Instead of a Board Discussion meeting and a separate Board Regular meeting, the school board has only one meeting in July. This Monday, July 21, the school board will be holding the combined meeting. The agenda has been posted here.
It appears to me that the school district is also guilty of overtaxing us. According to the agenda:
Designation of Fund Balance – Board Policy sets the year end fund balance at 6% of the expenditure budget and designates the remaining fund balance to the Capital Projects Fund, the Other Post Employment Benefit (OPEB) Reserve or to other purposes as determined by the Board. The 2014-15 Budget utilizes $750,000 of the fund balance to mitigate the need for a tax increase. Beyond that, there remains approximately $4.3 million to be designated. One proposal would be to transfer $3 million to the Capital Projects Fund and $1 million to the OPEB reserve leaving $300,000 to be determined at a later point once the audit of the 2013-14 Fiscal Year is complete and any additional funds to be transferred can be finalized. The superintendent recommends approval of this action.
Designation of Fund Balance – RESOLVED, That the Board approves the transfer of $3 million from the designated General Fund - Fund Balance to the Capital Projects Fund and $1 million to the OPEB reserve.
This month, the school board will be awarding the contract for the $74,000 trophy case to Olan Wood Products in the amount of $52,000 as the lowest responsible bidder meeting specifications.
What we have all been waiting for is the discussion of the Artificial Turf Maintenance Agreement between the Municipality and the School District.
Artificial Turf Maintenance Agreement – The Municipality is requesting that the work we do to help maintain their current fields now be changed to help maintain their new turf field since we already own the equipment to do the maintenance. Since this is no additional cost to the District and we will continue to be able to use their fields at no cost, I am recommending approval of this agreement.I am curious as to how this is going to work with the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The CBA does not recognize Municipal Fields as approved work sites. According to the Zipper Clause, the Association has to agree to any changes with the District.
Artificial Turf Maintenance Agreement: RESOLVED, That the Board approves the agreement with the Municipality for maintenance of their turf field and authorizes the Superintendent to sign the agreement.
Finally, the change orders for July total $242,696 bringing the total to $3,658,409.65.
Change Orders for High School Renovation Project – Change orders for Board approval for the month of July totaling $242,696 have been reviewed by the architect, PJ Dick and the District administration:
a. GC-103-235 to Nello for $158,947 for masonry, doors, steel, beams, window blocking, fire rating, building dimensional discrepancy, stairs, handrails, cooling towers and slab changes,
b. PL-32-236 to Vrabel for $34,531 for storm and sanitary changes and credits for drains and piping,
c. EL-63-237 to Farfield for $42,132 for lighting modifications, cabling, sound system devices, speaker clusters in auditorium, heat detectors and power changes, and
d. ME-25-238 to McKamish for $11,086 for return grills and duct modifications.
Update July 18, 2014 6:17 PM Further clarification concerning School District field maintenance of Municipal fields per Timmy's recommendation.
From: Tom Kelley [mailto:tkelley@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2014 3:15 PM
To: Nick M.
Subject: Re: fields
No at this time we do all the work on our fields and the school district maintains their own. Once the synthetic turf is placed at the Wildcat and Middle field area then the school district will maintain the field surface (clean and groom the synthetic turf). We will continue to maintain all of our grass fields with no help from the school district.
On Fri, Jul 18, 2014 at 2:50 PM, Nick M. wrote:
Hi Tom,
Can you please clarify something for me.
Is the school district currently doing any maintenance work on any municipal fields?
The reason I ask is because in the school board agenda for next Monday it states,
“The Municipality is requesting that the work we do to help maintain their current fields now be changed to help maintain their new turf field since we already own the equipment to do the maintenance.”
What work is the school district already doing to help maintain their (municipal) current fields.
Can you please clarify this for me.
Thank you Tom,
Nick M.
91 comments:
What work is the School District currently doing now to maintain the current municipal fields?
I'm a little confused on this.
Nick M.
I was under the impression that the Democratic Party has always stood along side labor unions. Here is another example of the turf project being run by D's who have gone rogue. Seriously, I think I know the D's values better than the D commissioners, D school board members and D administrators running this town. Let's see. The ESB, the PAB, the R's, the D's, and now the unions will be p.o.'ed with Linfante, Brumfield, Bendel and Silverman over the turf project.
