Tonight, the commissioners decide on toxic tire crumb infill or toxic organic infill at Middle and Wildcat Fields.
John Bendel and Dave Brumfield have both said that tire crumb infill is safe. Try to throw away a tire, guys. It won't be collected on garbage day.
Additionally, if you are interested in buying a field sign, here is the link on the municipal website. Hit a home run at the ballfield. "Proceeds from your highly visible ad will go directly toward maintenance and enhancement of the athletic fields." From what I understand, the sports parents have not been told about how their groups have donated toward the toxic turf project. Looks like the ad money is going that route too.
In case you are wondering, here are the field schedules for next year.
Field Schedule Fall 2014
Field Schedule Spring 2015
Field Schedule Fall 2015
Looks like Lacrosse made out like bandits. When the YSA presentation was made in 2012, Non-YSA member and Lacrosse's Jordan Halter presented the plan. (Here is the cleaned up version without the bid exclusions.) It pays to have a commissioner involved with lacrosse, doesn't it?
Update May 13, 2014 4:00 PM Will the municipality advertise for this sign? It is only $4.75.
28 comments:
Is there no end to the lies???!!!
"Proceeds from your highly visible ad will go directly toward maintenance and enhancement of the athletic fields."
If the proceeds were going directly toward the maintenance and enhancement of the athletic fields, the revenue would AND SHOULD BY LAW go directly to the Treasurer as spelled out in the Home Rule Charter and Municipal Code.
It's not! It is passing through the Mt. Lebanon Community Endowment last I heard.
Plus, if it were going directly to the Treasurer it would be public revenue, not private donations as the commissioners are trying to claim. The commissioners are sell or renting (leasing) public property to advertisers.
There is no end to the lies. No end. Bendel uses the capital projects list to reinforce his position on turf, while earlier this year, he feigned ignorance of the capital projects list contents and the capacity of the commission to move capital projects into the budget or unassigned funds plan.
Get your sign while it is still $500. It is going up to $750. They only sold one at $500, so they're raising the price so that they can sell more.
Elaine
Did the $500 sign fee go directly into field maintenance or enhancement or into the Community Endowment?
Seems to me, didn't Bendel say we'd lose the private funds if we didn't buy turf?
How does the municipality sell field signs, the signs or at least SIGN go up and money goes directly to field maintenance and enhancements, but if we don't artificially turf MWC the money is lost?
There are some really good questions in this post regarding how the money should be handled for the field signage. Instead of posting the questions in this blog, why not send the question over to the Treasurer or the township manager and then when they respond, let us all know what you hear back.
I want to live in a town that sells bricks, not signs. And not for turf.
Mt. Lebanon businesses like hardware stores, restaurants, ice cream palors, hairdressers, saloons, music stores etc., would generate far more good will in the community if they bought and displayed a $4.75 No artificial turf sign than a $450 field sign at Brafferton.
Question: if these signs get vandalized or stolen who foots the bill for the replacement? The advertiser?
Question: is any MTL businessman or organization making money off the sign creation? Ad agencys generally mark up printing purchases for clients by 15% (17.65%).
Is there any agreement between the people handling the sign sales/handling and the sign shop?
I did 6:25 and didn't get what I'd say was a detailed answer.
I do not share correspondence unless I inform the other party I intend to share it. In this case I did not make that declaration.
If you want an answer you'll have to ask it yourself.
Our commissioners take an oath upon taking office to follow the codes and regulations of the community.
They can ask the solicitor any question they please on municipal operations- apparently none think any rules are being broken regarding field signs.
6:40, I know this discussion is off topic, hopefully Elaine won't mind.
If you aren't getting a detailed answer, keep asking until you do, or ask someone else, or pick up the phone and call them, or attend a commission meeting and ask there. I don't get detailed answers in a lot of cases too but I just keep plugging away until I do. I wear them out.
Also, as far as sharing correspondences, keep in mind, these folks represent/work for us the taxpayer, and they use our resources. By sharing a correspondence you may be helping someone else who may have the same question. I share some of my commission and manager correspondences with Elaine and she posts some these on her blog. Do I care, absolutely not.
I sent an email over to Mr. Feller asking him where specifically the proceeds will go for the field signage. I'm happy to share this information with anyone and I'll post it here when I get a reply.
Helping whom, 9:00 pm?
Those thousands of residents that signed the petition?
Or the hundreds that pack the commission chambers?
Perhaps the 70% of the electorate that can't show up in the voting booth?
