ESB misrepresented...AGAIN

Please sign this petition if you want to halt public funds for use of artificial turf at Wildcat and Middle Fields.

On November 25, 2013, the then commission liaison, Kristen Linfante, "misrepresented" the Environmental Sustainability Board's position concerning artificial turf. This has been well documented here and in municipal meeting videos. Old news. But what people do not realize is that the ESB also has a school board liaison, none other than "For The Board" President Elaine Cappucci. The following email exchange between a resident and Cappucci reveals that the ESB has been misrepresented AGAIN.

From: Questioning Resident
Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2014 9:51 PM
To: Elaine Cappucci
Subject: turf maintenance

Hi Elaine, 

From my understanding if the Wild Cat/Middle field turf project goes through, residents were told that the school district would perform the required routine maintenance in exchange for not being charged field use. 

Has anything been decided on this as of yet? 

Thank you Elaine, 

Questioning Resident
Mt. Lebanon, PA

****

From: Elaine Cappucci [mailto:ECappucci@mtlsd.net]
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2014 2:08 PM
To: Questioning Resident
Subject: RE: turf maintenance 

The Board has not had any discussion about this at this time. 

Elaine

****

From: Questioning Resident
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2014 2:50 PM
To: Elaine Cappucci
Subject: RE: turf maintenance

Thank you for your reply Elaine,
Is there going to be any discussion about this in the future? If so, may I ask when?
Has there been any discussion between the Municipality and the school district regarding this issue? Have any rough drafts on a proposal been given to the school board?
Residents of Mt. Lebanon are really trying to get answers to simple questions but for some reason simple answers to simple questions are really hard to come by. 

Thank you again Elaine,
Q.R.

****

From: Elaine Cappucci [mailto:ECappucci@mtlsd.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 8:38 PM
To: Questioning Resident
Subject: RE: turf maintenance 

Q.R.,
There have been discussions within the Sports Advisory Board, which John Grogan is a part of, and I have had a general conversation with Kristen Linfante, the commission president regarding the plans for the fields. I do not have more information than that at this time, so I do not know when it will come up for Board discussion. 

Elaine

****

From: "Questioning Resident"
Date:04/30/2014 12:21 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: 'Stephen Feller' ,'David Brumfield'
Cc: 'Dan Deiseroth'
Subject: RE: turf costs 

Mr. Feller,
Thank you for the information.

...One other question, why is the township dragging their feet on getting a maintenance agreement drafted to present to the school district? A little bit of a whopper of a tale was told at the discussion meeting and the commission meeting on Monday night when it was told that there was an agreement, only to have Mr. Brumfield write me in an email yesterday stating “The agreement has not been prepared but the Athletic director has agreed to the general terms.” So how can there be an agreement if the agreement hasn’t even been prepared? Communicating with Elaine Cappucci, the school board makes the final decision not the Athletic director and they have nothing in front of them to agree to.

Thanks again Mr. Feller,
Q.R.

****

From: dbrumfield@mtlebanon.org [mailto:dbrumfield@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2014 1:52 PM
To: Questioning Resident; 'Stephen Feller'
Cc: 'Dan Deiseroth'
Subject: RE: turf costs 

The school district is participating in the Sports Advisory Board with their representatives. The SAB made the recommendation with the knowledge and consent of those representatives. The school board and the commission will both have to approve a written agreement to make it official but it is the clearly stated intent of all the parties. 

Dave
Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Smartphone

Here we go again. Brumfield 's Sports Advisory Board calling the shots. Why aren't the school board liaison to the commission Mike Riemer and commission liaison to the school board Kelly Fraasch being consulted? Why is Cappucci having a general conversation with Linfante regarding plans for the fields? Was it in the middle of Roycroft Avenue?

How can Mt. Lebanon Athletic Director commit to agreements prior to school board approval? Municipal funds were designated to turf Middle and Wildcat Fields by a three vote majority on November 25, 2013. As of April 29, 2014, the school board has not had a discussion about field maintenance at Middle and Wildcat Fields? Why is that? If there is no maintenance agreement, then does the school district lose their slots, as Dave Brumfield confirmed when I posed the question during Citizen Comments?

When did ESB liaison Cappucci have a general conversation regarding plans for the fields with the ESB? Or even with ESB liaison Kelly Fraasch? Where is the transparency? Or was all this part of a back room deal during the PRIVATE Turf Project Task Force where two residents were refused admittance?

In a word, tonight's educational forum on artificial turf was ALARMING. The two speakers were surprised at how little research was done by the three members of the commission. They would never have purchased a car this way. Where were the commissioners tonight? Kelly Fraasch was there. John Bendel was there briefly and left. No other commissioners. Nobody from the SAB. No one from Gateway Engineering. No municipal staff. No school district staff, unless you count Matt Kluck, who is the golf team coach. No school board directors, not even ESB liaison and school district president "For the Board" Elaine Cappucci.

Mrs. Cappucci, you have a Master's Degree from Duke University in Environmental Management. On Linkedin, you have endorsements in Environmental Compliance, Environmental Consulting, Environmental Permitting, Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Policy, Environmental Issues, and a B.A. in Biology! Don't you share the same concerns about toxic artificial turf, as many of us do?

It is unfortunate that I was unable to record the meeting. I was in tears over what I heard tonight. As president of our school board, you are the Grand Poobah of Child Advocacy in Mt. Lebanon. I demanded Kristen's resignation for misrepresenting the ESB, among other things. Elaine, you have misrepresented the ESB. You are not a child advocate for our children of Mt. Lebanon. You've got to go too.

Educational Forum on Artificial Turf Tomorrow! UPDATE Photos of trees to be removed

Please sign this petition if you want to halt public funds for use of artificial turf at Wildcat and Middle Fields.

