On the Catholic Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals

I heard another botched archery attempt today.

On October 1, 2015 10:00 AM, a dog walker spotted 2 doe and 2 fawns grazing on Pat Haven Drive. One doe had a slice of skin about 12 inches long hanging from her. The deer group eventually moved down toward Robb Hollow. Two men were tracking her, one in a brown uniform  (from Animal Control or White Buffalo?), the other in regular clothes. They followed the deer down to Sandrae. The dog walker then saw a Mt. Lebanon Police SUV drive down Sandrae. Everyone went behind a home in between Sandrae and Clemson. Four shots were fired. The dog walker was told that four shots had to be taken because that is what was needed to take down the doe. OMG.

Latest from my commissioner

From: Coleen Vuono <cvuono@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>; Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; Philip Weis <philip.weis@bipc.com>; coleenvuono <coleenvuono@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tue, Oct 13, 2015 11:25 am
Subject: Re: Emails

Senior citizens in Mt. Lebanon know that they can place a phone call to their commissioners to voice their opinion on issues if they do not have access to the internet. I have received calls from Mt. Lebanon residents.

I base my decisions as a commissioner on what I consider to be in the best interests of the community after being informed by residents on both sides of issues. The deer issue is one of public safety.

I am in favor of a deer management program that includes sharpshooting, but that has not been the only issue I've been involved in.  Since I've been on the commission I've voted on many agenda items, I've proposed items for discussion that I think are important to Mt. Lebanon and I've been involved in other issues in the third ward.

In addition to my "life" I served for 4 years as a commissioner and recently served on the Planning Board and volunteered to complete the term of the previous third ward commissioner.

I support this community and have shown this in my civic engagement.

My personal life-the sale of my home-has nothing to do with you (even though you toured it during an open house-were you planning on moving?)

After tonight's vote I would hope that you would find a better way to spend your time than in creating controversy in this community.

Coleen Vuono 

On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 9:43 AM, 'egillen476@aol.com' via Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Commissioners,

My phone has been ringing off the hook with senior citizens who do not have access to the Internet. They are unable to email you and tell you how they are on blood pressure medication and how upset they are with your current unmanaged program. They cannot fathom "sharpshooting" will follow through March 2016. 

Knowing how the commission operates, you will base your decision tonight on the volume of emails. You will use any means which justify your personal agendas. I am in the process of ordering more yard signs (fourth shipment), but "Not In My Yard" signs don't seem to carry the weight of emails, I'm learning. 

It is clear that my commissioner is the driving force behind the sharpshooting vote tonight. I tried to tell some of you how her intentions to serve on the commission were only to kill deer. After all, she "has a life," as she said during her interview in April. I imagine that the "Sale Pending" sign on her house will change to "Sold" after tonight's vote.

The Scott Township commissioners govern in the interest of public safety, and not make every divisive issue a competition, with the loudest group winning.

If you are keeping track, I am opposed to sharpshooting, bow hunting, corral and kill, or any other lethal means that come across your computer. I speak for the hundreds of people who have "Not In My Yard" signs in their yards.

Elaine Gillen

DeNicola: Lebo too difficult for shooting, but perfect for sterilization

The following link is for a council meeting in Fairfax, VA in a discussion for sterilization. Start watching about 1:35.  You'll see that DeNicola talks about Mt. Lebanon around as an example of what happens if you do nothing. Tony then mentions how there is so little area to shoot in, but there are good roads that would be useful for driving around and tranquilizing deer for a spay/neuter effort.

DeNicola's portion of the presentation ends around 2:30.

http://fairfax.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=11&clip_id=1131&meta_id=37338

DeNicola's slide pointing to the only places in Mt Lebanon he says one could safely access deer

Shooting from someone's backyard deck

Two people videotaped Tony DeNicola stationed on a backyard deck in Solon, Ohio. You hear gun shots and the videographers identify the deer that has been shot. This is what Mt Lebanon is getting into with sharpshooting.

Wendy's is closed

I just tried to go through Wendy's Drive Thru on Mt. Lebanon Blvd. and saw that all the signs had been removed. An employee told me that the store was closed permanently because sales were down.

