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.
Update September 6, 2012 6:22 PM An identical RTK was filed April 13, 2012 and was granted five business days later. Construction meeting minutes RTK 041312 What has changed? Could it have something to do with the rumors circulating?
42 comments:
So much for transparency.
What could be in the construction meeting minutes that taxpayers wouldn't be cleared to read?
Payoffs? Unsafe conditions? Substitution of unspecified materials? Code violations?
The only reason for not turning over theminutes immediately is to scrub discussion and materials they don't want stakeholders to see!
Need more time? To what- press print?!?!
How in the world do we pay so much money for our school administration- and have such a talent pool of citizens to elect to school board- to be left with this absurdity.
1:54 see 5:42's comment under "what's his sentence" for the answer.
Let's see if I've got this straight. If the school board does not give out information, they are condemned for a lack of transparency, but if they offer to have informal coffee meetings, where a resident can ask questions directly to the school board director, they are creating a PR stunt. Is this right?
36I honestly cannot see what your issue is here. I would expect that each RTK request must be reviewed by counsel to make sure the material to be released is both responsive and not privledged. This takes time and money. I would also add that one might consider this cost before making numerous RTK requests.
So, the rumor you started and then tried to substantiate on this blog was false.
Perhaps we should get Eastwood to come in an do an empty chair routine about Posti.
Yes I thought his speech was pertinent and on topic!
You see I too believe "we" own this country and the politicians/public sector employees work for us, not the other way around.
And we have a perfect example of the opposit mindset right here in our own backyard.
President Posti makes a big PR stunt... "heard any good rumors? Have any questions or concerns?"
The inference being, we'll be upfront, transparent and I guess, be honest.
But what happens when someone files a RTK for the construction meeting minutes? Do they get an instantaneous print out of the minutes. No, they get a letter informing them that it might take 30 days.
What is some monk cloistered somewhere with pen and parchment illuminating the minutes?
Hey Jo, laser printers that print 20+ pages/minute have been in use for decades now. It's time to move into the 21st century and learn how to use one.
Furthermore JoJo, Right To Know (RTK) isn't a question - as in - Do we have a right to know.
It means in the Sunshine Laws - We have a right to know... It's our district!
We elected you bot to cover Tom Celli's or PHDick's ass, you there to watch over our interest.
Privileged info 4:15? What, PJDick is telling our beloved board some proprietary secrets on how they pour cement!
These people work for 'us' under contract to build 'our' high school. They're not constructing ICBM middle silos for national defense. They building a high school. Knock off the nonsense.
3:42 so an informal coffee is the same thing as Obtsining official minutes minutes.
Are you out of your ________ mind!
3:42 I did a quick review of Pennsylvania's Sunshine Law and I didn't find one mention of or recommendation that informal coffees were proper methods to acquire information from school boards.
Didn't see any prohibitions against them, but then there's nothing that suggest using them either. They do recommend RTKs though.
3:42...yes, that is correct.
The walls of secrecy are crumbling. I can see some sunshine through the cracks.
4:15 here's another tough question for you. You wrote: "I would expect that each RTK request must be reviewed by counsel to make sure the material to be released is both responsive and not privledged. This takes time and money. "
How do you review a request for minutes to make sure the material is responsive? Minutes are minutes. They are suppose to be an accurate accountant of the meeting and what was said.
Now the recording secretary can be a complete putz and take lousy minutes, or create no minutes, but. that would be a reflection on their abilities not the meeting.
What's Peterson gong to do, review who attended the meeting? What was said?
If he wasn't there how is he going to do that?
I'm betting the proprietary info discussed was PJDicks brand preference for waterless hand cleaner.
Now we'll never know if they use Goop or GoJo!
Yeah 4:24 we should get Eastwood, why don't you work on that?
Try to get a few others as well, since they are all so interested in the school board.....
Please check out the update to this thread. An identical RTK request was granted seven days later back in April. What has changed?
Elaine
Correction: Five business days later.
Elaine
Interesting - no legal review required in April. What has changed? They had nothing to hide in April.
6:19 so are you saying "we" don't own the school district?
That's all you got? That's your big contribution to the discussion here?
I don't care if Eastwood's concerned about our school district or not. I was applauding his comment that the government and public employees work for us, not the other way around. But apparently that is to complex for you to comprehend.
No, you go ahead and let the school board spend $23,000 of our tax dollars (plus $20,000 in donations) trying to find suckers willing to pay off their taj mahal.
I have about a good a chance getting Eastwood here as PK does rounding up $30 million in donations.
You are a fool.
6:43 PM, I just noticed this. The SB spent $23,000 of our tax dollars but is getting $23,000 from YSA. Funny how that worked out.
Elaine
Oops, I meant 6:44 PM. Sorry about that.
Elaine
6:44 writes " But apparently that is to complex for you to comprehend
Well maybe, but this loser doesn't know the difference between too and to.
