Saturday, December 31, 2011

Did we learn to do more with less?

Mary Niederberger wrote in Thursday's PG,

In public education circles, 2011 was the year that officials quickly learned how to do more with less.

Was it?  I must have missed something. No student fees.  No furloughs. No voluntary wage freezes. No program reductions. No larger classes. Nope, not Mt. Lebanon. Instead, we approved a construction project that will undoubtedly appear in the 2013 Pittsburgh Business Times Book of Lists for "Largest Active Pittsburgh-Area Construction Projects."

It is December 31, 2011, a time for me to reflect.  There are many residents in Mt. Lebanon who tried to make a difference.  I am not going to name names since I run the risk of forgetting someone, but we all know who they are.  I started this blog and continued the website so that we could hold our elected officials accountable, to allow the readers of this blog to force them to be transparent and provide information when they refused, and to vent when we lose control of our own government. 

I will take anonymous comments one last time.  December 31 is a time for all of us to reflect.

As James Fraasch would say, "Thanks for reading."

Happy New Year

Elaine

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Reassessments 101

Marty Griffin talked about it on his show.  The PG had articles about it.  And the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy sent out A Guide to Helping Taxpayers Understand the Effects of the Reassessment.

The property reassessments are starting to hit.  We knew they were coming.  The Concerned Citizens of Mt. Lebanon circulated a petition to control the spending on the high school project. We were mocked. We were belittled. We were called fear mongers, but our school board moved forward with their plans.

Even the Judge who ordered property reassessment saw a $134,000 increase. I hope things even out with some of our elected officials. Speaking of elected officials, Joe DeIuliis was quoted in the Almanac yesterday on the municipal tax increase.
Commissioner Joseph DeIuliis, the lone commissioner who voted against the current tax hike, defended the previous tax cuts. "It was a tough time and to me, it was the prudent thing to do," he said. "People could have moved out of the area, and we wanted to keep them in Mt. Lebanon." http://www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/12-28-2011-ML-tax-hike
Yeah, that tax cut of $16.28 kept me from moving out of Mt. Lebanon.  Go to the 43 minute mark of the 12/20/2011 Commission meeting during the citizens' comments portion of the final public hearing for the 2012 Budget. As I said in the podcast, the problem is not with the Municipality.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A Farewell Toast

No, not from me, although the anonymous person who submitted an unpublished comment would be disappointed.

Over on lebodesign.net, Dan Rothschild published his final comments on Farewell Toast.


Finally, as we are nearing the end of the year, and are coming up to a season of toasts, I offer the following toasts in regard to the design of our new high school:
May the loading dock on the front of the building not be too visually disturbing;
May the trucks backing in and out of the loading dock not be too disruptive or unsafe;
May the new traffic pattern looping around the perimeter of the south parking lot not be too annoying;
May the walk to the new athletic pavilion not seem too far away;
May the demolition of Building C not be too sad;
May the demolition of the existing tennis courts and construction of new tennis courts not seem too wasteful;
May the substitution of metal for glass on the exterior in order to save money not seem too industrial;
May the replacement of durable materials for less durable materials not result in excessive maintenance costs;
May the lack of clustering the academic departments not have a drag on collaboration between departments;
May the walk between classrooms not be too excessive so as to lengthen the time between classes;
May the circulation pinch points at the corners of the Student Commons not be too severe;
May finding the isolated Science department in their own building not be too difficult;
May the moving of the entire Special Education department off-site not label us as being insensitive to special needs;
May the relocation of the School Psychologists off-site not diminish the relationships between these professionals and their students and parents;
May the large discrepancy between the low bid and second bid on the General Construction not result in an undue amount of change orders increasing our costs;
May the expansive amount of site work not uncover too many hidden underground conditions;
And, may the multiple prime contractors on the project not subject our community to a litany of delay claims and litigation.
Finally, finally, the mission of this blog was to focus on the design of the high school. With the recent acceptance of the construction bids, the design is finally complete, and so is this blog. I want to thank all of my neighbors and friends, design professionals, members of the Community Advisory Committee, and a few of the School Board members who have offered their support and encouragement. It was very much appreciated.
Daniel Rothschild
Thanks Dan, for helping us play an active role in the redesign of the high school renovation.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Legal Notice

Legal Notices
MT. LEBANON,
PENNSYLVANIA
LEGAL NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE is hereby given that Mt. Lebanon, PA will present a
Petition to Approve Tax Levy Pursuant to 16 P.S. § 4980.2 (the
anti-windfall law) to the Court of Common Pleas in open session. The
Petition is filed at GD11-26432, and requests approval of a real estate
tax levy over 105%. It will be presented before the Honorable W.
Terrence O'Brien in Room 705, City-County Building, 414 Grant Street,
Pittsburgh, Pa on December 29, 2011 at 1:30 PM.
MT. LEBANON, PA
Stephen Feller
Manager

Update 01/03/12 Mt. Lebanon, Thornburg get exemption to limit on increase in revenues

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Students Contribute to Public Art

From the District website: 


Students Contribute to Public Art 
December 14, 2011 
Jefferson Middle School student, Jakob Posti, is pictured with his artwork on display at Pamela's.


