Other residents disagreed, including Elaine Gillen of Vallevista Avenue. She questioned the priorities of spending money on athletic fields vs. addressing safety issues, such as helping to mitigate some of the problems that contributed to widespread flooding on July 10.
In The Almanac's Eric Seiverling story, Mt. Lebanon addresses flooding issues (saved in Google Docs) Mt. Lebanon Municipal Engineer Dan Deiseroth was quoted as saying:
“In my tenure here, this is the fourth event of this magnitude,” Deiseroth told commissioners. “It’s happening more frequently.”Four Mt. Lebanon cars were totaled due to the flooding. Carole Gilbert Brown reported in her PG article, Flooded residents in Scott seeking township help that Scott Township had five cars ruined. She also reported:
Another Ryan Drive resident, Joe Woznicki, said stormwater runoff from the nearby Carriage Park Apartments has caused his property to sink 4 to 6 inches in 18 months. Seven other homes on the street are affected by erosion at the base of the hill from the complex's drain pipes that can't handle the heavier flows, he said.But who got the commissioners' attention on Monday night? A mom of a five year old needing field space to play lacrosse and the sports cabal.
These homes, as well as Beth El Synagogue and the Twin Hills Park, which is owned by Mt. Lebanon but is in Scott, are "losing more and more of ground surface," Mr. Woznicki said.
"I look at the fields in our community as I would any other item of infrastructure," said David Franklin of Pinetree Road, a member of the Mt. Lebanon Sports Advisory Board. "At some point, we need to update them."
Coolidge Avenue resident Chris Sloan called Mt. Lebanon's field conditions substandard compared with some other municipalities and advocated the installation of artificial turf.So there it is in black and white. What is most important infrastructure to Dave Brumfield, John Bendel, and Kristen Linfante? Fields. They would like to take $700,000 and put it toward turfing a field, and a school district field no less. Who cares about the people who had flooding? Certainly not those three.
"It attracts people," he said. "It's an asset of our community. It could be on our 'pro' list when we do pros and cons."
Update July 26, 2013 4:53 PM I have started a new list on this blog, right above the change order list. I will post more streets as they come in here. You don't have to sign your name. Just submit the name of the street where residents experienced flooding.
16 comments:
Amen!
One wants to turf fields while ignoring their primary responsibilities as commissioners.
The other raises parking fees on students due to a severe budget crunch only to turn around and hand that money over in bonuses to administrators.
I'd like to say that this is all Democrats but really it is five out of the 12 that are Rs. Two of those Rs (Goldman and Kluck) actually stand up for what is right. The other three never cast any doubt on anything the administrators or majority want to do.
Dan feigns anger over change orders. Ed talks and you really have no idea if even he knows what he is talking about. Dale knows the school district is financially screwed but doesn't have the votes to change anything so he moves right along without rocking the boat.
To affect change, we almost need a powerful public relations campaign that educates voters about the mountain of poor financial decisions these people are making.
And then on that back of that, we would need a strong slate of candidates over two election cycles to get in power and make changes.
Using the examples above, just a week after Castle Shannon floods and residents are forced to clean up, our commission discusses using their unassigned fund balance to put fake grass on a field.
Our school district, one month removed from difficult decisions on budgets, decides that the administrators need bonuses.
It has gone beyond uncomfortable. These people are flipping nuts!
I dare say, we do know if Ed knows what he is talking about. Just listen to him. The Environmental Sustainability Board should right him a ticket for excessive idling and wasting good air.
Ed is on the Turf Board, the ones who would like to turf fields, far more important than kids walking on sidewalks or the municipality being proactive with dealing with flood waters.
Elaine
Elaine,
I'm curious about the backflow valve that you said "Mt. Lebanon installed" on your property.
My understanding is that the homeowner is responsible for the drain up to the tap in point on main sewer line. Wouldn't this be the homeowner's expense?
Nope. I didn't even ask for it. I believe mine was the first that was installed. Gateway Engineers came up with the solution. The valve is now Mt. Lebanon's property. I paid for the pipe to be lined, since it was cracked. It wasn't totally free.
Elaine
I seem to remember that it cost me several thousands of dollars. It happened in 2005, the worst year in my life. Details are hazy. Sorry.
Elaine
I have asked about a back flow valve several times after my basement was flooded. The municipality has always told me that it is the homeowner's responsibility to pay for this.
Unfortunately, I don't think any of these funds are available to homeowners for this purpose.
Dan Miller also had a backflow valve installed at his former residence which he indicated solved his problem
11:39 AM, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe things changed after the Daves have decided that turf is more important.
Elaine
I have started a new list on this blog, right above the change order list. I will post more streets as they come in here. You don't have to sign your name. Just submit the name of the street where residents experienced flooding.
Much like Kristen is plotting deer "incidents," I will try to do the same with flooding issues.
Elaine.
"Just submit the name of the street where residents experienced flooding."
Robb Hollow Road
"Just submit the name of the street where residents experienced flooding."
Sleepy Hollow Road
Cedar Blvd.
"Just submit the name of the street where residents experienced flooding."
Woodland...there was construction done on the street and when the work was done there were dump trucks that put down rocks into the holes left after the digging was done along both sides of the street. Two times it rained very very hard and the rocks (both times) washed away into the sewers that were in the rocks path. It's a mess on Woodland between Wainwright and MacArther.
Chris Sloan, I never met anyone that said "you know, I'd moved to Mt. Lebanon if only they had turf!"
You wouldn't want to offer up how you arrived at your conclusion-- "Chris Sloan called Mt. Lebanon's field conditions substandard compared with some other municipalities and advocated the installation of artificial turf.
"It attracts people," he said."
Any realtors want to chime in?
Do you rrally have prospective buyers come into your offices that say, "we want to look at houses only in municipalties that have turfed fields"?
Has anyone figured out how other school districts have fields to rent to Mount Lebanon but Mount Lebanon never has fields to rent to others?
Does anyone think our kids are over programed? Especially those who are on other district fields until midnight on a school day. Some parents have very poor judgement.
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