It took this long for the media to touch this story

Mt. Lebanon to start over with capital campaign fundraiser

"When the campaign started in 2012, the original goal was to raise $6 million." WRONG

The original goal was $30 million.

The feasibility study was in 2012.

Pursuant Ketchum was hired as counsel for the capital campaign in March 2013.

Alyssa DeLuca was hired in August 2013 as Capital Campaign Director.

"Riemer said the goal of the district-wide fundraising effort was to 'provide funding for other innovative programs without imposing additional tax burden onto our community.'” SORT OF. 

The original goal was to avoid a second bond issue.

"While the campaign wasn’t a success, Riemer said more than 250 donors have contributed to projects like Matt’s Maker Spaces, STEAM initiatives and the athletics and fine arts programs." UH, YEAH...SORT OF.

Yes, there were more than 250 donors, but not one dime was raised due to the high administrative costs. Almost $1,000,000 from the General Fund was used as "seed money" or "loan" or "investment," all words used at various times by soon-to-retire Director of Business Janice Klein.

“I too believe strongly that it is in the best interest of the district to recognize the achievements and the people in the past but move it forward,” board member Larry Lebowitz said. “I look forward to the presentation where we’re going to learn about the ideas for the reset with the idea being that we will then decide how to answer a lot of these questions (we have).”

What board member Larry Lebowitz really means is that he is really excited for the opportunity to come up with answers for this failed initiative.

A year ago, Nick Meduho and I were working hard to expose this, but the newspapers never said a word. Nick, I wish you were here. I bet you are smiling down at us. Miss you, Buddy.

So here is what I got for $1.25.

As I reported yesterday, I had to prepay $1.25 for missing receipts that should have been included in Nick M.'s RTK. See Getting nowhere quick! to read the ration of you know what that our disrespectful school board president dished out to me. Jeanine emailed the five receipts to me today. Here they are. Pursuant receipts

The five receipts must have come from the general fund. They are not earmarked Fund 27 Capital Campaign like the others were.

It was brought to my attention today to look at the footnote on Timmy's Capital Campaign Timeline. 

Jan Klein usually reports that the monthly bills are typical for this time of year. As we know from the school board president who is under investigation, items are approved through monthly bills without the school board directors taking the time to read the list of bills. Timmy always recommends that the monthly bills be approved.


I'm getting the feeling that the $923,530.02 loan/investment/heist is just the tip of the iceberg. How can these funds be co-mingled? How much money has actually been lost or mismanaged? Seriously, Jan Klein needs to go. We must hire different auditors. The school board needs to get rid of the Capital Campaign Director and her cabinet, even though Mary thinks it is a 100 year plan. They need to give Timmy his walking papers. Promote Dr. Davis to Superintendent. Go back to one assistant superintendent. Make "How to win friends and influence people" required reading for the board majority and the Timmy Ticket. And we need to get Mary Birks the heck out of there.

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

www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com

-----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

www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com

-----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

www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com

-----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:

Pursuant Ketchum Consulting Services Agreement 

Pursuant Ketchum invoices from a RTK 

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

www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com

We don't need an outside audit, why Mary? UPDATED 100117

Pursuant Ketchum Consulting Services Agreement 

Pursuant Ketchum invoices from a RTK 

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?

I am not an accountant. In fact, I am terrible at numbers. So how was this approved by Maher Duessel, the outside auditing firm that MTLSD has employed for over twenty five years?

Lebo Citizens Readers, I still have time for a Flashback Friday. Please read Dear Mt. Lebanon Neighbor:

Update October 1, 2017 6:30 PM Unless there are missing receipts, the invoices for travel total $17,560.05. The cap was $21,000.

Also, unanswered emails to the school board.

From: egillen476@aol.com [mailto:egillen476@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, September 30, 2017 7:20 PM
To: schoolboard@mtlsd.net
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:

Pursuant Ketchum Consulting Services Agreement 
Pursuant Ketchum invoices from a RTK 
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

www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com

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

From: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
To: TSteinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>; egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: schoolboard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Sun, Oct 1, 2017 3:39 pm
Subject: Re: CC web page update or lack of

Tim,

The link to the exercise in futility is now working again. I watched it again. Not only were you "happy to put it on the internet," but Mary Birks told Mrs. Bongiorno that "We will put it on the Capital Campaign Website."

When?

Elaine Gillen

www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com

-----Original Message-----
From: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
To: TSteinhauer <TSteinhauer@mtlsd.net>
Cc: schoolboard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Sun, Oct 1, 2017 12:39 pm
Subject: CC web page update or lack of

Where is the 2 page report that I have requested? Capital Campaign Financial Report through August 31, 2017 (2 pages) It is not on the Capital Campaign web page.