If you happen to stop by Pamela's P & G Diner in Mt. Lebanon, take special notice of the artwork. A community outreach exhibit is taking place at the restaurant and Mt. Lebanon School District is well represented by 12 talented and creative students. Each secondary Visual Arts teacher submitted two outstanding student works of art to represent our District. Special thanks to Mellon art teacher, Garrett Hain, who spearheaded the effort.
Congratulations to the following students:

High School
Natalie Isenberg
Kaelin Kost
Mellon Middle School
Sarah Rolfson
Maddy Rice
Max Davidson
Alexandra McDonough
Abigail Eckhardt
Phoebe Vipperman 
Jefferson Middle School
Ava Santoro
Casey Lynch
Jakob Posti
Autumn Graham

Congratulations goes to Josephine Posti's son, Jakob, and eleven others for their achievement.  Love the skateboarding artwork, Jakob.  But I would also like to recognize the eleven others who did not get their photos on the District website. I would be willing to meet you all at Pamela's for a group photo.  You should be recognized for your talents, as well.  Email me at EGillen476@aol.com to make arrangements.

Also, congratulations to Luke Steinhauer, Dr. Steinhauer's son, for his achievement of being named YoungArts Finalist.  His photo is above Jakob Posti's on the District website.



Happy Holidays from the Mt. Lebanon School District

On behalf of the staff of Mt. Lebanon School District I want to wish you and your family a very Happy Holidays and a wonderful New Year. We look forward to seeing your children in 2012.

I hope you enjoy the Mt. Lebanon School District 2011 Holiday card below.

Sincerely,

Dr. Timothy Steinhauer
Superintendent

Attachment: http://multimedia.mtlsd.org/Play.asp?419241380665664!4

And from the School Board:



My personal favorite Holiday flash mob video this year is http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/holiday11/
Maybe it can be done from Center Court (old or new) next year.

Happy Holidays

Thursday, December 22, 2011

So...what about that rifle range?

Since I know absolutely nothing about the rifle range, the team, etc., I started a new poll about the School Board's decision to nix the rifle range. Based on two requests from a previous post to start a new thread on the rifle range, I am leaving it up to you folks to comment.

Judge Arrested on DUI Charges

Police said they arrested Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Randal Todd on a charge of driving under the influence after witnessing a car accident.
A criminal court docket says the 56-year-old Todd was arrested Dec. 16. The incident happened on Shady Drive West.
According to the criminal complaint, a Mt. Lebanon police officer was stopped at a traffic light across from a vehicle that he noticed had been recently wrecked in the front, and then he watched that vehicle back into another one.
The officer blocked the car and confronted the driver, who was slurring his speech and smelled of alcohol and didn't know that the accident had just occurred, according to the complaint.
The officer had to reach inside the car and put it in park and help Todd out, and he said Todd admitted he was a little drunk, according to the complaint.
Todd was taken to a hospital to give a blood sample before being released to another person, the complaint said.
Todd's DUI charge will be mailed to him, along with a date for a preliminary hearing in front of District Judge Blaise Larotonda.
Mt. Lebanon police declined to comment about the case to Channel 4 Action News reporter Marcie Cipriani on Thursday afternoon.
President Judge Donna Jo McDaniel said Todd remains on the bench, but he will hear civil cases instead of criminal cases while his own case proceeds through the court system. That will prevent him from handling any cases involving DUI charges or the Mt. Lebanon police.
Nobody answered the door when Channel 4 Action News went to Todd's apartment on Thursday afternoon."

Read more: http://www.wtae.com/news/30055862/detail.html#ixzz1hIdYTRFG

More on the asbestos bids

There has been some confusion over the asbestos bids.  Since the School District website listed "Precision"  as the company awarded the asbestos abatement bid, a resident was kind enough to forward the contact information and full name of the three asbestos abatement companies who were the lowest bidders in the bidding process.  "Precision" ended up being the lowest responsible bidder. 

