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.