Last night, at the Commission's Dog and Pony Show, a.k.a. the Commission Discussion Session, we were told that organic infill will cost $1.57 million with an annual maintenance to include adding an additional 1/4" organic infill. We also heard that humidity will be created from the cooling system needed to keep the cork infill moist. The SAB does not want organic infill because it floats away. They don't want to admit to flood waters that affect those fields. We are being set up for toxic rubber infill. The Environmental Sustainability Board issued this statement about artificial turf at the February 11, 2014 Commission Discussion Session. Video is here.

Coincidently, an Educational Forum on Artificial Turf in Mt. Lebanon will be held tomorrow evening in the Commission Chambers, starting at 7 PM. I believe Commissioners Fraasch and Bendel will be attending the forum.

EDUCATIONAL FORUM ON ARTIFICIAL TURF IN MT LEBANON
DID YOU KNOW THAT TOWNS/CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY ARE CONSIDERING MORATORIUMS ON TURF UNTIL UNBIASED SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS AVAILABLE ON THE EXPOSURE OF ARTIFICIAL TURF ON CHILDREN’S HEALTH? 

Learn more about the impacts of artificially turfed fields when it comes to our children’s health, water run-off & heat island effects 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30th AT 7-8:30pm 

MUNICIPAL BUILDING IN THE CHAMBERS

For more information please email:  healthylebo@gmail.com
Mt Lebanon Commissioners voted 3-2 to spend $750,000 of taxpayer money to add artificially turfed fields along Cedar Blvd at Wildcat/Middle Fields near the entrance of Main Park.    

In May, a decision will be made about specific design options such as tire crumb rubber in-fill vs organic in-fill.
With such a long-term and expensive investment (over $2.5 million in 8 years),  our community needs to know more about these fields including the short and long-term effects of these materials on our children, coaches and residents nearby.

Educational Forum on Artificial Turf flyer

UPDATE April 29, 2014 9:31 PM Here is something to think about when attending this educational forum on artificial turf. When Phase II begins at Middle and Wildcat Fields, these trees will be removed for the additional parking spaces.

 Broken glass from, at least, the second motor vehicle collision in this location
(entrance to the Phase ll parking "space") in the past month

I don't know where to begin PHOTOS ADDED

Please sign this petition if you want to halt public funds for use of artificial turf at Wildcat and Middle Fields.

Just random thoughts because I am too tired. The room was packed, so I welcome random thoughts from those in attendance.

Jim Cannon asked Kristen Linfante to resign. I asked Kristen Linfante, Dave Brumfield, and John Bendel to resign. Note to self. I don't think they are going to resign.

The room was filled with Brookline residents upset about the Castlegate property, newcomers upset with appeals, and people opposing the artificial turf. Citizen comments lasted until 11:30 PM. 

Let me back up a minute. A few important facts from the Discussion Session. The organic infill will be more expensive because the cork has to be kept moist or it will disintegrate. A watering system has to be added. Additionally, every year a 1/4" additional infill has to be added. That will be an additional charge. Right now, the organic infill is at $1.57 million. The Commission has decided to ask an expert, someone who is not a toxicologist, questions about the safety of the turf. They were going to bring him in, but it would be more cost effective to just submit some questions to him instead. Why the Commission is only worried about costs when it comes to our children's safety, is beyond me.

Originally, the sports people had until May 13 to raise $250,000. Now, I believe it is until June 15. John Bendel said that in his presentation, May 15 was listed, but that has changed. No mention about 25%. It looks like they are holding to $250,000.

I got some answers tonight. The project can be "de-voted." The SAB can be dissolved. Even though residents are upset with the turf project in Ward 2, Steve Silverman supports the turf project.

Gateway said that the fields never flood. A resident will be sending me photos that tell a different story. I hope to receive them tomorrow, I mean, later today.

110 signatures opposing the turf project were handed over to the commissioners. Keep in mind, we only started this on Thursday evening. Dave Brumfield doesn't pay attention to petitions. He was reminded of how he announced for Dave Franklin on August 27, 2012 that Franklin's petition had 300 votes. See There is a new service available at commission meetings! Interestingly, Dave Brumfield paid attention to that petition. We will continue to get signatures. Dave was the only one who said that he didn't pay attention to petitions. Thanks to those of you who have signed the petition so far.

I loved to watch Dave Brumfield squirm when a resident asked him to define "fairness." Dave was speechless. I doubt that the camera will be on Steve Feller when Kristen was asked to voluntarily challenge her underassessed property. She said that she will wait for DMS who makes that decision. Steve Feller was very upset with her. 

I really need to get some sleep, so I am encouraging others to submit their take on the meetings. I will continue my mission to stop the installation of toxic turf. Also, I will continue to advocate for commissioners' resignations. Good night.

Update April 29, 2014 8:18 AM I just received the photos of the flooding at the fields. The resident wrote, "I wish we had the pictures of Wildcat too, but this does give some perspective of the big issue that watershed is...these were taken in 2013."

I forgot to add that during the discussion session, they talked about adding an e-layer under the turf. Wasn't that an issue with the high school field?

Update April 29, 2014 11:40 AM I want to bring this to everyone's attention. At the Sports Advisory Board meeting on October 3, 2013, a vote was taken as to WHERE this turf should be installed. Click on Turf Project on the Agenda listed with the video. The subject of artificial turf has been discussed for years, but the location was not determined until that October 3, 2013 meeting. Kelly Fraasch admitted that she did not know about the project until a few days before the first meeting in November. Remember she was barely included in any of the emails in my mother of all RTKs when I asked for any communication about artificial turf from November 1 - January 24, 2014.

Update April 29, 2014 3:33 PM The following is James Cannon's comments from the 042814 Commission Meeting. He respectfully asks for Kristen Linfante's resignation.

Here are my comments from the  042814 Commission meeting. I put Kelly Fraasch and Steve Silverman on the hot seat and demand that Brumfield, Linfante, and Bendel resign.



Steve Diaz gives a lesson in Civics 101 at the 042814 Commission meeting.

President Kristen, you're going to miss another big one UPDATED KRISTEN IS HERE!