Elaine
You and me both, Nick M. I didn't think they were doing any maintenance on municipal fields. Any agreements in the past were for school district fields only.
Elaine
If the school district is sitting on a cache of money, essentially a rainy day fund, why are the claiming they need more money?
Why do people save money,.. essentially for retirement and to cover those things like wish list and emergencies that regular income doesn't cover.
Well the district isn't retiring any time soon and there aren't any major castatrophes we need need to cover so all that is left are items from the wish list like new gyms, new cell phone boosters, capital campaign chairperson.
Another question, how many of us go on 4 day work weeks during the summer?
Nice work if you can get it... hun!
Any news on the $500K firing range for special interest group #156?
In my humble opinion, the municipality is giving the school district Middle/Wildcat fields for their high school lacrosse team. The days of identifying fields as separately owned or maintained are pretty much over. The high school boys' lacrosse team is going to have priority status on these newly turfed fields and the school district is doing the least they can do (i.e., pretending to offer maintenance which will actually translate into some action 1x/year).
Oops. I mean high school mens' lacrosse team because, as documented in all of the field plans, these are kids, boys, or girls, they are men and women now and we might as well expect them all to get full athletic scholarships to college and become professional athletes.
The special interest group - i.e. The rifle team is one of Lebo's oldest sports.
Why should they be cut any more than any other team activity?
correction @ 4 pm
are = aren't
these aren't kids
Another example of violations by the Muni, Commissioners, and School District clowns. PA's Purdon's Statues's Laws govern how all taxes collected and spent by both the school and Muni. For a jount project. Joint project money, private and public is to be collected and kept in a separate account only by the Muni. Title 53 PA C.S.A. SuP A. £ 5622. "Conveyance by Authorities to Municipalities and School Districts of Established Projects."
This community needs to pull together a huge group of people to help collect, organize, and provide hard evidence. The PDE, the auditor general, the attorney general's office, and the IRS then needs to be informed all of this corruption and by whom and ask all of the agencies to start an investigation. Thanks to Elaine, we already have a lot of evidence! And I thank you, Elaine!!!!!!
4:00 pm not all the athletes.
Only the select few whose parents play the game.
So I'm new to all this. I looked through this blog and found that someone posted that the school started this project with a $4,276,000.00 fund to cover unforeseen stuff. Am I to believe that they're down to $617,590.35 with a year left to go?
As you listen to the school district whine about Corbett cutting state funding for education (that is a lie), that they need more money (not so much that they hestitate to raise salaries far above the CPI) and claim that is all for the kids, keep this speech from the NEA's retiring General Counsel Bob Chanin Says at his Farewell in 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-piPkgAUo0w&feature=youtube_gdata_player
This is not a comment suggesting that there aren't dedicated, hard-working teachers that are worth their weight in gold. There are!
It is more an indictment of a system and its administrators that knows no limits on spending and think the achievements of the MTL district rest on their hard work alone.
After Our Super Super gets his raise, keep in mind those pizza lunches are going to cost a pretty penny too!
http://mobile.businessweek.com/articles/2014-02-05/rising-cheese-costs-raise-the-price-for-pizza-lovers
Just as I thought. Per the MTLSD Agenda: "The Municipality is requesting that the work we do to help maintain their current fields now be changed to help maintain their new turf field..." Tom Kelley confirmed that currently, the District does no field maintenance for municipal fields. See my 6:17 PM update.
Elaine
Explain your way out of this one Timmy!
You catch on very quickly, 6:20 PM. That is correct. With the school board squirreling away millions into capital projects, I think we are going to see some creative financing.
Elaine
"The 2014-15 Budget utilizes $750,000 of the fund balance to mitigate the need for a tax increase. Beyond that, there remains approximately $4.3 million to be designated. " Are you saying that they used $750,000 in excess funds to mitigate the need for a tax increase with a remaining balance of $4.3 million in excess funds? Were we not hit with a tax increase anyways?
The well would be pretty much dry 6:20 if they hadn't moved a lot of stuff to capital improvements.
Which Celli advised them to do to avoid the cap when this project was still in the planning stages.
