As Commissioner Fraasch has written on her blog post, Bower Hill/Washington Road Part II, the Commissioners will vote on December 9 to either extend the agreement for the ninth time with Zamagias or exercise their right to buy back the property. It only takes three votes to end this nonsense. I can't be sure, but I would think that Brumfield and Company would vote to extend the agreement for another year. They need all their unassigned funds for athletics. Much more money will be needed to complete the turf project at Brum Field.
Here are links to all the articles I have written about this topic.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
This is disgusting!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Zamagias meeting still on for tomorrow
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Maybe moving to Dormont is a good idea
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Comments on comments?
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Another TIF in our future? UPDATED
DB (Dave Brumfield) 20. Consideration of an Eighth Amendment to the Agreement of Sale with Michael G. Zamagias Interests.
This amendment would extend Section 23.7 of the purchase agreement pertaining to“repurchase.”
Recommended Action: Move to approve the Eighth Amendment to extend theprovision until December 31, 2015.
23 comments:
Lebo had a $700,000 grant from the state in 2004 to address flossing at Cedar and Greenhurst. Since they tabled that project, perhaps they can put that money toward this land purchase.
Nah, 9:34 PM, that grant was booked into the unassigned general fund balance where it sat for years helping to provide us with a good bond rating, and then transferred into the capital projects fund and is now being used to pay for the Muni portion of the turf project. We know how to move money around so it loses it's original identity and we can then do with it what we want.
from 9:34. Not flossing! I meant FLOODING. Sorry!
Now, it wouldn't be fair to take the property away from Mr Zamagias after that big investment in "No Trespassing" signs he made.
Since this land is not suitable for a ball field, I predict the commission will rubber-stamp an extension.
--Tom the Tinker
This Zamagias mess is shameful. Thank you for keeping track and reporting all the facts and sorry performance of both elected and appointed public officials over the endless years of malfeasance. And to think that Zamagias will be given yet an 8th. extension so that Brummie & Co. will not have to use unassigned funds to buy back the property so it will remain available for their sports follies is almost criminal
No, you had it right with flossin'
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flossin
"Showing off your goods, ice, bling, clothing... etc.
You know I look good, I be straight flossin. "
The Zamagias deal was highly complex. It involved real estate transactions, a TIF, etc. It was the kind of thing that requires the Commission to lean on a manager. Feller allowed the tax payers to be exploited.
If this is very poor management and such a waste of taxpayer money by our manager whose salary is being paid for by taxpayer money, did anyone call on him for an explanation...or better yet...his resignation?
Nick M.
In order to qualify for a TIF property needs to be declared blighted. All we have is a vacant lot with an assessed value about 1/3 of the purchase of all the properties Mr. Z purchased.
Why didn't the commission appeal this property along with the newcomers and get another $1,000,000 in additional assessed value? At a minimum this property reassessment should be part of the extension deal.
Mr. Z is unwelcome in Mount Lebanon.
Reassessing the property is clearly justified and may actually push the owner to build AND will never happen. It would require to Feller to stop shuffling paper, watching the clock and recalculating his pension and do something helpful to mt Lebanon. It will never happen.
10:14 PM Members of the public made the fraud known to Feller and commissions, at least twice in public meetings, several through personal contact from 2012 -2014 - nothing was ever done by elected or appointed officials ! The Planning Board & commission both approved the consolidation in 2012, but did not follow the valuation fraud, or admit they did and were fully aware.
Has anyone brought the fraud to the attention of the auditor for allegheny county? She seems to be finding problems everywhere she looks and I BELIEVE HER!
When I approve comments such as 8:49 AM's, I often think that the suggestion is a good one, but know in my heart that the commenter never follows through on his or her own suggestion. Please take that extra step and do it.
Elaine
From 8:49
Signed,
Mary Edgerly
Got it.
Elaine
Actually, the County took one look at that completely one-sided TIF and immediately refused to participate. Wish Lebo had done the same. Perhaps Lebo's auditor should review it. I suggest looking for blatant conflicts of interest.
10:33 AM Yeah, the County refused to participate in assigning County taxes to the TIF boondoggle, but the County Redevelopmemt Authority created the TIF and facilitated it through the entire required approval process. But guess who the Lebo resident Authority person who helped facilitated it was - George Drackos, who also happened to be a member of the Lebo Economic Development Council that recommended that Zamagias be the chosen developer.
Strange how things seem to work (but often fail)in the bubble !
Did Drackos have some form of relationship with Zamagias?
1:40 PM If I told you he did, what would you do about it ?
8:42 I think it takes people a while to believe how seriously corrupt Mt Lebanon is... you might as well spill the beans if you have any. Then once the shock and awe phase is over, 1:40 pm might take action.
Speaking from my own experience, I had no idea what was behind the curtain in Mt Lebanon and I am still reeling.
1:40PM There were several meetings of these gentlemen and organization representatives in the development, negotiation and approvals of the TIF over a long period of time. Beyond that, no known other relationships or connections unless it was through things like other projects, professional associations, church, or distant family.
Drakos may have had a conflict of interest in this deal if this comment from an earlier posting on this blog is true:
There are two more facts that are worthy of mention in the more than curious circumstance of local citizen's direct involvement in this Zamagias mess, including some then current and former public officials (see 10:56 AM of Jan. 29).
"The second additional fact is that an EDC member during the Zamagias TIF consideration, approval and processing period was resident George Drakos, who was also an employee of the Allegheny County Redevelopment Authority who facilitated the TIF. He was personally involved in much of the Authority's role."
January 30, 2014 at 9:50 AM
Processing this:
1. George Drakos was an employee of the Allegheny County Redevelopment Authority and facilitated the TIF.
2. He was a resident of Mt Lebanon.
3. He was a board member of the Mt Lebanon Economic Development Council.
If1-3 are all simultaneous, which they appear to be then...
4. Mt Lebanon is a disaster.
January 30, 2014 at 9:50 AM
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