Where is the list that you offered to post FOUR TIMES to Paula Bongiorno? Watch this exercise in futility. Unfortunately, the clip has been removed. Did you have something to do with that?

Elaine Gillen

www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com

Accountable? Accountable? Are you kidding?

Unfortunately, I live in Caste, Cappucci, and Remely Country. Their loyal neighbors are displaying CCRB yard signs, as if to say, F.U. Mt. Lebanon.

It is mind-boggling how these four have the audacity to even be running for an office. They make the claim on their website that they are accountable. Accountable for what? I'm not seeing it.

The evidence is overwhelmingly against them. The Timmy Ticket is divisive. They didn't run with Riemer and Strotmeyer. Remely had a prepared statement containing personal attacks toward Riemer. Cappucci was trying to throw Strotmeyer under the bus during her five minutes of resident comments. These four are key players in the Million Dollar Heist. Then there is the $113 million high school renovation which our former superintendent AND a Allegheny County Common Pleas Court judge advised them to scale it down.

This group also hired Pursuant Ketchum TWICE (once for the Feasibility Study and then again for Counsel. Through a Right To Know, the PK proposal is here.)

Of course, there is that darn ethics issue. And the overpaid and underworked superintendent.

On the commission side, we have a guy who risks his life fighting fires, while his opponent, with so many connections, gets his day in court two days after the election for public intoxication and similar misconduct.

I don't understand how these people have the cajones to run for public office. What is even worse to me, is that Cappucci, Remely, Caste, Birks, and Grella are banking on the uninformed voters to elect them.

Still thinking about voting for Cappucci, Caste, Remely, and Birks?

This makes my blood boil! Through a Right To Know, Pursuant Ketchum invoices for the Capital Campaign totaling $152,506.55.

Watch Timmy pronounce "Pursuant Ketchum."

We hit pay dirt!

The discussion of the loan for the capital campaign was on March 11, 2013. The podcast is available on my website, March 11, 2013 School Board Discussion Meeting Podcast
If that link doesn't work, here is the podcast to download. Agenda is posted here and saved in Google Docs here.

Capital Campaign Counsel – The Board will discuss the engagement of Campaign Counsel for a potential Capital Campaign.

Who is Capital Campaign Counsel? Why it is Pursuant Ketchum with lead consultant being Elliott Oshry for the low, low price of $184,000 paid over two years. Where does it say all that in the meeting minutes from the following week?  Another Right To Know for the Consulting Services Agreement with Pursuant Ketchum, I guess.

God Bless Scott Goldman. He asked the important questions twenty seven minutes into the meeting. Jan Klein said that $200,000 may be used as seed money for the campaign. It would be done via a transfer of assets, something she does frequently. It would be listed as a loan to be paid to the General Fund. It would not be included in the base budget. No problem, because this campaign will be self sufficient and it would be paid off. Jan said that it isn't permitted unless it is a loan to be paid off! It was not voted on because Jan said they do that all the time. It would be in a separate fund. Yikes!

So the loan/investment seed money was never approved by the school board!!!

Entire Feasibility Study posted - hopefully MTLSD got it right this time! UPDATED 092017

The entire feasibility study has now been posted.

http://www.mtlsd.org/uploaded/District/Century_of_Excllence/Pursuant_Ketchum_Feasibility_Study_0812.pdf

Updated September 20, 2017 12:02 PM The podcast to the Sept. 17, 2012 meeting for the Special Pursuant Ketchum Feasibility Study Report is available here.

Good catch!

The following email was sent to the school board directors this evening.

From: Nicholas Meduho Jr

To: Bill Cooper ; Bill Moorhead ; Dan Remely ; Hugh Beal ; Larry Lebowitz ; Mary Birks ; Mike Riemer ; Sarah Olbrich ; Stephen Strotmeyer 

Cc: Tim Steinhauer 

Date: Sun, Sep 17, 2017 8:09 pm

Subject: feasibility study 

For as much as I appreciate the Pursuant Ketchum feasibility study (saved in Google Docs) being posted online for the public to view, there seems to be quite a few pages missing.

It appears that only odd number pages were supplied, quite a few of the recommendation steps are missing and there are references to information that is not being shown.

Can we please get the entire feasibility study posted?

Thank you,

Nicholas Meduho
Mt. Lebanon, PA


Subsequent email:

I wanted to mention too, some of the appendices are missing as well.

Thanks again.

What started out to be a post about the budget...

