The Commission participated in a very late in the year budget retreat, held yesterday at the Municipal Building. The retreat was video recorded and is available here on the Municipal website. I did not attend the retreat. Most of the commissioners were not aware that the retreat was being recorded, so we get to see first hand how these clowns think. Kristen is on a major power trip. Watching Dave's reaction when he finds out that he was being recorded is priceless. It is at the very end.
Here are the commissioners' priorities for our Budget
1. Deer Management
2. Road Safety
3. Economic Development
4. Recreation
5. Park Maintenance
6. Neighborhoods (Historic Preservation)
Deer management is a topic in which President Linfante will not discuss with her critics.
The aerial survey results for 2013 are here. Last year's results were credible, according to Kristen.
The aerial survey results for 2014 are here. This year's results are flawed, according to Kristen.
Public Works Tom Kelley questioned this year's survey.
From: Tom Kelley <tkelley@mtlebanon.org>Merlin Benner's response:
Date: Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 11:19 AM
Subject: Fwd: Questions from the packet
To: Merlin Benner <merlin@wildlife-specialists.com>
Cc: Stephen Feller <sfeller@mtlebanon.org>, Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Hi Merlin,
Below is a string of emails generated after Vision Air completed a recent FLIR survey of white tail deer in the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon. A copy of the completed survey report is attached. The number of deer counted in the prior years FLIR survey (also performed by Vision Air) totaled 342 in 117 groups, this years survey total was 196 deer in 97 groups. This is a decrease of 146 deer (42.6%). Our elected commission is looking for some interpretation of the data to understand the disparity between the two surveys. In her below email Susan Bermatas recommended that we contact you to help ( " I recommend you contact Merlin Benner who is a very good wildlife biologist with extensive habitat / deer population experience in PA. He can help you interpret the data. "). Would you be able to help us out? Our commission is meeting on Monday night would it be possible to contact you via telephone during our meeting -between 6:45 PM and 7:15 PM? Thanks.
All surveys are a snapshot in time. All of them. Replication helps provide more precision and accuracy. Our clients who are interested in more precision have a sampling strategy which is usually more cost effective in larger areas. Those clients who have small areas like Mount Lebanon have us replicated the survey at least 3 times. The surveys set can be conducted within a short time frame such as 2 - 3 days. Other ways to increase information is to survey once a month Nov - March.
No survey method can see through anything. Deer could "hide" under conifer but there is actually very little conifer in your area which hide deer for aerial survey. The species of conifer in your area have "holes" in the canopy which allows us to detect animals. Big groups would be detected. And, certainly there is no more cover in your project area than last year. Could 100 deer all decide to hide under conifer this year? Number of groups between the two year is close. Distribution is not particularly unusual. Group sizes were a smaller meaning I did not see large group sizes. In cold and deep snow I sometime find larger group sizes. There was not a lot of deer movement. I can detect deer tracks / trails.
The survey was conducted in good IR conditions. There was no frost. I halt surveys when I detect frost. The survey was conducted within days of the date of last years survey. BUT it was a very different winter. I recommend you contact Merlin Benner who is a very good wildlife biologist with extensive habitat / deer population experience in PA. He can help you interpret the data.
Merlin Benner
merlin@wildlife-specialists.com
Wildlife Specialists, LLC
North Central Pennsylvania Office
2785 Hills Creek RoadWellsboro, PA 16901
Phone: 570-376-2255
Email: info@wildlife-specialists.com
Watching the Budget Retreat is quite entertaining. Sure, it goes on for two hours, but in the first two minutes, Kristen Linfante defines leadership as "honesty." She believes "honesty" is the trait of a leader. She also believes that a leader is a team builder and is respected. Good stuff, huh? All that is in the first three minutes of the retreat.
If the commissioners could resolve three issues in the next eighteen months, here are their answers, in order:
1. Deer
2. TOD
3. Turf
At almost the 47 minute mark, Kristen answers the facilitator's question as to what would it take for all commissioners to be forced to resign, with "Fraud, Stealing Taxpayer Money, Lying, Deceit..." Wait, Kristen, did you say "Lying? Deceit?" Hmm.