It has turned into a contest

It doesn't matter how many "Not In My Yard" signs are out there. The commissioners are going to be voting for sharpshooting on Tuesday. It appears that they are getting more emails for sharpshooting than emails against sharpshooting. But how would we know? I am appealing a Right To Know because Mt. Lebanon won't share emails that potentially identify "donors." Mt. Lebanon could say anything and we can't challenge them! 

I am confused. Scott Township didn't go tiptoeing around asking residents what they thought. The Scott Commissioners said that killing deer in their township is not safe. They went to court and got an injunction. Scott Commissioners care about the safety of their residents.

I would suggest writing to the commissioners, but that is ineffective. The deer issue has become a competition. The meeting is Tuesday. The media is going to keep track of how many are for the sharpshooting and how many are against it. It has never been fair. It has never been about public safety. It is all about the loudest complainers. That is who wins.

Executing the execution

Mt. Lebanon has published the commission meeting agendas for Tuesday, October 13, 2015. Commissioner Coleen Vuono will be reading this agenda item:

CV 10. Consideration of a contract for a white-tailed deer management program utilizing sharpshooting. 

The Municipality has been developing a multi-faceted deer management program. Mt. Lebanon recently began an archery program that utilizes trained and licensed sportsmen to cull deer on private and public property. The archery program will continue through January 23, 2016. The Municipality desires to follow-up on the archery program with sharpshooting under a PA Game Commission political subdivision permit. This activity would occur from February 1, 2016 to March 31, 2015.  

The Municipality issued a request for proposals for sharpshooting services on September 11, 2015. One proposal was received from White Buffalo, Inc., dated September 25, 2015. There are two components to the program as listed below: 

 Recommended Action: Move to authorize the proper municipal officials to execute the contract.

I can't emphasize enough how dangerous this is for Mt. Lebanon. I lived next to shooting under my bedroom window for two years and laid in bed listening to the gunshots going on outside of my vinyl siding addition. We are not talking Navy SEALS. We are talking about a contractor who has guess-timated that we have between 400-600 deer, without an aerial survey and is being awarded yet another killing contract, without sharing the results of the current killing going on.

Contrary to what is being circulated, Lebo Citizens isn't an animal rights blog. This is a people's rights blog. This is a public safety issue. This is a costly and dangerous pet project being pushed through by an appointed commissioner with a personal agenda; a vendetta toward deer.

The following paper is being handed out at Second Saturday tomorrow morning. Feel free to make copies and distribute among friends and neighbors. PLEASE.

Moody's assigns Aa1 to Mount Lebanon SD, PA's $51.8M 2015 GO bonds

Rating Action:
Moody's assigns Aa1 to Mount Lebanon SD, PA's $51.8M 2015 GO bonds

Global Credit Research - 08 Oct 2015

Rating applies to $92.4M in rated debt, post-sale


New York, October 08, 2015 --


Moody's Rating

Issue: General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2015; Rating: Aa1; Sale Amount: $51,815,000; Expected Sale Date: 10-19-2015; Rating Description: General Obligation

Opinion

Moody's Investors Service has assigned a Aa1 rating to the Mount Lebanon School District, PA's $51.8 million General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2015. Concurrently, Moody's has affirmed the Aa1 on the district's $92.4 million in outstanding general obligation debt.

SUMMARY RATING RATIONALE

The Aa1 rating reflects the district's strong finances and large tax base. The rating also incorporates the district's above-average socioeconomic profile.

OUTLOOK

Outlooks are usually not assigned to local government credits with this amount of debt outstanding.

WHAT COULD MAKE THE RATING GO UP

- Positive financial operations leading to stronger General Fund reserves

- Substantial growth in the district's tax base and socioeconomic indicators

WHAT COULD MAKE THE RATING GO DOWN

- Material deterioration of the tax base and socioeconomic indices

- Structural imbalance leading to decreases in reserves and liquidity

OBLIGOR PROFILE

The K-12 school district is located 5.9 miles south of Pittsburgh. The district serves 5,305 students.

DeNicola's Sharpshooting Response UPDATED

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.

Deer Management Update October 8, 2015

Below see the sharp shooting RFP issued by the municipality as well as the response recieved [sic] from White Buffalo Inc. This issue will be discussed at the Commission Discussion Session on October 13, 2015.

Request for Proposals For a White-tailed Deer Management Program
Utilizing Sharpshooting within the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon

Responses from White Buffalo Inc.