Mt. Lebanon, PA Residents Against Artificial Turf at Wildcat and Middle Fields Petition here.

According to the Commission Agenda for tomorrow, April 28, 2014, we should have a packed room again. Kristen, you luck out again. John Bendel, it is going to be quite a meeting, I predict.

The Brookline people are not happy and will be showing up for the Castlegate vote. Vee Lynn, Mayfair, Cedar, and Parkridge people, listen to what the Brookline people went through concerning Castlegate. It is the same scenario. No one was notified. The municipality put a notice on the property and one would have to trespass to read it. Cute, huh? The neighbors were upset because they missed the public hearing. Neighbors of Middle and Wildcat Fields, you never even got the right to a public hearing. The commissioners tabled the Castlegate vote. There was a meeting with the locals, and the vote is back on the agenda for tomorrow night. Mt. Lebanon residents get treated a little differently. According to Brumfield, LeboALERTS are sent out announcing that the agendas are available for viewing on the municipal website. For recreation improvements, there are never LeboALERTS sent out. They only like to announce the movie that will be playing at the swimming pool.

We still have the unhappy Newcomers, Kristen. Aren't you sad that you can't threaten to shut down the meeting again? I would hope that John does a better job presiding over the meeting than you did.

Kristen, you are also going to miss all your friends who rallied for LEED Certification over the high school project. What's that? They aren't coming to defend the beautiful green fields at Wildcat and Middle? Why aren't they protesting the toxic turf? Because you said that the ESB is not against artificial turf?

Wildcat Field

Middle Field

Conveniently, Kristen, you will be missing some pretty heavy discussion topics during your Discussion Session tomorrow. The Discussion Session Agenda for April 28, 2014 include topics such as 

• Making the Home Rule Charter gender neutral - a very important issue to you  
• Turf fundraising which you so kindly donated to
• Turf infill options - toxic synthetic or toxic organic 
• Other turf design and bidding issues
• Closing public, municipal athletic fields during inclement weather
• Board and authority recording, another issue near and dear to your heart 

Yes, Kristen, you luck out again. I hope you are giving some thought to the idea of resigning. We sure are.

Mt. Lebanon, PA Residents Against Artificial Turf at Wildcat and Middle Fields Petition here.

Bullied again UPDATED 3X Petition Link, RTK, Meeting Agendas Added

Lots of bullying going on tonight at the "Not for The General Public" Artificial Turf at Middle and Wildcat Fields meeting.

Three commissioners were there, so it WAS a public meeting. Dave Brumfield, Kelly Fraasch, and Steve Silverman attended the meeting.

David Donnellan, Dan Deiseroth, and Jim Sauer walked residents (angry ones, at that) through the project.

Neighboring residents were uninformed, took notes and asked many questions. 

Unfortunately, because of the photo below, I was unable to hear what was going on because I ended up calling the police.

Dave Franklin was talking with He Who Shall Not Be Named, when He Who Shall Not Be Named came charging over to me and threatened me with a wiretapping charge (See County drops wiretapping charge against South Fayette High School student who recorded bullying) and how I couldn't take his photo, and warned me not to mess with him. So I cropped He Who Shall Not Be Named out of the picture. Even though it was a public place, during a public meeting, I certainly don't want to mess with He Who Shall Not Be Named. He knows where I live. Bullying!

I missed most of the meeting because I spent it talking with the police. At the tail end, I asked David Donnellan if I could speak, and he ended the meeting abruptly, due to another meeting. I could not speak. Bullying!

Kelly Fraasch told us that the Turf Project Task Force was the meeting that Donnellan, Deiseroth, Franklin, Chip and Jim Sauer were attending. Kelly said that we could go to the meeting after asking Dan Deiseroth if it was public. He said that it was. People heard him say that. Two residents walked up to the meeting at the Rec Center and were asked to leave because they were told that it was not a public meeting and they were not invited. They were asked to put back the agendas they had taken. David Donnellan told one resident that he was gracious enough to let her speak at the concession stand since it was not a meeting for the general public. Remember, any time there are three commissioners in one place, that constitutes a quorum. All of us could have spoken, but they had "time constraints" due to the private meeting on how to spend taxpayer dollars. Bullying!

After David Donnellan hurried off to the Turf Project Task Force super secret meeting, I asked the crowd to stay and reminded them that this meeting meant nothing. The commissioners are the ones who made the decision. Residents must come to the Commission Meeting on April 28 and let their comments go on public record. There was a petition circulated and was signed by all the residents who attended the meeting. An online petition will be available soon. 

On Saturday at the Main Park, residents will be able to sign the petition, pick up flyers and stickers at the Earth Day celebration.

So here is my recommendation, for what it is worth. Sign the petition. Email all of the commissioners (commission@mtlebanon.org). Go to the meeting on April 28. Speak during Citizens Comments. Ask Commissioner Silverman where he stands on this issue. His constituents were pretty upset tonight. I will be asking the commissioners to rescind the vote. If that won't happen, I will be demanding their resignations.

Mt. Lebanon, PA Residents Against Artificial Turf at Wildcat and Middle Fields Petition here.

Update April 25, 2014 1:59 PM Through a Right To Know, here is All fundraising emails to and from the Recreation Department. I love the question asked on page 9. More facts for Monday night's commission meeting.

Update April 25, 2014 8:06 PM Here are the agendas for Monday's Commission meetings.

Commission Discussion Session starting at 6:30 PM Note Items 3, 4, and 6. 

Commission Meeting starting at 8:00 PM Note Item 2 - Citizen Comments.

Six parking spaces available

I am sitting at the concession stand watching a girls' softball game at Dixon. Middle Field is empty. There  is a baseball game at Wildcat.

Heads up, Folks. There are only six parking spaces available in the lot.

