New recycling regulations for next year

Recycling changes loom for Mt. Lebanon, other South Hills Communities

Starting next year, Mt. Lebanon residents will be unable to throw glass and select types of plastic into their recycling bins. 

We will only be able to recycle plastics numbered 1 and 2. No glass bottles or jars will be accepted.  The article states that we can recycle cardboard. That is not entirely true. We cannot recycle pizza boxes because of the grease. I wonder about the grease in boxes containing cheese sticks, fries, or any other take out food. I think they are discriminating against pizza lovers. I'm offended.

We better not be hit with Pay as You Throw next. My recycling can is usually quite filled with glass jars and bottles. I have tried to be more mindful about recycling and now it is going to blow up in our faces. With our super duper Public Works that has gone waaaaaaaaaaay over budget and is behind six months, maybe we can have our own glass recycling program since we will have the space for it.

I'm still not over the stormwater fee. Mt. Lebanon started charging us a stormwater fee starting in 2011, so that they could control stormwater runoff in areas prone to flooding. Yeah, that's working well. Maybe we will hear more about how that million dollars a year collected every year in fees, in the September issue of mtl Magazine. We will get to see all the flood photos collected of this past June.

Western Pa. towns eye fees to control stormwater runoff

“During the past two years, I have been asked to speak at three different professional conferences on this subject and Mt. Lebanon's program,” said Mt. Lebanon municipal Manager Steve Feller. “Because of the stormwater fee, Mt. Lebanon has had the resources to initiate numerous projects to maintain and enhance the existing system and also expand the system to areas deficient of storm sewer infrastructure.”
Since Mt. Lebanon adopted the program, which raises about $1 million a year, Dormont, Whitehall and Scott have weighed potential fees, Feller said.

The bottom line is that we are paying for deficient storm sewer infrastructure while flooding is worse than ever and next we will hear that we have to pay more as we try to be green.

PIO forgot this reputable source

Our Public Information Officer seems to have forgotten to mention another reputable source. No, not Lebo Citizens. I said a R E P U T A B L E source. Commissioner Kelly Fraasch, the only working commissioner updated her blog over the weekend with the following posts,  PAYT Presentation
and Update for Unassigned Funds.

There will be a presentation given to the commissioners tomorrow evening during the Commission Discussion Session on Pay As You Throw. Residents will be able to ask questions or comment during the commission meeting which follows at 8:00 PM.

Additionally, these items were removed from the Unassigned Funds Wish List:

• Iroquois fill and grass-Provides removing mulch from old play area and leveling the surface with topsoil and planting grass. $3,500
• Pathway around pool-Pathway outside of the swim center that acts as a connector from the Vee Lynn Drive to the recreation center. $41,170
• Sidewalks at tennis center-Pave remaining asphalt paths with concrete. $100,000
• Golf Course Pavillion-Place a pavilion near the first tee for outings and special events. $60,000
• Replace Rockwood park rubber sidewalks $1,500
• Replace Martha’s playground rubber surface $15,000
• Public Works Facility Improvements- Add vehicle maintenance bays, addition to existing building and site improvements. $1,252,600

Commissioners Linfante, Brumfield, Bendel, and Silverman, instead, have assigned over $800,000 to fund a project that doesn't sit well with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

How low can we go?

I found the 2010 lean and clean and smart annual report produced by the Public Information Office on the municipal website. So many changes since 2010!

Concerning the cover of the report, the PIO writes: "What better symbol of Mt. Lebanon’s clean, transparent government than water splashing from the fountain at Clearview Common, a popular Uptown gathering space." I don't think I had submitted any Right To Knows for the municipal side of our government at that point. Former commissioner Dan Miller took pride in sharing documents with residents.

In 2010, our municipal government was tightening its belt. Manager Steve Feller writes: "Kept the undesignated fund balance at above 10 percent, the amount recommended by rating agencies." This year, as a result of our greedy Commission, Moody downgraded our ratings. Moody's reports challenges to be:

CHALLENGES:
Below average fund balance
Large overlapping debt with local school district

The spending of $800,000 on artificial turf violates the terms of the ordinance established by the commission.  The ordinance states that unassigned funds Cannot be used for regularly scheduled and reoccurring operational expenditures. The artificial turf is to be replaced every eight years.

