appreciate one of my employees being thrown to the wolves for doing his job just so the board could blame someone else for its change order.
By October, Jordan hopes to provide electronic billing options.
In concert with creating communications materials that explain the strategic vision, the School District must heighten the community’s awareness of the importance of philanthropy, now and in the future. An integrated and multifaceted Awareness and Cultivation Program should be planned and implemented as an integral part of pre- campaign activities and procedures.To initiate a Targeted Awareness-Building and Cultivation Program, I am asking those four individuals to send an email to schoolboard@mtlsd.net explaining that you were in the 7% of the Lebo Citizens poll and would like to donate. Thank you so much for understanding the importance of philanthropy. With your help, it could mean only $18 a month for me. If those 7% do come forward, I just identified four donors for free. That is my donation - that and heightening the community's awareness.
Pursuant Ketchum first must determine if the district can create a "compelling case" for people to give. The district is discussing donations to reduce the amount it must borrow to complete the $109 million project.
The board would need to hire at least one person to help coordinate the efforts and the money, leaving some directors hesitant when the district already is facing a budget shortfall even with a potential half-mill tax increase.
Administrative costs for a fund-raising campaign would be about 7 percent of what was raised, Oshry said.
Two consultants will spend the next few weeks interviewing some of the district's biggest potential donors and likely volunteer fundraisers. They will use the interviews to determine whether the district can make a compelling case for people to donate; whether there are enough potential donors and volunteers; and whether the timing is right to conduct such a campaign.Paving the way to establish an endowment:
The consultants will then present the board with their recommendations in the form of a "red light," "yellow light" or "green light," officials said last week.
"Even if we got a red light ... there's still a tremendous amount of information for us that could be very useful," said board president Josephine Posti.
Though the campaign was pitched as a way to reduce the amount of borrowing for the high school -- and thus limit any future tax increases for debt payments -- board members amended the motion to remove language specifying that the study be limited to the high school project.
The District is undertaking the study to assess the viability of a capital campaign to reduce the amount of the second bond required for the $109.7 million high school project currently under construction and to establish an endowment to sustain and grow academic and fine arts programs in the District.
The school board voted last month to hire fundraising consultants Pursuant Ketchum to conduct the professional analysis that will determine whether they have enough support to raise $30 million for the high school renovation project.
The study costs $41,000 plus travel expenses.
"We view the study as a necessary investment in preparing for a successful capital campaign to finance a portion for the renovation of Mt. Lebanon High School," said John Federico, president of the Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education in a statement.
This $20,000 will cover approximately half of the cost of the $41,000 feasibility study that the Board engaged in last month in order to assess readiness for a capital campaign.
The School District feasibility study will assess the viability of a capital campaign, and appropriate strategies for conducting it. Contributions to the campaign would be used to offset existing costs of the Mt. Lebanon Senior High School renovation, as well as build a permanent endowment to support curriculum and other educational needs of the district.
“The Mt. Lebanon School District’s expressed its desire to conduct a successful capital campaign in order to reduce the tax burden associated with the high school renovation and benefit all residents of Mt. Lebanon, especially our most vulnerable citizens” said Joseph King, President of MLCE’s Board of Directors.
Ms. Bowman said this feasibility study wasn't about identifying donors but about soliciting advice and feedback.School directors feel that alumni and residents could be ideal donors:
The interviews are based on the idea that the district would try a $15 million capital campaign, though other sums have been considered. Those interviewed -- "a cross section of the community" -- are told funds raised could go toward a program endowment or bricks-and-mortar development at the high school, Ms. Bowman said.
Capital campaigns of this size usually occur at universities or civic organizations, but school directors have said that Mt. Lebanon's alumni network and residents could be ideal future donors.Oshry guarantees:
He also told the board the study comes with a few guarantees -- whether it signals possibility for a campaign or not, the study could identify and gauge community interest, he said.
Downtown-based Zamagias Properties planned the $42.8 million Washington Park project for the corner of Washington and Bower Hill roads and Mt. Lebanon municipal and school district officials agreed in 2007 to a tax increment financing plan, or TIF, that allowed Zamagias to borrow money to buy the land and plan for construction. Part of the money from property taxes on the condos would go into a fund to repay the loans.
When the suggested condo prices of $300,000 to $1.1 million prevented enough sales to begin construction during the recession, Zamagias withdrew the project in 2010. That meant no tax money going into the company’s debt service fund to repay the $1.79 million it owes by next year.
