Ward 3 Issues

As I mentioned at the Candidates Forum, I have spent the past month walking and meeting my neighbors in Ward 3.  I have compiled a list of issues that are on your minds.  Here are some of your issues. 

1. Can anything be done about the abandoned construction vehicles on Terrace?  They have been an eyesore for two years.
2.The municipal park behind Vallimont has been forgotten.  It is not maintained by the municipality and is unsafe.
3.The storm water runoff is a problem on Speakman’s Alley.
4.Speakman’s Alley is in need of repair.
5.The large hole near the sidewalk on Mt. Lebanon Blvd. has been like that for ten years.  It is dangerous.
6.My commissioner has never responded to any of my phone calls or emails.  Will you?  (YES! GUARANTEED! He wouldn't respond to me either.)
7.Isn’t your opponent moving out of town?  ( I got that comment almost every time.)
8.Cars speed in front of Rockwood Park, both on Vallevista and Rockwood Avenues. 
9.Illegal activity in Rockwood Park.  Where are the police?
10.  I am being forced out of my home because of the high school taxes.  (I can’t fix that, although I sure have tried!)
11. Kingsberry Circle needs to be repaved.
12. Speeders on Brucewood.
13. No sidewalk on island at Washington Road and Park Entrance. 
14. Sidewalk does not empty out onto Beadling.  Intersection is still dangerous for people with strollers. 
15. We should hold the commissioner’s pay until he pays his back taxes.
16. People are not curbing their dogs when walking them.
17. Allegheny County Housing Authority is not maintaining their properties.
18. Slum landlords

If there is something that should be added to this list, please email me with your concerns.  elaine@elainegillenward3.com 

Ward 3 Issues

Don't forget to vote on Tuesday!

Blogger sure messed things up!

Blogger promised to restore all threads that were posted after Wednesday, but I don't see that happening.  If you submitted a comment, and it was posted, but now MIA, please resubmit it so I can try to piece everything back together again.  Grrr

Update from Blogger: http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/05/blogger-is-back.html

Note to School Board: A 21st century education isn't necessarily better than a 20th century education!

Plunking

Don’t worry, I just heard about “plunking” this year.  Plunking is also known as bullet voting (not around here.) 

For those in the dark as to the concept of plunking,” it is a voting strategy. You select only the candidate you truly want to see in office and no others who might beat them, in part because you voted for them.  Although you can vote for up to five for School Board, that does not mean that you must vote for five. 

It was explained to me like this: “It’s like taking a pitcher of water and rather than pouring it into five small glasses, you are pouring it into one tall glass. In essence, you are giving that person five votes.”

So when Joe Wertheim said in a previous comment, “James Cannon is the only candidate who makes any sense, and this primary is a perfect example of when "plunking" should be the orders of the day. Vote only for James and none of the other school board candidates so that we can make sure he is on the ballot in November,” that is what he meant. 

And to be clear, Joe was referring to James Cannon as the only SCHOOL BOARD candidate who makes any sense.  B>)

Candidates Forum

From Mt. Lebanon's website:

CANDIDATES NIGHT VIDEO

The Video of the League of Women Voters Mt. Lebanon Candidates Night will run at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily on channels Verizon 35 and Comcast 7 until next Tuesday’s election.

http://mtlebanon.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=443

This is BIG

Through a Right to Know Request, PlanCon F Attachment C can be found here.  PlanCon F Attachment C

In this document, Janice Klein answered Question 7 with "To be determined" even though Tom Celli specifically said at the April 25 meeting that a second Act 34 hearing or referendum is not required.

In Question 8, the School District plans to rebid, yet the Board is divided on this.  Or is the Board not the decision maker here?

Added: March 23 PlanCon F Architectural Review
            PlanCon F

Renovation Redux

The following email exchange comes from Mt. Lebanon resident, Steve Diaz and was sent to the School Board on May 5, 2011 at 8:22 a.m.