The School District website also mentions the glass-enclosed bridge (architect's drawing here) as well as the announcement of the groundbreaking ceremony.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

If You Are Not a Retired Teacher, Be Afraid of The State Budget

The following letter is from Mt. Lebanon resident John Ewing.

If You Are Not a Retired Teacher, Be Afraid of The State Budget

The European problems have caused the growth rate of the U. S. economy to be cut by half in the last several months. Congress is considering significant budget cuts. The slower growth and budget cuts will impact the ability of the Federal Government to give money to the States. Pennsylvania will be negatively affected by these cuts. The State has already reduced over 1000 positions across State Government and more reductions are likely because Pennsylvania’s economic growth has been reduced too. The slower growth at Federal and State levels will filter down to the local school levels in the form of higher taxes from problems we already know.

The State Employees’ Retirement System has 75% of the assets they need to fund retirements. The Public School Employees’ Retirement System has 69.1% of the assets they need to fund retirements. The strain on the State Budget from these two items will create a State contribution increase of over $2.5 Billion dollars over the next four years. The 2012-2013 pension cost increase at the State level will cost $520 Million more next year alone. Further growth in Medical Assistance, Long-Term Care and Debt Service increases will cost 480 Million more in 2012-2013. This total of a $1.0 Billion increase does not factor in increased Health Care cost increases in the State budget.

In other words falling State revenues are colliding with rising State expenditures at the same time the MLSD has undertaken a High School renovation in excess of $100,000,000. Can we really count on stable State subsidies next year? Can school employees really count on the pensions they are expecting?

John Ewing

Monday, December 19, 2011

Not feeling so festive now (Updated)

From the District website:


Latest News
  • School Board Awards Bids for High School ProjectThe Mt. Lebanon School Board awarded bids for the construction of the high school project at the December 19, 2011, School Board meeting in a unanimous vote of 9-0.  P. J.  Dick Inc., the project construction manager, estimated bids for the project at $93,424,000. The total of the lowest base bids was $87,876,977—5.9% below estimates. The low bidder for general construction was Nello Construction of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania at $49,137,000. The following companies were awarded bids for the project:

    General Construction
    Nello Construction
    $49,173,000
    HVAC Construction
    McKamish
    $14,947,000
    Plumbing Construction
    Vrabel
    $4,771,200
    Electrical Construction
    Farfield
    $10,927,000
    Casework Construction
    Reed Associates
    $1,148,800
    Fire Protection
    SimplexGrinnell
    $944,777
    Asbestos Abatement
    Precision
    $6,077,000

The School Board took action on alternates to add classroom and lab casework, blown fiber-optic cable and operable windows for a total addition to the base bids of $111,800. Those numbers are included in the totals above for Nello, Reed Associates and Farfield.  The expected length of the project is 48 months.


The awarding of the bids for the project caps six years of planning the new high school that will consist of new construction and renovated portions of the existing building for a total of 454,816 square feet. The building along Cochran Road will be completely renovated while maintaining the traditional exterior of Mt. Lebanon High School. The existing competition gym will be renovated into a new center court with the cafeteria integrated into this multi-level space, along with key student resources such as the media center, writing lab, math lab and activities office. All academic areas will intersect at this space, creating a vibrant school center. New fine art spaces and technology center will also be located near the core of the building. Thoughtfully designed student navigation patterns will connect these spaces throughout the complex.  New construction will link the center court to a new academic wing that will house state of the art science labs and classrooms. A new student entry on Horsman Drive will anchor the back of the building. The auditorium and fine arts theatre will also undergo a complete renovation. A glass-enclosed  bridge over Horsman Drive will connect center court with the new athletic field house that will hold a competition gym, two auxiliary gyms and a new eight-lane pool. New tennis courts will be built along Horsman Drive next to the building.  There are currently 1800 students who attend Mt. Lebanon High School. 
A ground breaking ceremony for the high school will be held on Thursday, January 26, 2012, at 4:00 p.m. All are invited to attend. 
Not taking any anonymous comments on this thread.  


http://www.mtlsd.org/highschoolrenovation/

Podcast is available at 2011/12/19 School Board Business Meeting

Mt. Lebanon school renovation work to begin next month
Mt. Lebanon awards construction contract

A photo of the "glass" bridge:



Give this photo a caption

While we are waiting for the final nail in the coffin for the high school project tonight, I thought it would be fun to play a little game.

I will still take anonymous comments (feeling rather festive lately) to come up with captions for the following picture.

My caption is:

"Director Ostergaard, as School Board President, I am telling you that the bid opening will be December 7, as planned.  Don't believe what you hear."


