The five year capital projects list contained something buried on the 23rd page of that pdf document.
No. 48 Install turf on upper practice field HS 8 Yrs. 2016 $1,000,000
The upper practice field is also known as The Rock Pile. During the high school renovation, that practice field has not been available. According to the capital projects list, there is a plan to turf that area in 2016 for $1,000,000, and to be replaced on an eight year cycle.
I was hoping to see something about this in the RTK that is due this Friday. Why wasn't this brought up at a Sports Advisory Board meeting? The high school athletic director should have known this was coming. Ed Kubit, the school board representative should have known that this was coming. Certainly, Dave Franklin should have known that this was coming. Yet, the commission is spending $750,000+ in our over tax dollars for the "new crown jewel." The SAB's portion is to be $250,000 or 25%, whichever is less. According to President Linfante, there were no other options.
At the same time, Mt. Lebanon School District is in the middle of a capital fundraising campaign. The $1,000,000 toxic turf will come out of capital projects fund. Has MTLSD hired someone to fundraise for turf? It sure looks that way to me.
22 comments:
The funds for turf are coming out of taxes just like the operating and maintenance costs of installing $4,500,000 of air conditioning in nine buildings.
12:06 AM, from the MTLSD website:
"Ms. DeLuca will work with the Superintendent, MLFE Board Chair and campaign leadership to raise $6 million in capital and endowment funds."
Elaine
As I understand it about $800,000 of that $6 million will be paid to PK.
Plus doesn't DeLuca's employment cost around $100,000/year in salary, employer tax contributions and benefits
What's amazing is that the very people who tell us that we need these schools to provide an economic opportunity for the children are the same people who are spending the next several generations money today!
Why bother with any of it? They already spent their kids future!
There would be some hope if it was spent on science, engineering or math related studies; but nope, the money went into the ground - literally!
Our governor, our state senator and representative as they are battling back and forth over how much money they should put into public education should remember what our district is doing with its money.
These people crying over they're not getting enough, that they can't educate kids on their state allowance are planning now to spend $1,000,000 on environmentally unsafe grass.
If the district has enough money to buy vomitoriums, turf, trophy cases, cell phone transmitters, pass out bonuses— they're not hurting.
So the turf at the Rock Pile will cost a million dollars. That's the same amount as the estimate to turf Wildcat/Middle. The Rock Pile has no drainage issues and is half the size of Middle/Wildcat.
As mentioned in the school board discussion last night, these are estimates. When the project comes up, there will be an RFP. 8:56 AM, the $1 million estimate to turf Wildcat/Middle is as you pointed out, an estimate. There is no way that the cost to turf Middle and Wildcat will come in at $1 million. Perhaps the Rock Pile estimate is more realistic!
Elaine
The pool will have to replace an estimated 700,000 gallons of water annually on top of the new maintenance expenses for air conditioning, turf replacement, and cell phone antennas. Oh My! Is the extra water bill in the budget?
Interesting conversation between Mr. Matthews and the board on Capital Projects and all-in high school renovation costs.
Cappucci and Steinhauer argue that Capital Projects are OK, because they are items that wear out and need to be replaced from time to time. Like stage curtains, whether we were renovating the auditorium or not those curtains would wear out and need to be replaced.
So here's a suggestion.
Lets let the kids eat on those cafeteria tables one would expect to be in a new 21st century school cafeteria, then when those or I guess the floor wears out, we'll buy new ones in 8-10 years as a capital project.
Same with the auditorium sound system. Lets get by with the sound system design in the renovation, then when it or the kids voices give out, we buy a new 21st century sound system. ;-) ;-)
Who builds a cafeteria without tables? Who builds an auditorium without a sound system.
They didn't build gyms without basketball hoops, scoreboard, lights or sound system did they?!!
All those things, break, burn-out, wear-out don't they.
Somehow they managed to plan those into the renovation, didn't they?!
10:12 PAWC will grant us the 700,000 gallons, we have connections and besides its a tax write-off due to the Capital Campaign. Insert sarcastic laugh here.
I thought the whole renovation was needed because the building was simply too worn-out to continue to offer a 21st century education.
The whole thing should've been a capital improvement right?
The boilers were worn out, the electrical system was obsolete, windows were old and leaky and on and on.
Is this a SAB proposal that has been kept under wraps until the Middle/Wildcat fields boondoggle was contrived and approved. Or was it a totally behind the scenes, stealth effort by a select few by the names of Dave, Dave, Dave, John boy & Grogan ?
I am hoping to get an answer to your question, 1:31 PM, if my RTK is granted. I believe the whole artificial turf issue is a totally behind the scenes, stealth effort by three Daves, two Johns, one Kristen and a partridge in a pear tree.
Elaine
Should Elaine and her better half be included in that list?
2:45 PM, if you heard Elaine give her ESB report last night, she made it a point to say that this was her first ESB report. The prior ESB liaison was, I believe, Scott Goldman. However, Elaine Cappucci would be responsible for not having the capital projects list available on the agenda. Fortunately, we were able to see the capital project list or else we would have not known that turfing the Rock Pile was on their radar.
Elaine
Wow. Wonder how many people, currently serving and recently out of office, were privy to this sleaze. I'd have to assume at least three commissioners. And, of course, some school board directors including Posti. Can't wait to see your RTK, Elaine. Surely it will show communications regarding at least the Wildcat turf portion of this disgusting affair. I mean, if it doesn't, then a certain someone named Dave might be in trouble.
I haven't been following Mt Lebo school board and muni for very long. So, I am really wondering: are backdoor turf deals amounting to many millions sort of par for the course in Mt Lebanon or is this a new trend due to the members of our board/commission/SAB? Is the current functioning of Mt Lebanon worse than usual or typical?
Oh boy. Where do I begin? We can thank Dave Brumfield for making it front and center on the commission.
On the school board side, we went through this turf crap back in 2010.
I cannot speak for anything prior to 2010 because I couldn't name any commissioners or school board directors. I didn't know anything about local government, other than when I was involved with deer cullings in 2006-08.
I don't think it has ever been this bad. I wasn't at Monday's commission meeting, but people have told me that they heard Kristen yelling during executive session. Things have really gone downhill since Linfante has been on the commission.
Elaine
The air conditioning installation in nine buildings (eight buildings if Tim closes one) will turn out to be a colossal maintenance mess.
The extra maintenance will cause program elimination at the high school and possibly the elementary schools and the board has no idea why.
"Lifelong health habits matter more than expensive, elite sporting competitions with rival schools. One priority has real and lasting benefits; the other is a fantasy" - Amanda Ripley's summary of one school's approach to curtailing spending on athletics.
Her article provides perspective on the American obsession with high school athletics. Is it getting us anywhere? If not, what should we consider instead?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/the-case-against-high-school-sports/309447/
National Headline:
New All-Digital Curriculums Hope to Ride High-Tech Push in Schoolrooms
Mt Lebanon Headline:
Millions Invested into Synthetic Turf at High School
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/education/new-all-digital-curriculums-hope-to-ride-high-tech-push-in-schoolrooms.html
Elaine you have brought so much to light. I believe the board gave Timmy his contract and raise early because they knew what was coming. I think the entire board that approved Timmy's raise should be impeached.
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