I understand that some people are a little nervous about the anti-turf signs. I am happy to promote Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association. If anything, you should probably be nervous about mini hurricanes and hail storms like what happened tonight on Cedar Blvd.
The great news is that artificial turf will solve all your problems. Kids can still play during hail, floods, locusts, you name it. It is still a go. Really, was there any doubt?
John Bendel has never seen any articles about the dangers of turf. That came out tonight during Citizen Comments. That came two comments after mine. My comment was to cancel the $11,000 infomercial that will be given on June 12 in Mellon Auditorium. Would we really hear anything negative from a speaker who has a partnership with FieldTurf, an artificial turf company?
While this was happening, here is the latest on Twitter. What a class act Lebo is.
35 comments:
The plea for yard signs from MLSA comes from the same MLSA rep who stated that health concerns about artificial turf are "BS".
Hey Mr. MLSA, the next time you go to the doctor, I hope she doesn't say your concerns are "BS" but maybe she will, especially if she knows who you are.
Elaine I just walked in the door... How did the meeting go? Did Brummie say anything about his comment? Any good news?
I asked Brumfield to apologize for his lewd comment that he made during the budget retreat. He apologized but it was not sincere. What a class act.
No good news. Not one bit.
Elaine
Gateway said that our roads are in bad shape. They could easily spend a million dollars on our roads. Brumfield said rather than throw money at the roads, that they should do a study or something to that effect.
I asked that they forget turfing Middle and Wildcat and spend it on our roads. Of course, what do I know?
I uploaded the podcasts, if you can't sleep tonight.
Elaine
Gee, they don't have an upgraded Brafferton Field, the school district has started constructed some sort of temple to the gods of change orders and capital improvements and MWC is oh-so-mundane grass.
How will the little soccer tykes ever be able to cope with so few fields?
To Bendel-- "Living is easy with eyes closed!"
I sure am glad Gateway has assured us it doesn't flood on Cedar Blvd.
--Tom the Tinker
As a resident pointed out to the commission, the burden of proof is on them. If there is any doubt concerning safety, it is their duty to rule them out. The public shouldn't be providing the proof to Bendel and Brumfield.
BTW, Dave and John, based on what I read on that now suspended Twitter feed, PAYT isn't going to reduce the garbage in this town.
Elaine
Did the commission just approve going to for a bond for projects that have yet to be defined?
I hear the Rs showed up to protest the end of the elected treasurer position. But they couldn't wrap their heads around the issue with raising funds using bonds to fund undetermined projects.
The Twitter link is down but for those interested, Google still has it in cache. Just remember folks, once it's on the internet, it doesn't go away.
The list of followers on that account was interesting.
During Citizen Comments, I asked John Bendel for the SAB financial report. At the 59:54 time stamp on my podcast at lebocitizens.com, here are the numbers, as given by John:
$104,589 cash in hand (44% of total)
$132,750 pledged
$237,339 total
The contract cannot be approved until the total amount of $250,000 is received in cash. Allegedly.
Elaine
Hey, Elaine: What's a little conflict of interest among friends? Or stacking the panel? This is Pennsylvania, remember? The only thing left for the Home Rule Charter Amendments is to eliminate all public comment, heck, why not go all the way and eliminate all public hearings -- why should the public ever burden the commission, let them meet privately -- we can always read about it in the papers days later.
Correction Elaine: Brumfield actually said he "could not be" more sincere than his obviously unintended "apology."
Everyone uses the garbage collection service, only a portion use the fields. Why not Pay As You Play before PAYT? The greater good commands it.
If Mr. Bendel is correct, we have nothing to fear: the money is not coming.
$132,750 pledged, eh? I'd factor that out for now. You can't pay your bills with a pledge.
The Soccer Assoc. pledged $125,000 towards the purchase of McNeilly - it was shown in the Muni grant application to PA. The grant was awarded, but the Muni did not make the Soccer cabal pay up.