That is correct, 7:00 PM. When the second bond was wrapped last year, Jan Klein was able to sleep better knowing that the wrapped bond cost us about $4 million more. Wrap, wrap, wrap. They call him the Wrapper.
Yes, they used $750,000 with $4.3 million extra and raised our taxes anyway.
Elaine
The board is not voting to keep the varsity rifle team but they are 1) maintaining Wildcat-Middle field and, 2) continuing to support the crew team and the ice hockey team which are club sports, not varsity sports.
So we have a school board who cuts the varsity rifle team to avoid construction costs while they pick newcomers and residents pockets for $4.3 million in extra taxes and they fail to cut club team donations. Of course we would decimate our school district if we where honest with budgeting.
And the fellow who recommends all this crud sends 470 tweets the first week of school and keeps no records of the tweets he did send. Did I mention he has a list of people who can't receive his tweets?
All this for the bargain fleecing of a 7% raise last year. Hold on to your wallets folks. There will, be no referendum because we cheat those who pay school salaries to avoid community referendums and honest budgeting.
7:50 PM, you mean I'm not the only one banned from Timmy's Tweets?
Elaine
Ask your buddies if they get Tim's tweets.
Don't you remember the solicitor telling the Office of Open Records that the district didn't keep records of tweets because they are all public records. No so if they can be blocked.
So why was it necessary to appeal to the Office of Open Records (OOR) for tweets if they were not blocked?
I suppose the super didn't tell the solicitor he blocked tweets so the solicitor gave misinformation to the OOR to protect the superintendent or because he didn't know what was happening.
Whats in it for the School District? Why should they maintain the Fields? Do they charge the Muni to use their properties?
Brumfield claims that the District can't use the fields unless they pay fees, if they don't go along with the maintenance agreement. Interesting, Dave. You CAN say no to kids.
Elaine
Speaking this week before Congress, Fed Chair Yellen noted real wage gains “have been nonexistent.” The Chair has already emphasized the potential risks to consumer spending posed by a failure of wages to outpace inflation. Bad news for government over spending
Imagine the restless voter in the next election showing up at the polls to vote the big spenders out of office. We might have layoffs so we can pay contracted salaries.
9:47, We might decide to have health care for only employees, and not their families to keep Mount Lebanon taxes competitive with other communities.
9:55 don't bet on it! The "it's all for the kids" union will have the teachers on the picket lines faster than you can say "Corbett may suck, but not nearly as much as the alternative will."
9:13 The district will maintain the turf because they are getting a new lacrosse field without any of the blame for this universally recognized heinous undertaking. You should consider middle/wildcat one of the school district's newly established annexed territories. Keep an eye on your back yard while you are at it.
9:13, I wondered some of the same questions and asked Dave Donnellan back in April asking him how much revenue would be brought in if the school district did not maintain the fields vs the school district taking on the responsibility. His reply below should clarify some of your questions.
"The municipality and the school district have always shared facilities. For the most part, neither charges the other for facility usage. We have never charged for field use before. We use the gymnasiums extensively for our basketball programs and are not charged. If we were to start charging the school district, they would likely start charging us. I don't think that would benefit either party in the long run. If the district were charged a fee for field use, I don't know what time they would request and be willing to pay for. So to answer your question, I don't know what the net cost or benefit would be to the municipality if we were to charge the district for field usage."
I then wondered, what would be the motivation for the school district to maintain the turf if they had nothing to gain or nothing to lose, so I asked Dave Donnellan a follow-up question:
"If the school district has nothing to gain and absolutely nothing to lose because they would still retain the same sharing rights to the fields turfed or not, then why on earth would they even consider paying one of their employees to do maintenance work to the fields, turfed or not, if they don’t have to?"
I did not receive a reply to my follow-up question.
Nick M.
It's a good thing that the district signs the agreement. Federal laws regarding the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights will then apply to field use. Go for it, Dr Steinhauer!
Anyone else read the Trib article about Cool Springs in Friday's paper? Olympic training... Sports medicine... Professional coaches. Sorry Brumfield you are not even Midget level coach! Kids in their programs will receive cutting edge coaching, training and the best facilities in the area. What will you get in Mt Lebanon? And has the school district kept the school's fields in even "poor" condition? Been to Howe's field lately? Sad!