Another board emasculated by the Commission

For anyone keeping score, another board has been emasculated by the Commission. Let's see. So far, the Environmental Sustainability Board, the Parks Advisory Board, and the Planning Board have told us that the Commission voted on November 25 for a project that no one knew about. I have published the ESB's statement about being misrepresented by Kristen Linfante, commission liaison. I published the August 2013 Planning Board agenda prior to any concrete plans about the project. During a Sports Advisory Board meeting, the Parks Advisory Board liaison admitted that the PAB had not been informed.

No public hearing occurred. Boards were not informed. The vote came down to three commissioners - Dave Brumfield, Kristen Linfante, and John Bendel. Kristen let it be known that they are the decision makers and don't need any input from boards. 

Don't forget to attend tonight's meeting at Wildcat and Middle Fields, starting at 6:00 PM.

I would like to add that the Trib's Mt. Lebanon residents stand against turf project article made reference to the April 30 ESB meeting. The location has been determined. It will be held in the Municipal Building. The flyer for the meeting is here. 

Another "helpful" LeboALERT

What number do we call? Where are the details? We only have 7.5 hours to call, so please respond quickly!

From:	LeboALERT <noreply@mtlebanon.org>
To:	EGillen476 <EGillen476@aol.com>
Subject:	LeboALERT: Woody Waste Curbside...
Date:	Thu, Apr 24, 2014 9:00 am

---

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.


Woody Waste Curbside Pickup – Saturday, April 26th.  Must call for reservation 
by today at 4:30 p.m.  Please see website for details.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For up to date municipal information visit:

http://www.mtlebanon.org  -  http://pd.mtlebanon.org  -  http://www.mtlfd.org  -  
http://www.lebomag.com

Also tune to Comcast channel 17 or Verizon FIOS channel 34.

To unsubscribe or change your alerts, visit http://leboalert.mtlebanon.org..

Please do not respond to this message as it is sent from an unmonitored account.

My meeting with Rep. Miller

Yesterday, I met with State Representative Dan Miller, Commissioner Kelly Fraasch, and former Mt. Lebanon Commission President Matt Kluck. The topic was transparency in Mt. Lebanon. I had attended Rep. Miller's Right To Know Information Session in November and know that transparency in government is very important to Dan.

I am extremely frustrated with what is happening within the Municipality. Just trying to get an email to the Planning Board was an ordeal. I sent an email to Municipal Planner Keith McGill asking him to forward my email to the members of the Planning Board. On the subject of the Planning Board, the meeting last night was in the commission chambers and was not video recorded, even though a staff person was paid to sit there and video record it. Here is an email exchange that I had with Commissioner Fraasch and Keith McGill. Kelly has had a difficult time getting all the boards and authority meetings videotaped. No consistency whatsoever.

I suggested that the boards get their own email addresses, such as sportsadvisoryboard at mtlebanon dot org. It is ludicrous that we cannot reach the boards via email.

Another problem that I have is the lack of transparency when it comes to personal emails and text messages for RTK requests. A Right To Know was granted to me yesterday, after my meeting. My RTK was:

All communication to/from Commissioners for March 11, 12, and 13, 2014 pertaining to turf, Castlegate, Newcomer's tax, and/or about residents or guests who spoke at the March 11, 2014 meeting during Citizens Comments.

I filed an appeal today with the Office Of Open Records over an email exchange from that RTK request in which Kristen Linfante had with Kelly Fraasch. Kristen had sent an email to the commission and copied staff about a citizen who challenged the turf project during Citizen Comments at a commission meeting. The reason why I appealed the RTK is because her personal email, sent by a constituent, was not included in the RTK. I also challenged the RTK because I never get any text messages included in any of my RTKs. I am still waiting for a final determination of a previous appeal that was sent to the OOR for the very same thing.

I couldn't believe I was saying this at Dan's meeting yesterday, but the MTLSD website does not list phone numbers of the school board members, only email addresses in their contact information. The municipality should follow MTLSD, and adopt the same policy. (I know! Can you believe that I said that??) By including phone numbers, residents are encouraged to text message or call commissioners and makes it virtually impossible to access that information for Right To Know requests.

I also raised questions about the turf project. There seems to be a lot of secrecy when it comes to this turf project. Even fundraising has raised flags. I want to share an email exchange that came to me today over the fundraising email sent out by the Recreation Department's Sandy Kyper.

From: Stephen Feller [mailto:sfeller@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2014 2:57 PM
To: A Concerned Resident
Cc: David Donnellan
Subject: your question

I am told that the email was sent to the addresses on the recreation program notification data base and that this includes over 8,000 addresses that have asked to be notified about recreation programs and facility updates. Some of these folks do not live in Mt. Lebanon. 

OVER EIGHT THOUSAND ADDRESSES? The “recreation program notification database” solely belongs to the Municipality for Municipality specific use and it was used to benefit the Soccer Association, the Lacrosse Association and the Endowment, which are all third party independent organizations.

Finally, I would like to share an email exchange, which was a followup to Rep. Miller's meeting. I do hope changes are made as a result of my meeting.

From #8 to #11 to #20

According to U.S. News and World Report, we have dropped again. Last year, I posted We have dropped to #11.

Pennsylvania Best High Schools

The U.S. News "best schools" rankings for 2014 have been released. Here are the top 10 in Pennsylvania:

#1 Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
1699 SPRING GARDEN ST, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19130

#2 Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy

2825 STATE ST, ERIE, PA 16508

#3 New Hope-Solebury High School
182 WEST BRIDGE ST, NEW HOPE, PA 18938

#4 Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School
630 EVANS AVE, WYOMISSING, PA 19610

