Clarification on fee to attend Saturday's Celebrate Women Event UPDATED

The latest round of how much it will cost to attend the event to mingle with some of Mt. Lebanon's finest ladies.

Even though Keith McGill, both licensor and licensee of the event, claimed that the event is free if you don't attend the breakfast, one of the organizers is saying something totally different. There is a $5.00 fee to attend.

          From: Maureen Mamula [mailto:mtlwomenrecognition2016@gmail.com]
          Sent: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 6:56 PM
          To: Interested Party
          Subject: Event on Saturday

I am sorry I did not get back to you sooner-I was out of town.  Yes, you can attend the event without paying for the breakfast.  We do have expenses other than the breakfast, so the fee would be $5 per person.  We will be accepting checks made out to "Team PA Foundation" or cash at the door.  You mentioned you had other people who wanted to come too-I will need their names-our attendance will be limited by the room size.  

This getting comical now. There isn't a fee. It's a $25 donation. It's a $20 breakfast plus an optional $5 donation. It is free without the breakfast with an optional donation. There is a $5 fee to attend.

Let's cut the crap and admit that there are special rules for special people. Especially if Susan Morgans is in the picture. An admission fee is being charged for a two hour rental for a four hour event in a room where it is not permitted to charge an admission fee, as stated on a rental application signed by the manager of Mt. Lebanon as both the licensor and licensee, promoted for free by the Public Information Officer (one of the honorees) on the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon's social media and LeboALERT system.

Update October 20, 2016 5:53 PM 

From:	Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
To:	egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc:	Philip Weis <philip.weis@bipc.com>; commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Subject:	Re: Just an FYI
Date:	Thu, Oct 20, 2016 5:21 pm

---

Elaine,

I have confirmed with Michelle that the information that I previously relayed related to the event is correct.  There is no fee to attend the event.  You may attend at 9:00 for the event and be admitted for free if you do not wish to make a donation.  Michelle will ask Maureen to make any necessary  changes to wording to clarify this issue.

On Oct 20, 2016 12:37 AM, "egillen476@aol.com" <egillen476@aol.com> wrote:

Commissioners,

There is a fee for Saturday's event in the Commission Chambers. I have posted the email regarding the admission fee on my blog.

Elaine Gillen

Where else but Mt. Lebanon? UPDATED 5 X

Where else does one get paid to promote one's self? Susan Flemings Stroyd Morgans does and is compensated quite well, in both salary and benefits, for doing it.

Remember this post? "Come and mingle with some of Mt. Lebanon's finest ladies" Sure you do. It was one of my most read posts this year. We know that Susan Morgans read it because she shared some "words of wisdom" for me, "anonymously" of course.

This morning, this LeboALERT was in my email.

From: LeboALERT <noreply@mtlebanon.org>To: EGillen476 <EGillen476@aol.com>Sent: Tue, Oct 11, 2016 9:31 amSubject: LeboALERT: Pa.'s Commission for...
This is an important notice from LeboALERT.

Pa.'s Commission for Women to honor five Mt. Lebanon ladies, Oct. 22. Muni Bldg., 8:30 a.m. $25 donation. RSVP, info: mtlwomenrecognition2016@gmail.com. 

This is on top of what I read on Facebook:

Here is the problem. Besides Susan Morgans or Susan Fleming Morgans, whichever name she decides to use, constantly self-promoting in mtl Magazine, whether it is her winery tours where she writes that all the bottles of wine (except one) were consumed before returning home, her hair, her shopping preferences, her cut-through tips, is now using MTL social media to promote an event that is charging an admission to an event in the Municipal Building. That is a huge no-no.

"Renters shall not charge an admission fee for events held in the public meeting
rooms and shall not sell products or services for private profit or gain."

It is not a donation of $25, as the LeboALERT advertises. The cost is $20 for a continental breakfast plus a suggested donation of $5.00.  Read the fine print.

The word "donation" is definitely used loosely in Mt. Lebanon. It covers up a lot of sins.

Update October 12, 2016 3:45 PM If anyone wants to attend this event, it is free, according to Keith McGill.

From: Keith Mcgill [mailto:kmcgill@mtlebanon.org]  

Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2016 2:12 PM

To: Nicholas Meduho, Jr. Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; Philip Weis <pweis@mtlebanon.org>Subject: Re: LeboALERT: Pa.'s Commission for...Sent: Tuesday, October 11, 2016 2:12 PMTo: Nicholas Meduho, Jr. Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; Philip Weis <pweis@mtlebanon.org>Subject: Re: LeboALERT: Pa.'s Commission for...
Mr. Meduho,
If you wish to attend the event and arrive at 9:00 for the program you may do so free of charge. The $5.00 donation is suggested, not mandatory to attend the event. If you wish to arrive at 8:30 and have breakfast the $20.00 is to cover the cost of your breakfast. There is no admission fee. If you feel that the flier associated with the event is poorly worded I would recommend you contact the event organizer.