As far as deer is concerned, Kristen believes the longer we wait, the more expensive it will be. We waited one year and the number of deer went down 43%. I am having a hard time believing you, Kristen. Why did you take those numbers as gospel last year and this year, there is a discrepancy?
Watch what Dave and Kristen have to say about referendums. Hint: They are against them. They were elected to "make the tough decisions."
Oh jeeze, Kristen is calling the commission "dysfunctional." (01:15:30) The facilitator told her to get over it. But Dave agrees with Kristen. He wants the turf to be unanimous. Kristen thinks that once there is a majority, we should move on. OMG, Kristen! What about you being the lone wolf concerning deer? You are such a hypocrite.
If the commissioners could resolve three issues in the next eighteen months, here are their answers, in order:
1. Deer
2. TOD
3. Turf
At almost the 47 minute mark, Kristen answers the facilitator's question as to what would it take for all commissioners to be forced to resign, with "Fraud, Stealing Taxpayer Money, Lying, Deceit..." Wait, Kristen, did you say "Lying? Deceit?" Hmm.
As far as deer is concerned, Kristen believes the longer we wait, the more expensive it will be. We waited one year and the number of deer went down 43%. I am having a hard time believing you, Kristen. Why did you take those numbers as gospel last year and this year, there is a discrepancy?
Watch what Dave and Kristen have to say about referendums. Hint: They are against them. They were elected to "make the tough decisions."
Oh jeeze, Kristen is calling the commission "dysfunctional." (01:15:30) The facilitator told her to get over it. But Dave agrees with Kristen. He wants the turf to be unanimous. Kristen thinks that once there is a majority, we should move on. OMG, Kristen! What about you being the lone wolf concerning deer? You are such a hypocrite.
I have roughly 8 deer living behind me. I find it hard to believe for as large as Mt. Lebanon is I have 4% of the total deer population in my back yard.
ReplyDeleteNick M.
Interesting, Brumfield is quoted before 00:15:32 "Corbett sucks".
ReplyDeleteDave, you sure are one classy guy when you think no one is listening. You are unprofessional and have alienated every republican now, and you are working on alienating the Mt. Lebanon Democrats as well.
So much for reaching across the aisle, your entrenched bias is showing. Get out and don't let the door hit you! Get out of our pockets in efforts to fulfill your selfish dreams.
It is indeed interesting that the Commissioners believe the individuals who attend their meetings and speak up are the "vocal minority", but those who don't show must simply agree with their actions and think everything is going along swimmingly. Wow, how out of touch can the Commission be?
ReplyDeleteMore than I thought! That is truly a slap in the face of we citizens who take an active role in our local government, read up on the issues and go to meetings to state our positions. They don't understand that those who are not engaged are simply living life and trusting our elected officials, rather than being a "quiet majority"!
-Charlotte Stephenson
I find it more interesting that President Linfante doesn't find the dysfunction of the Commission her responsibility.
ReplyDeleteIsn't she the leader of the group that she is calling dysfunctional? Ironic?
Charlotte, review the Commission with me. do they ever host meetings to hear from the residents? Do they ever engage in public or even private conversations with residents on any issues? do they ever just ask our opinion about things?
ReplyDeleteCharlotte: It is just the Soviets who used to put people in mental hospitals for holding opinions contrary to government policy. It is a species of megalomania.
ReplyDeleteI will say that I have seen a marked decrease in the number of deer in the past year. Purely anecdotally, I used to see a small group of six to eight traipse through my backyard daily; now that group is only three daily. So while they're still an awful nuisance, they're less of a nuisance than last year, which was the worst ever.
ReplyDeleteI'd presume that the decrease is due to:
- Neighboring municipalities performing culls. As the population of deer decreases around us, deer centered in our area are more likely to travel to less densely populated areas, namely those where a cull was recently conducted.
- Increased predation. The recent sightings of coyote might indicate some impact on last year's fawn population.
- Weather. This winter was stinking cold, making survival more difficult.