Recycling is up, "increased participation over two years by 89 percent." Now we are faced with another hidden tax a.k.a. "Pay as You Throw" next month, to encourage more residents to recycle. 

Look at the partnerships:

"Share services, form partnerships; right-size and reduce redundancies
This is just good common sense. Here are a few examples:
• Signed a new two-year agreement with the school district
and the Youth Soccer Association for continued maintenance
of school athletic fields.
• Implemented the “Go Zone” uniform signage program with
the school district.
• Decided to consolidate parking authority operations into
municipal government by December 31, 2011.
• Developed a retail management and promotions strategy for
Uptown in partnership with Duquesne University."

The two year agreement with the school district and the YSA (Youth Sports Alliance, NOT the Youth Soccer Association) was a disaster. Now, the commission has chosen to enter into another maintenance agreement with the school district for Middle and Wildcat Fields.

The "Go Zone" is a disaster and has been discussed here on Lebo Citizens.

The Parking Authority was consolidated, but I'm not clear on how the funds are being spent in regard to the latest bond issue.

Retail management and promotions strategy: We couldn't have a finer manager of the Commercial Districts Office, but the TOD is going nowhere, thanks to our commission.

"Coffee with the Manager, a community relations board program that invites residents to discuss issues with the staff informally at a coffee house." and "People don’t always have time to attend public meetings, so they appreciated Coffee with the Manager, a community relations board program that promotes transparent government by inviting residents to meet informally with Manager Steve Feller and other staff members at a local coffee house." Coffee with the Manager is history. Susan Morgans said that it was not well attended. I believe the last coffee was concurrent with the Candidates Forum. 

Changes include the power structure of our municipal government. For instance, the organizational chart shows the Boards are higher on the organizational chart than staff. Now, the staff tells the Boards "how it is." 

An interesting read on undesignated funds:

The total fund balance is the difference between assets and liabilities in a specific fund of the municipality. The undesignated portion of the fund balance represents expendable available resources that can be spent for emergencies and future uncertainties. In the General Fund, the municipality’s primary operating fund, the undesignated fund balance decreased by $487,434 from 2009 to 2010. This decrease was caused by use of fund balance in the 2011 budget and a designation for 2012 to help with pension contributions. The municipality has worked to increase the General Fund’s undesignated fund balance from a low of 4.1 percent of operating revenues in 2004. Rating agency and industry standards recommend an undesignated fund balance in the General Fund to be 5 to 15 percent of operating revenues. At year-end 2010, the General Fund undesignated fund balance was 11 percent.

Newcomers should read about real estate trends.

While the real estate market has significantly declined in other areas of the country, the values in Mt. Lebanon have not been as vulnerable. After a dip in average sales price in 2008, the prices in Mt. Lebanon showed recovery in 2009 and remained steady in 2010. The average sales price increased a mere 0.1 percent from 2009 to 2010. The number of properties sold has been constant in the past, but in the last few years has been far more market sensitive.

We are moving in the wrong direction. There is less transparency, more debt and wreckless spending, lower fund balance, poorer ratings, and the staff is out of control. Have I missed anything?

This is what I am dealing with UPDATED

Through the Right To Know which I am still working through, I found Kristen's letter where she told fellow commissioners how the ESB Chair had Kristen "insist" on artificial turf. I posted it here and also sent it to the ESB, minus the ESB Chair, since I had an old email address of hers and did not have her new one. I sent further communication to the entire ESB concerning the RTK, including the ESB Chair, after I had a current list of emails.

I had a feeling that Kristen Linfante would weigh in on this email exchange, so I filed a Right To Know asking for all emails to or from Kristen Linfante concerning the ESB Chair, Elaine Gillen, Lebo Citizens from August 1, 2014 to and including August 3, 2014.

