Can you hear me now?

The school board is considering spending $400,000 for better cell phone coverage at the high school. The spent quite a bit of time at the school board meeting on Monday night justifying this expense under Capital Projects. The question was posed at the 20:34 minute mark of the discussion session.

It seems as though there are land line telephones in every classroom, but cell phone coverage is poor inside the high school. While construction is being done at the high school, the school board feels that this is the time to install cell phone repeaters. Since we rely on our cell phones in emergency situations, the school board directors consider this as a safety issue.

The $400,000 cost is item number 43 on the capital projects list totaling $1.6 million, not totaled on the agenda.  The Almanac covers the capital projects list in more detail here, Lebo schools to use $1.6 million for capital projects.

Ye Old Trophy Case is on this list. Dan Remely reminded the board that budget cuts are getting more and more difficult every year. Why is $75,000 being considered since it serves no safety, general maintenance, or educational purposes? The answer is that the capital fund is over $5.6 million. The school board is still considering how the trophy case will be paid.

If anyone is looking to file a Right To Know, the list of Capital Projects, including the top 67 items, would be a good start. This year's list is $500,000 more than usual.

My message to the Commission

I delivered this message during Citizens Comments at the February 11, 2014 Commission meeting:

I have some handouts, but only enough for Commissioners Linfante, Bendel, and Brumfield. I passed out 3 different cigarette ads, but all 3 are required by law to print a warning from the Surgeon General.

Surgeon General's Warning lower left corner

I believe there are nine different warnings to pick from. These warnings must be on every pack of cigarettes and every cigarette advertisement. Commissioners Bendel, Linfante, and Brumfield, are there warnings from the Surgeon General on your ads?

Why am I passing these ads out to you? Mt. Lebanon is getting artificial turf, no matter what. You three have made it happen. In fact, it was stated on my Lebo Citizens blog yesterday that Commissioner Bendel will be hailed as a hero when this turf goes up. Not if the Sports Advisory Board can raise the funds. When. I have spoken to parents of four different field sports here in Mt. Lebanon. They had no idea about the EPA's warnings regarding artificial turf and NONE of them had heard of your plans to artificially turf Middle and Wildcat Fields. Needless to say, they are quite concerned. 

At a previous commission meeting, I printed out the webpage from the EPA, listing these warnings. I also stood here and talked about these warnings. I believe it is your duty to convey these EPA warnings to all parents of children who will be playing on these toxic fields. In fact, it should be required and disclosed on all registration forms for youth field sports. 

I am just ill thinking about how my municipal and school district tax dollars will be used to fund and maintain artificial turf, let alone to allow healthy and active kids play on these toxic fields. I want to be able to sleep at night, knowing that I have done everything in my power to get that message out to parents. There are moratoriums and voters rejecting artificial turf all over the world. It absolutely needs to be stopped here in Mt. Lebanon. One of these days, we will be hearing about turf abatement, just like we have asbestos abatement. In the meantime, the EPA warning should be required and disclosed on all registration forms for youth field sports.

After I spoke, Commissioner Fraasch pointed out something to the effect that the entire commission can be held responsible, not just the three I mentioned.

Update February 12, 2014 12:10 AM It appears that we have someone on the Commission who is quite familiar with the dangers of asbestos.

Introducing Our "New Crown Jewel" UPDATED 2X

That is what the Sports Advisory Board is calling the turf project for Middle and Wildcat Fields.

Sports Advisory Board Video from Feb. 6, 2014

A presentation will be made to the commission on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 at 6:15 PM. Notes from the presentation are:

Fundraising YTD $56,500  Target is $250,000

Contributions include:
$47,500 from Sports Associations
$5,000 PAC
$4,000 from an anonymous donor (Gateway?)

Contributions are being handled by Mt. Lebanon Community Endowment.

Signage revenue would be considered as non-municipal contributions

Recommended fee schedule:
Recognized Mt. Lebanon Sports Associations would be charged $15/hour per field. It is estimated that a minimum of $12,000 in fees collected annually would be allocated for turf replacement.

In lieu of fees, MTLSD would be responsible for field maintenance.

Vendor List 1/15/14 meeting
Field Turf
Astro Turf
Shaw
Prograss

Some vendors from 1/15/14 also sell organic fill turf, and none spoke highly of organic fill turf. Organic fill (coconut shells and cork) tends to float away. It freezes. There is a tendency for "stuff" to grow in it and would need a pesticide treatment. It also decomposes.

Vendor List 2/7/14 meeting
GeoTurf organic fill turf


Project Schedule
Design Development - pending Commission approval Feb./March 2014
Construction Documents & Specifications April/May 2014
Advertise Bids May 15, 2014
Open Bids June 4, 2014
Award Bids at either the June 10 or 23rd Commission Meeting
Begin Construction July 15, 2014*
Completion Date October 21, 2014

*Flexible may be August 1, 2014

There was discussion of potential capital projects using more unassigned funds. Everyone was in agreement that McNeilly is out of the question. Dave Franklin was silent. Also, instead of buying a mower for the golf course, a number of smaller projects could be completed instead.

