Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Getting nowhere quick!

All I questioned were the missing receipts and if the contract ended early. Never heard back about the missing receipts.

From: egillen476
To: schoolboard 
Subject: Fwd: Second Request 
Date: Mon, Oct 2, 2017 9:06 pm

Just so everyone is aware.

For the Community,

Elaine T. Gillen

-----Original Message-----
From: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
To: mbirks <mbirks@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Mon, Oct 2, 2017 5:33 pm
Subject: Re: Second Request

Again, thanks. So what about the missing receipts for $18,400, $14,613, and $14,613?

-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Birks <mbirks@mtlsd.net>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Sent: Mon, Oct 2, 2017 5:18 pm
Subject: Re: Second Request

No it was not terminated early. It was a contract for professional services. They paid for the time and services they utilized.

On Mon, Oct 2, 2017 at 5:16 PM egillen476@aol.com <egillen476@aol.com> wrote:

Thank you for for your response, Mary. So the contract was terminated early? I am still looking for the up front receipt for $18,400, as well as the two missing receipts for two of the four months that were invoiced for $14,613 per month.

For the Community,

Elaine T. Gillen
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Birks <mbirks@mtlsd.net>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: Tim Steinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>; SchoolBoard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>

Sent: Mon, Oct 2, 2017 5:01 pm
Subject: Re: Second Request

Ms. Gillen,

The contract was for $184,000. We did not use the full amount of the services with Pursuant Ketchum. It was a professional service, and the district paid as the services were rendered.

For the Board,

Mary D. Birks

On Mon, Oct 2, 2017 at 10:47 AM, egillen476@aol.com <egillen476@aol.com> wrote:

Here's the thing, Mary. The receipts that were provided, came from a RTK. If I request a RTK for missing documents, then I will receive an email five days after I submit it, saying that no such records exist. So now what?

For the Community,

Elaine Gillen



-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Birks <mbirks@mtlsd.net>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: Tim Steinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>; SchoolBoard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Mon, Oct 2, 2017 10:24 am
Subject: Re: Second Request

Dear Ms. Gillen,

If you are looking for a public document, please submit your Right to Know request to RTK officer, Jeanine Szalinski, jszalinski@mtlsd.net.

For the Board,

Mary D. Birks

On Sun, Oct 1, 2017 at 5:29 PM, 'egillen476@aol.com' via SchoolBoard <schoolboardemaillist@mtlsd.net> wrote:

 Tim,

Since I no longer hear back from the school board, I am sending this email to you. Were the missing receipts paid from another fund? Was the contract with Pursuant Ketchum terminated?

Elaine Gillen



-----Original Message-----
From: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
To: schoolboard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Sat, Sep 30, 2017 7:19 pm
Subject: Second Request


Dr. Strotmeyer,

OK, I lied. This is my first request. I was just saving myself the time to send the usual second request email.

I want to thank you, Dr. Strotmeyer, for being so prompt with your last response. Since you seem to be the only responsive school board director, I am addressing this to you.

From my blog:



Retained Counsel Fees Schedule according to PK Consulting Services Agreement totaling $184,000. (Travel and Strategic Creative Services not included.)

Missing receipts totaling $54,931. Were they paid from other funds? Was the contract terminated? Is this another example of award winning Jan Klein's creative financing? Would you be able to answer my questions?

Thanks in advance. 
Elaine Gillen


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12 comments:

  1. Lebo CitizensOctober 3, 2017 at 8:29 PM

    Please note that Mary Birks is now answering Timmy's emails too. Mary Birks also answered for Dr. Strotmeyer. I sent this to the school board:

    School Board Directors,

    In the last couple of days, I have sent two emails to Dr. Timothy Steinhauer and got no response to either one. May I remind you of one of his outdated goals listed on http://www.mtlsd.org/page.cfm?p=703, is

    "3. COMMUNICATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH

    For our District to improve communication with community stakeholders."

    How can he meet his goals if the school board president answers for him? I don't see Dr. Steinhauer making any attempt to improve communication with community stakeholders, when he ignores my emails and blocks me from his Twitter feed.

    For the Community,
    Elaine Gillen
    www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 3, 2017 at 9:26 PM

    They don't want to tell you. You must be on to something.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lebo CitizensOctober 3, 2017 at 9:35 PM

    Here's what would really help me. If I got an email from one of the hundreds of Lebo Citizens readers with:

    Elaine, I filed a RTK asking for _________. I will email you with what they send me.

    Please give Nick M. a break.
    Thanks.
    Elaine

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lebo CitizensOctober 3, 2017 at 10:11 PM

    Or this is another way to help.
    http://www.paauditor.gov/auditor-general-hotline
    Elaine

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lebo CitizensOctober 4, 2017 at 9:09 AM

    I tried to make the post a little easier to read. My first email was dated September 30. As of now, October 4, 2017, I have not heard back about the missing receipts from For the Board, Mary D. Birks.
    Elaine

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousOctober 4, 2017 at 9:17 AM

    Elaine, to be fair and borrow heavily from Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride, Mary is probably thinking "you know how much I'd love to respond, but I've got turf options to consider, my ethics investigation hanging over my head, an election to lose; I'm swamped."

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousOctober 4, 2017 at 9:24 AM

    The level of incompetence currently being displayed by President Birks and Steinhauer is frightening. These are the people overseeing the education of our children?!? Things have to change.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousOctober 4, 2017 at 1:38 PM

    Elaine, I was literally thinking last night, 'It would be so much easier if we somehow shared what everybody else was asking in a right to know.' We all want information but if we overburden 'the system' with similar requests it's probably not in any of our best interests.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousOctober 4, 2017 at 1:53 PM

    @9:24 The level of incompetence doesn't stop at Birks and Steinhauer. It goes all the way down to the classroom level.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lebo CitizensOctober 4, 2017 at 2:20 PM

    1:38 PM, I don't know of anyone else but Nick and me who are filing RTKs. We share all information requested. If you were literally thinking that last night, and you are filing RTKs too, you haven't shared anything.

    I just filed two RTKs asking for Timmy's Timeline that he promised Paula B. weeks ago. I also filed a RTK for the missing receipts from a previous RTK.
    Elaine

    ReplyDelete
  11. Richard GideonOctober 4, 2017 at 4:02 PM

    I have filed RTK's for the accounting statements on the high school renovation project and always get them within a few days. But asking specific questions to certain "executives" of the District usually results in no response, or something like this:

    "You can save hundreds of dollars on your car insurance by switching to GEICO!"

    (...that's a joke, son! - F. Leghorn)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Lebo CitizensOctober 4, 2017 at 4:19 PM

    You make me laugh, RG! Yes, our school district could be in a GEICO commercial. Of course you have filed RTKs because of Jan Klein's creative financing. I apologize.
    Elaine

    ReplyDelete

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