I love how Kristen still thinks I ran against her. I'm flattered that she would think that I would remove the word "organic" myself. I'm good, Kristen, but I'm not THAT good.

I don't see the humor in the ESB Chair's statement that Autocorrect suggested that igniting me is the only way to deal with me. I also don't appreciate the libelous statements made about me.

Here is the email exchange from my latest RTK.

Update August 19, 2014 7:31 AM After the ESB Chair joked about igniting me, she asked about Kristen's trip out west. Here ya go, Kathy. NEXT Up: Kristen Linfante Third summer that my commissioner has been MIA. By the way, no apology from the ESB Chair or Miss Kristen. Oh, how some women are permitted to behave around here.

Want to pay to have your garbage collected? UPDATED

There is a real possibility, if the commission gets their way. There will be an informational meeting April 21, 2014 in the commission chambers, starting at 6:00 PM.

Here is what is on Commisioner Fraasch's blog:

Anyone wondering what this Pay As You Throw potential garbage program is about? 

Please join the ESB as they host a Q/A with representatives from WasteZero, the largest Pay As You Throw company in the US.  All are welcome and no RSVP is required.

Monday, April 21st at 6pm in the Municipal Building.

Please come out and learn about this programming and if the Commission implements the program how it will affect you.

********

This will affect every resident of Mt. Lebanon. Please don't say that you didn't know about it. You've been warned.

Update April 24, 2014 3:57 PM Waste Zero Presentation 

New street signs in Mt. Lebanon UPDATED 2X

Just got in from the commission meeting about twenty five minutes ago. I don't know how to say this. See sign above.

The discussion session was so long that it reconvened after the regular commission meeting. The regular meeting included:

• Kristen Linfante making sure everyone knew her position on deer during Citizens' Comments. 
• Kristen Linfante making sure everyone knew her position on deer during the public hearing on the 2014 Recommended Budget.
• See sign above.

The reconvened discussion session included THE latest and greatest Turf Proposal for Middle and Wildcat Fields. I will be uploading the presentation as soon as I get it. I believe the vote is on November 25. See sign above.

More discussion about solid waste and Pay As You Throw. Paraphrasing Tom Kelley, we shouldn't be making this decision at 11:30 at night.  I believe the vote is on November 25. See sign above.

November 13, 2013 3:22 PM David Donnellan just sent me the pdf of John Bendel's presentation. Mt. Lebanon Field Enhancement Proposal Thanks, David.

November 14, 2013 12:11 PM Remember how the intersection of Greenhurst and Cedar floods every year? Flooding of artificial turf 

Who pays for this cleanup?

Multiple fire hoses are required to clean up the area. Does the fire department help residents with flooding issues or will they be directed to protect the fields?

Pay As You Throw Still A Go?

As of today, PAYT is still a possibility. It certainly got Waste Management's attention. On October 15, Waste Management looked at this blog EIGHTEEN times. There seems to be some conflicting information. WM told me that Cranberry does not have PAYT. Kelly Fraasch disagreed. When I spoke (briefly) with Kelly today, she said that she is working on a blog post, and will post it soon.

Matt Kluck wants to have a discussion as to the pros and cons of PAYT. He asked Tom Kelley to present them at the October 28, 2013 Discussion Session.

PAYT, contrary to the anonymous comment indicating otherwise, may still become a reality.

How does The Lebo Citizens Team sound?

I have been curious about the Lebogreen.org website ever since I posted their call for action on my post, Just so you know, Pay As You Throw.

Kristen Linfante answered my questions to the commission, "Who funds lebogreen.org and who is the Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team?"

"The Environmental Team is not a municipal board - it is a group that works often with the ESB, and they have a rep on the ESB, but they are not affiliated.
Kristen Linfante"

Still wanting more information, Kristen responded to my second email.

"Not a single tax dollar goes to the Environmental Team or their website. It is a completely volunteer group. One of their members created the site and manages it. This group is not affiliated with the municipality or the SD.
Kristen Linfante"

Under Rob Papke's beautiful photo on About Us, I learned more about The Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team.

The Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team is a group of local Mt. Lebanon (Pennsylvania) citizen volunteers devoted to improving the environment by working with residents, elected officials, institutions, businesses and the Mt. Lebanon Environmental Sustainability Board. The team is dedicated to responding to the global and local economic, social and environmental challenges associated with energy demand and human contributions to climate change and to improve the effects of these changes on our community and neighbors.
Get involved by joining the team. Sign up by sending us an email.

Then it hit me. Here is a group of citizen volunteers who work with elected officials and the Mt. Lebanon Environmental Sustainability Board. Elected officials who push their personal agendas with boards who are appointed by ELECTED OFFICIALS. How does this citizen group get to work with elected officials and the ESB? Is it because they are friends of elected officials?

What about the hundreds of people who read this blog? I can't say there are hundreds who disagree with our elected officials, but why can't we have a say in things? We have a board chosen by elected officials who work with friends of the elected officials. How fair is that? Who is representing those who  disagree with these people? Why can't there be boards who represent the rest of us?

Look at the whole PAYT debate. The Environmental Sustainability Board and The Mt. Lebanon Environmental Team are pushing it. Who is representing those who don't want it? What about the storm water fee? Who represented the folks who didn't want to get stuck with that fee?

We're told by the Commission that the Community Relations Board (staff liaison is Susan Morgans, commission liaison is Dave Brumfield) will be sponsoring a public discussion about deer in Mt. Lebanon.  Community Relations Board Minutes from July 10, 2013 Funny how the two CRB women at the discussion session never heard about Lebo Citizens. Dave Brumfield, you know the guy who was against killing deer, who suddenly thinks that a deer cull is a good idea, and Susan Morgans, who asked me in 2006 and 2007, "How many times are you going to tell us that deer culling isn't safe? You tell us over and over." are asking the Community Relations Board to sponsor a meeting about deer. Puleeze. That is as bad as Dave Brumfield organizing a "Sports Advisory Board" which is represented by primarily by field sports dads who are drooling for artificial turf.

It isn't just on the municipal side of our local government. It is happening with the school district too. Who represents the math parents? How about the four thousand people who wanted to scale down the renovation project? Or how about all the fees that parents are now facing? The teachers can't help. The administrators? The school board? I don't think so. There are no groups representing us, the non elected, non appointed members of the community.

So how about it? What about a Lebo Citizens Team? When are the rest of us going to have a say in things? The elected officials and the soon-to-be elected officials claim they don't read the blog. And please don't tell us that we can do that at the polls. That is a bunch of dog crap from Williamsburg Park.

The day after the 100 year Lebo storm

What a night! I didn't get home until midnight.  The original Discussion Session was to begin at 6:20 PM. The revised agenda listed a start time for 6:30 PM. As usual, the executive session ran late and I believe the Discussion Session didn't start until 7:00 PM. The only reason why White Buffalo was presenting, was because Kristen Linfante wanted them there. Guess who was out of town for last night's meeting? Kristen.

Dr. Anthony DeNicola was MIA. Instead, a technician, Mr. Maddock (didn't catch the first name) made the presentation. Mr. Maddock started off by clarifying that he was not a wildlife biologist as the agenda portrayed him to be.

I want to thank Kelly Fraasch for asking about the video that was originally posted here about suffocating deer. Maddock had heard about the video, but never watched it. I wonder why he never did. He said that the deer was dead and that the moving legs were just a reflex. They bag every deer's head, to avoid the scent of blood, causing other deer to leave the area.

We have the same situation as we did for the last two cullings. A company determines that a deer culling is necessary and the same company would be hired to do the culling. (Sounds amazing similar to the feasibility study done by PK, doesn't it?)

I had to leave the room at that point. It is recorded and will be uploaded on to lebocitizens.com as well as posted on the municipal website.