Neither the municipality nor the school district lost any money on the project, Feller said. Both collect taxes on the value of the unimproved land; only tax money from any buildings would go into the debt service fund.
Construction Update Change Order Conversation from 9/10 Notes
Due to complexity of issues they have encountered they have started weekly meetings with Celli-Flynn to make everyone aware of everything that is out there.
#1- $63000 Nello Const due to moving sewer lines due to request of municipality. Dan Remely completely blamed municipal engineer for increased cost. "Municipal Engineer did not do his job when he approved the plan". Posti chimes in blames the municipal engineer for not being familiar with the paving ordinance. "Why did they not have the specs for the pavement itself....who did not catch that?". Marciniak says the trench ended up having to be dug wider and there were some unforseen conditions on subbase and had to go to subgrade which made this a bigger deal. Posti say municipality may have paved the street with subpar subbase that the SD has to replace. Sounds like what Rick said is true...contractor simply had to dig a bigger hole. But both Dan and Posti would rather point the finger at the municipal engineer.
#2- $30,000 to Nello for work required to relocated storm and sewer lines to clear way for new foundations in athletic and science buildings. Shouldn't the drawings have show this?
#3- Fairfield Electric for duct bank incoming feed for DQ Light for Athletic and Science. Add two pipes and duct bank. DQE looked at loads required by science builing required additional feed. Saved $200,000 on bid but came back $60,000 on the other end per Dan's math.
#4 IT department Fairfield electric add $12000 for cable feed from B Building to MDF in F building. Running Cat3 (phone) cable instead of Cat5 (data).
#5 Vrabel Plumbing $17,000 site utlity conflicts with caisons and side beams. Shouldn't the drawings have shown this?
#6 $25,000 credit to use PVC piping instead of copper for pipes 2.5 inches or smaller in non-plenum rated spaces. All PVC will be indoor. Shouldn't the drawings have shown where they could use indoor PVC vs outdoor rated copper?
#7 Nello $11,000 change one retaining wall for frost depth and $5000 to replace unsuitable material with concrete. Board blames the architect.
Ed with Pyrite...south end of science building and north end of building. Seems to be limited to these sites at this time. Another half to pyritic soil change that has yet to be submitted.
Fairfield $272,000 related to 5kV power loss. OSEPA or Builders Insurance Claim so it should not affect the project. Costs through 8/31. Generators taken offline day before meeting. 8/31-9/9 costs not yet submitted. Emergency repair would NOT be part of budget and likely will be covered by insurance as well. At most the District will be on the hook for the deductible per a question by Goldman.
Original change order for dirt may be gone...using rockpile dirt for fill now so costs from a few months back should be greatly reduced.
(1) Anchor rods (anchor bolts) shall not be repaired, replaced or field-modified without the approval of the project structural engineer of record.
(2) Prior to the erection of a column, the controlling contractor shall provide written notification to the steel erector if there has been any repair, replacement or modification of the anchor rods (anchor bolts) of that column.
According to §1926.752(a)(2), where anchor bolts have been modified, the controlling contractor must inform the erector that the modification has been done in accordance with the requirements under §1926.755(b). Section 1926.755(b) has two requirements: (1) no repair, replacement or modification shall take place without the approval of the project structural engineer of record, and (2) the erector must be informed in writing that there has been a repair, replacement or modification.I got a response today for my Right To Know:
Voters will be required to present IDs in order to cast ballots in the November election. Your ID will be accepted it if "substantially conforms" to your voter registration. For a short summary of what sorts of IDs are acceptable and what to do if you don't have a proper ID, visit www.VotesPA.com and click on the red Voter ID link for information. To read a comprehensive guide to the new law go to http://www.alleghenycounty.us/elect/PhotoID/GeneralFAQ.pdf. Copies of the short version are available at the customer service center in the municipal building. If you do not qualify for a PennDOT driver's license or ID., you can get the new Department of State Voter ID card from PennDOT at a drivers license center. For further info about how to apply for the new ID and to locate the driver's license center nearest to you, visit www.dmv.state.pa.us or call 1-800-932-4600.If you have already registered or are not sure whether you are registered here, you can confirm your registration status.
The new economy is awash in contradictions, but few are more troubling than this one: At the very moment that brainpower is more important than ever, education seems more backward than ever. We have a new economy but outdated schools.