There is no guarantee that I will publish everything I receive.  And it's always appreciated if you sign your name to it. 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Lebo Citizens nominated for 2011 Most Valuable Blogger award [Corrected]

Someone just sent me this link.  Lebo Citizens wins a CBS Pittsburgh 2011 Most Valuable Blogger award 
Lebo Citizens Visit site »
It is informative, truthful, and starts insightful discussion. People are not afraid to comment about local municipal and school government.

I am in shock.  I  had no idea.  I never win anything!  Is there someone out there who can tell me more about this award?  I don't know who to thank.  Oh my gosh, I am so excited!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Correction:  Lebo Citizens was nominated for this award in the "Local Affairs" category.

It's crunch time.

It is Sunday, December 18.  Tomorrow, the Board awards the bids and discusses the bid alternates.  Continuing with the anonymous comments policy temporarily lifted, the Board claims they want community input.  Now, we have an opportunity to tell the Board anonymously our thoughts.  What is important to you?

Thursday, December 15, 2011

District's $2.4 million shortfall, but hey, we're accepting base bids for $84.4 million

I know. It must be me. The School District is the sane bunch. I am the one losing it. I think it is insane that we have a $2.4 million budget shortfall, but Josephine Posti posts how the School Board is accepting the base bids on her blog today. Renovation Bids Come in Low.

According to the Almanac article listed below, Josephine Posti is quoted as saying:

"This $2.4 million is an enormous amount," said school board president Jo Posti. "To give the public an idea of how large, our staffing review team estimated something as drastic as closing an elementary school would only save $1.1 million."

And while we're at it, let's give Tim Steinhauer another raise and more vacation time. Of course, Upper St. Clair's Superintendent Dr. Patrick O'Toole was named the 2012 PA Superintendent of the Year and will compete for the national award.


None of this is making any sense to me. I guess I should relax. The District has it covered.  They want input from the community.

*******
Lebo schools facing $2.4 million budget shortfall
By Nick Lewandowski For The Almanac writer@thealmanac.net


Mt. Lebanon School District was unusually fortunate to have been spared both tax increases and cost-cutting in the 2011-2012 school year. The same will not hold true in 2012-2013.

At the Dec. 12 school board meeting director of fiscal services Jan Klein explained the district is facing a $2.4 million shortfall, largely due to rising pension costs.

State-mandated pension contributions are 43 percent higher for that school year, a significant financial strain for school districts which have salaries and benefits as their largest operating costs. In Mt. Lebanon these account for some 70 percent of the budget.

"This $2.4 million is an enormous amount," said school board president Jo Posti. "To give the public an idea of how large, our staffing review team estimated something as drastic as closing an elementary school would only save $1.1 million."

Hence the district faces the classic dilemma: raise taxes or cut programming.

The problem is compounded by the fact 2012 is a presidential election year, which has shortened the budget timeline. In January state law requires the board to either pass a preliminary budget or a resolution not to increase millage beyond an amount specified by an inflationary index.

According to Klein, tax increases up to the limit imposed by the index would still leave the district's budget at least $1.4 million out of balance.

By passing a preliminary budget, the board would preserve its right to apply for exceptions from the state from that limit, allowing it to raise taxes further to cover costs such as pension contributions. Klein said this could bring the district within $250,000 of a balanced budget.

Board member Dale Ostergaard urged the board to look beyond 2012-2013, however.

"This pension spike is likely to increase for the next few years," he said. "Over the next four years we could face a $9.7 million shortfall. That would require us to raise taxes about 4.5 mills."

A single mill is equivalent to $100 of property tax on a home valued at $100,000.

Ostergaard argued relying solely on tax increases to make up for the shortfall would be too heavy burden on the community. "We need to accept the fact that change to programs and operations must happen over the next four years," he said.

Board member Mary Birks disagreed.

"I would caution this board against making any long-term decision (that would impact programming)," she said. "Remember this impact's not only the value of our children's education but also of our homes."

Complicating matters is the fact that there are still major uncertainties regarding costs for 2012-2013--never mind the four following years. The district still has yet to receive student course selections, for example, and it does not know the cost of healthcare.

On top of that there is concern about the county property assessment. Property assessments play a critical role in determining real estate tax revenue, and there is a chance the latest round will not be completed by the time the board must pass a budget.

By evening's end the board reached a general consensus that it would be better to pass a preliminary budget in January, preserving its ability to raise taxes beyond the index. Board members were also keen on establishing a forum or ad hoc committee to get input from the community.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Here are the results!

Not sure if they are the top three in each discipline, or this represents all the bidders.

