Updates on Recreation Proposal

Kelly Fraasch updated her blog to include her updated recreation proposal which she presented last night. As before, she has provided a link to her revised proposal.  http://www.kellyfraasch.com/2012/08/15/updates-on-recreation-proposal/

Kelly's initial proposal included lights at Middle and Wildcat Fields. I understand that Dave Franklin felt that lights were not necessary. So Kelly removed them from her revised proposal.  My gut feeling is that YSA didn't want to fork over the money that they proposed in their turf presentation. Isn't that just like them to offer something and then not deliver? Want to read Dave's slant on this? Read his blog at http://lebofields.blogspot.com/2012/08/robb-hollow_14.html#comment-form I just love to promote Dave's blog. He can never say that I don't present both sides. Haven't seen him do that for my blog.

At last night's commission meeting, I had to get something off my chest. On Monday evening, I attended Carnegie's skate park public hearing. I recorded it and emailed it to the commissioners. As I said in Citizens Comments, I hope that the commissioners take the time to listen to it. I may post it here, but have to switch computers to do that, if anyone is interested in listening to it. What a difference there is between the two communities. Carnegie has a mayor and six councilmen and women. We, of course, have a manager and five commissioners. Carnegie doesn't have a swimming pool, ice rink, golf course, and their best field is no better than our worst field. Yet, I heard nothing but excitement from these folks. Not Larry "I'm excited" excitement, but honest to goodness excitement. They take pride in their community. They spoke of fundraising. Carnegie had proposed a smaller skatepark for their kids, but the residents were thrilled to find out that a larger, nicer skatepark could possibly be built in Carnegie. I heard words like, "We're so lucky to have this opportunity" and "Thank you." It was refreshing. Here in Mt. Lebanon, we get empty promises, demands for artificial turf, entitlement, arrogance, and have grown men acting like spoiled brats. It isn't all about field sports. I think the YSA people have a lesson to learn here.

Recreation in Mt. Lebanon

There has been much discussion about recreation proposals in Mt. Lebanon. We heard from the YSA and their desire for artificial turf for Wildcat and Middle Fields. James Cannon III presented an alternate proposal for natural grass called Keeping it Real, The truth behind artificial surfaces in Mt. Lebanon.  Both presentations are available on the municipal website here.  Ward 5 Commissioner Kelly Fraasch has been working on a proposal for months and it has now been posted on her blog. A number of us received this email from Kelly.

Hello,  

I have been preparing a comprehensive proposal for months to present to the Commission regarding our recreation needs.  

Each of you have either taken the time to discuss Mt Lebanon’s Recreation issues or have been kind enough to help contribute to this proposal. 

I distributed a draft of this proposal to the Commissioners at the last meeting and have received numerous requests from residents to see what the presentation involves. 

After a conversation with our Commission President, I thought it would be time to have the proposal “go public” rather than waiting till I present on August 14^th.  

Please see the attached link to my blog and find the presentation available for review. 

www.kellyfraasch.com/blog  

Thank you again for your interest in this important topic for Mt Lebanon.  

Kelly

Please take the time to look at Kelly's presentation.  If you have questions about Commissioner Fraasch's proposal, you can email her at kfraasch@mtlebanon.org. If you care to comment on her plan here, please sign your comment with your real name. Thanks to all.   

Feedback on the feedback

I couldn't bare bear (I was thinking about my wallet) to watch tonight's meeting, so I stayed home. Here is what I heard so far.

It was crowded.
We need two turfed fields.
We need an indoor sports facility.
Someone GUARANTEED that the sports groups would raise money for the indoor facility and turf. (Ha!)
The same person admitted that USC is having trouble getting people to subscribe to their facility. But then said that we're smarter and can make it work.

Anyone else care to share some highlights of the meeting? I am afraid to ask.

An open letter to my commissioner

Kristen,
I am not having trouble understanding how this works. Perhaps Nick Schalles or the other commissioners would explain how they ARE able respond on their mtlebanon.org email address.


Tonight, I did some research on Upper St. Clair's parks and recreation. I found the results of a 1997 survey which seemed to be done in a more equitable way, rather than having eblasts sent out to all the parents of sports teams urging to them to storm tonight's meeting. http://www.twpusc.org/rec/parks/boycemay/masterplan/survey.htm I found Question #4 to be most interesting. This question was not asking what was wanted, but just what residents enjoy doing outside the home. Considering that 82% of the respondents had at least one child in the household up to age 19, it is curious that soccer (#6 out of 8) and baseball (#8 out of 8) were at the bottom of the list.


Tonight's exercise reminded me of the high school renovation process all over again. Those who were the loudest, got what they wanted. It is sad that this community is being controlled by a special interest group, while the older residents get ignored.