We shall see how many fawns appear this year. Does that went into rut in November should be giving birth right about now.
That's interesting that the number of deer went down as I was just thinking the other day that I don't have as many deer in the yard as usual. I never had a problem with them as I am an alert driver and my dog loves playing with them.
ReplyDeleteNext animal on the hit list will be turkeys. I guarantee it.
1:03 AM, after Classy Dave made his Corbett comment, I think I heard Kelly say that he was being taped. Dave never heard it because he doesn't listen.
ReplyDeleteAbout deer, Kristen will never admit that the deer population has decreased 42.6%. The data is there. She wants to wipe out an entire species. I guess she doesn't understand the meaning of "coexist." I am referring to deer, so don't file a police report against me again, Kristen.
Kristen doesn't see that she is lacking the qualities of leadership as she defines it.
Elaine
The deer population here in SlumHills hasn't decreased! Nor has our feral cat population. Add groundhogs to the list. Haven't seen turkeys for years. But for weeks we have found numerous dead rabbit heads in the yard. Our Vet said that was most likely Coyote kills. What's next wolves? Black bears?
ReplyDelete1:45 PM, Slum Hills? My! And I'm the one who needs to move?
ReplyDeleteThe data is there. Did you look at it?
Elaine
I am sure the data is correct but it does seem to me that I am seeing more its year! Perhaps they have just taken up residence near my house door some reason. And there are definitely turkey's around! I always see them in Mission hills. I also ran by one over close to Mcneily rd.
ReplyDeleteIf you're referring to Sunset Hills, 1:45, this neighbor is seeing fewer deer this year and more feral cats.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, the deer like you because you're especially sweet and friendly, based on the Slum Hills comment.
LEBO definition of "quid pro quo"
ReplyDeleteYou build my turf, I'll "blank" your deer!
With the deer population on the decline, how do deer get to be the #1 priority?
See answer above.
I do hope when they go on their shotgun hunt, they choose to start in the commissioner's back yards.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what rights you would have under PA's Castle Doctrine if someone was shooting a shotgun towards your house?
--Tom the Tinker
I would return fire in kind !
ReplyDeleteWhat is the goal of the deer cull or sterilization? Is there a # of deer per square mile that Mt Lebanon aims to achieve?
ReplyDeleteIf we take out all the grass and eliminate all the deer, will this place be OK for Kristen & Dave?
Last weekend my husband and I had the privilege of watching a doe and her two very young fawns in our backyard. She groomed them as they breastfed.
ReplyDeleteThe trio could not have been sweeter and I wish I had a photo of the scene to post.
This planet doesn't just belong to humans and it's about time residents understand that.
Why does Bendel vaguely repeat that he wants to prioritize "Neighborhood Preservation"?
ReplyDelete10:46 PM, if we're lucky, Kristen will have moved out of Mt. Lebanon instead. The deer population in Mt. Lebanon is declining. I posted the facts. Does that woman ever tell the truth?
ReplyDeleteElaine
So we live in a walking community, walking school district where the threat of deer is more significant and important to address than road safety per a comprehensive, multiagency effort based on needed changes to reduce risks for further traffic/pedestrian/cyclist accidents/injuries/deaths?
ReplyDeleteFor people that live outside Sunset Hills area you might not understand the term "Slum Hills". So here's a brief explanation before my boss walks by. Years ago Howe school's field was in sad shape. We described it as a sand pit with a few small patches of green weeds. A man "who I won't name" to save Elaine from another police visit or lawsuit stood up and I guess what you would call an adult temper tantrum said that "his" sports group didn't want to travel to Howe school and another sport's Dad replied that he didn't want to "step in SlumHills". End of story! Now we have Brumfield.... Can it get ANY better?
ReplyDeleteIf you read Cranberry's Sportsplex maintenance guide for the fields, you will quickly learn that the procedures "who I won't name" and jis cronies used to dry out the wet Howe Field actually made the field worse.