Bid opening results



Update 12/15/11  Here is what the Trib has to say about yesterday's bid opening.  Mt. Lebanon High School renovations bid within budget 
Here is what the PG has to say about yesterday's bid opening.

Anything about the bid opening?

This is all I have heard so far.

From: TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net
To: Concerned resident
CC: SchoolBoardEmaillist@mtlsd.net
Subject: RE: bid opening
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:46:25 +0000


Dear (Concerned resident) – The Board President announced the bid opening at Monday evening’s Discussion Meeting. The Discussion Meeting was held in the High School Library at 7:30 PM on Monday, December 12, 2011. As is our practice, the Discussion Meeting was recorded and is being broadcast.  As she announced, bids were to be publicly opened on Wednesday, December 14, 2011.  This occurred. The bids are being reviewed and the Board will publicly discuss the outcomes when appropriate.

Timothy J. Steinhauer
Superintendent of Schools
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412-344-2076

What did you do today to improve the life of a child?

From: A concerned resident
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 2:10 PM
To: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer
Cc: School Board Email list
Subject: bid opening

Dr. Steinhauer,
  Were the bids opened publicly and read aloud today at 1:30PM EST?
There is no indication that anything happened on the MTLSD website.
Concerned resident

If anyone has any information about the bid opening, I will take anonymous comments on this.  

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

D.A.S.D.

The Disingenuous Agreement by the School District was pointed out to me tonight by Bill Lewis after the Commission meeting. According to the May 10, 2010 Commission meeting minutes:

School District employees are responsible for weekly infield dragging, irrigation and
facility maintenance. The School District is also responsible for all lawn mowing.

Now, if I am reading this correctly, the School District is to pay Mt. Lebanon $83,300 a year for both infield renovation work and maintenance of the turf grass athletic fields.  The YSA contributes $30,000 to the School District for the services. Has the SD been doing weekly maintenance as specified in the minutes?  Has the School District been paying Mt. Lebanon $83,300 per year?

The new successor agreement ends June 30, 2012.  

More talk about closing schools

I just uploaded the podcast from last night's school board meeting.  I haven't listened to it yet, but I understand there were more discussions about closing schools and Jan Klein's $2.5 million budget hole.  Here is the link to the podcast. 

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Hart/Fraasch one-two punch

Talk about timely...I was reading an old post by Tom Moertel on Blog-Lebo called How to Brew an Economic Perfect Storm in One Easy Lesson.   The Trib had an article in Sunday's paper written by Jake Haulk (Allegheny Institute for Public Policy) titled, The property tax increase. It was a Policy Brief from Allegheny Institute that inspired Tom to write his piece on brewing an economic perfect storm. 

The comments on Tom's post, almost two years old, are fascinating. Mark Hart made his predictions and James Fraasch shared his thoughts; both were spot on with their comments.  I saw words like LEED certification, 15 Design Criteria, crossing Horsman Drive, etc.  Where are all these people now?  You folks are very quiet now.  In two days, will we be duped into accepting bids just under the limit?  When the bids come in at cost, will people enter a state of "whew" euphoria- even though it's still $115 million damn dollars?  And it is for a project nowhere near what we were promised for $95 million, let alone $113 million!

PS.  Thanks goes to Dave Franklin for coming up with the title of this post. 

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Countdown to the bid opening

From the District website:


High School Project Bid Opening Moved to Dec. 14
November 28, 2011
The bid opening for the high school project has been moved from December 7 to December 14, 2011. The Mt. Lebanon School District will receive sealed bids from bidders for the Mt. Lebanon High School Additions and Renovations Project until 1:30 p.m., prevailing time, on December 14, 2011, at the Mt. Lebanon School District Administrative Offices, 7 Horsman Drive, Pittsburgh PA 15228. Bids will be opened publicly and read aloud.


I was looking for a countdown clock for the blog, but was unable to find one that applied to a bid opening.   No worries.  Go here for the countdown clock.  It is no secret that I am hoping for the bids to come back too high.  If they do, may I suggest the Board review this letter from Dirk Taylor.  Our newest Board members (Cooper, Goldman, and Lebowitz) may have missed this in their mentoring sessions.  Gentlemen, we do have options.  Don't let them tell you otherwise.   2-18-10 Letter to the Board 