*****

Here it is in a nutshell:
Sharpshooting day or evening, from January 31, 2016 through March 31, 2016 or sooner if 150 deer are killed, mostly on PRIVATE PROPERTY. $1500 per day for temporary injunctions or animal rights protests. (page 28)

Update October 9, 2015 9:50 AM
From: jbendel
To: egillen476 
Subject: Re: Sharpshooting vote 
Date: Fri, Oct 9, 2015 9:10 am 

Elaine, The draft agendas for October 13 were sent to the commission yesterday. The sharp shooting vote is an agenda item. 

On Sep 30, 2015, at 5:06 PM, 'egillen476@aol.com' via Commission wrote: 

Commissioners, 
Will you be voting on sharpshooting on October 13, 2015? 
Elaine Gillen

My response to John Bendel this morning at 10:24 AM:

Thanks for getting back to me, John. 

Are you still on the fence about sharpshooting? Or are you going to permit killing via guns in our densely populated community? Will you be charging the private property owners a portion of the cost to kill deer, like you do for every other service, or our tax dollars paying for the whole thing? You charged the sports groups for 25% of the artificial turf. You liened properties for sidewalks on N. Meadowcroft. Even the playground on Sunridge was built with private funds from the neighborhood. We ended up wasting $25,000 for the VA Manor folks, which you ultimately turned down. Private properties are not being donated. Those properties are the recipients, not the donors. Mt. Lebanon is paying for this. WE are the donors.

Elaine

Mt. Lebanon School District not saving with bond refinancing

Mt. Lebanon School District not saving with bond refinancing

Only government can borrow more money and tout it as a “savings.” At this minute, our Mt. Lebanon School District is seriously pondering “saving” taxpayers money by borrowing an additional $3.9 million in concert with a bond refinancing. The plan under consideration will enable the district to take advantage of favorable interest rates on the outstanding principal of a 2005 bond issue, $52,155,000, AND receive an additional $3.9 million for no specified purpose. Total borrowing about $56 million. The original 2005 par value was $52,980,000.

The principal outstanding is a good place to start a discussion. Based on the principal and interest structure the district adopted in 2005, only $825,000 (1.6 percent) of the principal has been paid off in nine years, all the while, millions of dollars in debt service has flowed from taxpayers.

This extraordinary interest expense results from a financing strategy known as bond “wrapping,” which permitted the district to have its money up front, defer principal payments into the future and minimize the tax burden in the moment. In the long run however, it cost taxpayers millions in unnecessary interest expense. This is a fine example of the costs associated with “kicking the can down the road.”

As to the additional $3.9 million under consideration, the district’s financial advisor has described the scenario as refinancing a home and taking equity out at closing (cash).

No. It is like paying off a loan with an even bigger loan. The district has no equity position … only OPM (Other People’s Money) with which to work.

There are options to reduce the tax burden with this refinancing, however to no one’s surprise, these options have failed to garner majority support. Taxpayers are due relief, considering the millions of dollars that have already been squandered away on interest expense.

Bill Matthews
Mt. Lebanon

Robb Hollow Park

Take a drive along Kelso and Robb Hollow, and you will see a slew of "Not In My Yard" signs. The following email is from one of those concerned residents. This is Steve Silverman's ward. At commission meetings, he likes to tell us that his ward is overwhelmingly in favor of "doing something about the deer." He then follows with, "Kristen Linfante said the same thing about her ward." I walked the same 71 streets of Ward 3, when I was running for commissioner, and deer rarely came up in the conversation. They lie.

To: ssilverman <ssilverman@mtlebanon.org>; kfraasch <kfraasch@mtlebanon.org>; rsukal <rsukal@mtlebanon.org>; ddonnellan <ddonnellan@mtlebanon.org>; mlpdmgt <mlpdmgt@mtlebanon.org>
Sent: Wed, Oct 7, 2015 12:48 pm
Subject: Robb Hollow Park

All:

Last Tuesday evening I called the police about activity in the park after dark.  There was a (as I observed later) 4 door Jeep with extremely bright off-road lights that appeared to be trapped behind the gate trying to get out.  At first I thought that it was a authorized deer assassin waiting for the rain to quit but it was well after the 30 minutes after dark and when three to four others showed up, I called the police.  Some of the gang disappeared then re-appeared about 45 minutes later.  It looked like they were cutting the lock and/or chain with bolt cutters.  The gate opened and everyone left prior to the police arriving.  The officer must have passed them on the way down Kelso, it was that close.

