Cities throughout the country are establishing oversight committees to oversee funds dedicated to facilities improvements. The committee is typically commissioned by the school board to help them fulfill their monitoring and oversight roles. Committee members are usually volunteers who may or may not have professional experience related to construction management.Well, that will never happen with our school board. They are experts on everything and don't care to involve the community with their plans. The article continues with:
The management advantage – free professional consultation – is perhaps the most obvious, but can be a valuable resource to school boards lacking in construction management experience. Even when an office is experienced, having professional advice and an “extra pair of eyes” is never harmful when monitoring a school construction program.
Now, this is way out of my league, but I believe that Mt. Lebanon needs such a committee. Our community is loaded with talent. The groundbreaking ceremony is January 26, 2012. The project will be one of the largest construction projects in the area and will take up to 48 months to complete. In two years, we could have four new school board directors who will have to hit the ground running when it comes to this construction project. Mt. Lebanon needs a committee involved from Day One. Any takers? Email me at EGillen476@aol.com
14 comments:
Elaine, is the committee being commissioned by you or the school board?
It isn't being commissioned by the school board. I am trying to get the community involved. I don't know anything about construction, but I'll help any way I can. The pay will stink and we will be ignored by the school board. Just a heads up.
Elaine
I think the committee is a great idea, but if it's going to work it's going to have to come from the SB. With all due respect Elaine, if you delivered Frank Lloyd Wright himself to the SB, I think they will ignore you. The bridge has been burned beyond recognition.
Frankly, I expect the SB to ignore us, but shouldn't stop the experts from being watchdogs.
Elaine
Speaking of bridges being burned beyond recognition, from the change they agreed to in the rebid design on the Horsman Bridge and what they claim in the rebid acceptance announcement they don't recognize it either!
Hey folks, I would like to get back to accepting signed comments only for this thread.
Elaine
An independent, objective oversight committee is an admirable idea, and while it might be nice to have the MLSB's blessing it might also be counterproductive. The idea is to watch and report to the public - soliciting the participation of the Board is a little like asking the fox to watch the hen house.
I have had some questions and suggestions concerning the committee. No, you're not locked in. You can join and leave at any phase of the construction. I am hoping that experts get involved during construction in their area of expertise. It can be as simple as guest columnists submitting "white papers" to this blog or as involved as trying to communicate with the school board directors, if they listen. I believe that the board has botched this project from the beginning, but at this point, blunders will cost BIG BUCKS to the taxpayers. Maybe the board will communicate with this panel and update us. Dan Rothschild said in his final post on lebodesign.net that there were a few school board members who offered their support and encouragement. Or maybe they won't.
I still believe that we need to get involved whether the school board likes it or not. We need to blow the cover off of this project. BTW, are we getting bike racks? Do we know about the "glass" bridge? Who knows? This committee could help to prevent a surge of Right To Know requests - another hidden cost to this renovation.
Elaine
Good idea. Almost as good as having an Owner's Representative on your payroll which was a suggestion of the CAC and numerous past Board members.
A lot of good those ideas had, huh?
The Board is full of proud egos that won't admit when they screw up. They collectively think they can handle this renovation despite the numerous missteps that have already been made at a cost of 10's of millions of dollars.
Yes, I let that one squeek in as an anonymous comment. Since this is read by SB directors and administrators, I would like to see a name connected to any negative comments submitted on this thread. Call me paranoid, but I envision certain board members writing in saying it is a bad idea.
Elaine
What do you mean by "blow the roof off this project?" wouldn't the purpose of the committee to be more constructive rather than destructive? You can have the best idea in the world but if it's presented in an antagonistic manner even the most level headed SB members will be less likely to listen.
Dave Franklin
Cover, Dave, not roof. "Blow the cover off" is an idiom which means to let people know secret information about who someone is or what someone is doing. *Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed.
Elaine
SOME ANON ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS
Anonymous said...
Good idea. Almost as good as having an Owner's Representative on your payroll which was a suggestion of the CAC and numerous past Board members.
A lot of good those ideas had, huh?
The Board is full of proud egos that won't admit when they screw up. They collectively think they can handle this renovation despite the numerous missteps that have already been made at a cost of 10's of millions of dollars.
January 2, 2012 1:23 PM
On my blog...yes.
See? I even published yours to make the point.
Elaine
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