Elaine

-----Original Message-----
From: Kristen Linfante <kristenlinfante@yahoo.com>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, Apr 19, 2012 10:34 pm
Subject: RE: RE: Parks and recreation

Dear Elaine,

I believe I already explained to you that I don't have the ability to send mail 
through the mtlebanon.org server as it is only a forwarding service.  When 
people send me (and the other commissioners) mail at the mtlebanon.org address 
is automatically forwarded to a designated address, which in my case is the 
yahoo address.  This is not my personal email account, but rather one that is 
set up specifically for this purpose.  I'm sorry you are having trouble 
understanding how this works.  If you would like further explanation, I suggest 
you contact Nick Schalles, our IT director at the municipality.  He can be 
contacted at nschalles@mtlebanon.org.  I'm sure he would be happy to explain the 
process to you.

Kristen Linfante
Commissioner, Ward 3


-----Original Message-----
From: egillen476@aol.com [mailto:egillen476@aol.com] 
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 8:41 PM
To: commission@mtlebanon.org
Subject: Fwd: RE: Parks and recreation

Kristen,
As you can see, I did not attend tonight's meeting.

First off, using your yahoo account is not being transparent. I would love to 
see your mtlebanon.org email be your official email.

Secondly, the commissioners are far from acting on a whim. You wrote about a rec 
bond on your campaign website back in October. It was your second to the last 
post. Wasn't it a campaign promise? So why are you responding on behalf of the 
commission? I sent this response to the entire commission so that they were 
included.

It is a shame that eblasts were sent out to all the sports parents. The older 
people in this community don't stand a chance. When do they get represented? 
When eblasts are sent to hundreds of people saying to show up at the special 
meeting, it is really a command performance. It is not a true reprentation of 
the community.  Rest assured.

Elaine



-----Original Message----- 

From:
Kristen Linfante <kristenlinfante@yahoo.com>
To:
egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Subject:
RE: Parks and recreation
Date:
Thu, Apr 19, 2012 2:29 pm

Dear Ms. Gillen,

Thanks for taking the time to contact the commission.  We have received a multitude of emails regarding fields/rec, and we will surely receive more input from the community at large tonight. It is wonderfully transparent, open-forum discussions like these that surely discourage commissioners from acting on “whim”, but rather on information received by the community.   Rest assured.

Regards,

Kristen Linfante

Commissioner, Ward 3

From: egillen476@aol.com 
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 1:14 PM
To: commission@mtlebanon.org
Cc: sfeller@mtlebanon.org
Subject: Parks and recreation
 

Dear Commission:

You are elected stewards of taxpayer funds. It is your responsibility to spend 
my money wisely and without regard to influence from special interest groups. 
While I know two of you have made campaign promises in the past, it is my 
sincere hope that you are now realizing the folly of floating bonds to pay for 
your every whim. We do not have the money.

I support the commission spending an appropriate amount of the existing fund 
balance to maintain what we have.

Spending more than the existing fund balance or floating bonds for recreation 
use should be off the table in this economic environment. 
You will, in the very near future, need to ability to float bonds for other uses 
that should take priority over recreation.

Please use fiscal restraint when considering how to address your parks and rec 
issues.

Sincerely,

Elaine Gillen

Note: I apologize for the variations in fonts. 

Talk about hijacking the community...(Updated)

An eblast is being circulated in the community from the same folks who brought you, "It is only $18 a month..." They got their way and to quote my buddy Rob Gardner, "We are just pleased" but the hint is in the last sentence:

We're busy enjoying and participating in the community we love, believing that the best is yet to come.

What is the eblast about?  Here it is.

From: Gardner, Robert [Rgardner@Maidenform.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 8:52 PM
To: Anne Pillion, Beer Buy (Tim Scales); beth evans; bill ferari; Bridget Meyer; Cheryl Bender; Chris Helmeci; Chris McMahon; Dan Gbur; David Barrett; Deb Smit; McGrady, III, John; John Wells; KRBonn; KATE MCGRADY, Kathryn Duchin; Laurey Silverman; llrothesq@yahoo.com; votemattsmith@yahoo.com; Nancy Tashman; Noel Slater; Paul Cline; rjpapke@comcast.net; sara dougherty; SkcCreations@aol.com; Kristen Linfante; Steve Silverman; Dianne Wainwright; David P. Franklin
Cc: Commission
Subject: FW: Mt. Lebanon Town Meeting Re: Fields

Dear Commissioners

Thank you for tomorrow night’s public forum regarding the possible upgrading of the municipality’s fields and recreational areas.  Unfortunately, I am out of the country and will be unable to attend.  If I were home I would be in attendance to urge you to PLEASE invest in the upgrading of these public spaces.  Undoubtedly, you will hear from those who say this is no time to spend money.  My hope is that you will hear from an equal or greater number who understand that Mt Lebanon has a rich tradition of investing in its singular identity within the South Hills.  Sidewalks, neighborhood schools, Main Street business districts, and beautiful public recreation spaces and fields define us.  Please don’t let that slip away. The tag line on our website says “A Community With Character.”  Character must be developed and nurtured.

I’ve included many of our friends on this email  who value these public spaces.  I urge anyone who can  attend tomorrow night’s meeting to please do so.  But if you cannot, and if you agree with my comments, please hit “reply all” and let your opinion be heard.  If you don’t agree with me, please let that be known as well. 