Keith

If anyone cares to mingle with some of Mt. Lebanon's finest ladies, a $5.00 donation would be appreciated. Breakfast is optional.

October 13, 2016 11:30AM Based on a comment submitted to Lebo Citizens at 11:16 AM this morning, The Pennsylvania Commission For Women was started by Gov. Tom Wolf, whose members are all members of the Democratic Party. 

October 14, 2016 10:52 AM More insight:

Hi Keith,

I am truly baffled by your upcoming Awesome Ladies event. Of course, it does not surprise me that Susan Morgans is being honored, because who thinks she is more awesome than she herself? And what fun for her to promote and host that ...

But I am not understanding the economics of this seemingly exclusionary, elitist event. The problem, of course, is that it is being held in the Municipal Building: a building which I own, as a taxpayer - not you or Susan, in your role as public servants.

I get the $5 voluntary donation part, but I do not get the "$20 to cover the cost of breakfast part." I have run many events like this, and there is no way breakfast costs the event organizers $20 / per person. In fact, continental breakfasts are usually less than $10 / per person.

Therefore, as you essentially signed my name approving this event in my building, I must know the following:
What is the exact total cost of the breakfast event in my building?

If, in the likely event, there is a surplus regarding people's breakfast purchases, who gets that money?

Who is providing the breakfast and exactly what are they charging, if anything (breakfast could easily be given or discounted for an event like this by a provider)?

If I wanted to hold a similar event in the municipal building for a foundation that I believe in, would you let me?

Thanks,

Dr. Jason Margolis

From Manager Keith McGill:

From: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>Sent: Friday, October 14, 2016 7:25 AMTo: Dr. Jason MargolisSubject: Re: Awesome Ladies Event
Good morning Dr. Margolis, 

If you are referring to the Celebrating Women of Mt. Lebanon event, this is not a municipal event. If you have questions regarding this event there is contact information on the attached pdf. If you are interested in a room rental the following link will take you to the appropriate page on the municipal website. 

http://www.mtlebanon.org/298/Meeting-Rooms 

In addition to our role as public servants, Ms. Morgans and I are both also taxpaying residents of the municipality.  

Respectfully, 

Keith 

Update October 17, 2016 7:40 PM  The contract for this event is here. It is for two hours, 8:00 AM to 10 AM. The event is from 8:30 to 11:30. Looks to me like it is a four hour rental at a two hour fee. Keith McGill signed off on it. Don't ask too many questions, Keith.

Update October 18, 2016 6:32 PM Celebrating Women of Mt. Lebanon event to honor five residents

Feasibility study, naming rights, donations, budget, assessments...

As you might have read the legal notice in Thursday's paper, there will be a special meeting on Monday at 6:30 to discuss a feasibility study for a capital fundraising campaign at Jefferson Middle School concerning the high school renovation.

Monday's School Board meeting agenda is packed with items.  The Board will discuss revisions to three policies:

Revisions to Policy FF, Naming Rights
Revisions to Policy KCD, Donations to the School District
Revisions to Policy JLI, School Violence, Terroristic Threats and Terroristic Acts

Also very important topics up for discussion are the 2012-2013 Budget, property assessments, the feasibility study discussed previously, and community field use. 

This is what we're talkin' about

As you all know by now, I still can't get over the discussion in at least two Master Design Team meeting minutes about an eight million dollar donation that never materialized.  At several school board meetings and on local blogs, residents - including yours truly, have brought up fund raising and donations for the high school renovation project. Instead, the School Board goes for the low hanging fruit and raises our taxes 10.5%, which includes the first bond for the high school renovation.  Instead of Christmas cards, our mortgage companies are sending us notices about shortages in our escrow accounts and what our new monthly payment will be next year to cover the first wave of tax increases by the School District.  James Fraasch posted an email on his blog that he had sent to his School Board colleagues before the December 13 School Board meeting.  Email to School Board

In addition, we ARE insulted by the way we are being treated.  I was at an Audit and Finance committee meeting where Jan Klein had only four copies (enough for the committee members attending) of the preliminary 5 year forecasted budget and none were shared with the three residents who tried to follow along in the discussion.  Compare this to the Municipality's approach to their proposed budget.  Public hearings were held.  These meetings were televised.  The proposed budget was on the Municipal website.  The amendment to the Manager's 2011 Recommended  Budget was posted on their website.  Why is this?