Kelly states that once MWC is turfed the school district will "clean and groom the synthetic turf."
Two things to think about:
#1. The district doesn't have such a great history of getting the longest use of turf.
#2. Cleaning and grooming isn't the same as performing the required maintenance and upkeep such as annually replenishing the rubber tire granuales.
Yeah, the Rifle Team may be a long-standing tradition, but so have (at different points in history): using leeches for medical purposes; slavery, and viewing women as property.
That's the problem with many in Mt. Lebo -- R and D alike. There's a fleeting interest in responsibility or new ideas, unless it conflicts with their own precious project - the one their own mum and pa, and their mum and pa, participated in just down the road decades ago.
I see what you mean, 10:55 PM! That will certainly upset the slotting allocations! Oh, this is going to be good.
Elaine
Can we please get back on topic? This is not the time to be discussing the rifle team or leeches.
This thread concerns agenda items such as the turf maintenance agreement, change orders, and designating the funds from overtaxation of millions of dollars.
Elaine
Elaine, unfortunately, the discussion is relevant. The underlying problem, in my view, is a well-established community position of entitlement - only slowly eroding over time...
It is on topic Elaine. The latest, greatest idea is to spend a million dollars on artificial turf and the school district participating in it by committing valuable resources into its upkeep.
No thought goes into whether it's needed. Whether it's safe for the athletes. Whether it's safe for the environment?
It's new, it's trendy and a few parents want it.
To make way for it in the school budget, someone will make uneducated assumptions like they did with leeches that the rifle team isn't a worthy sport.
Artificial turf is but a small blip in the big picture. The real issue is individual agendas, the I'm getting mine mindset that seems to run rampant throughout Lebo right now.
If someone doesn't see a value in rifle ranges... the hell with it get rid of it. One doesn't want to consider the environmental or health implications of turf... hey I see nothing, I hear nothing, full speed ahead, damn the cost.
The continuation of the rifle team and its facility is part of the discussion on the school budget, the renovation and change orders.
Initially, most people thought our $113,000,000 Taj Mahal would have everything and more than the facility it was replacing.
Unfortunately, that isn't anywhere near the truth as we were lead to believe.
First it won't come in anywhere close to Ed Kubit's vision of less than $100 million, we may not have a range for a long-standing coed sport and even on-site tennis courts are curiously missing in reports of the progress on the project.
But already there is talking of turfing or building an indoor athletic facility on the Rock Pile or building a complete indoor arena above the muni pool. Which we can only assume at some point the district will buy into.
So yes Elaine, you are correct that the medicinal application of leeches isn't on topic, but the thought processes involved in 7:57's comments are.
Unfortunately, shining a light on those processes is the only way to discuss what is going on in my opinion.
This is the same school district that offered time and again the poor conditions of many of their own fields as justification for turf. The same school district that blatantly ignored maintenance on the high school so they could justify spending money they didn't (and still don't) have on a brand new school for a declining enrollment. There's talk of an indoor athletic facility on school grounds. And now they're going to be responsible for maintaining the artificial turf boondoggle. Brilliant across the board. Really. Congratulations to the Commission and the school board for finally confirming what we all suspected.
This entire thing would be laughable were it not for the personal financial implications for residents. Just keep borrowing, Lebo, so you can "compete" with neighboring communities. I don't know why this bizarre and delusional notion of competition is the basis for more borrowing. But wake up. There is no competition. It's an artificial construct, a made-up problem looking for an asinine solution. We are not USC and they are not us. We are not South Fayette and they are not us. Further, for those of you trying to push your petty agenda, try leaving the confines of Mt. Lebanon more than once a year. If you speak with people in other communities, if you get them to stop laughing for a minute, they don't care what is going on here. It doesn't matter to them or anyone else. So stop. Just stop all this nonsense.
Not a lawyer 10:55 but aren't there civil rights violations without the Superintendent and School Board Directors' involvement?
You are on target Mr. Cannon.
This isn't about what USC has, what we don't have etc., etc.
It maybe we don't need a rifle team or a range, but that is no less an issue as to whether we need natural grass or artificial turf.