Members of the School Board:  Even with the benefit of hindsight, your chosen consultants give the appearance of being confused and ineffective (see, for example, yesterday's edition of The Almanac).  Mr. Celli, who vaguely and without much specification suggests that there are scores of "deducts" that the board should consider while he ponders the scope, necessity and even the desirability of many elements of the plan he designed and recommended to you.  Such responses to your inquiries as to why the project bids were so out of line with expectation, in themselves, however, strongly suggest either that the thoroughness and care needed to make the recommendations in the first place may not have been taken, or that saying "yes" to whatever he perceived the customer - you - wanted, was more important than any other value, simply to get and keep the work (that is, the fee).  This is not helpful to anyone, no matter what one's views may be on the general scope of the project or the tax situation.  In this case the problem may truly be with the choice of consultant.  In two meetings now, Mr. Celli seems not to have provided clear and convincing answers to reasonable questions to anyone's satisfaction.  What gives you confidence he can remedy a situation as to which he played such a large role in creating?  How much confidence to you have in the manner in which he has conducted his responsibilities as your consultant and advisor?  I would suggest that the most important thing now is not avoiding a public vote, as several members of the board have publicly acknowledged that there is NO support in this community for the scale of costs which are clearly associated with the present iteration of the project.  The board now has a duty to heed the urgent request of the 4,000 petitioners and change course by seeking a proper, and appropriately limited, renovation rather than a disguised construction of an essentially new high school.  The board also serves both the public and itself best by acting on the evident collapse of confidence in Mr. Celli.

Respectfully.  Steve Diaz

Josephine Posti's response to Mr. Diaz, May 5, 2011 11:29 a.m.

Mr. Diaz,

I'd be happy to talk to you about this.  Freel free to call any time.

 

For the Board,

Josephine Posti
President
Mt. Lebanon School Board
412.667.1479

Mission: To provide the best education possible for each and every student

To which Mr. Diaz responded with on May 6, 2011 at 8:47 a.m.:

Ms. Posti:  Thank you for your reply, although I am not sure what purpose my calling you might serve.  I am not interested in a "he said, she said" "conversation." I am interested in an honest reprise of the stewardship of the renovation process, from the picking of advisers forward.  Those in opposition to the manner in which the school board has proceeded are uniformly, falsely, and unfairly painted by the board and its few supporters as against a variety of generally positive things:  we are putatively and variously alleged to be against the athletics program (you do realize that my son is a stalwart both of our highly successful LaCrosse team and our Varsity Football Team); against fine arts and music programming (an accusation that comes out of thin air based on nothing); "the children" (a general all-purpose allegation of misanthropy, indicating the nastiness of the project proponents); and other such make-weight inventions offered as a substitute for any response on the serious questions that now, after bidding, even the board (which, as you will recall, on several occasions publicly ridiculed those who have questioned your process--we all remember Mr. Remely and his paper napkin fumbling with an overhead projector to snidely criticize the notion that the financial analysis of the board could be in any doubt, joined that night by several others--see the tape) acknowledges.  None of this addresses the additional abuses the board committed in the Act 34 process.  You yourself have been nasty to me personally, even to the point of reporting an "I don't know this person" when I extended to you a professional connection on LinkedIn.  Frankly, "private discussions" or phone consultations with you are not to be trusted to result in anything other than a "set up."  I also remind you how, against formal school board policy, my emails to you (those before I started copying "outsiders" to protect myself) were leaked by board members and used to incite unlawful invasions of my property, including the photographing of my license plates), while, in response to my complaint, every member of the board denied being the source of the "leak" (therefore, some member or members did not tell the truth).  I find your credibility to be dubious and your methods to be odious.  I am amazed that you have the cheek to start any communication to me without an acknowledgement, let alone an apology, of the seriously unnecessary past rudeness and abuse I have experienced from the school board and its supporters.

If you are serious about changing tone and now reaching out to those who have been merely critical of policies now demonstrated to be flawed, then you will have to show some good faith.  I suggest a face-to-face meeting, not alone, but with a small delegation (perhaps me and two or three others on my side), and including the superintendent, as well as any willing member of the town council (with whom you have no compunctions of meeting in private out of public view), on neutral ground (perhaps the Mt. Lebanon Library), would be a first step on the road to redemption and reconciliation.  If you are truly extending an opening to move past the uncivil situation the school board has created and nurtured, I will sit down with you and seek to explore such community-based reforms as my like-minded fellow citizens and I believe would be efficacious and beneficial.  No one would be more pleased, or more surprised, to have your affirmative response to this offer.

Respectfully.  Steve Diaz

Candidates Forum recap

Last night, I was one of the fourteen candidates on the Mellon Middle School Stage.  The last time I was on that stage, I was playing violin in a Mt. Lebanon junior high orchestra concert - let's just say it was before Mt. Lebanon got the air rights over the transit system. 

