Mt. Lebanon continues to be defiant

Every year, our public officials and public employees are required to file a Statement of Financial Interests with the Municipality or School District, as well as with the PA Ethics Commission. Here are the Municipal Statements of Financial Interests May 2017.

According to the Guide to the PA Public Official and Employee Ethics Act,  The State defines public officials as :

Any person elected by the public or elected or appointed by a governmental body or an appointed official in the executive, legislative or judicial branch of this Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, provided that it shall not include members of advisory boards that have no authority to expend public funds other than reimbursement for personal expense or to otherwise exercise the power of the State or any political subdivision thereof.

Former manager Steve Feller was a stickler when it came to filing SFI's. Our new manager Keith McGill, not so much. We already know that Andrew McCreery and Susan Morgans made critical errors on their SFI's. At one time, members of these boards submitted SFI's. http://mtlebanon.org/63/Agendas-Minutes What I am noticing now is the number of SFI's which are no longer filed. Missing in action include:

Mark Quealy, Mt. Lebanon Parking Enforcement Supervisor

Blaise Larotonda

Members of the Historic Preservation Board who have spent $25,000 on Virginia Manor remodeling guides, and brick road recommendations.

Sports Advisory Board, the most powerful board in the Municipality, now are MIA. Their meetings are constantly being canceled. The latest posted minutes are from January 5, 2017.

Mt. Lebanon continues to become more and more defiant. Just ask the Allegheny County Health Department concerning baiting and toxic dust emissions, Scott Township about killing in Twin Hills, PA Office of Open Records, and now the PA Ethics Commission.

Our Director of Finance works for free!

Not only does Susan Morgans work for free, it has been pointed out to me that Andrew McCreery also works for free. Andrew McCreery Statement of Financial Interests

One would think that the Director of Finance would be a little more mindful filling out financial disclosure statements. Our municipal employees sure go above and beyond working for us. They donate their services - just like the hunters and property owners donate their properties!

Revamping the Stormwater Management Fee

I'm sure by now, you have all received your 2017 Stormwater Management Fee. Some people have referred to this fee as a "rain tax." Each single family home, duplex, or townhome is charged for one Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU), regardless of size. All other properties, including places of worship, are charged 1 ERU for each 2,400 square feet of impervious surface.

Every home is charged a yearly fee of $96.00, or $94.08 if paid by 1/31/2017. Some homes in Mt. Lebanon have leach beds, which do not feed into the stormwater management system, yet are still charged a stormwater fee. Starter homes in Mt. Lebanon are charged the same amount as the mansions in Virginia Manor.

While the commissioners contemplate PAYT or SMART, whichever is the acronym du jour, perhaps they should take a step back and look at how inequitable their rain tax is.

Also, take note of what Jordan Tax Service charges us for our sewage bill. It is a flat rate of $4.36 per bill.  I am paying, on average, close to a monthly 28% fee. I questioned this service charge with Jordan Tax Service, only to be told that it is what Mt. Lebanon agreed to pay. When bringing it to Andrew McCreery's attention, I was told that is what Jordan is charging us, and Mt. Lebanon has no control of it. It sounded negotiable to me. So which is it?

While on the subject of utilities, I spoke with an electrical supplier about negotiating a municipal rate. It is possible, but when I presented the idea to the commissioners, the idea was rejected.

When all of these inequities are corrected, I will be the first one to praise PAYT/SMART, but until then, it is just another bad idea coming from the Municipal Building.

More waste in the PIO UPDATED

I remember Susan Morgans saying that there are only two people in the Public Information Office who were full time employees, Susan and her administrative assistant. Lebo Citizens reader Nick M. filed two Right To Knows for Laura Pace Lilley's time cards from December 27, 2015 through July 9, 2016. LPL is a part time employee, but enjoys paid holidays, at least New Year's, Good Friday, Memorial Day, and July 4. Perhaps other time cards would show paid holidays for Labor Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. That would require another RTK.