Commission Financial Reforms and then there is the School District

Dan Miller's December 9 post on his blog, is Financial Reforms.  Dan writes:
But as our budget vote quickly approaches I have worked with staff, other Commissioners, and citizens to put together a series of financial reforms that I believe will make sure that we do not repeat the same mistakes that have gotten us here. And to be clear- this failure in my opinion rests on the Commission majority. While acknowledging that an overwhelming amount of residents are happy with Municipal services- the Commission majority has been unwilling to tell you that these services cost more then you are being billed. I believe that simply voting for a tax increase alone does not “fix” this problem. In my opinion any tax increase must be accompanied by such fiscal reforms listed below that will mandate real responsibility from elected officials- regardless of whether service levels are cut or increased moving forward.
Dan goes on to list his eight proposed ordinances and comments but adds:

* Note: These ordinances may not yet be finalized completely. While I do not expect the intent of them to change it is possible that in order to receive majority support some words or items may have to be altered. I also have included a couple areas where I believe it is reasonable to negotiate. Additionally I have offered some brief comments after each one to help give context for them- believe me, I have more to say on every one.
Dan, I want to publicly thank you for all your hard work - even up to the bitter end of your term.  You have been fair and open.  You have adopted constituents outside of your ward (like me) and have been an excellent role model for our new junior commissioners, current commissioners, and hopefully has made an impact on our school board directors.  Thanks, Dan.

Now the School District, on the other hand, has this on their next agenda.
2012-2013 Preliminary Budget – The Board must prepare and approve a final budget for
2012-13 in May of 2012. In preparation for this final budget, the Board’s first action
must be to determine what potential millage increase will be required in that final budget.
There are still many uncertainties in preparing the budget for 2012-13 so early in the
year. We do not yet know our staffing needs, student course selections, numbers of
retirements, health care cost increases, earned income tax trends or state funding
parameters. Without these critical pieces of information, any budget projection at this
time includes inherent inaccuracies due to estimates without factual basis. Act 1 of 2006
gives the Board the option to pass a resolution in December of 2011 stating it will not
exceed a millage increase permitted under the approved Index which calculates to about
.37 mills if the Index is 1.4%, or .45 mills if the Index is 1.7%. We believe that we will
require significant budget cuts to meet Index limitations. If the Board wants to preserve its rights to raise millage to include both the increase for the Index plus the three allowable exceptions for PSERS cost increases, Pre-Act 1 Debt and special education cost increases, the Board must pass a preliminary budget at the January Board meeting. That preliminary budget must include a millage rate high enough to require exceptions to the Index. Note that even if the Board approves such a preliminary budget in January, the final budget in May does not have to include the same millage rate. It can be approved at any millage rate up to the one allowed by the Index plus any approved exceptions
Granted there are still many uncertainties on the District budget side, but I would like to add something to the equation that needs mentioned, a presentation made by former School Board Director, James Fraasch. Perhaps James will update the numbers if, or when the bids come in too high.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

It's a myth!

The November 28, 2011 Commission recording has been partially recovered.  As I had said previously, I had technical difficulties recording the meetings.  I have posted the Parking Authority Meeting, the Commission Discussion Session, Part 1, and a partial recording of the Commission Meeting.  I was able to salvage Bill Lewis' comments where he revealed that the Youth Sports Alliance does NOT contribute to municipal fields maintenance.  They only contribute to the School District fields.  It costs the taxpayers $32,000 a year for Youth Sports to use the five municipal fields.  You can hear Manager Steve Feller verify this information.  Bill's comments start about half way through the podcast.  Thanks, Bill, for exposing this myth.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Final hours for Feeling the Pinch poll

With eleven hours left to vote, 25% have more money than ever.  Forty percent are feeling the pinch but will be OK if nothing changes.  One third of us are drowning.  DROWNING.  So which group is calling the shots here in Mt. Lebanon?  I believe it is the first group. 

I have decided to write about this poll in the final hours since the original bid opening was to be held in three hours from now.

Since I am discussing incomes, if anyone wishes to comment on this post, I will take anonymous comments.  Just be civil.

Monday, December 5, 2011

This just in

Josephine Posti is president. Again.  Elaine Cappucci is vice president.  A woman who was caught plagiarizing makes an excellent role model.
By the way, the votes were 5-4 with Ostergaard the runner-up for both positions.
No mention of committees at the meeting.  Is that appropriate?
Tom Peterson was appointed as Solicitor for his 17th year.
The recording will be going up shortly.  Missing from the recording was the appointment of Mary Birks as temporary president. 
Thanks to David Huston for purchasing and donating a Bible for tonight's reorganization meeting.  No member was sworn in using the Bible. 

Sunday, December 4, 2011

County taxes n'at

I read in today's Post Gazette that county taxes are going up.  I hope Onorato vetoes it.