I understand that members of the audience had a difficult time hearing the questions.  The Forum will be aired on Comcast Channel 7 and Verizon Channel 35 on May 6-17 and will run Sun/Mon/Wed/Fri at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Just putting it out there.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_735394.html

A couple of things

Tonight, the Candidates Forum will be held from 7-9:30 p.m. in the Mellon Middle School Auditorium.  Hope to see you all there.  Unfortunately, Coffee with Manager Steve Feller, Planner Keith McGill, and Commercial Districts manager Eric Milliron will be taking place from 7-8:30 p.m. at Uptown Coffee

Also, at the end of yesterday's Policy Committee meeting, I asked about the new 4:30 start time.  Larry Lebowitz was kind enough to explain the reasoning behind the new start time.  Listen to the last five minutes of the podcast for his explanation.  5/4/2011 Policy Committee meeting podcast

Secrets (and Lies)

I have been asked to start a new topic here called, "Secrets (and Lies.)"  This is in response to Monday night's School Board meeting where Dan Remely said there will be no more secrets.  Elaine Cappucci disagreed with Dan's statement since she felt there have been no secrets all along.

OK, Folks.  Here it is.  I'll start with:

What happened to the Harris mail survey conducted last December community-wide?  What were the results?  What is this current Harris survey intended to do? Or is this another example of the rebidding mentality?

No More Secrets

Highlights from last night's School Board meeting:

No more secrets.
Redesign.  No, rebid.  Board is divided.
Revisit Building C.  No, don't revisit Building C.  Board is divided.
Issues identified as to what went wrong.  No details as to what went wrong.  Still don't know.
Nothing decided.  Nothing voted on.
Usual abuse to CAC members.
Public apology from Dan Remely.

Podcast available here. 2011/5/2 Reconvened School Board Meeting

Do we have a shot at this?

Legislators seek to cap school realty tax increases

 

Momentum is growing in the General Assembly for legislation that would prevent your local school district from significantly increasing your property taxes without your say.

Wouldn't it be terrific if this was retroactive?  Maybe some For Sale signs would come down.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11122/1143483-454-0.stm

Hooray For May

May is finally here.  Lots of things happening this month.  On May 4, 2011, from 7:00 to 9:30 PM, the League of Women Voters and Mt. Lebanon Council PTA are again co-sponsoring the Candidates Forum of Mt. Lebanon School Board and Commission candidates.  It will be held in the Mellon Middle School Auditorium.  Part One, from 7 to 8:15, will be for the School Board Candidates, while Part Two, from 8:15 to 9:30 PM, will be for the Commissioner Candidates.


For those of you unfamiliar with the format, questions are submitted in written form by the audience.  Index cards are handed out to people as they arrive and are submitted during the forum. 


We will not be recording the forum since the PTA is working on arrangements for Mt. Lebanon High School students to tape the event.  It will be aired on the Municipal cable channel, but times and dates have not been established.  No other taping will be permitted.


On May 17, Mt. Lebanon voters will be able to cast their votes for the candidates of their choice.  This is your opportunity to vote for up to five School Board Directors and Commissioners for Wards 1, 3, or 5.  Don't forget your right to write in candidates' names, if necessary.

Non-Collusion Affidavits for the High School Project

Another example of School District ineptness...
The School District released the Non-Collusion Affidavits through a Right To Know Request.  Non-Collusion Affidavits
They accepted an affidavit for West Mifflin High School.  I can't stop laughing.

Remember the School District Policy Committee meeting conflict?

While I was making a pdf (why isn't the School District doing that?) of the May 3 Policy Committee meeting agenda for lebocitizens.com, I noticed this:


Policy Committee meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month at 4:30 p.m. in Conference Room B, Mt. Lebanon High School, unless otherwise noted.


Remember how I have been asking for volunteers to record the 4:30 meeting since it conflicts with residents' work schedules?  The Policy Committee meetings have been officially changed to 4:30 p.m.  Great.  These meetings are very important.  They represent the reason for the School Board's existence. 
One of the School Board Operating Principles is to 


Establish the parameters under which the district operates by creating policy consistent with law, community expectations and educational excellence to achieve goals represented by the strategic plan.


How can the School Board create policies consistent of community expectations, when the community can't take time off from work to comment?
They advocate transparency and encourage citizen participation, but schedule the most important committee meetings during standard work hours. The Commission just started to broadcast the Discussion sessions (Commissioner DeIuliis was the only commissioner to vote against this) and now, the School District has the Policy meetings scheduled for 4:30 every month.  How about moving them to the High School Library, Folks?  Broadcast those meetings for the community.  You did away with the Audit and Finance Committee meetings, and now you are making it virtually impossible to attend Policy Committee meetings.

Update 3:49 p.m.: PSBA Board Standards & Code