ReplyDeleteThere were games where puddles were raked to try and move standing water only resulting in deeper depressions that collected more water. Then bags and bags of drying clay were dumped on the infield, making the soil inhospitable for grass.
1:32 pm
ReplyDeleteTo clarify your comment: A member of the SAB referred to your entire neighborhood as "Slumhills" prior to his appointment to the Sports Advisory Board?
If so, then I am learning it is OK to publicly denigrate an entire ward/neighborhood and still be a sought after resident to serve in an important advisory role to Mt Lebanon?
What the Kluck!
ReplyDeleteCorbett Sucks!
Slum Hills!
Anyone noticing a pattern of behavior?
This comment was made years ago before I think the SAB was a board. People were upset that Howe was always the last to get attention and worried that the people from outside Sunset Hills would push for Howe to be lighted. The guy that actually made the "SlumHills" comment was not a friend of "He that shall not be named". They went after each other all night. "He that shall not be named" wanted a professional kiddies league with official refs and annual players' contracts and the other Dad was for kids playing for the fun of it. Imagine that!
ReplyDeleteFine 7:14, but that does not address the fact that procedures being used to dry out the Howe field were actually making the field worse over time, creating the "sand pit with small patches of green weeds".
ReplyDeleteIn defense of the volunteer dads, we didn't know better. That's where PW or those in charge of field maintenance dropped the ball.
Isn't this interesting!
ReplyDeleteLebomag reports these are the commissioners priorities: "So, the priorities for the 2015 budget are, in order: Deer, road safety, economic development, recreation, parks maintenance/green space preservation and neighborhood (historic) preservation. The commissioners were quick to say that their priorities are not necessarily the things they want to spend the most money on; rather, they are the most important decisions to be made during the budget process. In fact, the solution to the deer issue could be to do nothing at all, they said. But they agreed it is important to decide whether or not to pursue some sort of deer management strategy by the end of 2015."
Let me see if I can makes sense of the thought processes going on in the heads of this group.
The #1 priority is deer! It is such a priority that "the solution to the deer issue could be to do nothing at all, they said."
Hun? Thank God, the first priority wasn't putting out a fire or catching a mass muderer!
Then their second priority is road safety!
Kelly Fraasch reported on her blog in March: "Washington Crosswalk was a part of a larger debate in 2011 with the Commission.
Mid-block crosswalks were being examined and some were under consideration for removal. Why? Some studies show that mid-block crosswalks can be unsafe.
After the lengthy debate, the Commissioners voted and a majority voted to keep the crosswalk and add enhancements to make the walkway safer. Most cited their concerns if they took the crosswalk away that residents and visitors would cross anyway creating an unsafe roadway.
The municipality didn’t have any money for the enhancements and the staff looked into potential grant options.
After 2012, finding that the state had approved a tool to enhance the safety of the crosswalk and understanding that grant funding might not be possible. I asked the Commission to consider funding through our 2012 unassigned funds. We voted in the Summer of 2013 for this measure and it was approved."
So much for their second priority! No money for it, but alas they were sitting on $750,000 of undesignated finds which just happen to be going to priority #3.
One business dictionary defines a priority as: "something that you do or deal with first because it is more important or urgent than other things."
ReplyDeleteIf one of your options on deer is to do nothing at all— it's not a damn priority, commissioners!!!
What are you, stupid?
7:32 am. The road safety mid block issue on Washington Rd is not what the commission is talking about now. Now the question is whether to address the top 10 road hazards in Mt Lebanon as determined by a multi-agency group and based on stats from vehicle, cyclist, and pedestrian accidents. They are not thinking about addressing missing sidewalks on collector or arterial roads. --just those top 10 hazards... but my take from the video was that road safety isn't a top 3 priority.
ReplyDeleteI guess "doing nothing at all" is indeed a strategy! A very strange strategy for your #1 priority... but yes, it is a strategy.
ReplyDeleteThe Washington Road crosswalk has been a safety concern for pedestrians, primarily kids and parents since at least 2011. According to Kelly's comment, the municipality didn't have money for a safer crosswalk.