Here are Laura's time cards, 12/27/15 - 6/11/16 and 5/29 - 7/9/16. I am not sure what 5/2/16's Time Off is for, and have my doubts that Laura Pace Lilley bothered to work for 45 minutes on May 11, 2016. Is it really worth coming to work for 45 minutes? What about working for one hour on May 4 and one hour on May 6? Anything is possible with a pencil, right?

Nick M. asked Finance Director Andrew McCreery for further clarification.

• All time is approved by an immediate supervisor.
• The finance department receives hours due to employees in a variety of ways: paper timesheets, electronic timesheet entry, summary of time spreadsheets, etc. Each department is different. Some departments use a time clock, while others keep a daily time log. 
• Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the direct supervisors to verify the time submitted to the finance department.

Do all Mt. Lebanon part time staffers get paid holidays? Or is this another perk for the Public Information Office? Dinners, conventions, breakfasts, trips to New York City, and printing costs of $12,000 per issue.

Our PIO manager, who is being paid over $108,000 plus $12,000 a year for health insurance plus free cell phone usage, has nothing better to do than to post updates on her personal Facebook page during work hours.

There is so much waste in our Public Information Office. This waste is all under Keith McGill's watch. From what I can see, the only restraint I see now, is the decrease of transparency and the increased costs for the right to know.

PA Office of Open Records Final Determination Record of Gillen v. Mt. Lebanon Township

Update August 8, 2016 12:40 PM I asked Finance Director Andrew McCreery if holiday pay on a per contract/agreement with part time staffers or is it across the board. Here is his reply:

Dear Ms. Gillen,

Part-time staff members are subject to the rules and regulations of our personnel manual. In the manual, eligible part-time employees will receive holiday pay if a municipally observed legal holiday occurs on a day which they are normally scheduled to work. An eligible part-time employee must be employed throughout the year and must be regularly scheduled to work more than twenty (20) hours per week.

Regards,
Andrew

And there it is. It's all about the meter feeders.

I called it. Thanks to Nick M., the true reason behind the parking sensors is below in his email exchange with Mt. Lebanon Director of Finance Andrew McCreery.

Mr. Meduho,

Responses to your questions.

Regarding the Streetline company and the associated apps/programs that come with it, how much is this costing Mt. Lebanon?

The current 95 sensors are $14/month per sensor. There is a current expansion being installed yesterday and today, with and additional 74 sensors. When they are activated, all sensors will be $13/month per sensor. The term of the contract runs through 8/31/17.

When did we start paying for this? Is this a monthly subscription? Can you please offer some information regarding Streetline.

We began with a pilot program at the beginning 2015. The program started September 2015. As a reminder, this program is funded through parking fees and is not supported in any way by the General Fund (tax dollars).

Regards.

Andrew

****************

In a separate email,

Mr. Meduho,

Responses to your questions.

Are we using the Streetline data to help with parking violations and/or enforcement? And if so, how?

Yes. We are using the Streetline enforcement application to help guide our enforcement of two hour violations. We successfully integrated the real time reporting with our meter vendor for expired meter violations, but determined the data requests were too cumbersome for the individual batteries on the meters. We were replacing too many batteries to make it cost effective. Therefore, we ceased the expired meter component.

Also, who can I ask for the data? Who is overseeing this.

As with all requests for specific data, you may submit a right to know request. The data is being analyzed and overseen by a combination of the finance department and parking enforcement. We review the data quarterly.
Thank you,

Andrew

A Community With Character[s] Part 2

On the Municipal side of Mt. Lebanon government, we have five commissioners, each representing their Ward.