Dr. Steinhauer's advice that the district extend its field maintenance agreement with the municipality to include the turf at Wildcat and Mr. Kelly's exclamation that currently each takes cares of its own fields shows how clueless our leaders and public employees really are.
One or the other - Steinhauer or Kelly - is derelict in their oversight. And for this we regularly give big raises and bonuses.
The nonsense must stop.
Tom Kelley is correct. The school district has NEVER maintained municipal fields. The Joint Maintenance Agreement that the YSA may or may not have paid their commitment in full (we will never know), was for school district fields only. Timmy is the one who is clueless.
Elaine
Here's another issue for discussion while we're on school district expenditures.
Does the Capital Campaign Chairperson enjoy summer the same 4-day summer work weeks as the administrative staff does?
Do you dear reader in your private sector job?
The Super doesn't seem to sweat the small stuff, like no tables and chairs in the new cafeteria, no sound system or curtains in the auditorium. What's a couple of hundred thousand dollars among taxpayers, right?
No big deal.
2:14 PM,
$4.3 million of overtaxation by the school district isn't a big deal in Lebo, nor was $2,000,000 extra on the high school pool, $1,000,000 for a third gym. $1,000,000 for turf, $9,000,000 for a field house on municipal property, or $50,000 for a trophy case, $82,000 for a staff fundraiser, or $1,000,000 for Pursuant's fee, or a $900,000 cost overrun on the swimming pool.
The attitude of the commissioners and board is we have a credit card and others will pay the bill so let us spend whatever we want whenever we want. We don't have to obey state law on millage increases as long as we have local governments to run up assessed values we can spend as much as we want whenever we want.
Too bad slow wage growth and higher prices are interfering with the ability to pay for government's toys. But we will leave those consequences for another day because we don't need to pay attention to referendum or millage laws as long as the lawyers come up with solutions to circumscribe existing laws.
You forgot overtaxation by the municipality that allowed them to put at first $750,000 in undesignated funds and this year more towards the artificial turf.
Then will come the capital improvements necessary because we now have a turfed field... It requires better lights, more parking and whatever else the SAB wants.
You all need to get over it. If you don't want to improve our community, move on.
Yes, we want to improve the community, but our idea of improvement is not the same as yours. We're pretty tired of you always getting your way by picking our pockets.
In your mind, it's all about sports. You are in for a rude awakening when you see sign ups declining.
I am going to promote Cool Springs every chance I get.
Elaine
Maybe we liked the community the way it was 7:58 with grass fields, well maintained schools and parks.
If you want million plastic fields and in the future a $9 million sports arena why don't you move on! Or at least put it to a referendum.
7:58 PM. You need to stop acting hostile and a BULLEY!!!! You are one of the bulley's who needs to move out of town for good!!!
I'll promote it too. We don't have a driving range in Lebo. Plus, we need an indoor turf facility closer than Southpointe and Cool Springs' planned indoor space will be a great alternative for our teams during the Winter. A welcome addition for sure.
Dave Franklin
That's nice, Dave. I said every chance I get, as in all year long, not just during the winter. But I'm confused about something, Dave. With plastic grass, I thought you would be able to play into December and as early as February. Wasn't that what John Bendel told us? He wouldn't lie to us, would he, Dave?
Elaine
Elaine thats the beginning of the whining for the indoor sports center in Lebo.
Exactly 9:40, if the Cool Spring indoor facility is popular they'll use that as a sign that we need our own taxpayer funded indoor space.
Yep, 9:40 PM, and so it begins. They haven't started putting in the toxic turf, and already, we're hearing about the winter and an indoor turf facility. They're insatiable.
Elaine
Oh, here we go with what we "need". Dave, this is ridiculous. And who, exactly, "needs" it? Please don't give me the same tripe about being competitive, attracting homeowners, increasing property values, etc. (because that is all total BS). Really, who "needs" an indoor facility? Specify it. I thought turf was going to take care of all the sports "needs". did you lie when you and your group made that claim? If so, feel free to talk to your chum Brumfield and tell him to take the turf project off the table. I mean, you do tell him what to do, right?