I wonder though how much money was funneled to Gateway to evaluate Brafferton, Bird, McNeilly, MWC fields for possible turfing, since 2011. How much was spent on counting deer, that we may not do anything about?
8:34 you are correct, the Washington Road crossing is being resolved, only took 2 years. They're moving on artificial turf like a house is on fire, but hey that is priority #3.
ReplyDeleteRead what a Congressmen says abiut potholes etc. Personall, I think deteriorating curbs/sidewalks that may have rebar or chunks of concrete sticking out into the road are a public safety issue for pedestrians and cyclist that may trip and fall into the path of a an oncoming vehicle. Or a pothole weakened tie rod or strut that fails unexpectantly and causes an accident.
But, you're right, artificial turf and the $750,000 for it takes precident!
http://forbes.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=374273
"As the snow thaws to warmer months, new potholes and signs of road deterioration are certain to appear on our daily commutes. Although this is the reality of a harsh winter, it also serves as a reminder of how quickly our transportation and infrastructure can wither. In a boiling frog-like scenario, without the budgets or attention necessary, the conditions of our roads and bridges can deteriorate mostly unnoticed until the problem becomes more than annoyance – it becomes a safety hazard and adds costly wear and tear to vehicles. Then, even if the funds exist to make repairs, plans get caught up in a process of red tape and burdensome regulations. While waiting for project approval, infrastructure issues can worsen to the point that they may be deadly."
8:34 if sidewalks are not part of the road hazard discussion, why is it in my morning commute I get surprised by so many joggers running in the street next to a sidewalk that would keep them safe from traffic?
ReplyDelete8:34, I'm beginning to think there are two Mt. Lebanons, the first which most of us live in, paying our bills, raising children and trying to get through the daily grind as best we can.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the Superman-like Bizarro Mt. Lebanon where people write things like: "...but my take from the video was that road safety isn't a top 3 priority. "
Lebomag writes: "So, the priorities for the 2015 budget are, in order: Deer, road safety, economic development, recreation, parks maintenance/green space preservation and neighborhood (historic) preservation."
#2. road safety, guess I'm the idiot for thinking road safety is "road safety." thanks for clearing up my confusion. Guess one pedestrian/jogger being killed and another injured were just aberrations.
This is the audit of road safety issues in Mt Lebanon. This report reflects what the commission has been presented, and is not prioritizing in the top 3 goals from now till the end of 2015.
ReplyDeletehttp://mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/9598
Could somebody clear up whether road safety is the #2 priority of the commission (per LeboMag) but not stated as such during the retreat? When was Lebomag commentary published?
ReplyDeleteIf it's a top priority, all they have to say is get to it as the estimates have already been presented to the Commission and Feller.
10:23 am Before you start saying comments are bizarro, maybe you should examine your assumptions here: that Lebomag comments are truly reflective of the Commission's plan/goals.
ReplyDeleteThe Washington Crosswalk took at least 6 years to be accomplished. I received an email about it in 2008 from a traffic board person who was deeply involved in working on it.
Money was available for the crosswalk over this time period. Otherwise, we wouldn't have 750,000 in excess undesignated funds to spend on turf now would we?
Mt Lebanon didn't ultimately pay to have that Washington crosswalk fixed -- they received a state grant obtained via efforts from Fraasch and Smith.
Things aren't always as they seem in Mt Lebanon.
11:38 you are supporting my bizarro comment. I'm well aware that crosswalk has been discussed for years. But it took until 2014 to actually "'git 'er done" much to the efforts I believe of the one commissioner that seems to have her priorities in order-- Kelly Fraasch.
ReplyDeleteIt is not like Mt. Lebanon for all our hootey tootey attitudes couldn't of dealth with the crosswalk without a grant.
Hell, we can spend $11,000 at the drop of a hat to have a guy come in and talk about plastic grass. $85,000 or so to make a crosswalk safer for pedestrians should be easy.
Want evidence of how bizarro this community is?
One of the major justifications sold to the uninvolved public for the $800,000 Horsman Drive bridge was that it was needed to get high school students safely across 'busy' Horsman Drive.