If we don't learn from history, its bound to repeat itself !
Here is the pertinent question in my opinion.
If the commissioners decided to go ahead with the turfing project even though the $250,000 in private money IS NOT IN THE MUNICIPAL BANK ACCOUNT as promised-- what do we do about it????
The other issue is how can they sell/rent advertising space on public property and call the income from that advertising "private" contributions to artificial turf?
This seems to be in direct conflict with the current Municipal Codes and Home Rule Charter yet why hasn't a commissioner asked for a ruling from - first the solicitor- then the Attorney General?
Why must taxpayers pay to start a suit? A single commissioner can instigate an investigation and/or outside ruling.
How do you find the twitter feed on google?
I'll ask again---
#1. Could someone with legal qualifications analyze Home Rule Charter, Article IV, Section 401, Item B under the Functions and Reponsibilities of the Treasurer?
It reads "The Treasurer shall receive all municipal moneys from [ALL SOURCES] and promptly deposit the same in a bank..."
So wouldn't revenue from field signs, hanging on municipal field fences be consider a municipal source of revenue? Therefore "public" revenue, not "private".
I'm not a lawyer, but it reads to me like the commissioners are violating our existing HR Charter.
#2. "Definition of 'Real Estate'
Land PLUS ANYTHING PERMANENTLY FIXED TO IT, including buildings, sheds and other items attached to the structure." ( A chain link fence like those on our fields I would think would be considered 'Real estate)
Section 151.1 Real Estate in the MTL Code states:
"No real estate owned by the Municipality shall be sold or leased except upon authorization of the Commission by Ordinance. [They passed a field sign ordinance, but they haven't followed up with advertising for bidders. They automatically assigned the sign space to sports groups.)
Additionally, no real estate owned by the municipality shall be sold or leased for consideration in excess of fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500), except to the highest bidder after public notice by advertisement bids or advertisement of public auction."
So when did the "leasing" of public field sign space get advertised and where are the competitive bids?
I'd say the commissioners are counting on a whole lot more than $1,500 from the lease of field sign space?
Another rule violation???
Then the biggest question of all--
If taxpayers believe the Codes or Charter are being violated, where do they turn for a definitive ruling?
Ask the commissioners... they're the ones trying to circumvent the rules. Ask the solicitor... yeah that'll work, he works for the commissioners!
So who can make and unbiased judgement as to whether there are violations?????
11:54 AM and the previous comment about the interesting list of followers of that lewd Twitter account that has since been suspended, please do not mention any names. Dave Brumfield has threatened to sue me. He has blocked me from his personal and Mt. Lebanon email account. He will not respond to me during citizen comments, nor will he ever answer my phone calls, not that I have ever tried. I did not start that VERY offensive Twitter account, nor did I follow it. Yet, just like Ed Kubit did to me in 2010, when I got the gavel over Linfante's heckling during my comments, I am the one threatened with a lawsuit.
Elaine
If one commissioner can initiate an investigation, why hasnt Fraasch done so?
Brumfield can, I assume, use the legal hammer of the muni solicitor for his lawsuit, where as if taxpayers have a legal concern with the enforcement of the codes and charter... they bear the legal cost out of their own pockets.
So much for goverment by and for the people-- eh!
Mr Brumfield threatened a lawsuit? Over what? Speaking the truth?
I think the ones who should worry about lawsuits are some of the parents of the people involved in that Twitter account. How many times does this type of behavior have to happen before kids learn? This smells of the "top 25 list" from 2006 and should not be tolerated.
Elaine Brumfield can NOT block you from a PUBLIC email account! You pay taxes, live in the community and have the right to communicate with the elected officials. But as my oldest says... You now know you are getting to him look at the reaction. If you can prove that he is blocking you on a township provided email and your emails are not threatening and personal you just might have a lawsuit against Brummie. Any chance to get some signs that spell out that the commissioners are wasting over a MILLION $$$ on turf while roads crumble? I think the money issue might get more people pissed off. Did in this house!