Or were you honest in believing there is a shortage of playing slots and that's what little kids "need" turf? If so, then there is no "need" for an indoor facility unless you're lying now.
It boils down to, when are you lying--when you argue for turf or when you speak of an indoor facility?
I don't believe I've advocated for either an indoor facility in Lebo or playing outdoors in subzero temps. There's a big demand for indoor space and I'm glad there will soon be one closer than Southpointe. Elaine, I'm glad you've decided to turn your support to turf.
Dave Franklin
Dave, I get that you are trying to push my buttons, but it's not going to work. I am not supporting turf. I am supporting entrepreneurs who are willing to take risks with their money and not at my expense.
I have no respect for you, the four commissioners or any of your buddies who bullied your way to getting what you wanted.
Elaine
Is Cool Springs one of your corporate sponsors, David Franklin, Esq.?
No Elaine! You are pushing Franklin's... Once the School Board signs off on this maintenance agreement those fields HAVE to be open to the public. No little Excel spreadsheets giving all the time to lacrosse. No "Private Property" signs! This is SETTLED Case Law and poor Mr. Franklin lead his group of morons down the wrong path. I think Senior kickball Monday - Friday at 4:30pm sounds pretty fair. Oh I see so nasty Civil Rights Lawsuits a-coming...
Those fields are public property whether Timmy agrees to maintain them or not. They have been funded in part by the DCNR, with the majority of the turf project being funded by tax dollars.
Stop and think how many of the pro-turf people are lawyers. At least a half dozen, 12:09 AM. It's mind boggling.
Elaine
12;09 am: I am in complete agreement with you!!! I hope it all comes down to a big boil! I hope it happens so the whole house of the SD administrators, the 4 asinine commissions, and the clowns at the Muni are taken out for good!!!
PNC's mortgage originations fell 46% in the second quarter. That can't be good news for Mt. Lebanon real estate sales.
Softer real estate sales could lead to lower sales prices on Lebo homes and a better argument for the newcomers to argue they paid too much for their homes in next year's real estate assessment appeals.
Good luck to the newcomers and the lawyers who represent them. It is time to pull away the sports boosters punch bowl unless they can raise $9,000,000 in construction costs for the new field house as well as the future athletic fees for maintenance costs for the additional structure.
P. S. I gave at the tax office!
Apparently, 7/19/14-7:58pm, you are getting your way as you "modernize" Mt. Lebanon.
This site's study of our demographics points to the tradional population with higher disposable incomes are rejecting your visions for the future of MTL and "moving on."
http://www.parealtor.org/a-case-study-of-the-mount-lebanon-pa-multicultural-market/
Given the rapid growth rate of the Hispanic, Asian, and African-American population, the Gonzales Group examines the Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania metropolitan statistical area (MSA). This study analyzes the multicultural community of Mount Lebanon by population, housing, household income, language, and social economic status from a business development perspective.
Since 2000, we have seen a significant shift in the profile of consumers. The multicultural consumer has grown both in population size and in buying power. The findings of this study paint a complex, yet insightful picture of the Multicultural community. Given the rapid growth rate of Hispanic, Asian, and African-American population, the Gonzales Group examines Mount Lebanon, utilizing data compiled by the U.S. Census to identify the overall market potential within the multicultural segments.
Overall, the total population of Mount Lebanon is expected to decline by 4.46% between 2010-2015. The Hispanic population will experience the largest growth, growing by 98.00%.
From 2000 to 2010 Mount Lebanon saw the Hispanic and Asian population increase by 39.16% and 15.19%, respectively, while the African-American population increased by .96%. The traditional White non-Hispanic population decreased by 10.04%.
While the population growth in Mount Lebanon shows significant shifts in demographic profile, household median income does not necessarily track with population trends. Median incomes are the following:
White $73,480
Black $79,348
Asian $53,598
Hispanic $46,250
I'll spell out the above information for you, because it's pretty obvious you have trouble with numbers.
The second highest income group with a median income of 73,490 is declining by 10.4%
the highest income group is growing by only .96%.
The lowest income group is growing by 36.16%.
So tell me 7:58, when you're done with your progressive, unrestrained spending, modernzation of Mt. Lebanon, who do you think is going to pay for it? Those people with median incomes of $46,250?