It all started with this article in the Post Gazette, Nice surprise: No tax increase in Mt. Lebanon after all. Thanks to some refinancing of bonds, and trouble in the world, taxpayers in Mt. Lebanon will not see a tax increase.

That’s because the district was the unexpected benefactor of a fortuitous dip in interest rates due to recent world events, such as the conflict in Afghanistan, tensions in North Korea and an upcoming election in France, according to the district’s financial adviser.

The article continues with

The board is expected to approve the final budget May 22. Until then, it will be available for public inspection online at www.mtlsd.org. (Go to http://www.mtlsd.org/page.cfm?p=1415 for the budget.)

And that is when my research took an ugly turn. Looking at the budget, I don't see anything about the Capital Campaign originally suggested by Pursuant Ketchum in 2013.

We are now in Year Four of the "Quiet Phase." The longest quiet phase E V E R 

District spokeswoman Cissy Bowman [What the hell does that woman actually do???] said the campaign remains in its “quiet phase,” with organizers planning “awareness events” for potential donors during the summer and into the next school year. 

That was two years ago. Still nothing. Nothing is in the budget. No totals are mentioned ANYWHERE. We have been given crumbs, like the current brochure and the webpage showing the Campaign Cabinet. OMG!   Look who is on the committee? Two members of the Timmy Ticket! Hey Ladies, how about coming clean with some amounts in the Capital Campaign, now known as the Century of Excellence Campaign? How about a spreadsheet showing what your expenses are and what you have taken in? This is starting to sound like Mary Birks being executive director of Outreach!

How about you, Jan Klein? What can you tell us about the Capital Campaign? Exactly how many more years will we be in the Quiet Phase? I guess Mark Cuban is finding better ways to invest his money on Shark Tank.

Yet, Lebo Larry is more offended by Dan Remely's comment. (See PG article above.) I never run out of things to blog about here. The Timmy ticket has really made a mess of things in Mt. Lebanon.

Pursuant Ketchum Going...Going...

Looks like Pursuant Ketchum is on their way out, according to the article in the Trib, Vote set on hiring of new advisor for Mt. Lebanon School District Alyssa DeLuca, who just returned from family leave, will continue to lead the fundraising campaign at $82,500 per year. Maggie Schmidt will replace Pursuant Ketchum and will be advising Alyssa DeLuca at a rate of $62.50 per hour for as many as 32 hours per month.

Schmidt would replace staff from consulting firm Pursuant Ketchum, which has been advising Mt. Lebanon on the campaign since March 2013. Pursuant Ketchum recommended Schmidt to the district, and she will replace consultants who had been traveling about once a month from Pursuant's Boston offices at Mt. Lebanon's expense, said Superintendent Tim Steinhauer.

Also from the Trib article:

The board also discussed hiring former employee Stephen Schuerer as a human resources consultant, also at a rate of $62.50 per hour, to work with the district on a new contract for its teachers. The current contract runs through June 30.

If Steve Schuerer is not currently working for the district, who is the director of human resources? He is currently listed as the Title IX compliance investigator on the MTSLD calendar and in other places. Every school that receives federal money is supposed to have one. Is Steve Schuerer an attorney? If not, why is he being hired to work with the district on a new teachers' contract? Nice that he can double dip.

Speaking of teachers and administrators, we can find out how much administrators and teachers earned in 2012-13 here: Pa. posts school administrator, teacher salaries to website The salary information is difficult to find. To view individual teacher salaries, choose Allegheny County, then Mt. Lebanon School District. View district information. In the top right of the next page, view fiscal information. Scroll down on the right, and go to School Personnel Salary Date. It's a downloadable spreadsheet.

School Board meeting update

I have not had time to listen to the podcasts which I uploaded on www.lebocitizens.com, but I did get a quick recap of the meeting.

Construction update included a visit from Tom Celli. Scott Goldman questioned Tom Berkabile about the contingency fund and how it seems like we will run out of money.

During the school board meeting, Ms. Deluca requested that we spend $30,000 and hire a firm to reduce the large list of alumni (2,500?) to the top 100 contacts. Wasn't PK supposed to do that with the feasibility study? I would be willing to do that for $25,000.  In listening to the meeting, at 23:20 Timmy requests to hire Richard A Kettle (sp?), a "freelance prospect research professional," at $30/hour not to exceed $6,000.

A resident asked why the railing in the pool spectator area has not been fixed. I believe that was reported last October. He never got a response from the school board.

School Board Moves Forward with Capital Campaign [UPDATED]

School Board Moves Forward with Capital Campaign
March 19, 2013

At the March 18 School Board meeting the Board approved the firm of Pursuant Ketchum to serve as fundraising counsel to the Mt. Lebanon School District to implement the $6 million capital and endowment campaign. Representatives for the firm will begin to draft the campaign plan, calendar, case for support, develop and analyze the campaign prospect database. They will begin the search for an in-house campaign manager who will also be part of the MLFE, and start to recruit the leadership and volunteers for the campaign.