The increase, from 4.69 mills to 5.69 mills, would cost taxpayers an extra $100 per $100,000 in property value, prior to any exemptions. The final cost is even more infuriating because it comes as property owners are waiting for their new county assessments. For many people, that will mean another tax increase -- a double whammy. At a minimum, council should have put off any talk of a tax hike until the impact of the reassessment is clear.
Read more: Double whammy: County council must back off its stealth tax hike

Meanwhile, tomorrow could be Josephine Posti's last day as school board president.  The reorganization meeting starts at 7:30 p.m.  Reorganization agenda


Recreation programs come at a high price to taxpayers

Someone sent me this link to Terri Johnson's article in the Almanac.  She was writing about Peters Township, but it could be about Mt. Lebanon.  I am going to reprint it here since the Almanac doesn't archive their articles.  My question is how do the soccer associations come up with so much money? 

11/16/2011 


PT plan comes with price

By Terri T. Johnson Almanac staff writer tjohnson@thealmanac.net



Recreation programs in Peters Township are extremely active and supplying fields on which various sports will play, comes at a high price to taxpayers.

The school district is in the midst of a nearly $2.5 million upgrade to athletic fields above Pleasant Valley Elementary School. The fields will have lights, a sound system and artificial turf, along with a concession stand and rest rooms.

On Nov. 14, township council voted to spend $204,000 for the installation of lights on Field 5 in Peterswood Park. The contract was awarded to the lowest of 11 bids, Schultheis Electric.

Work on a design to install artificial turf on the same field will continue with the total estimated cost to improve the field reaching about $1.4 million. The design contract was let earlier for $39,500 and does not include surveying the field. That cost could reach an additional $2,000 to $3,000.

To help with the turf costs, the soccer association has agreed to contribute up to $250,000 on the condition the soccer association receives scheduling priority during its season. Council hopes the field will be graded at the end of the spring soccer season, with the new turf installed in the summer in anticipation of the fall 2012 soccer season.

In another area of Peterswood Park, the township is currently spending about $2.5 million to expand additional fields.

Both the township and the school district are funding the projects with proceeds received through bond issues.

The electrical contract was passed by council on a 6 to 2 vote. Councilman Gary Stiegel Jr. was absent. Voting against were Council members Monica Merrell, who did not give a reason for her vote, and Robert Lewis, who has made his opinion known in previous votes involving expansion of or upgrading to facilities for youth sports.

Lewis said he believes too much money is being spent on youth sports and that funds should be directed to other recreational activities.

Friday, December 2, 2011

That's all folks

The latest Lebo Alert announced the end of leaf pickup for this year. 

If you had regular leaf pickup this week, do not sweep/blow any more leaves to the curb. Pickup ends tomorrow. Questions, call 412-343-3403 Monday

Thursday, December 1, 2011

USC teachers facing job cuts



11/30/2011 

USC teachers facing job cuts
By Carla Valentine Myers for The Almanac writer@thealmanac.net

Even if they get exceptions to raise the tax hike ceiling, a budget proposal discussed Nov. 28 by the Upper St. Clair School Board would cut 14 teaching positions and six support staff positions.
The district's director of business and finance told the school board Nov. 28 that she expects to recommend at its final meeting of 2011 that the board propose a 2012-13 preliminary budget showing a nearly $2.8 million shortfall.
A preliminary budget is required to be proposed by Jan. 5 if the district intends to apply to the state for exceptions that would allow them to raise taxes higher than their 0.337 mill ceiling for 2012-13.
Expenditures are currently projected at $63,833,907, with revenues falling short by $2,798,428.
The district could apply for an exception of $600,000 for pension payments, and $230,000 for special education costs. The pension exception would permit the district to raise taxes another 0.352 mills and the special education exception would permit another 0.135 mills of taxes. This would bring to 0.82 the total tax hike for 2012-2013, if approved by the state.