As they sing 7:58: "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding everything you see".
For the rest of us... go ahead continue to stay uninvolved and home on election day!
There is a construction update tomorrow evening at 7:00 PM at the Jefferson Middle School Library, followed by the 7:30 school board meeting. Show of hands...how many are going? That's what I thought.
Elaine
While your point is painfully obvious, let's look at some facts as to why turn out will be low.
First, the HS project is underway. By showing up will we stop it? Can we even affect change orders at this point?
Second, over 4,000 people voiced their opinions before the HS project started. Eddie Kubit claimed he had heard from at least 4,001 that supported going ahead, although he offered not one shred of hard evidence to back up his claim.
Then lastly, when the initial bids came in far over the cap that would have mandated a referendum, they revised the design to just squeek under the cap. Now they are putting back in the deleted items through change orders and capital improvements.
So they effectively circumvented caps on spending and the public will.
Now the sports cabal and commissioners are doing exactly the same thing.
They've even told us up front that they can ignore advisory boards, public input because they have the three votes to do pretty much what they wish.
Plus, when they break codes and rules there is very little in the way of enforcement or recall available.
The solution won't come by lambasting the fools on the commission or school board. Change will only come through forcing Harrisburg to actually do something responsible. Good luck with that. The unions hold a lot of influence in places like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. They keep squeezing and squeezing more and more money out of taxpayers, and then portray teachers as victims of "budget cuts" (which is so absurd and dishonest).
If voters would give off their lazy duffs and start getting involved, things might change in the state. But that won't happen. Hell, I have to make three stops if I want a bottle of wine, a sixer of beer and something to grill. Why? Other states have one-stop shops? I use that as an exampled of how PA is reluctant to change. This state is stuck in the 1930s. Nothing will happen unless people demand it. I just don't see it happening.
Last I checked, the fools on the commission and the school board are the ones who make the decisions and pick our pockets.
Both are guilty of overtaxing us. Both push their personal agendas. Both have the biggest impact on my budget. I don't care if I have to make three stops for wine, beer, and something to grill. What I do care about is how the commission and the school district have millions of dollars in unassigned or undesignated funds.
I think it stinks that the commission has appealed assessments on homes purchased in 2006 and later, when two of the commissioners bought homes in the fourth quarter of 2005.
I think it stinks that our super Super recommends that the district maintains the toxic turf with future plans to installing toxic turf on the Rock Pile.
I think it stinks that the SAB has more power than any other board in Mt. Lebanon and is exempt from filing Statements of Financial Interests.
I think it stinks that the SAB has found a legal way to launder money through the Mt. Lebanon Community Endowment.
I see the damage being done right here in the Land of Unicorns, not in Harrisburg.
Elaine
11:12 absolutely.
One people are generally lazy and look to leaders that will promise them what they want to hear.
Take education for instance. They're told that an educated populace is the pathway to a regions prosperity. They are so convinced they'll pump endless amounts of money into it without protest. Here in Lebo we pump about $2 million dollars more per year on average.
But for all that money results actually remain relatively flat.
In fact, if you look closely here especially, the production of finished products, kids with degrees is falling rapidly despite increased spending.
Graduating classes are shrinking which is contrary to the claim that our schools are attracting families.
Think about what I said at 11:47 AM when writing out your checks to Mt. Lebanon, PA and Mt. Lebanon School District next week. For those of you who pay into an escrow account through your mortgage company, our local taxes are due by July 31, if taking advantage of the 2% discount.
Elaine
Couldn't have said it better than you did at 11:47, Elaine, except for one minor point. Harrisburg, comprised of a governor and our state senator and representative have the power, authority to put a stop to the local shenanigans. In fact they take oaths to see that rules are followed and uphold the laws of the land.
They aren't. They gladly accept teacher union contributions and go out into the world shouting PA education budgets have been cut even though the numbers show otherwise.
And amazingly we keep voting these people in!
Need proof that our local leader is clueless? Read the update. Timmy thinks the school district is maintaining our municipal fields.
Elaine
But Tim is getting updates on the state of the school district from 7th graders during pizza lunches!
That's gotta be good for a 7-8% raise.