#5 Conestoga High School
200 IRISH RD, BERWYN, PA 19312

#6 Upper St. Clair High School
1825 MCLAUGHLIN RUN RD, PITTSBURGH, PA 15241

#7 Unionville High School
750 UNIONVILLE RD, KENNETT SQUARE, PA 19348

#8 Radnor High School
130 KING OF PRUSSIA RD, RADNOR, PA 19087

#9 Wissahickon Senior High School
521 HOUSTON RD, AMBLER, PA 19002

#10 Great Valley High School
225 NORTH PHOENIXVILLE PK, MALVERN, PA 19355

~~~~~~

#20 Mt. Lebanon High School

Ratings are based on based on student/teacher ratio, how 12th graders performed on their AP tests, and how they performed in math and reading on their state exit exams. Mt. Lebanon has a national rank of 962. Of the top ten high schools in the USA, eight are in the South or Southwest; one is in California, and one is in Michigan. Two of the top ten high schools are charters; in fact #2 in the nation is a charter school in Arizona. In Pennsylvania, Upper St. Clair IMPROVED, going from #7 in 2013 to #6 in the PA ranking.

Food For Thought For The Planning Board UPDATED

In preparation for tonight's Planning Board meeting, a concerned resident found a previous discussion on artificial turf in the August 27, 2013 meeting minutes. 

Mr. Pittman asked about the artificial turf that is recommended form Wildcat and Middle fields.
Mr. McGill said he believes the majority of the commission supports an artificial surface. They looked at the pros and cons of artificial and natural surfaces, received advice from the sports advisory board and conducted several meetings hearing arguments both for and against turf, of turf on one field either Wildcat or Middle field.
Mr. Pittman is concerned about the expense and if the use of the fields warrants it. He said he goes by those fields and many times they are not in use.
Mr. McGill said the users of those fields have indicated that fields are often not in unusable condition. Every year it is a challenge for the recreation department to provide adequate field space for all of the different sports. Some sports organizations have had to lease fields in other communities because there were no fields available in Mt. Lebanon. Adding lighting to these fields could extend time frame that they would be in use.
Mr. Pittman said artificial turf does not alleviate the need for field space, it only protects the field after a weather event. He is concerned about the athletes’ safety with artificial surfaces.
Mr. Sabeh said the newer surfaces are designed to be safer than grass and absorb more impact, thereby protecting the athlete better.

With all due respect, Mr. Sabeh, you are misinformed. I have been posting links to documentation that says otherwise on Lebo Citizens. Here are some new ones which were sent to me.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Artificial Turf 

Are artificial turf fields carcinogenic?

Mr. Sabeh, in case you were wondering about lawsuits, grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable. This extensive list will keep you busy for some time.

http://www.synturf.org/lawsuits.html 


State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General 

I understand that you base your decisions on the 2013 Comprehensive Plan. (Please allow extra time for link to open. It is a large document.)

Action 8: Promote public/private partnerships related to recreation planning and improvements to maximize recreation opportunities in a cost effective manner.

Mr. Sabeh, check out how a school district was stuck replacing six year old artificial turf after it failed prematurely. Beaverton School District to spend up to $850,000 to replace failing artificial turf fields 

Although the district signed a limited warranty with the installer, faulty record-keeping on the district's part complicated negotiations for a new field.

You may have heard of a similar incident occurring here in Mt. Lebanon, Mr. Sabeh. Talk with Mr. Feller about poor record keeping and warranties connected with the Public Safety Building.

Please think long and hard before you rubber stamp this project, Mr. Sabeh. Turfing fields is a life long commitment. Once the artificial turf is installed, there is no turning back without extensive soil remediation which takes years to recover. This turf will be replaced every eight years, costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Think about the lawsuits. Consider the safety of our children. Please.

Update April 22, 2014 10:13 AM I sent an email this morning to Keith McGill, asking to forward a link to this post to the Planning Board. Here is his response.

Good morning Elaine,

The agenda item on tonight's Planning Board meeting for the Wildcat/Middle Field project is an update for the Planning Board on the status of a project that is identified in the Comprehensive Plan.

The Board will not be taking an action or making a recommendation on this project as no action is required. The project is an improvement of an existing facility. As you are aware the Commission voted in favor of a motion to assign funds for this project in November of 2013 with a requirement that non-municipal funds be in place to allow the project to move forward.

The Planning Board takes Citizens comments at the end of the meeting for any non-action items.

As always, thank you for your interest in the community and I will look forward to seeing you at tonight's meeting.

Respectfully,

Keith

Keeping it Real 2014

Little did James Cannon III realize when he made his Keeping it Real - The truth behind artificial surfaces in Mt. Lebanon presentation to the Commission in 2012, that he would still be advocating for grass fields two years later. Jim is part of a larger group that has banded together opposing toxic turf.

Flyers are being distributed to neighboring streets by residents who believe the Mt. Lebanon Middle and Wildcat Fields Turf Project must stop. The reasons are plentiful:

• THIS IS A POTENTIAL HEALTH RISK
• THIS IS POOR ECONOMIC POLICY and a MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT
• GOVERNANCE BY THE COMMISSION IS QUESTIONABLE 
• MUNICIPAL REGULATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN CONSIDERED (all the while fundraising is already underway)
• THIS IS A RISK TO OUR ENVIRONMENT

I am including the link to the flyer which can be printed and distributed by all Lebo Citizens readers who believe the same.

Joan E. Gibson submitted an opinion piece to The Almanac  (Saved in Google Docs) this week, asking commissioners to further investigate the dangers of playing on artificial turf, citing the American Academy of Neurology and "the article in the most recent issue of American Family Physician Practice Guidelines (April 1, 2014) the article is entitled 'Evaluation and Management of Concussion in Athletes: Recommendations from the AAN.'”

According to the Turf Project Task Force Presentation timeline, Mt. Lebanon will advertise for bids on May 15, 2014. We have a very narrow window of opportunity to stop this before bids go out. 

What can you do?

MAKE YOUR CONCERNS KNOWN TO THE COMMISSIONERS!

Important meetings this week:

• CRITICAL MEETING: The turf project is on the Planning Board Agenda for 4/22. This is the best opportunity to stop this project. Go to the Commission Chamber in the Municipal Building at 7:00 PM.
