New signs at the "Crown Jewel"

I recently learned that Mt. Lebanon has a sign shop above Public Works on Cedar Blvd. Apparently, the municipality got the message that taxpayers were unhappy with the total disregard by spectators and players alike. This new sign now appears at our "Crown Jewel."

I especially like this sign, which also appears at our million dollar field.

Yes, a laser printed piece of copy paper inserted into an Office Depot vinyl sheet protector has been posted to ban those pesky sunflower seeds, visible around home plate and in the dugout. He Who Shall Not Be Named promised to take full responsibility, and by golly, he did.

Lebo's up the creek

This was the scene yesterday behind Wildcat Field.

Something was going on in that creek. It actually looked like they were installing the zinc filter...but only for the drainage from the parking lot. The field drainage uses a slightly more northbound connecter pipe. So many OSHA violations. At 10:00 last night, it was still going on - well past the hour that construction must stop in Mt. Lebanon. A neighbor walked down to the active site and called 911 to report construction activity occurring after the municipal ordinance of 7pm. The cops showed up and almost arrested the neighbor because he wasn't "nice" to the guy sleeping in a PT Cruiser parked over the hillside. They advised that the construction was an "emergency" to prevent sewage from flowing into the creek. An emergency. Yeah, right.

This could complicate things UPDATED

Oops! Mt. Lebanon Baseball forgot to file their 990's for three consecutive years and the IRS is a little cranky. They revoked Mt. Lebanon Baseball Association's tax exempt status on May 15, 2014 with the Revocation Posting Date of August 11, 2014 (IRS posted notice of automatic revocation on IRS.gov).

Who are the officers of Mt. Lebanon Baseball Association?

So here is where it gets complicated. Mt. Lebanon Baseball donated $50,000 on June 29, 2014 to the turf project, after they lost their 501(c)(3) status. Does any of that money belong to the IRS? If any goes back, what happens to the $250,000 non-municipal funds obligation? Do the sponsors lose their tax deductions? Technically, any funds (revenues or income) including dues received after losing their tax exempt, non-profit status becomes taxable to them and any donations or gifts, money or goods, by donors cannot qualify for federal tax deductibility for the donors.  

On May 10, 2012, I had a visitor come to my door. At that time, I could mention his name. I happened to bring up 990's in the course of our conversation. Did we ever get to the bottom of the YSA Joint Maintenance Agreement payments? I see that the YSA is a 2014 Sponsor. So they ARE still around.

I wonder if any of the officers notified the commission. Speaking of the commission, on Tuesday evening, the commissioners will be voting to adopt the 2015 Comprehensive Fee Schedule. I see fees for block parties, Right To Know fees, stormwater fees, advertising fees for mtl Magazine, golf fees, swimming pool fees, yoga fees, tennis fees, ice rink fees, pavilion rentals, sanitary sewer fees, parking fees, Kennywood tickets, etc., but gosh darn it, no fees for Wildcat Field. Oh, and no fees for signs at ball fields. Why is that?

Update December 9, 2014 11:41 PM I asked about the fees for Wildcat and for signage. They were added to the 2015 Comprehensive Fee Schedule today since it was an oversight.

And it never floods...UPDATED 2X

Don't miss the never-before-seen Bird Park runoff area with some serious raging rapids and a collapsing hillside.

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

May 28, 2014

Here are photos of flooding on Wildcat Field today.

Wildcat Field Flooding 052814

Wildcat Field Flooding 052814

Wildcat Field Flooding 052814

Wildcat Field Flooding 052814

Wildcat Field Flooding 052814

Wildcat Field Flooding 052814

Wildcat Field Flooding 052814

Wildcat Field Flooding 052814

Wildcat Field Flooding 052814

Update May29, 2014 10:12 AM Please be aware that the official Pittsburgh rainfall for Tuesday 5/27/14 (I believe from 12:01 AM - 12:00 Midnight) was only 0.02 inches, and for Wednesday, 5/28/2014 it was only 1.38 inches, or a total of only 1.40 inches according to AccuWeather.com and the Tribune-Review. This is even below the 2-Year Storm Frequency standard of 2.3 inches of rainfall in a 24 hour period.

Mt. Lebanon's SALDO Section 809.4.6 requires that Municipal stormwater sewer systems be designed to handle the peak runoff from a 25-Year storm, or 4.4 inches of rainfall over a 24-hour period. Please read and become familiar with SALDO Part 8 Design Standards, Section 809 Stormwater Conveyance and Management, and Section 810 Storm Sewers and Drainage Facilities and all sub-sections. We're obviously failing to comply with our own Ordinances.

SALDO is Chapter XVI of the Mt. Lebanon Code, and has a direct link on the Public Documents page of the Municipal website. Or click here and start on page 75 of the pdf.

Update June 1, 2014 9:10 AM This was in the Trib last summer. Southmoreland tackles flood-damaged turf

Sean Stipp | Tribune-Review

Roughly one-third of the artificial turf at Russ Grimm Field at Southmoreland Senior High School was pushed into ripples by the force of flood waters.