He also doesn't understand that the SB are members are not paid. They work for their constituents who are mostly happy with their decision making, that is why they were elected. Your candidates didn't win, they won't.
Who is the fool? Look in your mirror.
9:03 you cut me to the quick with that one.
Hey smarty I'm smart enough to know you don't follow a quotation mark with a space and can remember to use close quotes. LOL
People that live in glass houses - eh!
You know something 9:03 we agree on something. You wrote: "they work for their constituents who are mostly happy with their decision making."
Tell me-- are those mostly happy constituents the BOSN people that lobbied for a $150 million high school project or the YSA folks that just got their maintenance fees cut?
I am one constituent who regrets voting for Birks and Posti. I'll never make that mistake again. God, I voted for Remely too. I am ashamed of my voting record. 9:03, there are more out there than just me. We all made a big mistake.
9:26 I regret my vote for Posti " too."
Just think, Posti only stayed on the board by just 37 votes in the election against Silhol, two of which we now know are regretted.
True confession time. I voted for her "too." And I regret it everytime I read this Blog.
There are three voters who regret voting for Posti. I am sure there are many more. 9:03, I could start another poll, if you want me to go there.
Elaine
I don't think Silhol lost to Posti because voters preferred her over him.
I think Silhol, as the sitting board president, took the brunt of the anger over the direction the high school project was taking and some republican anger over his break with Mark Hart.
Did you guys hear O'Bama? That speech was awful. Pitiful really,...
Josephine and O'Bama have one thing in common- they are both a big hollow bag!
Elaine, Next thread please.
Remely and Kubit stuck a knife in Mark Hart's back too.
Of the three Silhol was the more loyal to Mark.
Kubit stuck a knif in other backs too. It's shamefull, really.
11:26 you're right, it was awful? But then so was the whole democratic convention.
They trot out Ted Kennedy, that " lover" of women that played a role in the death of one... Mary Jo Kopecnie (sp ?) and only got off because of the Kennedy name and money.
Then to add insult to injury their big name speaker, Lover Boy, the impeached president, the guy that debates what the meaning of is - is, comes to the podium.
Oh yep, another "gentleman" with a profound respect for women. So much so he worked one into a frenzy with a cigar in the Oval Office.
Yep, this is the party that stands for the little guy. Kennedy, Soros, multi-millionaire actors, Oprah, Jane Fonda.
Sorry to go off topic, Elaine.
Kubit got enough votes to stay in office. I sure hope the voters wake up when Posti and Birks run again.
I sent an email to another one who was re-elected, Larry Lebowitz. In all the excitement, the Sept. 4 policy committee meeting audio has not been posted on the district website. I hope I don't have to file a RTK and wait 30 days for an answer.
Could an attorney translate the reason for the latest RTK delay for me?
Elaine
Just to be clear, the RTK response is asking for more than five business days to provide the construction meeting minutes, correct? Wouldn't they all be one place? Wouldn't they be gathered in preparation for Monday's construction update? Doesn't this raise a red flag to anyone?
Elaine
So, the rumor you started and then tried to substantiate on this blog was false.
How interesting that there was no response...
Sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't start any rumors.
Elaine
Worried, Josie?
The "rumor" was on the streets more than 3 weeks ago because that's when I first heard it.
The school board will be held responsible for whatever happens with this building project.
And no, I am not Elaine.
Your blog started the rumor and you continued to support it despite not having any factual information to support it.
I'm happy to repost your comments, given your selective memory loss.
Or did you forget your, "It's not about me" comment?
10:33 AM, my you are cranky this morning. There are some folks who are trying to uncover the truth in order to dispel any rumors, but the District isn't making it easy. I guess time will tell.
Elaine
10:33 what "facts" disprove the rumor?
They bought $82,000 worth of geofoam that wasn't in the original plan. They won't release the minutes of the construction meeting. So what facts dispel the rumor. Posti's blog comment?
She also said the project was on budget, but Ed Kubit and board pals assured us the project would most likely come in under $95 million not so long ago. Big Builder Dan performed a wonderful dog & pony show about how it was going to be around $105 million.
It's easy to be on target when you keep moving the target into the trajectory of the bullet.
Someone should do a RTK about if district administrators actually went to work every day during the summer. I have often wondered this because have you ever tried to reach someone in the district offices during the summer. We all know not to call on Fridays because it is a day off slipped in under the guise that it saves money. Do administrators clock in using a time clock or are they on the honor system about being at work on time or being there at all?
To 925 and 1033 (I assume the same person)--gee, if there is a "rumor" floating around, it would be easy for the school board to dispel if they would simply be open and transparent. But in the absence of integrity and honesty, and the void of information that goes along with it, residents are forced to hypothesize. Were the geofoam qustion an isolated incident, I'd be inclined to criticize giving it ant attention. But it's just one more example of the mismanagement of our school district that is, as usual, shrouded in secrecy. So save your sanctimony and focus instead on the disease, not the symptom.
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