• Attend the Municipal informational meeting on 4/24 at the concession stand building at the fields on Cedar Blvd. at 6:00 PM and ASK QUESTIONS! (In case of inclement weather meet in the ice rink lobby.)
• Attend the Commission discussion meeting on 4/28 at 6:30 PM, and then the regular meeting at 8:00 in the Municipal Building. Plan to ASK QUESTIONS when they are permitted at the beginning of the 8:00 meeting! Sign up to speak near the Commission Chamber door. Bring friends and family. (Agendas to follow)
• Attend the Environmental Sustainability Board’s (ESB) Educational Forum on Artificial Turf on 4/30 at 7:00 PM in the Municipal Bldg. Get the real facts about artificial turf!
• Write to the Commissioners at commission@mtlebanon.org

MOST IMPORTANTLY – GET INVOLVED! The commission is putting your health and safety at potential risk with this project. You have VERY LITTLE time to tell them NO!

For more health and environment information, here are some useful links:

Commissioner Kelly Fraasch’s blog: www.kellyfraasch.com/blog

Lebo Citizens www.lebocitizens.com

Recorded public meetings including those of the Commission, Sports Advisory Board (SAB), Planning Board, Environmental Sustainability Board (ESB)and Parks Advisory Board (PAB) can be viewed at www.mtlebanon.org/index.aspx?NID=2151

Note: The hyperlink to James Cannon's presentation has been removed from this page.

Want to pay to have your garbage collected? UPDATED

There is a real possibility, if the commission gets their way. There will be an informational meeting April 21, 2014 in the commission chambers, starting at 6:00 PM.

Here is what is on Commisioner Fraasch's blog:

Anyone wondering what this Pay As You Throw potential garbage program is about? 

Please join the ESB as they host a Q/A with representatives from WasteZero, the largest Pay As You Throw company in the US.  All are welcome and no RSVP is required.

Monday, April 21st at 6pm in the Municipal Building.

Please come out and learn about this programming and if the Commission implements the program how it will affect you.

********

This will affect every resident of Mt. Lebanon. Please don't say that you didn't know about it. You've been warned.

Update April 24, 2014 3:57 PM Waste Zero Presentation 

Once, twice, three times a lady...

For those of you who are new to this, it takes at least 2-3 emails to our finance director, before your question gets answered. Here is an example.

From: Mr. Concerned Resident
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 11:36 AM
To: Jan Klein
Subject: double counting

Ms. Klein,
At Tuesday’s school board meeting a Mt. Lebanon taxpayer, Bill Matthews, discussed what he felt was double counting properties that were currently under appeal and as a result of this there was a $36 million difference.
Was Mr. Matthews accurate in his thinking?
I would like to obtain the documents that show the $214 pertaining to current appeals and compare for myself to see if these properties were double counted. Do I need a right to know request to obtain these documents?
Thank you,

Concerned Resident
Mt. Lebanon, PA

****

From: Jan Klein [mailto:JKlein@mtlsd.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 11:46 AM
To: Mr. Concerned Resident
Cc: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer
Subject: RE: double counting

Mr. Concerned Resident

The numbers Mr Mathews referenced are county reports and you may obtain them directly from the county. We also have copies which you may request through RTK. The forms are on our website.

Note that the reports were used to ESTIMATE potential reductions in assessment in a proposed budget document. Those numbers and other projections of revenue change frequently as updated information becomes available and will change again before our final budget is approved by the Board next month.

Respectfully,

Jan

Janice Klein
Director of Business
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228

412-344-2098 (office)
412-559-9310 (cell)

I prefer the errors of enthusiasm to the indifference of wisdom - Anatole France

From: Mr. Concerned Resident
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 12:05 PM
To: Jan Klein
Cc: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer
Subject: RE: double counting

Jan,

Thank you for your reply, I appreciate the information.

With your explanation on estimates which I know will fluctuate between now and then, are you answering my question as to whether Mr. Matthews was accurate in his statements that there was evidence of double counting of properties that were in the appeal process?

Let me ask again…was Mr. Matthews accurate in his thinking and numbers by coming to a conclusion that double counting of properties currently under appeal existed when Mt. Lebanon created their current budget?

Thank you Jan,

C.R.

From: Jan Klein [mailto:JKlein@mtlsd.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 3:05 PM
To: Mr. Concerned Resident
Cc: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer
Subject: RE: double counting

I do not verify Mr Mathews’ numbers.

Respectfully,

Jan

Janice Klein
Director of Business
Mt. Lebanon School District
7 Horsman Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15228

412-344-2098 (office)
412-559-9310 (cell)

I prefer the errors of enthusiasm to the indifference of wisdom - Anatole France

Hey, did you hear about the deer that got away?

Nothing about double counting or $36 million, but we do get to read about this.

Mt. Lebanon police investigating morning car crash
By The Tribune-Review 
Published: Thursday, April 17, 2014 11:15 a.m.

Updated 5 hours ago
A vehicle crashed into a deer in Mt. Lebanon on Thursday morning, Mt. Lebanon
police said.

The wreck was reported about 10:45 a.m. in the 900 block of Washington Road, 

Deputy Chief Aaron Lauth said.

The driver wasn't hurt, and the deer ran away, he said.

Copyright © 2014 — Trib Total Media

Read more:http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/5965269-74/lebanon-supervisor-investigating#ixzz2zC0XSVzL 
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

$36 million in double counting UPDATED 3X

Last night, Bill Matthews hit one out of the ball park. He has identified $36 million in double counting in the budget. The following combines Bill's comments in the beginning of the meeting and at the end of the meeting. Bill identified specific Board of Viewers cases which are duplicates. PLEASE take the time to listen to his comments.




Update April 16, 2014 2:51 PM The following update is from Bill Matthews:

The “double counting” relates to the properties in our community that are currently under appeal with the County. Recently, Dr. Steinhauer reported to the board and our community that these properties totaled about $214 million. The district assumes this collective valuation may be reduced by 20% by the time each of these cases reaches final adjudication. Appropriately, the district makes an allowance for successful appeals in preparing its annual budget.

Upon request, the district provided reports detailing the $214 million – by property. In the first 2 minutes of my review, I concluded there were cases counted twice by the district, and additionally, there were several individual properties with two cases pending, effectively resulting in double counting (counting the property valuation twice, once for each pending appeal).