Maybe it be the 10-20 that were motivated enough to read the Code and Charter and chimed in to say that is a very good question?
I know, it help the parents of those 3,600 young athletes that'll play on the turf, but won't speak up, show up or put out a lawn sign.
Yeah, its my fault.
No wonder Brumfield is laughing.
9:00 pm, no need to bother Feller. Your answer is right on the municipal website--
" "Proceeds from your highly visible ad will go directly toward maintenance and enhancement of the athletic fields.""
Word on the street is that Commission President Kristen Linfante's husband is not voting for her re-election. Welcome to the club!
He wasn't laughing tonight, 10:08 PM. There were quite a few people who spoke against the turf. There was a soccer coach who will not be coaching if the artificial turf goes in. He already said that his children will not be playing soccer. A woman spoke tonight to say that parents in her child's sport were given raffle tickets to sell and were not told that the proceeds were going to the turf project. Parents were kept out of the dark and were never informed that their child's organization made large donations toward the turf project.
Dave argued that we have had turf in this community for 40 years. He was reminded that 30 years ago was when the cigarette warnings were instituted. Dave told me that he is permitting his son to play on artificial turf. I am not sure that I would brag about that, considering he makes a living as a personal injury attorney. Shame on you, Dave Brumfield and your fellow commissioners who support this project.
Elaine
That is good that people are beginning to stir!
On the issue of fields signs and revenue once again.
My comments Here weren't to force our elected officials into a showdown.
They were posted to see if anyone, hopefully with experience in such matters concurred with my opinion that our officials aren't following the rules.
So far, no one except 9:00 pm has even seemed to notice the issues.
I could very well be full of hot air in my analysis that codes may be violated.
It is fascinating to watch the members of the commission at the edges of their chairs, mouths gaping open, interrupting members of the public during public comment period in an effort to defend their actions. They fight and defend, then deflect and dodge, but they never seem to listen or respond to the substance of what is being said to them. It is a marvel how the community, Left and Right, Republicans and Democracts, old and young have all rallied to a clear consensus against turf, but the commission presses on in favor or some silent (perhaps non-existant in the numbers they claim) constituency that itself knows it does not need to attend the commission meetings to speak in favor of artificial turf (and they don't, ever) because the Lonesome Five will hold firm and have no intention of engaging in actual fact-finding, reasoning, analysis, or consensus building. No, the commission has a solid block and will depend only on one another, them against the overwhelming public input, and will not budge. What a wonderful display in representative government at work. I say forget the charter revision and let's vote on being annexed to Bethel Park or Dormont -- we would be better off.
9:58 I've tried to write a comment in response to yours as a parent who has repeatedly attempted to make a difference with respect to this turf. There are many of us who are trying. That's all I can say kindly.
Were any natural grass alternatives discussed?
If one is going to be against turf there must be a replacement should it be stopped.
It might be - 'manage fields as we always have.' i happen to think there several "viable options" from better grass maintenance to quick dry grass to perhaps a Robb Hollow rectangular field that would satisfy the increasing demand for a lacrosse field.
11:45 Of course codes are being violated. Keep a list. Have it ready. One or more lawyers might want to take on this issue, pro bono. We will see. There are good people in Pittsburgh.
No decision made on infill tonight. I uploaded the podcasts of the meetings, and the municipal videos should be up tomorrow.
Going to bed with another migraine. Thanks, Dave.
Elaine
From Brumfield "the fact is, turf is going in everywhere".
To Brumfield "the fact is, heroin use is going up everywhere".
I hear the hue and cry, but whst I find troubling that you say, "Of course codes are being broken," as if this is the natural process in our local government.
Is it really an arrangement of - Catch Us If You Can system we're living in?
You may be right track though if one considers voter apathy.
Maybe it is a system of "we'll by the rules when enough of you care to show up, but not until then!"
11:49, maybe we'd be better off being annexed by Whitehall.
At their school board reacted appropriately when residents protested a school director being hired into a newly created position by the school directors.
From the Post Gazette regarding the Newcomers Tax:
"Philip Weis, municipal solicitor, said that one more in a series of meetings would be set up specifically to address homeowners’ concerns."
Because residents have concerns about the artificial turf project, where are the series of meetings for that?
How does one buy a $4.75 No Turf sign? I would like to get a couple.
Hi 6:44 AM, just email me with your address at EGillen476@aol.com and I will get them to you. Thanks!
Elaine
Controversial topics like turf that involve a lot of money and possible health risks should be put to referendum votes.
Amen!
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