Lame duck President is Kristen Linfante. Kristen has taken the commission to a whole new level. Once respectable, the commission meetings have become a three ring circus with Kristen at the helm. Threats to shut down the meeting, lies, and personal attacks toward constituents and their employers are just some of Kristen's signature moves. A self-proclaimed environmentalist, Kristen is in favor of artificial turf, killing all the deer, and igniting people. My all time favorite piece from her blog, Real Lebo, is an attack toward me. My Mother Taught Me Never To Lie  Kristen wrote, "There are two things that I just can't tolerate - mean people and liars." My commissioner was projecting all the way back in 2010. She will tell you that I ran against her and lost, but she still doesn't understand that she ran unopposed in the 2011 Primary. I ran against incumbent Joe DeIuliis and lost. Kristen's term ends in 2015. Not soon enough.

President Elect John "The Refiner" Bendel ran unopposed in the 2011 commission election, after his opponent pulled out of the race. I understand John is not real popular with his constituents in Ward 1 in the area of sidewalks, traffic calming, and artificial turf. John is the commission liaison to the Sports Advisory Board and went to the SAB in October and asked them how they wanted to spend the pot of gold, otherwise known as the unassigned funds. Bend It With Bendel vetted FieldTurf partner, Dr. Andrew McNitt before the June 12 turf project presentation held at Mellon Middle School. John is seeking reelection and may not be the only Ward 1 Democrat running in the 2015 Primary.

Kelly Fraasch is my adopted commissioner. Kelly is the epitome of elected officials. She listens to constituents and tries to seek common ground with critics. A hard worker, Kelly is dedicated to serving Mt. Lebanon residents in a fair and professional manner. I don't always agree with Kelly, but she does have my utmost respect. Kelly's term ends in 2015 and I hope she seeks reelection.

Steve Silverman is the commission newbie. As commissioner elect, Steve hit the ground running with the turf project, asking for a corporate sponsorship from Dick's Sporting Goods. My late husband, account executive and on the food broker advisory board for Gatorade, would have appreciated Steve's efforts to build Gatorade sales through artificially turfing a field. Steve's term ends in 2017.

Commissioner Dave Brumfield introduced the idea of turfing Mellon Middle School Field during the February 28, 2012 Joint Discussion Session. Don't ask him the definition of "fair." Not a Dave Brumfield fan. We're stuck with Dave for two more years with his term ending in 2017.

Manager Steve Feller reports to the commissioners but manages the various departments within the municipality. He is also the Open Records Officer responsible for granting or denying Right To Know Requests by taking the full 35 days, rather than five, for legal reviews every time. Screwing up the pool bid opening, the Public Safety Building, and approving the first change order for the turf project without the commission's approval are just some of his many accomplishments.

Andrew McCreery is our new director of finance. Andrew stepped up to the plate when I asked a member of the PIO for her assistance (and was ignored) with the 102 year old resident who was being recognized. However, Moody's did downgrade our rating since he took over.

Tom Kelley is retiring soon. Tom kept Rockwood Park in great shape and declared a cease fire in Rockwood Park after many phone calls to him. I will never forget that.

Susan Morgans is the town diva. As our Public Information Officer, editor of mtl Magazine and Community Relations Board staff liaison, Susan has a unique perspective on our fine community. A 1965 Lebo graduate, Susan Fleming Stroyd Morgans feels that she owns this town. Her biggest fans, Laura Pace Lilley and Merle Jantz, report to Susan. Hide your recorders when you see Susan.

Keith McGill, our municipal planner, has been involved with the Zamagias fiasco since Day 1. Keith informed the Planning Board about the turf project, saying that there is no need for their input. According to Marcia Taylor, Keith and Steve Feller have lunch with Marcia monthly. It is nice that they keep in touch.

Gateway Engineers' Dan Deiseroth is our municipal engineer. Dan is a financial supporter of the toxic turf project and bills Mt. Lebanon for his work on the project. It's a great gig. No conflict of interest there. 

