The Recreation Bond will not be used for Robb Hollow. It will not be used for the golf course. It will not be used for Public Works. It is going toward the Pool. The entire bond and then some. We've been duped.
I should have seen this coming. Here are the minutes of a November 6, 2012 Park Advisory Board meeting. Notice who attended the meeting. That was the first clue.
IV. Recreation Bond UpdateDonnellan reported that an Ordinance for a bond issue not to exceed $4.8 million was introduced on October 22. He stated the bond was to include $3.3 million for swimming pool improvements, $750,000 for Robb Hollow improvements and $500,000 for golf courseimprovements. He said a public hearing would be held on November 13, and a vote on the Ordinance was scheduled for November 26. (Editor’s note: The Ordinance was enacted immediately following the public hearing on November 13).Kelly Fraasch announced that there was a meeting scheduled for November 11 at 1:00 p.m. to walk Robb Hollow Park and discuss possible improvements. Members of the Nature Conservancy, Parks Advisory Board, Environmental Sustainability Board, and the Friends of Robb Hollow Park were invited.John Vogel distributed a copy of an email from Ms. Fraasch detailing plans for the meeting. Vogel requested that Donnellan forward the meeting invitation on to board members who were absent.A discussion of the planned improvements followed. There was concern among the group that the Parks Advisory Board had not had sufficient input into the planned projects and that they did not reflect the recent prioritization of projects from the board.Fraasch reported that the Commission was discussing a committee to review athletic fields.The Parks Advisory Board recommended that the bond issue funding for improvements to the golf course and Robb Hollow Park needs further consideration.Fraasch presented her latest proposal for Robb Hollow Park. The plan included opening access to the upper and lower areas of the park, moving the leaf operation, grassing areas for additional greenspace; as well as providing opportunities for future development of a play area, outdoor classroom, dog park and pavilion.
Look at page 55 of the new Capital Improvement Program 2014-2018. (Allow for extra time for the large document to open.) More discussion for turfing and lighting Middle and Wildcat Fields with a $200,000 non-municipal contribution, either from the YSA, advertising or grants. Yeah, right.
No dog park, outdoor classroom, play area or improvements to Public Works space. No hopes of developing Robb Hollow, which would have released us from McNeilly. Even Moody's said the $4.5 million bond was to be used for renovation of recreational facilities. We've been duped.
Update August 15, 2013 2:20 PM $3.95 million in recreation upgrades get Mt. Lebanon commission's OK
38 comments:
Thank you, Elaine, for putting up the Mtl bond story, the Agenda with all the money going to the bottom of the swimming pool, and the Capital Improvement Program for 2014-2018. That was a lot of hard work on your part and we appreciate your efforts.
Ms. Morgans article sure did expose the bait and switch the Commission and the Municipal Managers pulled on Mt. Lebanon between the announcement of the intended use of bond proceeds and the actual use of the bond proceeds. It leaves me with the following questions,
How do we know the Capital Improvement Program will be implemented in any way resembling the presentation you wrote, Mr. Feller?
If Mr. Feller can't control the Commission and his Manager(s) for 1 year, how can we expect him to control them for 5 years?
Do we really have Municipal Management in Mt. Lebanon, or does each Manager just do his own thing and we hope some of the Capital Improvement Program is implemented?
That also brings up the question of the school board raising an extra $6,000,000 for undisclosed purposes. How responsibly will the $6,000,000 be spent, Dr. Steinhauer?
I think the school board and the commissioners both have some serious explaining to do before the community concludes you are both just a couple of careless spendthrifts.
Seriously, Steve, a climbing wall, a zero entry, and a heater at the pool, while houses flood, streets rot, and sidewalks are unsafe? I just can’t wait to see the bait and switch the school pulls when it raises $6,000,000.
Elaine: I believe you have the Parks meeting in your repertoire of recordings. I maintain that they were not particularly civil at that meeting.
Oh yeah, I forgot about that. It is available here. That is the one where a particular individual, who shall remain nameless, was yelling and swearing.