Oddly, the gate was relocked (I heard the officer banging the gate and I checked the next morning) and the officer didn't stop to talk to me.

Fast forward to last night.   At approximately 6:30 PM, I noticed that the gate was open.  Since it was daylight, I figured whatever.  Unfortunately, the gate was still open this morning.

All this leads to several questions.

1.  Is the gate going to be left open permanently?  Given the history of juveniles loitering after the park closes, that's probably not a good idea.

2. How am I supposed to identify friend or foe, authorized deer assassin or poacher, legal or illegal activity?

Even leaving my personal opinions out of the discussion, it seems there is no control over who is or what is going on in this park that is so close to me, I'm within arrow range of anyone around the gate.

Please enlighten me and my elderly parents what to do.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXX

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

Here is more evidence of the propaganda that spews from the Public Information Office. american girls What a humanitarian. She is the one who wanted a park in Ward 1 and ended up with Twin Hills, plus is the one who said that the deer must be killed because they are going to die anyway. Ugh.

Who knew there was a second page? UPDATED

While reading the Mt. Lebanon FAQ page, culling the deer | what you need to know, I discovered a second page. When was this added? It is particularly interesting to me since I am appealing a Right To Know on this very issue, in Harrisburg.

Gillen v. Municipality of Mt. Lebanon, Docket No.: AP 2015-1938

Here is the scoop. I filed a Right To Know on July 30, 2015:

All communication to and/or from municipal staff and, all communication to and/or from the commission concerning Anthony DeNicola's archery program from June 18, 2015 to the present.

I got Steve Feller's usual 30 day extension for a "legal review" on the fifth day.

After the 30 day extension, I received this from Mr. Feller:

Feller's Right To Know decision

I didn't like what Mr. Feller had to say, so I filed an appeal with the Office of Open Records in Harrisburg. Filling out the paperwork and sending the required copies to Steve Feller, we heard from the OOR immediately. Here is Mt. Lebanon's Legal Argument. The OOR emailed me upon receipt of MTL's legal argument, asking for clarification. The link to my response is here.

Harrisburg accepted the appeal and will make a Final Determination on or before November 17, 2015.

Which brings us up to today. This Saturday is "Second Saturday," a new event which occurs during the Farmers' Market. The hours are 9 AM to noon. David Manchester will be playing music by WesBanco.  All of the farmer vendors will be in full force. Eden's Market, a family owned business located across the street from the fountain at 99 Alfred Street, has given us permission to distribute  "Not In My Yard" signs in front of their store. Since the Commission meeting is this Tuesday, where the commissioners will be voting on "sharpshooting," I am looking for volunteers to set up a table to distribute "Not In My Yard" signs and answer passerby's questions. Please email me at EGillen476@aol.com. I am unable to do it since I will be working. I would greatly appreciate the help.

Court Orders Mt. Lebanon to end hunting in Twin Hills Park UPDATED 3X

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2015/10/05/Court-orders-Mt-Lebanon-to-end-controlled-archery-hunt-in-Twin-Hills-Park/stories/201510050166

Court orders Mt. Lebanon to end controlled archery hunt in Twin Hills Park

Mt. Lebanon has been ordered to end its controlled archery hunt in Twin Hills Park.

This morning an Allegheny County civil court granted a Scott Township request that the neighboring municipality stop its contractor, White Buffalo, from shooting deer in the 25-acre park at the northern tip of Mt. Lebanon.

The archery hunt, organized by the nonprofit wildlife management group, is part of Mt. Lebanon's ongoing effort to reduce deer-vehicle collisions by 50 percent in five years.

In 1994 the park was purchased from a private owner by Mt. Lebanon, but the park is located within the boundaries of Scott. Scott solicitor Robert McTiernan said the property was purchased with a conditional use agreement stipulating that Twin Hills Park must be used for “recreational uses.”

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

Judge: Mt. Lebanon must immediately prevent hunting in Twin Hills Park

By The Tribune-Review
Monday, Oct. 5, 2015, 2:45 p.m.

Mt. Lebanon must immediately prevent hunting in Twin Hills Park in Scott, a judge said Monday.