Regardless of the outcome, Commissioners,  thank you for your service.

Sincerely,

Rob Gardner

Rob Gardner • Vice President & General Manager

200 Madison Avenue • New York, NY 10016

O 412.841.7216• M 412-841-7216 • E rgardner@maidenform.com

Yes, you are right, Rob.  There are people who believe this is not the time to spend money. You believe the best to come is to wreck our municipal budget as you and your friends did to our school district budget. Spend every last dime.  Borrow more money.  Take out more bonds. My baggage-free commissioner certainly endorses this thinking. When do the signs start going up again?

Mt. Lebanon seeks public input on rec needs

Mt. Lebanon residents are encouraged to share their ideas about the community’s recreation needs—including suggestions regarding maintenance, improvements and additions to parks and recreation facilities—at a special public meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 19, in the Commission Chamber of the Municipal Building, 710 Washington Road.

The commission is seeking input from people of all ages that will help them meet community needs, prioritize projects and allocate available funds appropriately. Speakers will be asked to keep their remarks to no longer than 5 minutes.

The meeting will be taped and broadcast for one week following the meeting according to this schedule: Saturday-Tuesday, 10 a.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 7 p.m., and Friday, 3 p.m.

Residents who are unable to attend the meeting but would like to share their concerns and ideas with elected officials may e-mail comments to commission@mtlebanon.org.

Update 4:10 PM

Elaine -- Rob is not the only one distributing e-mails. I am forwarding this to you.  It went to the sports teams too. 

Begin forwarded message:

From: Katie Donnelly <donnellyko@xxxx>

Subject: Re: Mt Lebanon Parks and Recreation Facility Meeting

Date: April 18, 2012 11:38:02 AM EDT

To: Maggie Fleming

Cc: over 100 email addresses 

Having recently become involved in more field/youth sports discussions around Mt Lebanon, I encourage all of you to attend tomorrow's meeting.  I unfortunately will not be able to attend.  I can't stress enough how serious this issue has become in recent months and will stretch beyond field hockey.  If anyone has any questions or comments or would like to discuss the issue further, please feel free to contact me.  I've sat in several meetings where this is a hot topic, and I'd hate to see anything affect our already challenging field set-up.

Katie

On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 11:03 AM, Maggie Fleming  wrote:

Please plan on attending!

The Mt. Lebanon Commission will hold a meeting to solicit public comments on parks and recreation facilities in the community. The commission would like to hear from residents on how the municipality can improve and better maintain all of its parks and recreation facilities. Residents are invited to attend and will be given an opportunity to speak.

WHEN:  This Thursday April 19^th @ 7:30pm

WHERE:  Commission Chambers of the municipal building (710 Washington Rd.)

MORE INFORMATION: http://lebomag.com/3713/special-commission-meeting/

***Residents who are unable to attend the meeting but would like to share their concerns and ideas with elected

                                                       officials may email comments to commission@mtlebanon.org ***

• We have all talked about the condition of these fields over the years, and we have witnessed other communities improve (and even add to) their facilities, while Mt. Lebanon has struggled to maintain the status quo.
• The Commissioners have made it clear that  if only a few people show up at this meeting to address the condition of our athletic fields it is “highly unlikely” that they will conclude that improvements and additions to these facilities should be a priority.
• We need to be seen and heard at the meeting Thursday night.
• The time is now!  Please don't assume that someone else will attend for you - we need you!

Maggie Neishloss-Fleming

Executive Vice President / Chief Operating Officer

Town Hall Meeting planned (Updated)

It was announced at tonight's (well, technically last night's) commission meeting that the commission will be sponsoring a town hall meeting next Thursday, April 19 to discuss the wants and needs of the community in regard to parks and recreation. More information will be posted on the municipal website.

Update April 11, 2012 10:40 am Space is limited, so please leave the kids at home. Also, at last night's meeting, the commission discussed developing the area around Public Works for a new field which could easily be done. It is my understanding that the youth sports groups will be represented at theTown Hall meeting, but this is meeting is to discuss our parks and recreation, in general. It could be that people think that too much is being spent on fields and not enough on tennis, the library, the parks, the pool...you get the idea.

Update April 11, 2012 11:54 pm

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.

Special meeting to get input on parks/rec maintenance, improvements,Thurs, April 19, 7:30 pm, commission chamber. http://lebomag.com/category/muniupdates/

Update April 13, 2012 12:50 pm  Hearings to decide on Mt. Lebanon spending surplus

"I think we ought to be considerate and not look at the $1.3 million as something we have to spend," said Commissioner John Bendel, who recommended that $300,000 be put toward the reserve and another $500,000 be paid toward the municipality's pension fund.
Projects that may be considered for funding included new radios for the public works department, replacing floors in the municipal ice rink, upgrading the government's phone system, fixing drainage at the Bird Park athletic field, installing about 850 feet of new sidewalks and replacing equipment at the municipal fueling station.

Or we could put in another field.