David Donnellan is our director of recreation. A dedicated employee, David built the climbing wall at the swimming pool. Concerned with loss of revenue, David wanted to keep the golf course open during the archery hunt. David also rushed the swimming pool construction in order to open on Fathers Day. A non-voting member of the Sports Advisory Board and member of the super secret Turf Project Task Force, David was instrumental in making the toxic turf project a reality.

Mt. Lebanon Police Chief Coleman McDonough took charge of the now suspended archery program. I have a lot of respect for Coleman, but question his judgment to keep the golf course open during the hunt.

Nick Sohyda is the chief of our award winning fire department. A great guy.

Eric Milliron is Mt. Lebanon's Economic Development Officer and manager of the Commercial Districts Office. There's no drama with Eric, one of Mt. Lebanon's greatest assets. 

Phil Weis is the Municipality's solicitor. I like Phil, but he has to do what he has to do. 

Marcia Taylor retired from the Municipality earlier in 2013 as assistant manager and finance director. Marcia ruled with an iron fist. Talk to her about police pensions.

The puppet masters behind this cast of characters are the following:

Barbara Logan, master gardener and former commissioner, wants deer dead in the worst way. She donated to Kristen Linfante's political campaign.

It is said that Carolyn Byham, another gardener, former commissioner and deer hater, is willing to pay for an entire deer cull. The commission should talk to her about funding the $68,000 dedicated to deer management for 2015.

Dave Franklin is legen (wait for it) dary. He likes to let everyone know that he is an attorney every chance he can. Dave's legal opinion on the safety of synthetic turf and the EPA is documented here on Lebo Citizens. Dave's dedication to the turf project fundraising is full time. Dave is a part time member of the Parks Advisory Board, but full time Parks Advisory Board Liaison to the Sports Advisory Board. He is a non-voting member of the SAB, but through his super secret Turf Project Task Force and being married to a voting SAB member, Dave gets the job done.

David Reese, one of the trolls here on Lebo Citizens, wrote a letter to the editor of the PG on 09.01.11 explaining that he is not tax averse and wants to pay higher taxes. You should have a conversation about that at your next family gathering, Dave. 

What can I say about the member of the super secret Turf Project Task Force, Chip Dalesandro, who came to my door unannounced? Not much.

He Who Shall Not Be Named - see above.

I hope this Municipality Who's Who guide is helpful. I may have inadvertently left out someone, so this list may be updated. Since 2015 will be a year of change with elections for five seats for school board directors and three seats for commission, I am optimistic that the majority of our local government will be a positive change in direction for Mt. Lebanon.

Happy New Year.

Introducing Andrew McCreery and Bonnie Cross

To: All Employees 

 I am very pleased to announce two key additions to the management team of the municipality. Both a new Director of Finance and a new Assistant to the Manager for Human Resources will begin work on Monday, September 9th. 

 Andrew McCreery will be the new Director of Finance. Andrew is a Mt. Lebanon resident. He is a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently working as the Finance Officer and Acting Borough Manager for the Borough of Jefferson Hills. He previously worked for six years as Accounting Manager for the Township of Upper St. Clair. Andrew brings a great public accounting background to the position. As Chief Financial Officer, Andrew will be responsible for all fiscal activities including accounting, budgeting, cash management, expenditure control, and financial administration and analysis. 

 Bonnie Cross will become the new Assistant to the Manager and personnel officer. For the past ten years, Bonnie was a Benefit Manager for the State of Ohio, responsible for overseeing the State’s workers compensation and flexible spending programs. Prior to her State job, Bonnie worked for the City of Upper Arlington Ohio, a first ring suburb of Columbus, where she served as Assistant City Manager. In that capacity she participated in the collective bargaining process and administered the human resources function for the organization. Bonnie received a Masters of Public Administration from Kent State University and a B.A. from Seton Hill College. She holds a SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) designation. In Mt. Lebanon, she will be responsible for all human resources programs and activities. 

 Please join me in welcoming both Andrew and Bonnie to our organization. 

 Steve Feller