A very long discussion about Brafferton Field with bids coming in too high. Dave Brumfield and John Bendel thought that it would be better to turf an existing field. Of course. Dave wants Mellon and John wants Wildcat. Blah blah blah. You can hear it on the recordings.

Steve Feller will be recommending another bond issue for next year. I was so punchy that you need to watch the meeting for more details.

Academy Avenue parking issues and traffic options were discussed ad nauseum. Bottom line is that the commission will not making Academy Avenue one way.

PAYT was an interesting discussion. I sat next to Andrew Behrend, not sure of the spelling of his name, during the Discussion Session. He was never introduced when he spoke about PAYT, but I understand he is a member of Environmental Sustainability Board. Kelly and Andrew spoke about Cranberry's successful program. It seems that someone from Cranberry will be attending the next commission discussion session. Evidently, SHACOG has now placed a deadline in the middle November, if Lebo wants to switch to PAYT. I get the feeling that Steve Feller and Tom Kelley are not thrilled about PAYT. Dave said that the cost will double for residents. Steve said that if there is a problem with collection, then the municipality will need to pick up the garbage. Andrew told me during the meeting that containers are problematic, while Kristen and Kelly are leaning toward containers. Andrew wants to sell them on the idea of PAYT and then work out a hybrid program for Mt. Lebanon. I had mentioned to Andrew that everyone is NOT paying the same for trash collection since it is based on our assessments.  I am not thrilled about this idea.

By the time all this was over, we moved into the commission chambers and the first resident comment (mine) was at 10:10 PM! Many people left because they were tired of waiting. I didn't get home until midnight. What a night.

The 100 Year [Lebo] Storm

Tuesday's Commission meetings should go down as the most controversial meetings of our 100 year history. Here is the agenda for Tuesday's Discussion Session:

Discussion Session – Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Open Discussion Session (Room C)

6:20 P.M.

1. Deer: 

• Wildlife biologist with White Buffalo

6:45 P.M.

2. Brafferton Field bids.

6:55 P.M.

3. Financial planning review: 

• Financial trends 

• Overview of municipal debt 

• Proposed CIP for 2014-2018 

• Proposed user fee schedule for 2014 

• Proposed equipment replacement schedule

7:15 P.M.

4. Update on Academy Avenue parking and traffic.

7:25 P.M.

5. Pay as you throw.

7:35 P.M.

6. Dog park.

7:40 P.M.

7. Invasive species in parks.

7:45 P.M.

8. Commission liaison activities.

7:50 P.M.

9. Review of Regular Agenda.

Citizen Comments will begin at 8 PM during the regular Commission meeting. The Commission Meeting agenda is here. It's is going to be a late night.

Just so you know, Pay As You Throw

To be fair, I wanted to inform Lebo Citizens readers that there is a big push to urge commissioners to consider Pay As You Throw. For those not sure what PAYT is, read Pay As You Throw and A new fee for everyone.

From Lebogreen.org Waste Contract Renewal, 

If you are interested in making a change from traditional trash removal to a program that will save money, increase recycling, decrease waste going to a landfill, and have the greatest positive environmental impact to our community, we ask that you contact ALL of our Commissioners individually to let them know! This is not a Ward issue, but a township issue. Mt. Lebanon’s waste removal contract is up for bid and now is the time to contact our Commissioners:
Matt Kluck – mkluck@mtlebanon.org
Kristin Linfante – klinfante@mtlebanon.org
Dave Brumfield – dbrumfield@mtlebanon.org
Kelly Fraasch – kfraasch@mtlebanon.org
John Bendel – jbendel@mtlebanon.org

This program was considered in 2008 by a former commission and found through SHACOG, that it was not a good idea for the community. Kristen Linfante and Kelly Fraasch are behind this "new idea" since they lived in communities where it worked. Dave Brumfield also lived in a community that had PAYT, and it didn't work.

The program will save money since the cost is being removed from the Municipality and into your wallets. This is another fee that is being taken out of our taxes and charged separately. I don't understand the need to contact all of the commissioners separately. Send one email to commission@mtlebanon.org and let them know how you feel.