11:36...Is KELLY listening. The others are lost causes, but Kelly still has her defenders on this blog--she is great at potholes, apparently--the problem is where is she when something really important about municipal stewardship comes up? Kelly should ask for such legal opinions, or explain why not.
Elaine: Your courage in front of our elected officials should be met with some support if anyone on the commission or the SB has any sincerity. Again I ask, why, if she purports to oppose such abuses, does she not speak out when it counts - at commission meetings, and to the people who need to hear from her - her colleagues on the commission. I think it is just another example of saying one thing for political effect and then disappearing when the work needs to be done.
We all should give some credit to ex-commish Matt Kluck for devoting his time as a private citizen to make clear to his former colleagues, by this attendance at commission meetings and his open support for the Newcomers and the Pro Kids Safety, Keep our Green Fields Grass reformers. What a contrast he is to his former colleagues who never speak out against one another, no matter what the offense. Mr. Kluck is a model citizen and leader for us all -- too bad he left the commission.
12:34 I doubt that Kelly or any of the others have read, much less analyzed what the HR Charter Section 401 or the municpal code Section 151.1 really means and if it has any bearing on the revenue collected from field signs.
I would think any commissioner interesting in operating our municipality under its established rules and regulations would want those Sections explained in full.
It doesn't cost them a dime and gets the solicitor on public record. Should the commissioner find his answer unsatisfactory then they need to explore the next legal step.
There is nothing illegal or malicious in asking if the rules of the municipality are being broken.
Elaine: For how many days did you have to break into the adjacent fire hydrants to flood that intersection claiming it had something to do with conditions that the experts have patiently explained doesn't exist? Only photoshopping or vandalism motivated by obdurate stubbornness could overcome the dulcet and soothing words of our leaders. It is our responsibility to listen and understand the given Word of the commission (which can never be wrong). The entire need for turf is obviously your misanthropic attitude and misunderstanding of the facts as interpreted by our civic priests. Shame on you.
2:27 You obviously don't get it. The Rules are what they tell us they are. We, the tax-surfs cannot possibly understand what is at issue, or the proper way to deal with local concerns. Only our enlightened elite can do that for us. Why would you assume that we could understand by reading the ordinance what it might mean? Keep your eyes on the floor and lower your voice, you are not being civil.
The Commissioners promised the community artificial turf would not proceed until the $250,000 in private donations were paid.
According to the "Home Rule Charter, Article IV, Section 401, Item B under the Functions and Reponsibilities of the Treasurer?
It reads "The Treasurer shall receive all municipal moneys from [ALL SOURCES] and promptly deposit the same in a bank..."
Pledges DO NOT COUNT and therefore if the bids are approved and the project is let, the commissioners are in violation of municipal codes.
Perhaps we'll be enjoying the "Sue Me, Sue You Blues."
In the Almanac this week the Lebo Girls Lacrosse Team are the WPIAL Champions... congratulations girls!
The Boys team, defending last year's championship title fell just one game shy of repeating... still a season to be proud of.
I wonder how they ever managed their successes having to suffer on grass fields and not enough practice and game slots?
Worth a listen/watch:
Safer chemicals and safer playing fields
Jennifer Beals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl_Zi745Ckw
First off, the great patriots who died for this exceptional nation did not tread on astro-turf. A big government is never good, including local government. I'm not playing baseball anytime soon so why should I pay for this field to be turfed? As a god fearing American, I find it to be my duty to protect the major of Mt Lebanon's population from the tyrannical "leaders".
8:54 I'll agree with most of your comment except for The point of why should I pay this turf because I don't play baseball.
I might never ever drive on a specific street in Mt. Lebaon or my storm water may never drain into specific storm pipes - does that mean I shouldn't have to contribute to their maintenance?
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