Combined with the use of $400,000, which the board had been saving for future pension fund payments, the additional taxes would bring the budget deficit down to $1,568,428.
Frosina Cordisco, director of business and finance, said the district will also be able to apply for an exception to raising taxes related to the amount of debt that the district incurred prior to the approval of Act 1. The act sets a ceiling on how much each district can raise taxes each year without applying for exceptions or putting an additional tax hike to a referendum.
She said the amount of that potential exemption has not been calculated due to the difficulty of portions of the existing debt at the time having been refinanced several times to date. She said she hopes to have an estimate of that number in December.
The board meets to reorganize on Dec. 5. Its final meeting of 2011 will be Dec. 12.
Patrick O'Toole, district superintendent, presented a possible budget scenario to the board Nov. 28 that would erase the final $1.5 million shortfall.
That budget would include eliminating 14 teaching positions and six support staff positions. In addition, the budget would cut technology spending by $100,000 and operations and maintenance spending by $100,000.
This would leave the district with a $8,919 surplus in the 2012-13 budget.
"Those are pretty drastic cuts," O'Toole said. "We need to look at staff cuts to balance the budget."
O'Toole said they usually plan for 5 teachers to retire each year, but this year they may get as many as 10. That would mean two thirds of those eliminated positions would be lost through attrition.
"On Feb. 1, we'll have a better idea of retirements," he said.
Cordisco told the board Nov. 28 that even if the district applies for the exceptions to raise taxes higher than the allowed rate, they would not have to follow through and do that.
"Applying for exceptions provides us with flexibility," she said.
Rebecca Stern, board vice president, said "all we're saying is we want to keep our options open."
The alternative to moving forward with the preliminary budget in December is to adopt a resolution before Jan. 10 that the board does not intend to raise taxes by more than 0.337 mills.
Board President Harry Kunselman asked what happens if the board neither proposes a preliminary budget by Jan. 5, nor adopts a resolution to not raise taxes beyond 0.337 mills by Jan. 10.
District staff said they would have to research that question and report back to the board regarding potential consequences.
District solicitor Robert Prorok told the board that if they did not proceed with the process to apply for the exceptions in any of those three areas, then they would not be able to raise taxes higher than 0.337 mills.
Normally, school boards consider preliminary and final budgets in May and June--the months leading up to the implementation of a new budget on July 1. Applying for the exceptions does not alter the June 30 deadline for final budget adoption.
The state not only places taxation limitations on school boards, but also limits the reasons for eliminating teaching positions. O'Toole said they can only be eliminated due to a reduction in enrollment, a change or elimination of programs, or attrition.
Elective areas like foreign languages, physical education and music could be eliminated or reduced in order to successfully justify a furlough, he said. For example, music education could be altered to be offered at a later grade than it is now.

http://www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/11-30-2011-USC-to-cut-jobs

Can we afford to get it wrong?

The following comes from a friend who wishes to remain anonymous.

After reviewing the minutes of the PTA's October 2011 meeting this entry caught my eye. Specifically the item highlighted in bold and blue. Following the project closely I then remembered Dan Rothschild's comments about the redesign on his blog Ledodesign.net which seems to present a different opinion. I've highlighted his comments in bold green. Shouldn't the PTA have questioned Dr. Steinhauer's assertion?
This is a huge financial undertaking for the community. Can we afford to get it wrong?
Anonymous

Mt. Lebanon City Council of PTA

General Assembly Meeting
October 5, 2011
3rd Vice President – Tim Steinhauer:  PSSA & other test results are being received by administration.  This allows for comparisons of our student achievement with other districts.  High School showing high scores for SAT & ACT.  HS Renovation project is moving ahead.  Bids will be received in November.  Most changes to the plans will not be visually noticeable with the exception of 1 floor being removed from the new building G (Science).  Interviewing for a Campus Manager at the HS.

From Lebodesign:


Clear Circulation: F
The current school has challenging circulation. One way to analyze circulation in the design is to look at classroom-to-classroom circulation patterns. This represents about three-quarters of a student’s path during the day. The initial design placed three levels of classrooms in the historic Building B and three levels of classrooms in the new Building G on the other side of campus. Travel distance between Building B and Building G is actually greater than the existing paths, a poor start to solving circulation problems. When the project was redesigned, the number of floors in Building G decreased to two levels, and the number of floors in Building B increased to four levels. Two of the floors in Building B are now totally disconnected from Building G, causing additional stair use. Simply stated, the classroom-to-classroom circulation is worse in the new design than existing conditions. This may cause the administration to add time between periods in order to allow students to get to their classes safely. 


Clear Circulation

Aesthetics: Incomplete
Architectural design should always include aesthetics as a criteria. The boldest and most interesting part of the design is the glass bridge that spans Horsman Drive and connects the athletic complex to the rest of the building. Adjacent to the bridge is the new rear entrance, which has looked very impressive in some of the renderings. Also of design interest is the large expanse of glass at the new pool that was shown in renderings. During the redesign process, it was stated that glass was replaced with metal panels in certain areas to save money. I recently requested the Board release before and after renderings of these major design areas that were changed. They have not yet done so. It is difficult to determine if these glass-to-metal changes are acceptable aesthetically, if the architects have not presented renderings that show the changes. As far as the rest of the design is concerned, the new long and low athletic building with its randomly-spaced slit windows, and the mostly repetitive façade of Building G (without the individual window sunscreens that were eliminated due to cost), it may simply be stated that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.