In the minutes of that meeting, David Donnellan stated that $3.3 million was to go toward the pool, $750,000 was earmarked for Robb Hollow improvements, and $500,000 for the golf course improvements. Why David Donnellan didn't keep it under $3.3 million, is beyond me. I did say in an earlier post that the pool was his baby.
Elaine
So Donnellan was the unruly manager Mr. Feller could not control.
Feller is a like a "bump on a log", neither a manager of the municipality nor a leader. He does not even really manage his staff, and seems either incapable or unwilling to do so. He survives because the majority of the dysfunctional Commission give him "meets expectations" performance reviews.
Just read the PG story. Maybe someone can explain why Fraasch voted in favor of it?
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/395-million-in-recreation-upgrades-get-mt-lebanon-commissions-ok-699442/
I think we should just close the damn pool once and for all. It would be a wake-up call for everyone.
I can't believe people will vote for these commissioners. It is just unbelievable the things they do and get away with. But my voice is lost, since I live in 'Lost' Mt. Lebanon where the police don't even patrol. I see Castle Shannon police more than Mt. Lebo.
Add-alternates are to be considered only if construction bids come in under a base budget.
The base construction bids came in at $3,448,000 versus a construction cost base budget of only $2,968,000, or $480,000 over budget and the idiotic Commission approved an additional $506,000 in add-alternate wished for but not needed expensive goodies. The total excess amounts to $986,000 over budget!
This is absolutely fiscally irresponsible, particularly since it eliminates a number of additional planned recreational and public works projects for which the bond funds had also been approved and designated.
What is even more troubling is that the Aqua Club and other swim groups were not required to contribute any capital dollars. Add to this the fact that the annual debt service cost for this boondoggle will be about $300,000 per year which will be totally born by taxpayers and not a penny of it will be covered in permit or daily fee revenues.
why would the commission make a rational employment decision about Mr. Feller? that would be wholly out of their character and our experience, would it not? would you hire and investment firm to advise your children's trust who behaved the way our municipal officers do?
The pool project was designed and bid as a multiple prime rather than a single prime contractor contract. In other words, just like the high school fiasco which is running late and with many change orders. In a single prime arrangement, the general contractor hires, schedules and manages various subcontactors.
In this multiple prime pool project there will be five (5) independent general contractors doing the work, and no one has been named or assigned to manage the independent contractors. Nor have such costs likely been included. Who will be assigned in a professional construction or project management capacity to manage the project and the contractors ? Certainly not the architect.
Multiple prime projects are known for low overall bids, but are notorious for change order cost add-ons and late completion dates because the contractors are independent and usually do not coordinate equipment, materials and work schedules well.
This project has a drop-dead completion deadline of May 15, 2014. Any bets ? Ohhh, and by the way, the projects soft-cost budget does not appear to include normal 8%-10% contingency funding for any added change order costs like or conventional projects include. LOL
12:07 PM, I wondered that too. I did hear someone, was it Brumfield or Bendel? that talked about a penalty clause against the Municipality. What the heck is THAT all about???
Elaine
What was the penalty when the 2011 rec bond failed?
http://valuemtlebanon.com/content/recreation-our-communitythe-failed-rec-bond
Also, if the rec bond failed, why did the manager Steve Feller and commission president Dave Brumfield sign the resolution?
http://mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/4106
What happened to the website for residents to donate online to capital projects?
233 PM, the penalty was not about the rec bond failing. It had to do with pool construction.
Elaine
Are you sure, Elaine?
When the rec bond failed in April 2005, the municipality took an approx. $40,000 hit due to the upfront costs of underwriting the bond.
What were the upfront costs of this bond befor the vote on Tuesday August 13, 2013?
What were the construction costs for the pool to-date? How much were the architect fees for the drawings?
4:28 PM, if you could look into those questions and let us know those costs, I would appreciate it.
Elaine
I spoke at Monday's meeting during Citizen Comments, but streamlined my comments due to time constraints. I wanted to speak about the golf course.