My deduction is that at the point in time of the district’s calculation, the collective value of properties under appeal was $178 million; $36 million less what Dr. Steinhauer reported.

Because an allowance is only made for the value of successful appeals (20%) not the entire $36 million, about $7.3 million in additional property valuation may be included in our community tax base for budget purposes. This $7.3 million represents about $164 thousand in ultimate tax revenue not currently included in the district’s proposed budget.

In other words, adding back the $164 thousand in anticipated revenue would reduce the millage increase required to balance the budget from the proposed .54 mills to .48 mills; a reduction of more than 10%.

Update April 17, 2014 9:34 AM Elaine Cappucci asks Jan Klein about the budget and double counting prior to the Proposed Budget vote on April 15, 2014.




Update April 17, 2014 10:57 AM The entire April 15, 2014 School Board Meeting podcast is available on my website, Lebo Citizens.

Oops, my mistake

It turns out that the meeting on April 24, 2014 is only for residents who live next to the fields.

From: David Donnellan [mailto:ddonnellan@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2014 2:32 PM
To: Concerned Resident
Subject: Re: letter

Mr. Concerned Resident:

The letter was sent only to residents living adjacent to, or in very close proximity to Wildcat and Middle fields on Cedar Boulevard.

David D. Donnellan
Director
Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department
900 Cedar Boulevard - 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
Phone: (412) 343-4519
Fax: (412) 561-6499
www.mtlebanon.org

*****

From: David Donnellan [mailto:ddonnellan@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 3:56 PM
To: Concerned Resident
Cc: Steve Feller
Subject: Re: letter

Mr. Concerned Resident:

The turf project has been presented at several commission meeting discussion sessions, which are open to the public. You may wish to view the commission discussion sessions on our website and/or attend a commission meeting. At the April 8 commission discussion session, the concept plan was reviewed. Below is a link to the turf project summary, including the concept plan.

http://mtlebanon.org/index.aspx?NID=2199

Since the property owners nearby the fields are most affected by the project, a separate meeting with them was deemed appropriate.

David D. Donnellan
Director
Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department
900 Cedar Boulevard - 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
Phone: (412) 343-4519
Fax: (412) 561-6499
www.mtlebanon.org

*****

On Mon, Apr 14, 2014 at 4:29 PM, Concerned Resident wrote:

Thank you Dave.

Can you please email me a copy of the letter you sent out to those residents including a list of folks who received that letter.

Also, because this is a public informational meeting, any Mt. Lebanon resident can attend, correct?

Thank you Dave,

Concerned Resident

*******

From: David Donnellan [mailto:ddonnellan@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2014 4:38 PM
To: Concerned Resident
Subject: Re: letter

While we are happy to accept input from any resident on this project, our intention with this meeting is to get input from residents who live next to the field.

David D. Donnellan
Director
Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department
900 Cedar Boulevard - 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
Phone: (412) 343-4519
Fax: (412) 561-6499
www.mtlebanon.org

*******

From: David Donnellan [mailto:ddonnellan@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2014 5:18 PM
To: Concerned Resident
Cc: Steve Feller
Subject: Re: letter

Mr. Concerned Resident:

If you would like to make a public records request, please follow the instructions on our website. Link below:

http://mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2962

The meeting with neighborhood residents is not a meeting for the general public. The Commission and our consultants will be discussing the project at the discussion session on April 28. That would be a more appropriate meeting for you to attend.

David D. Donnellan
Director
Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department
900 Cedar Boulevard - 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
Phone: (412) 343-4519
Fax: (412) 561-6499
www.mtlebanon.org

I  omitted most of the Concerned Resident's emails. Based on David Donnellan's responses, it is pretty clear that the resident was asking why he did not receive a letter to this meeting since the majority of the project is being funded by public funds. 

So how many "neighborhood residents" will be attending this meeting that is not intended for the general public? You gotta love the community outreach! We don't want to be too transparent, do we?

How do you do this on synthetic or organic infill?

Newcomers, School Board Meeting on Tuesday

Normally, the Mt. Lebanon School Board would be meeting on Monday, but due to the Holiday, it has been moved to Tuesday, April 15, 2014. The agenda has been posted here.

On the agenda,

2014-2015 Proposed Final Budget: RESOLVED, That the Board approves a Proposed Final Budget in the amount of $87,924,509, at a millage rate of 23.15 mills, a .54 mill increase from 2013-14, utilizing $750,000 of the fund balance in the form presented.
Furthermore, the Board intends to vote on a Final Budget with such changes as it deems necessary at its May 19, 2014 meeting.

For those new to the system, residents are permitted to speak for four minutes at the beginning of the meeting, only on action items on the agenda. I see that Bill Matthews has requested to speak. My guess it is concerning the Proposed Final Budget. I hope President Cappucci actually listens to him this time instead of watching the time clock. Last year, she was very rude to him.

Last year, the school board was a smidgeon more transparent than they are this year. Last year, a list of suggested cost reductions was published and discussed at a separate Budget Forum. This year, we will learn more about the "Final Budget with such changes as it deems necessary at its May 19, 2014 meeting."

Another very important topic, which started prior to the newcomers' arrival is the high school renovation. The Almanac reports in the article Retirements, tuition payments will help close Lebo budget gap (Saved in Google Docs) concerning the $91,713 change order on the agenda:

the installation of additional sprinklers in the catwalk area above the auditorium. Project plans had not flagged this as occupied space. 

Architect Tom Celli said this was a miss by the design team. “When you have a project of this size and complexity, with materials and controls coming from all over the country, these things are going to happen. We have gotten nothing but great feedback, whether from people in the community or those who have competed in the gym or the swimming pool.”

I am glad that Dan Remely didn't throw Fire Chief Sohyda under the bus, as he had done in the past. I question Celli's comment about the great feedback about the swimming pool. I understand that the railing reported in the Fall is still taped off with caution tape.