A new fee for everyone

The Commission took another step closer to implementing a Pay As You Throw (PAYT) program. The waste fee, not to be confused with our recyclables, would be charged to all residents in Mt. Lebanon and promotes a unit-based pricing approach to solid waste management. For example, if you throw away a bag a week, you would be charged less than your neighbor who tosses ten bags a week.

I spoke against this new fee at last night's commission meeting. After watching this presentation during the discussion session, I thought that it would:

• Boost hoarding
• Provide us with an incentive to dump our garbage in with our recyclables
• Charge us with another fee
• Start illegal dumping of garbage in public places
• Make it more difficult for those who rely on wheeling their garbage to the curb

This opens up a can of worms for me. Why will we paying for stormwater fees, block parties, and garbage collection, when we have a commissioner who wants to use our tax dollars to kill deer? Why not make that "Pay as We Kill?" Why should my tax dollars pay for something that I am opposed to in Mt. Lebanon? Are we going to have "Pay as We Plow?" How about "Pay as We Collect Your Leaves?" Will they charge admission for July 4 fireworks? What about "Pay as We Turf?"

Pay As You Throw

I missed Monday's Commission Discussion Session about a program that is being considered by the Commission.  It is called, "Pay As You Throw" (PAYT).  I asked Matt Kluck and Kelly Fraasch about this back in January, after stumbling across this document Recycling Technical Assistance Project #509. I was concerned about another fee being issued.  My question was, "Will we have to pay for garbage pick up?"

Matt replied with:

Elaine,
Only if the municipality decides to increase the frequency of recyclables collection or the state mandates it.
MK

Kelly replied with:

I will say after living in 6 states, we are behind in our collection systems.  Part of our program is very broken and we are paying out the nose for it.  If we can trim back some of these costs, I think it’s worth investigating...Remember we pay per pound for all our garbage. We pay a flat fee for recycling. It could help us to enhance and find incentives for recycling (residential and commercial).

From Lebomag.com

Michele Nestor, president of Nestor Resources, a solid waste consulting and project management company, talked to the commission last night about the feasibility of introducing a pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) trash collection system here.

PAYT programs charge residents for trash collection based on how much trash they generate. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 213 municipalities in the state have some kind of PAYT program. The benefits of this kind of system are an increase in recycling, and residents are only charged for the amount of trash they generate.

Some of the challenges are, the need for creating a new billing system to accommodate the change, and residents could perceive it as a new tax. Also, “Disposal is already cheap here,” says Nestor. “About 75 percent of the cost of disposal is fuel and labor, and those trucks are going to roll down the street every day anyway.”

Some other possibilities to promote recycling are a program called Recycle Bank, where people receive grocery coupons and other incentives for decreasing their trash footprint. A drawback, says Nestor, is that there is a cost associated with the program, approximately $15 per household per year, and in one survey, about 50 percent of residents registered, and of those, only about 10 percent used the service on a regular basis. Some communities have had success with a “secret shopper” approach, where a trash-day inspection will reward one or a few residents each week for showing good recycling practices.

“Or, you could just give out bigger bins for recycling,” says Nestor, something that could be done as part of a campaign to educate residents more about the advantages of the single-stream recycling Mt. Lebanon currently employs. Public Works Director Tom Kelley mentioned that his department often received positive feedback following stories in mtl Magazine about various aspects of recycling.

Despite the potential resistance to the program (or anything new), Nestor believes that PAYT is the way of the future.

Commissioners were open to exploring the possibilities of increasing Mt. Lebanon’s recycling output while decreasing its landfill footprint. Both Kelly Fraasch and Kristen Linfante moved here from PAYT communities, and both expressed a desire to see it work here.

Mt. Lebanon and the rest of the communities in the South Hills Council of Governments will be negotiating a new trash and recycling contract this year.

For more information about pay as you throw options, check out the EPA’s website, http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/tools/payt/index.htm.

Since I missed the meeting, I was hoping to learn more about the PAYT  discussion here.