No PlanCon $ for Lebo UPDATED

The Pittsburgh Business Times reported that Bethel Park will receive $2.5 million in reimbursement through the PlanCon process. State hands out construction reimbursements to local school projects. No mention of Mt. Lebanon receiving any State funding for the high school renovation.

When the cost of the project came back too high, our school board elected to cut corners by considering 197 potential project cost saving reductions. The list represented approximately $14 million in potential savings. How much of this has come back to haunt us? Back on August 8, 2011, I noticed that the school board agreed to eliminate the storm water detention tanks (#17). The rain garden was nixed as well. This had a direct impact on the stormwater situation on Cedar Blvd.  After Cedar Blvd. flooded on August 3, 2014, and then again nine days later, I asked Gateway's Dan Deiseroth if the high school renovation was contributing to the flooding on Cedar. His answer was, "No." I asked Dan if he OK'ed the high school renovation plans. His answer was, "Yes." Gateway approved this cut! This is the same person who said that the fields don't flood; it is merely standing water.

Another item cut was #23 Eliminate need for pyrite remediation based on geotechnical report. We know how that ended up.

A third critical decision made by the school board was #40 Change glass rail at swimming pool to stainless steel airplane cable rail. As we know, that produced a change order. But look how it was handled.

Will we need another change order for the change order? Will we get the nuts and bolts in the next change order?

Lebo Citizens, please review the 197 potential project cost saving reductions and see if more questionable choices resulted in change orders.

Finally, readers have been wondering about the status of the Pursuant Ketchum fundraiser. We are still in the quiet phase, two years later. The September 14, 2014 Personnel Report shows that the full time director of the capital campaign will be on a leave of absence and an interim director has been hired at a daily rate of $300. The interim director's employment is late September 2014 through early January 2015. The present campaign director will be on leave starting October 8, 2014 through the beginning of January 2015.  Is the overlap in employment and buying additional fundraising software really necessary? We invested in a Feasibility Study. Or will we be chalking this up to more contentious decisions made by our school board?

Get the railing fixed!!!! It was first reported November 19, 2013!

Update September 30, 2014 9:44 AM Read the snarky reply from Dr. Steinhauer concerning the pool railing.

From: TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net
To: David Huston
Subject: RE: Missing hardware on new pool balcony railing
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 12:17:21 +0000

Dear Mr. Huston,

Thank you for contacting the Board with your concerns. Installation of the revised pool railing is not complete. The lack of 2 bolts presents no structural or physical safety issue and will be installed when the project is completed. If this makes you uncomfortable, please stay away from this railing section until it is complete.

We are aware of no safety issues with construction.  

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Mt. Lebanon School District

412-344-2076

What did you do today to improve the life of a child?

Why are residents and taxpayers being treated so poorly in Mt. Lebanon? The superintendent, the school board directors, the commission, and the Public Information Office seem to think we work for them. Mt. Lebanon is a disgrace.

Posti and Remely wrong about Morgan Drive change order

You may remember the post regarding the change order on Morgan Drive.  This was the post that mentioned how Josephine Posti and Dan Remely had blamed the municipal engineer for the high cost of the change order.  I couldn't believe that the commissioner who is the liaison to the school board would allow the school board directors throw them under the bus like that.  Additionally, I couldn't believe that no other school board director, superintendent, or construction manager, set the record straight at the Construction Update.  In fact, even in the last school board meeting, Josephine and Dan went so far as to ask the solicitor what it would take to sue the municipality.  Don't believe me? Go back and listen to the podcast. It's all right there.

Today, I received the Right to Know that had a response from the municipal engineer.  His response was only to the commission, not to the school board. That is why Gateway's email was not revealed in a previous right to know request.  As I have said before, you have to ask the right questions. Boy, does this set the record straight. gillen RTK documents 100412

On page seven of the RTK, Dan Deiseroth began by clearly stating that it appeared that the school board had not been informed about the full extent of the change order.  While he did acknowledge that Mr. Marciniak tried to set some of the record straight, it wasn't enough since the same two board members went down the lawsuit path again the next meeting.

Next, Mr. Deiseroth listed what got changed in the change order and how much each had to do with standard municipal requirements. Paragraph after paragraph were dedicated in his email to describing to the commissioners what exactly happened.

Dan Deiseroth confirmed what many of us already suspected:

All of my directives were per the developer's agreement that they signed to comply with Municipal Standards which had to be applied once they ran into the difficult situation.

In my opinion, the documents they issued for bid were obviously lacking in information which along with the unforeseen circumstances culminated in the change order.  I do not see this in any way a case where we required anything more than we would require of ourselves when doing a project or the way we treat others who dig up our roads.

Here we have the municipal engineer clearly stating his position and that of the municipality.  So let's recap.  There was a developer's agreement signed that said the roads would need to comply with municipal standards. The school district had to redo the part of the road THAT THEY TORE UP for their high school project and they had to replace it to municipal standards.  Also, the district bid documents "obviously" lacked information needed for contractors to properly bid the road repair.

So who do you believe? The engineer who provided facts? Or Posti,  the plagiarizing princess and Dan (I will bring the High School project in under $95 million) Remely? Clearly, there is finger pointing going on over at MTLSD. Despite the municipal engineer having a direct conversation with the construction manager, Rus Del Re of P.J. Dick, either the school board is either willfully and shamefully blaming someone else who is clearly not to blame, or PJ Dick did not inform the school district of the scope of repairs.  Either way, the school board, superintendent, and central office staff need to look internally to place the blame.

But hey, what am I complaining about?  We may just be able to see the school district go 0-2 in lawsuits against the municipality.  I wouldn't put it past this school board to do just that. Remember item number 22 on Cost Reduction List for 2012-2013.

Anyone go to the coffees yesterday morning or this evening?

The list is here and on the District website!

The School District just published the 197 Potential Project Cost Savings Worksheet. It shows what was accepted, rejected, or pending. This is going to take some time, but something just caught my eye.  They have agreed to eliminate the storm water detention tanks (#17) . Would someone explain that to me before tomorrow's Commission vote on the storm water fee.

Update August 9, 2011 3:47 p.m. Baxter Elementary School Wiring "A Crime"  

Aluminum wiring was spliced with copper wiring, the copper placed on the ends, and the conduit pipe hid the fact that much of the wiring was aluminum, he said. "This was criminal, and anybody who would do this should be put in jail," Lane told the board.

Update August 10, 2011 1:02  p.m. What are the dangers of aluminum wiring?

Aluminum does not make as good of a wiring material in a house or any building as copper, which is used for most electrical wiring. Aluminum is a softer metal than copper, meaning it can become damaged more easily by over-tightening a screw when making connections for a light switch, for example. The damaged aluminum wire will come apart, leading to arcing and the potential for a house fire.

Why take the risk to save a few bucks? Aren't our kids worth it?  It IS "for the children." Didn't the SB already apologize once to the Fire Department? 

Update August 12, 2011 5:14 p.m. The Aluminum Wiring Information Website More warnings plus photos.