The goal of the campaign is to position the District for the future with an endowment to help sustain the educational, fine arts and athletic programs Mt. Lebanon School District is known for and to provide an opportunity to fund raise for the capital needs of the District.

Update March 20, 2013 2:57 PM  Lebo board hopes fundraising will ease budget woes (Saved in Google Docs)

SOS

Monday's school board meeting agenda has been posted. Same old... "Typical for this time of year."

Oct. 8, 2012 School Board Discussion Meeting agenda


The shell game continues.

Ratification of June 30, 2012 List of Budgetary Transfers – The list of budgetary transfers to close the books on June 30, 2012 is required by law. It is a lengthy list totaling $2,435,420 and reflects transfers from and to budgetary accounts which have or need additional funding. Last year the list totaled $1,685,433. The superintendent recommends approval of this list.

Audit Report for Year Ending June 30, 2012 – Annually, the independent audit firm, Maher Duessel, CPAs, completes a financial audit of the District financial records. A draft of the audit report will be presented and reviewed by Amy Lewis, CPA and Dave Duessel, CPA. The final audit report will be complete for Board action at the October 15, 2012 meeting. The superintendent recommends approval and acceptance of the report.

More change orders, of course.

Change Orders for High School Project – This month there are a number of change orders for the Board to consider.

a. #PL-02-11 for $2,189 to Vrabel Plumbing for temporary water to B building for asbestos abatement when water lines were offline during construction.

b. #PL-03-12 for ($19,776) to Vrabel Plumbing to credit the District for reusing rain conductors rather than replacing them since the current ones are in good condition.

c. #AB-01-13 for $12,828 to Precision for Asbestos abatement to an unforeseen area hidden in the wall in a shaft. 

d. #FP-01-14 for $3,593 to Simplex Grinnell for temporary work required for Fire Department regulations to keep building B open while we are occupied during phasing.

e. #IN-01-02 for $5,866 to Farfield Electric for the balance of the cost of the temporary generators as part of the large insurance claim. This will be covered by insurance and will be a deduct change order once the final accounting for the claim is complete.

The total cost of all these change orders is $4,700. These have been reviewed by the architect, construction manager, Rick Marciniak and Jan Klein. The superintendent recommends them for approval.

I hope they did the math correctly this time.

And finally, for discussion:

1. Feasibility Study – The Board will discuss the Feasibility Study that was presented by Pursuant Ketchum.

2. Strategic Plan – The Board will hear a presentation regarding the District’s Strategic Planning efforts.

Obviously, the Board will be sharing all the topics that were discussed at their three coffees. The feasibility study has been a hot topic here. "Direct and supervise the completion of the District’s Strategic plan", Tim Steinhauer's Number Two goal, was delegated to a facilitator and committee.  Our tax dollars at work.

PK has quite a racket going

Greater Latrobe School District had hired Pursuant Ketchum in 2011 to do a feasibility study to raise $15 million.  Sound familiar?

Through a Right To Know (I didn't realize this could be done), the results and contract follow.
Greater Latrobe Fundraising Study
Of Counsel Philanthropy

What I find interesting is how thorough PK was with Greater Latrobe. The first link is 42 pages. Either our school board is holding back or PK didn't put as much effort into our study as they had with Greater Latrobe. The second link is the 8 page consulting agreement.  I guess this is what we are in for...

Are you in the 7%?

The School District website has released the SPECIAL STUDY AND REPORT ON THE FUNDRAISING POTENTIAL OF MT. LEBANON SCHOOL DISTRICT With twenty hours remaining to vote on poll, fifty one votes have been cast. So far, there are four individuals (7%) who are willing to donate.

In concert with creating communications materials that explain the strategic vision, the School District must heighten the community’s awareness of the importance of philanthropy, now and in the future. An integrated and multifaceted Awareness and Cultivation Program should be planned and implemented as an integral part of pre- campaign activities and procedures.

To initiate a Targeted Awareness-Building and Cultivation Program, I am asking those four individuals to send an email to schoolboard@mtlsd.net explaining that you were in the 7% of the Lebo Citizens poll and would like to donate. Thank you so much for understanding the importance of philanthropy. With your help, it could mean only $18 a month for me. If those 7% do come forward, I just identified four donors for free. That is my donation - that and heightening the community's awareness.

To read more about this in the School Board President Reports, don't go here.  Go here.  Or here.