An people bought it!
Then immediately after the HS construction started what did the administration do?
Sent students that drive across Cochran and Washington to park in a church parking lot that requires that they navigate through morning rush hour traffic and inclement weather to get to school. Adding insult to injury- they now charge them $50/year to run that guantlet. Now if that isn't bizarro I don't know what is!
More bizarro-ness 11:38.
ReplyDeleteYou write: "you should examine your assumptions here: that Lebomag comments are truly reflective of the Commissioners plans/goals.
Say what???!!!! I thought Lebomag was our Mt. Lebanon magazine and falls under the auuspices of the municipal Public Information Officer?
You're telling me they aren't accurately reporting the plans and goals of our commissioners.
Now you're telling me I need to analyze the info from the PIO department!
Look at Figure 7 in the link provided by 10:26: http://mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/9598
ReplyDeleteThe caption reads: "damaged sidewalk, non-ADA compliant Pedestrian Ramp & Sidewalk".
Yet 8:34 admonishes 7:32 for talking about sidewalks stating: "They are not thinking about addressing missing sidewalks on collector or arterial roads. --just those top 10 hazards... but my take from the video was that road safety isn't a top 3 priority."
B-I-Z-A-R-R-O with a capital B!!!
11:38 so you are saying essentially public safety isn't the #2 priority, correct?
ReplyDeleteFor these commissioners stuff only becomes a priority if and when you can get someone else to pay for it!
Kind of like artificial turf and the "newcomers tax."
You are right. They may fix a tiny bit of a sidewalk here or there, if they make it a top priority while they are still commissioners. What I meant is that they are not installing NEW sidewalks where they are missing. Sorry that I failed to spell that out. I come from a neighborhood that is missing sidewalks.
ReplyDeleteIf you divert me to the "new sidewalk expansion policy", I'll tell you that the commission established a sidewalk policy that discourages installations of new sidewalks by making it next to impossible to be successful. This is abnormal. Real walking communities put in the sidewalks via their comprehensive plan, systematically.
Of note, I know of no other "walking community" in the US where kids walk to school that allow for an absence of sidewalks on arterial and collector streets.
I've lived on a street with and another without sidewalks. I paid a fortune to repair the sidewalk (corner lot - lots of badly damaged sections when I moved in). To be perfectly frank, I prefer not having sidewalks. Oh, and yes, my kids walked both on the street and on sidewalks. Just my two, um, 340,000 cents.
ReplyDeleteOh by all means I agree 1:23, I definitely wasn't arguing for installing sidewalks in neighborhoods that didn't have them.
ReplyDeleteI was only commenting on sidewalks, curbs etc., that are in place and are deteriorating to the point that they become a hazard. Same with street repairs like potholes, snowplowing, blind intersections etc.
To me that takes precident over things like artificially turfing MWC.
I'm with 2:51. Sidewalks would be nice, but to me not worth the hassel or the expense.
ReplyDeleteIf they were that important I wouldn't have bought in a neighborhood without them.
My kids grew up fine without sidewalks in this MTL neighborhood, the previous owner's kids grew up without sidewalks so it isn't a concern here either.
Crumbling curbs, broken sidewalks at major intersections like those shown in the safety audit are.
The commissioners talk about "crown jewels" for realtor showings, what does it say to prospective homebuyers when your have crumbling infrastructure that looks like something from the Hill, Mckees Rocks or Homestead?
Where are these crumbling curbs and broken sidewalks exactly? Why aren't the homeowners responsible?
ReplyDeleteHere 8:40, I'll take your little hand and walk you to the municipality's own document that displays photos of the issues.
ReplyDeletehttp://mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/9598
Thank you, 10:33 AM, for sharing this link with us. I had not seen this before. But the commissioners have no problem ripping up beautiful grass fields and dropping more than $750,000 on that project.
ReplyDeleteI was walking to my car yesterday in the North Garage and a woman from Scott Township asked me if Mt. Lebanon is having financial problems. She noticed that the streets and curbs are in horrible shape.