Scott sued Mt. Lebanon in Allegheny Common Pleas Court, seeking an injunction that would halt deer hunting in the park until the municipality gets permission from Scott's commissioners. The hunt is part of a longtime effort to control Mt. Lebanon's deer population.

An Allegheny County judge granted a preliminary injunction, ordering Mt. Lebanon immediately to put up posters or markers making it clear that hunting is prohibited in the park.

When Scott granted Mt. Lebanon a conditional-use permit for the 25-acre park in 1994, it was limited to recreational uses, said township solicitor Robert McTiernan.

“This is, in our view, not a recreational use,” McTiernan said.

Mt. Lebanon manager Steve Feller wrote in an email last month that Mt. Lebanon does not need Scott's permission to hunt.

“We believe that Mt. Lebanon, like all property owners, has a right under state law to conduct archery hunting according to the rules of the Pennsylvania Game Commission,” he said. “Scott Township officials have been briefed on the program. Twin Hills Park is one of the designated public sites for archery hunting under the program.”

Mt. Lebanon only “briefed” Scott after township officials found out about the hunting and contacted the municipality, McTiernan said.


Update October 5, 2015 3:54 PM

Scott Township Affidavit
Scott Township Complaint
Scott Township Motion and Court Order

Update October 5, 2015 6:15 PM New sign posted at Twin Hills:

Update October 5, 2015 10:04 PM The PG article has been updated. http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2015/10/05/Court-orders-Mt-Lebanon-to-end-controlled-archery-hunt-in-Twin-Hills-Park/stories/201510050166 What jerks.

Update October 6, 2015 4:59 AM See, Commissioners? There will be no need for "sharpshooting."

Judge: Mt. Lebanon must immediately prevent hunting in Twin Hills Park in Scott

Despite the injunction, “We have enough properties available that we can go through with a successful cull, and it won't severely affect the outcome,” said Cori Vipperman, a member of Lebo Residents for Effective Deer Management, a group that favors the deer cull.

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!!!! UPDATED

Scott Township has filed a complaint against the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon. The docket number is GD-15-017557.

It is so new, that the documents have not been uploaded to the Court Records website. Woo Hoo!

Scott v Mt. Lebanon

Scott Township's reason for seeking an injunction is the "conditional use agreement" between Scott Township and Mt. Lebanon, which states in the deed that Twin Hills Park is for recreational use.

Our commissioners believe that our parks and golf course are for recreational hunting for 4.5 months, not recreation. On October 13, 2015, our commissioners will be considering adding a few additional months of "sharpshooting" at a cost of almost $90,000.

Update October 3, 2015 5:10 AM Mt. Lebanon needs Scott's OK to hunt deer in Twin Hills Park, township argues "Scott plans to ask a judge Monday for an emergency injunction, said township solicitor Robert McTiernan."

Oops, there goes $25K

Our commission is out of control. Why did they give $25,000 to the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board for a preservation guide, and then decide to scrap the whole idea? Mt. Lebanon opts to forgo mandatory homeowner restrictions 

Let me begin by saying the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board is a farce, This is the group who wanted Rae Avenue to be restored with brick. Mt. Lebanon sewer project should solve neighborhood flooding

The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner John Bendel dissenting.
He said his preference would be to restore one of the streets affected by the project, Rae Avenue, with brick, as it currently is paved. That option, though, would have cost some $343,000 more than restoring Rae with asphalt.
“I believe that there’s value in preserving our brick streets,” Mr. Bendel explained. He acknowledged the additional expense but added, “I think it’s important for us to begin a process to preserve the character of our community as much as we can.”

I went to the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board in 2014 prior to Wildcat Field destruction, highlighting the fact that putting down artificial turf on a historic field, located in the Historic District, and described in the Historic District application as one of the last green spaces in Mt. Lebanon, is not preserving the character of the field. I was ignored. John Bendel was the commission liaison to both the Mt. Lebanon Historic Preservation Board, as well as the commission liaison to the Mt. Lebanon Sports Advisory Board.

Virginia Manor is in Ward 1, John Bendel's ward. Rae Avenue is in Ward 1, John Bendel's ward. Twin Hills is in Ward 1, John Bendel's ward. John Bendel is considering spending over $80,000 to hunt down the remaining deer in Mt. Lebanon. Does anyone see a pattern here?