Out of this disconnect has emerged a quiet grassroots rebellion aimed at reinventing both the form and the function of American education. Charter schools – publicly funded startup schools that operate mostly free of regulation – have boomed. In 1992, there was one charter school in the United States. Today, there are more than 2,000. The fastest-growing education movement is homeschooling. Today, roughly 1.5 million children learn at home. Just as Internet startups and free agents rattled big business, charter schools and homeschooling are shaking up "big schoolhouse."
"I think this is one of the more ridiculous pieces of legislation districts in the Commonwealth must abide by," said board president Jo Posti. "I would challenge legislators to find a district that serves these subgroups better than Mt. Lebanon."Contact elected officials, as in elected school board officials, Josephine? Did the School District appeal? Or did they miss the deadline? Does MTLSD ever take responsibility or is it always someone else's fault in Harrisburg?
She added that she had spoken with state Rep. Matt Smith (D-Mt. Lebanon) regarding the issue on several occasions, and urged concerned community members to contact elected officials as well.
Change Orders for High School Project – This month’s list reflects five change orders for the regular construction work.
a. Change order #GC-03-03 is to Nello Construction for repair of Morgan Drive as required by the Municipality totals $63,148.
b. Change order #GC-04-04 is to Nello Construction for $30,093 for repair of utility line conflicts where the existing utility lines were mis-located on the site drawings.
c. Change order #EL-01-05 is to Farfield Electric Co. for $58,741for changes to the new electrical feed from Lebanon Ave. due to Duquesne Light’s redesign after the bids were approved.
d. Change order #EL-02-06 is to Farfield Electric Co. for a net credit of $6,279 for value engineering related to changes in electrical lines.
e. Change order #PL-01-07 is a net change to Vrable Plumbing for $17,195 for relocation of existing water lines and a change of some copper piping to PVC plastic.
f. Change order GC-05-08 is to Nello Construction for $11,431 for changes to retaining wall and pyrite remediation.
g. Change order #IN-01-01 is to Farfield Electric Co. for $272,497 for costs to date related to repairs necessitated by a damaged high voltage line off Cochran Rd. This is the first change order to repair the damaged electrical line and remediate the interior cleanup. We anticipate that there will be other change orders associated with this repaired electrical line.
If we have questions or concerns, you instructed us to ask. So we did. A Right To Know was filed on August 30, 2012. It would have been nice to have this RTK granted in time for Monday's Construction Update, but unfortunately, here is your response. Weekly construction meeting minutes This was a great opportunity to get out accurate information and you blew it. The email was CC'ed to: TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net; grobb@tuckerlaw.com; TPeterson@tuckerlaw.com I question why all RTK's are cc'ed to two attorneys at Tucker Arensberg. Do the frivolous ones go to two attorneys?Have you heard any good rumors? Do you have questions or concerns? Just ask. At our last Board meeting we spent considerable time answering questions raised by one of our closest residents. It was a great opportunity to not only address his individual concerns but to get out accurate information about security, utility outages, the project's schedule and how damage from the line hit will be addressed.
1. Reorganization – The Superintendent will implement the revised administrative organizational structure. 2. Strategic Plan – The Superintendent will direct and supervise the completion of the District’s Strategic plan. 3. Student Success and Achievement – The Superintendent will implement measures to improve student achievement. 4. High School Project – The Superintendent will move forward the District’s efforts to build/renovate the High School. 5. Fiscal Responsibility – The Superintendent will operate the District in a fiscally responsible manner and identify and implement cost saving strategies. 6. Future of Education – The Superintendent will explore, identify, and implement innovative and effective educational programs. 7. Connection to the Community – The Superintendent will be a visible participant in school, community, and regional activities and events. So what is Tim's sentence? Would it be:
|
 |
| Photo by Jennifer Ciroli |
The speed limit for all vehicles on all school property, including parking lots, streets, roadways and play areas, is 15 miles per hour. No vehicles (other than District authorized vehicles) are permitted on tracks, ball fields, lawns or District property other than roadways and parking areas.
Student vehicles parked on District property are subject to search by the District and/or law enforcement authorities at any time for any reason, with or without notice. General and random searches (including canine sniff searches) are authorized. Students should have no expectation of privacy as to vehicles on District property. Parking is a privilege, not a right, and student parking permits will be issued only where students and/or parents consent to such searches. Refusal to cooperate in such searches may result in loss of parking privileges as well as disciplinary action.