Commissioners, this has been said many times already, but we look really bad to neighboring communities.
Elaine
Elaine, don't thank me I only discovered the link after it was posted right here yesterday by 10:26.
ReplyDeleteThough it is obvious to anyone with eyes that can see that things are not being taken care of as they should in the Great State of Mt. Lebanon.
10:33: that doc shows a picture of one damaged sidewalk. I'm only trying to seriously understand where the problems are... I walk and jog daily and honestly don't know. Elaine mentions someone noticed the streets and curbs in horrible shape. I am just trying to get an idea of where they are the worst.
ReplyDeleteHi Jen,
ReplyDeleteI posted a couple of photos on the blog that are around the stadium on May 5. I am not sure if one is municipal and one is school district. I know there are some pretty bad roads in my neck of the woods. I had a very brief conversation with the woman from Scott. I really didn't ask her to go into detail, since that wasn't the first time it was told to me.
Elaine
OK Jen, I'll hold your hand.
ReplyDeleteNow carefully dear so you don't miss them... look at photos 8 & 9.
If that isn't enough look at the curbing in front of Mellon and the church. One section of curbing has been patched by asphalt which is now deteriorating and falling out. There are areas like this through out the community that have been like this for years, must I walk you to each one?
Now you can argue, Castle Shannon Blvd is a state road and it's thier problem and you'd be right. But it has been that way thru the Rendell administration and well into Corbett's.
Why do we let things go to hell around here local or state until they become a hazard.
The Liberty Bridge, used by probably a million of your neighbors every year is well beyond its designed life and now is structurally deficient. Corbett is finally I hear addressing it.
But all the democratic governor candidates and Smith, Miller want to send more and more money into schools. Its always more for education. Now in Lebo it sports.
A million for Twin Hills, two million for McNeilly (if you haven't seen them I'll provide a Google map link cause I know you need proof) and now $1.2 for MWC.
Sorry about that Jen. We're pretty bitter over how the high school wasn't cared for and is now costing us millions. And as you know, we haven't learned how to take care of anything in Mt. Lebanon.
ReplyDeleteI know you are a new Lebo Citizens reader and there is a steep learning curve. People forget that. Thanks for wanting to learn more and for not burying your head in the sand as so many do around here. Forget unicorns. It's all about ostriches in Mt. Lebanon!
Elaine
"These are the times that try men's souls."
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand the concerns about crumbling infrastructure and the apparent lack of upkeep in many parts of Mt Lebanon, the road safety audit was a professional hazard assessment aimed at reducing preventable injuries, deaths, and lack of accessibility per the Americans with Disabilities Act. A failure to act immediately on these recommendations is negligence. If anyone is hurt at any of these 10 intersections, the municipality will be responsible. If it's a child walking to or from school, the school district will also be held accountable.
ReplyDelete9:28 well said, but why in affluent Mt. Lebanon that takes so much pleasure in talking down neighboring communities like Dormont, Castle Shannon and Bethel, do we allow defects like this to exist?
ReplyDeleteForget the possiblity of lawsuits, is this who we are?
Don't tell me it is for lack of money !
We're spending $750,000+ of banked tax dollars on artificial turf and $11,000 on a dog and pony show supporting it.
It is all about priorities, 9:28 and 9:53 AM. And there is nothing that can be done about it. They just sit back and laugh at me. I'm embarrassed to say that I am the mouth breather at the commission meeting. You can hear me breathing during my turn at Citizen Comments because I am so damn mad. There are so many reasons not to spend $750,000+ for Phase 1 of the turf project and yet it took years to address the crosswalk at Washington School and will take years for them to act on the road safety audit. The decision to turf Middle and Wildcat (October) and then vote on it (November) only took a month!
ReplyDeleteElaine
Bingo, Elaine!
ReplyDeleteThere is something that can be done about it, but the electorate has niether the attention span or will to do anything about it.
They'll listen to Brumfield and accept every one of his claims because it is easier not to check them.
The local Rs don't even have the energy to make him accountable.
@10:23 correction - neither
ReplyDelete