The golf course is 106 years old. Dale Colby was quoted in the PG article at the time of the golf course's 100 year celebration, "Public golf courses have really been on the rise, particularly those that keep developing them and keep them up to snuff," Colby continued to say, "With the cost of gasoline these days and people struggling to find time to play, it doesn't pay in many respects to drive great distances to the golf course anymore."
Mt. Lebanon golf course has a rich history. The Mellons rode the trolley to the end of the Castle Shannon line and were transported by horse-drawn carriage to the golf course. And now the Commissioners won't even spend $38,500 to replace a 1999 tractor.
I am not a golfer. Between the comments made at the November Parks Advisory Board and Kristen Linfante's wish at the latest budget retreat to make cuts at the golf course, it is tragic to watch the golf course die a slow death.
Elaine
I say develop the golf course, build houses that will contribute to the tax base. Who uses the gold course? Old men!
12:50 - let your heart be troubled. 'What is even more troubling is that the Aqua Club and other swim groups were not required to contribute any capital dollars.' Get the facts. Other than perhaps hockey, the Aqua Club pays more per participant to both the Municipality and school district than any other sports. Your logic would also say that golf leagues should be required to help buy the tractor. That is what fees should be earmarked for. As for the pool, a number of knowledgeable people offered a number of alternatives several years back to line the pool for less than $300K and extend the life by 20 years. These suggestions much like those offered to the school district were ignored. There are some basic things that should be done to the pool and locker rooms but the alternates like the climbing wall are over the top (no pun intended).
Notice 6:20 won't sign his name. Is he one of the cheapskates our town attracts?
Kevin Hardy
6:43 PM, golf, hockey, public skating, tennis, and paddle tennis players all pay hefty municipal usage fees, like swimming. Field sports pay no usage fees for municipal athletic fields. I'm talking about capital contributions towards municipal projects that renew, improve and/or increase the size or capacity of recreation facilities.
Talk about putting money down the drain---there is something wrong when such an absurd amount of cash goes into a swimming pool.
Meanwhile, the golf course has been used for decades by residents of all ages for a wide range of activities year round. No family should miss the great sled riding there.
Since officials have already blown $1 million with their questionable Twin Hills Park purchase, I suggest you improve that mess (if it's even possible) and leave the golf course alone.
Keep in mind that every loss of undeveloped land brings us one step closer to citification. Is that what residents want?
Lucy G.
The swimming pool has been used for decades by residents of all ages. The gold course, I don't think so. Go over there tomorrow afternoon, see if you see anyone under 55.
9:12--baloney. The golf course is used by people of all ages. Why lie? And I notice you didnt sign your name. If you're certain your argument is accurate, own it.
I can't speak to the pool since I havent been there in 20 years. I'd much rather be playing a round of golf. The course needs some attention. We don't have to recreate Augusta or Pebble Beach but it would be nice to have something at least comparable to Rolling Hills.
7:36 - From a competitive swimming perspective these improvements do nothing other than extend the time that the pool is usable and fix up the locker rooms that really are a health hazard. No more lanes, no added capacity. When all of the other sports you name begin to make capital contributions, then it may be a logical argument. Until then, pure fantasy.
9:12 PM, where do the high school golf teams play? My son had gone to a summer golf clinic when he was younger.
But let's assume what you say is true. It's not, but let's assume. So what if there is no one under 55 there. SO WHAT? Is everything in Lebo for kids under 18? They grow up hating this place and don't even want to live here. I know that from experience. Out of the six kids who lived here, NONE of them chose Lebo when it was time to leave the nest. They live in neighboring communities and are very happy there. So what is your point?
Elaine
9:41 PM, Indoor tennis for Mt. Lebanon has contributed over $1.2 million to the Tennis Center over the past 45 years. What has swimming, or any other sport, contributed to any capital recreationnal improvements over that period of time for the benefit of all ?
You apparently have no idea what is really programmed for the pool, like heaters for instance to increase the season for competitive swimmers at an operating cost that will very likely not be covered by your fee structure.
Harry got it wrong cause he left the meeting before the public comments and motion discussion. The official final motion was for a $4.285 million project cost to be paid with (almost the entire) bond proceeds (to the exclusion of all other approved projects).