The Almanac article continues with

contractors have billed 72 percent of construction costs, and have used 71 percent of the project’s contingency funds. 

Both Celli and project manager Tom Berkebile expressed confidence that the project would finish within the established contingency. 

“It’s going to be close,” Berkebile said, “but I still feel confident we’re going to get there.”

What that means is that the project should have gone to Referendum, but it would never have passed. If they go over, then voters get to decide to leave a school partially completed, or approve the project after the fact. We were told that the high school renovation would bring people to the community, similar to the rhetoric we are hearing about the artificial turf on Cedar Blvd. Aren't you glad you moved here?

If newcomers (and any other residents) wish to speak about items unrelated to the agenda, you must wait until the end of the meeting, where you are given five minutes to speak. Warning, the school board will be watching the clock instead of listening to what you have to say. These are the same people who have been working with Diversified Municipal Services for years. Enough said.

Let's hear from the men too!

Lebo Citizens reader and frequent commenter, Charlotte Stephenson spoke about the problems associated with artificial turf at a recent ESB meeting. With her permission, I have published Charlotte's letter below.

Dear Fellow Concerned Mt. Lebanon Residents: 

The video of the April 10 Environmental Sustainability Board meeting is now available to watch on the www.mtlebanon.org website. 

There are many reasons why this project is not good for our community and they range from the threat to public health to wasteful economic policy and improper ethical political procedures [Kristen Linfante told a bold faced lie when she stated the ESB was behind the project] in play where certain Commissioners are supporting pet projects in spite of the common good. Did you know that our municipal employee is fundraising for a local non-profit agency to secure funding for this project? Yes, your tax dollars are at work there. 

Please send this to friends or neighbors who are not aware of what is in the works for us. Working together, perhaps we can change the course on this problem situation in our community. 

Thank You, 

Charlotte Stephenson

 Just as James Cannon III came forward with his Keeping It Real presentation, I hope more men get involved and express their concerns with toxic turf.  It appears to me that the SAB, Commission, and Municipal staff seem to be more receptive to men. Come on, Dads. We need your help.

What has Mt. Lebanon become? UPDATED

Yesterday was most disappointing for me. In a matter of a few hours, I received an abundance of emails exemplifying the corruption in our local government.

Earlier in the day, I reported an address to the commission of a friend of both Dave Brumfield and Kristen Linfante, whose home is assessed $310,000 below their purchase price last year, along with the link to their friend's County Assessment. I was alerted to this discrepancy by a Lebo Citizens reader.

Moments later, my mailbox was flooded with emails from Lebo Citizens readers notifying me of the fundraising efforts by the Recreation Department as discussed in my post, TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE. As I mentioned in my previous post, I questioned the commission about this action in a separate email.

At the same time, a newcomer received this response from Dominick Gambino, who clearly intended to send it to Nancy Carroll. The resident had been asking for information concerning his appeal.

From: Dominick Gambino <d.gambino@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: Municipal Tax Assessment Appeal
Date: Thu 04/10/14 02:43 PM

He can't stand that you won't react. That's the best weapon against folks like him
Sent from my iPhone

This attitude is exactly what we are seeing from our local elected officials. I had emailed the commission asking about the results of the deer aerial survey. As usual, Kristen ignored me. This issue is very important to me, but based on what I had seen at Tuesday's meeting, the citizen who spoke during Citizen Comments was informed. I had heard that the pro-culling residents were circling their wagons and her comments confirmed it. Transparency? Nope, not any more.

I received one response to my emails.

From: David Brumfield < davidcbrumfield@gmail.com>
To: egillen476 < egillen476@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, Apr 10, 2014 03:24 PM
Subject: Re: Totally inappropriate

How is forwarding an email request for charitable donations inappropriate. Aside from your dislike of the project please explain how this is any different than assisting in the advertising for Martha's Run or the Ultra Party.
Additionally, as to your prior email I think it is an unforgivable invasion of privacy for you to circulate the name, address and community service record of a resident whose assessment is being appealed in some cheap attempt to allege bias contrary to the facts.
In the future please do not copy me on any emails where you cast aspersions on private residents. I have no desire to participate in your slanderous gossip.
To prevent the unnecessary dissemination of this information I am only responding to you. I shall not copy or forward this and request you act likewise.
Dave Brumfield

I explained to Dave that because his email is subject to a Right To Know, according to the Sunshine Law, I could not honor his request. Since it was written from his personal email account, I now understand why there are never any emails of his in my Right To Knows. 

Emailing to the Commission is not slanderous gossip. In light of the fact that our Commission is in the news over the Newcomer's Tax, I felt that my email was not out of line.

I did not see the letter from the Recreation Department as forwarding an email request. I let Dave know that I disagreed with him. Comparing this to Martha's Run or Ultra Party is insulting. $750,000 of our money is going into this project already, without any approval from constituents. Does the Municipality donate to Martha's Run or Ultra Party? Hardly. I know that the committee for Martha's Run pays to advertise in mtl Magazine.

I also felt that a more appropriate response from Dave, in regard to the assessment of his friends, would have been, "Thank you for your concern. This property has been appealed by the Municipality."

I am so tired of the tone that our elected officials use with their constituents. I am tired of the attitude from many staff members within our local government. I don't appreciate how the newcomers are being treated by a contractor hired by the Municipality and School District. It is offensive to me that an employee is on the Mt. Lebanon Community Relations Board. 

The public is seeing this very ugly side of Mt. Lebanon. The transparency is gone. Where is the civility, Kristen and Dave? It left the school board long ago.

Update April 11, 2014 2:10 PM Good thing I didn't see this on Facebook yesterday. Don't you just love to see municipal staff fundraising for the non-municipal share on our dime? (Saved in Google Docs)