12:46, do you think we see the day when Brumfield will say: "I don't think any of us knew the specific hazards and cost associated with turfing Wildcat/Middle"?
Too bad we now have to take a hard look at the leaders that endorsed him.
There judgement needs to be examined.
Yep, high wage earning groups in the $75,000/year range stalled or dramatically shrinking being replaced by wage earners in the $46,000/year range.
Yep sounds like a good reason to keep adding expensive items to the school and municipal budgets President Linfante, Brumfield, Bendel, Silverman and Fraasch.
You too Cappucci, Lebowitz, Cooper, Birks, Remely, etc., keep spending like their is no tomorrow.
Correction: seems to be a problem with auto-correct determining which their should go there!
I still say all the ugly, corrupt behavior has to be reported with the evidence thus far uncovered. By doing so, at least there would be a historical record if and when it might be addressed. At least to the Southwestern Auditor General and ask for an investigation!
2:16- good idea, why don't you organize it?
Don't depend on Elaine, she's working hard enough.
216: Since you nominate me , I assume you and how many other people can you round up to help? If you are not willing to help or refuse to enlist others , then I assume you're either being sarcastic and rude to me, or another person that can't be bothered, or one of the nasty bullies around here that need to go!
2:16, set the location and location and I'll show up with what I think are violations.
The problem we have is determining what is and what isn't a violation.
For instance, Gateway donating to turf to assure there are enough private dollars in the pool so the commissioners move forward appears to be an ethics violation.
Is it and is it actionable, I don't know.
It seems foolhardy to go before an AG if you don't know.
3:08 and 3:40 PM, email me at EGillen476@aol.com with your availability, so that I can get you two together. I am sure others would be willing to join the effort.
Elaine
Elaine from what I've heard that once the fields are turfed ONLY assigned teams/sports will have access to them. Teams/Sports will have to pay a "fee" to get access. Anyone using the field without proper authorization will be removed and/or fined. Did I miss the For Sale sign on those fields? I drive past them twice or more a day and surely would have not missed it. Was there an auction? Or did pitiful poor lawyer Dave just give it away to pitaful poor lawyer Franklin?
3:08---- 3:40 here.
I didn't norminate you, dictate, ordain or vote for you to take on the task of organizing anything.
I merely suggested or called for the idea of submitting a historical record of the facts to the AG you might wish to be the one to pull it or the people all together to "git 'er done."
It's one thing to suggest something, quite another to make it happen.
Yes, the fee is $15 for one field or $30 for both fields per hour. Early on, a selling point to the toxic turf was that the fields could be used by multiple groups simultaneously. Then we were told that soccer, lacrosse, and varsity sports had to use both fields each time. My question is how many coaches will look for free fields to avoid paying any fees?
Elaine
So in this desperate search need for more fields for practices and games we've eliminated one or two (depending on sport & age groups) out of the mix and mmade them Pay as you play.
What sport is going to pay $15/hr for practice time at MWC?
This whole exercise was designed to build a dedicated arena for the lacrosse/soccer contingent. It has nothing to do with saving money over grass fields or keeping housing values high.
While the various sports that desire to use this new turf figure out their rental fee obligation, the taxpayer/parents are still paying on those two sport's 'must haves'... Twin Hills and McNeilly that sit undeveloped and unused.
$2-3 million dollar useless monuments to waste by our elected leadership all in the name that "it's for the children!"
When this community will wake up I have no clue, but it better be soon if we're going to save what was once a great community.
To 8:38. If I offended you, then I apologize. Wasn't sure if you were legitimate in your response or deliberately blowing hot air at me or not! I felt you were a little pushy. Nothing personal. I don't allow anyone to manipulate me or tell me what to do. Thanks for your understanding.
No 11:49 you didn't offend me and I certainly wasn't telling you what to do.
Your idea of composing or collecting all the evidence of... what do we call it... Illegalities and presenting to so some authority isn't a bad one.
But, having gone that route as an individual and being told "you're off base" or "that doesn't apply" tells me it will take more than a collection of complaints to make anything happen.
While 11:49 AM and 3:23 PM exchange pleasantries, may I remind you both that neither of you have emailed me concerning your plan to work together to collect data.
Talk is cheap.
Elaine
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