The $4,285,000 is $986,000 over the project budget costs, for Pete's sake Harry ! I know the meetings are long, but get your facts straight before you put pen to ink in a publication that ends up with erroneous information forever.
Just wait until those pool heating bills start coming in. It will be a real whopper! It's hard to believe anyone would support such a wasteful expenditure, it's like watching dollar bills evaporate.
This commission is so out of whack it's unbelievable. As long as the sucker taxpayers keep sitting on their laurels it's going to keep on.
Wake up people! You are being taken to the cleaners!
From the PG article,
""The purpose of that bond and the driving force behind it was the pool," Commissioner David Brumfield said."
Brumfield lied to the community for a year. The Agenda proves it.
And the MLRC can't recruit a commission candidate to replace a liar.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/395-million-in-recreation-upgrades-get-mt-lebanon-commissions-ok-699442/#ixzz2c6ATJuvu
question for those of you who think that only "old men" use the golf course: are you against seniors? why should there not be activities aimed to our largest population base? your argument is as unreasonable as it is mean spirited.... shame on you
The golf course is used by a wide range of ages, and by both men and women. They have weekly Junior Golf program that attracts players from neighboring communities as well. There are Senior leagues of course, but there is also a Women's league. The HS golf teams, boys and girls, use the course as their home course. My street backs up to the golf course and there are always children, middle school and younger, walking to the course to play. So, 6:20, perhaps the times you have been to the course you have only seen "old men" , clearly you do not have an complete picture of who is utilizing the course the during the other times. And as someone else pointed out, old men (and women) have just as much right to have recreational facilities available to them as anyone else! By the way, have you ever been to the tennis center on Saturday morning? It is full of even older men and women. The facilities are not just for the kids!!
The money the municipality spent on Matt Kluck's lawsuit could have been spent on a tractor.
12:41 PM, is that what this is about? Matt Kluck has brought quite a bit of money to the municipality through the golf course. "As part of the settlement agreement, Kluck, an instructor certified by the Professional Golfers' Association of America, will resign his position with the township and will have to pay to use the golf course in future."
That was in 2006. The tractor was scheduled to be replaced in 2013.
If this is about Matt's case, seems to me he has grounds for another one. Just sayin'.
Elaine
12:41, The money the District will spend on the teacher grievance should have been spent on the eight-lane swimming pool. Think how much we are borrowing to satisfy teachers who were happy to accept the job and now want to be overpaid by an additional $2,000,000.
Remember when Dormont pool was going to be closed permanently? The community raised funds through donations:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/residents-rally-to-save-dormont-pool-one-dollar-at-a-time-429412/
http://friendsofdormontpool.org/
They did such a good job that Mt Lebanon counted on Dormont's pool this year during the unfortunate power event.
I guess that would be out of the question in Mt Lebanon unless we could grant some fundraiser a cushy job or spend some lavish amount of money on "researching" whether or not it could even be done. I'm glad we "think" ourselves out of good ideas. It's good to be reminded that in Mt Lebanon, unless the government is going to do it for us, it's not going to get done.
So, what's next year's bond going to look like? It's not like we have to pay them back.
Dale Colby told the Men's Golf Association the Commission thought Matt's compensation was too high. I guess he wanted to buy another athletic field. Hey, We could afford to upgrade Brafferton if we cut the PIO. Then all those pesky stories about what the bond issue was supposed to be used for would not be floating around to embarrass the commissioners from Ward 3, 4, and 5.
Notice how the author refers to Moody's Aa1 bond rating and boasts the sound financial stewardship of Mt Lebanon.
What did Moody's say about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae until about a week before the end of world came for them?
Can we trust what we are told by the ratings services or MtL - the community mouthpiece, edited by our PIO, Megaphone Morgans?
Were not Moody's, Fitch and/or S&P exposed a few months ago for bond rating-fixing, or doing a *wink-wink* on a rating ? You cannot trust anyone in the financial industry anymore, public or private !
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