Sign at Wildcat - "The Rest of the Story"

Here is "The Rest of the Story" on signs at Wildcat.

Hi, Elaine. Thank you for your interest in a sign for the ball fields. Are you advertising a business, or what type of sign did you have in mind?

The policy describes the process to obtain a sign, including the type of digital files that are acceptable. You would need to work with a sign company/printer to produce your sign. The printer would need to provide a proof of the proposed sign to me for approval prior to making the sign. I would be your sales representative. I would extend the term of the sign rather than prorating the fee. Repair or replacement of vandalized signs is the responsibility of the sign owner.

I've attached the policy/application form for your convenience. Let me know if you have additional questions.

David D. Donnellan
Director
Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department
900 Cedar Boulevard - 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
Phone: (412) 343-4519
Fax: (412) 561-6499
www.mtlebanon.org 

sign sponsorship program approved 021015

No Quorum at Turf Board Meeting UPDATED

The guy who works on word puzzles at the Turf Board meetings recorded last night's meeting for me. I have uploaded it on lebocitizens.com.  Since there were not enough voting members for a quorum,  there was only a discussion.

Since there was no roll call, it was hard to determine who was there. I heard David Donnellan, David Franklin, John Bendel and David Brumfield's voices. There was quite a discussion about signage. David Donnellan explained why there was only one sign sold.  David Brumfield noted that the Commission could amend the ordinance, and it shouldn't be a problem. Yet another amended ordinance.

Brafferton Field bids were discussed. Bids will be opened on September 17. Hopefully, no lawsuits will result.

John Bendel discussed turfing Middle and Wildcat Fields. He believes that the majority of the commission would be in favor of allocating $400,00 to $475,000 from the unassigned funds for turf. The Commission has asked the engineer to look at Mellon turfing. Dave Brumfield was hoping that the SAB could help raise funds for this project. Dave Brumfield is pushing for Mellon which would be a plus for the business district. School Board Director Ed Kubit was not present. This was after the discussion of how one sign was sold.

Just so you know...a year later HA!

Remember all the hoopla about field signage last year? Just so you know...  It included this eblast from Dave Franklin:

 Here is an eblast sent from Dave Franklin.  His wife is head of YSA.  

From: "Mt. Lebanon Baseball Association - LEBO BASEBALL" <mtlbball2012@gmail.com>
Date: May 7, 2012 10:04:56 PM EDT
To:
Subject: MLBA - Field Signage Amendment Proposal

Friends:
Tomorrow night the Commissioners will vote on a proposed amendment to Mt. Lebanon’s current signage ordinance. The purpose of the amendment is to allow tasteful signs to be placed at our municipal fields, the stadium and at similar venues. This amendment will allow for the solicitation of sponsors (local businesses, larger companies, etc), who in turn will be featured on these signs. Importantly, these sponsorships will allow the municipality and/or the youth sports associations to raise much needed funds for field maintenance and improvements.
If you support this proposal, please take 3 minutes out of your day to send a short email to the Commissioners (commission@mtlebanon.org) expressing your support for an amendment to Chapter XX (Zoning) of the Mt. Lebanon Code, Part 8, Section 823.5 (Authorized Signs).
Thanks,
Dave Franklin

All good things come to those who wait.  The very last issue discussed this evening at the reconvened Commission Discussion Session was, "Internal signs at athletic facilities." David Donnellan gave his report.  I am still laughing.

There was one sign sold.  It was taken down because the sports people objected to the color and the placement. A little background: The Public Information Office tried to sell signage for the municipal fields. They had hired an intern who abruptly quit. So all this talk and pressure from the sports groups saying we must have signs... They will save the world... We can sell a bizillion signs.  In the end, ONE stinkin' sign was sold and it wasn't sold by YSA.

I asked David Donnellan who was the advertiser.  It was Covenant. They paid $500 plus $150 for the sign to be made and placed at Dixon in Center Field. The revenue went into a fund to benefit the fields. It was decided that the new Sports Advisory Board should look into this and make a recommendation which could include rewording the amendment.

Speaking of the Sports Advisory Board, Dave Franklin (Parks Advisory Board), Joy Pajak (Women's Golf) and Walt Henry (Indoor Tennis) made a brief presentation.  Dave gave a list of recommendations.  Number one on his list was that the municipality fund the turf and lighting for Mellon Field since we are a community. Gee, I didn't see that one coming.

Just so you know...

Tonight, the Commissioners will be approving the sign ordinance which the Planning Board voted against. As explained in the eblast below, it could help the municipality OR YOUTH SPORTS ASSOCIATIONS. We have already seen YSA's 990's.  In an earlier post, I showed how the YSA pays nothing for municipal fields. Here is a copy of the proposed ordinance. http://www.mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/8864

Here is an eblast sent from Dave Franklin.  His wife is head of YSA.

From: "Mt. Lebanon Baseball Association - LEBO BASEBALL" <mtlbball2012@gmail.com>
Date: May 7, 2012 10:04:56 PM EDT
To:
Subject: MLBA - Field Signage Amendment Proposal

Friends:

Tomorrow night the Commissioners will vote on a proposed amendment to Mt. Lebanon’s current signage ordinance. The purpose of the amendment is to allow tasteful signs to be placed at our municipal fields, the stadium and at similar venues. This amendment will allow for the solicitation of sponsors (local businesses, larger companies, etc), who in turn will be featured on these signs. Importantly, these sponsorships will allow the municipality and/or the youth sports associations to raise much needed funds for field maintenance and improvements.

If you support this proposal, please take 3 minutes out of your day to send a short email to the Commissioners (commission@mtlebanon.org) expressing your support for an amendment to Chapter XX (Zoning) of the Mt. Lebanon Code, Part 8, Section 823.5 (Authorized Signs).

Thanks,

Dave Franklin
********

Here is my letter to the Commission.

Commissioners,
I see that you will be approving http://www.mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/8864 tonight.  There is nothing stipulated in the ordinance that any revenue generated from the signage will go to the municipality. You are changing an ordinance to help the sports groups.  That is not OK in my book.
Elaine Gillen

I just don't get it.

Last night, I watched the Commission discuss signage ordinances at the Discussion meeting.  For those of you who don't know what the Discussion meeting is, it is the meeting that is open to the public and it precedes the Commission meeting, also open to the public.  The discussion about signage was over the SOS signs. Phi Weis, our Solicitor, will be rewriting the ordinance so that the SOS signs can stay up indefinitely because of the First Amendment.  After that, it will be passed on to the Zoning Hearing Board for approval.  While all this discussion was going on, the School Board Directors approved the PlanCon F Submission, and can now advertise for solicitation of bids for the project.  We're now paying the Municipal Solicitor to rewrite the ordinance over a done deal.  At the Commission meeting that followed, a shop owner from Washington Road commented that he signed a five-year lease and was hoping that some attention would be given to the shop owners with regard to signage ordinances.  He has a large storefront, but is restricted from having a sign that would be in proportion to it. Why is so much time and money being wasted on SOS signs, when we have local businesses (thank goodness for them!) trying to survive in this economy asking for more visibility?  I just don't get it.

Update 10:23 a.m. Before a small group twists what I said into something else, for the record, I am all for the First Amendment.  Of course!!!  I just don't understand the need for this group to continue to protest when it is over.  They won.  They are getting everything they asked for.  Let's move on, folks.  We've got local businesses trying to survive.  They are faced with higher tax bills, like the rest of us.  We're trying to adjust to your plan that you fought for.