My takeaway: Organic turf is not an option. We'll see what my RTK reveals, if it ever gets granted.

Update February 9, 2014 10:25 AM Organic infill would be an Add/Alternate.

Change Orders for February 2014

The change orders listed in the February 10, 2014 School Board Agenda have been posted.  Gone are the days where change orders are described as ___ in B Building, Fine Arts, Little Theater, Athletic Wing, etc. They are virtually impossible to keep track now.

All the change orders listed below (totaling $127,050) have been reviewed by the architect, PJ Dick and the District administration.

a. ME-21-210 to McKamish for $18,991 for ductwork and boiler bypass changes,
b. PL-28-211 to Vrabel to $9,206 for water line and hydrant repairs,
c. FS-01-212 to CAC for $619 for sink addition,
d. GC-97-213 to Nello for $37,244 for drilled pier mobilization adjustments,
e. GC-98-214 to Nello for $40,974 for site work and repairs,
f. EL-57-215 to Farfield for $19,441 for lighting, controls and power repairs, and
g. CW-02-216 to Reed for $575 to raise casework for dishwasher.

A sad day for the PIO

Did you all get the new Mt. Lebanon magazine, Mt. Lebanon Neighbors?

Fake Lebo writes, "Look at what came in the mail today. Yet another magazine (3 now) to tell us how great we are. Lebo, Lebo, Lebo!" 

I don't agree. This magazine is much friendlier than the "official community magazine." Mt. Lebanon Neighbors will be a monthly publication, at no cost to Mt. Lebanon residents. I did not get an elitist vibe when I read it. I am sure that it is being dissed in the Public Information Office, but I found it to be a breath of fresh air.

Good luck, Mt. Lebanon Neighbors! 

I missed this one about the trophy case

The Almanac ran this opinion piece last month, Districts need to set fiscal priorities. (saved in Google Docs)

First, on top of its multi-million dollar high school renovation, Mt. Lebanon is actually considering spending nearly $74,000 on a trophy case for the athletic building. To put that into perspective, the district recently approved a contract with Kristen Friedrich Schaffner for psychological services on an as-needed basis. Mt. Lebanon assistant superintendent Dr. Deborah Allen noted that she didn’t expect the cost of said services to exceed $15,000 – and should that expenditure increase, it will be brought to the board’s attention.

We ask you this – what is more important, a trophy case or the mental well being of students? 

...thankfully, at the board’s Jan. 20 meeting, it was decided to delay the vote on the bid. The board is now trying to decide if they will fund the trophy case with funds from the district’s capital campaign or as a capital project.

I wonder if Ms. DeLuca is telling potential donors that their donation is not going toward education, but to a $74,000 trophy case. Another little factoid that was posted on a previous thread concerning the ONLY bidder:

"Low bidder" for trophy case, Viking Woodworking is owned by the father of the author of the Devil's Advocate article entitled "You and I are not equal."
January 31, 2014 at 10:26 PM 

A new twist in transparency here in the bubble

On January 24, 2014, I filed a Right To Know asking for "All communication to and/or from Commissioners concerning artificial turf from November 1, 2013 to January 24, 2014."

I chose November 1, thinking there would be some history leading up to the November 25, 2013 meeting when I posted It's been fun, but I am done.  Little did I know just how much history was out there! Here is the response that I received from Manager Steve Feller.

I would LOVE to narrow my request, because I don't have $750 or so for this Right To Know! What do I eliminate? Kristen Linfante lied about how the Environmental Sustainability Board is behind artificial turf. John Bendel's Mt. Lebanon Field Enhancement Proposal was never publicized.  The commissioners wouldn't honor Kelly Fraasch's request to add the word Eco-Friendly to the proposal. Dave Brumfield wasn't comfortable with all public Boards and Authority meetings being recorded as mentioned during the January 27, 2014 Discussion Session. Commissioners designated unassigned funds to turf Middle and Wildcat Fields and will designate more this year to turf our best field in the Municipality, claiming it is all about curb appeal. Sports Advisory Board members suddenly went silent here on Lebo Citizens. No mention of the EPA's findings concerning artificial turf. "Whoa," says the EPA.  Creating an über Sports Advisory Board Task Force. For all these reasons, I decided to go for the whole enchilada.

Is this a new tactic in transparency? All they have to say is, "There are 1500 emails. Do you want to pay a gazillion dollars?" This is all within their rights. It is all legal. I do understand that there is quite a bit of work involved.  

In the four years that I have had lebocitizens.com and starting my fourth year for this blog, I have spent hundreds of dollars demanding transparency from our local governments through maintaining my website and for filing Right To Knows. I am asking for your help to pay for this Right To Know request. Please make a contribution this one time. Contact information is located in the sidebar. Don't let them scare us off. Expose the commission for what they really are. I would greatly appreciate it. 

How do you tell your second grader...UPDATED 2X

To be aware of prostate cancer? That is what one parent asked me. Where is this coming from? This letter was sent to parents on Friday.

From: Michelle Murray <MichelleMurray@mtlsd.net>
Date: January 31, 2014, 8:28:29 AM EST
Subject: Cancer Awareness Week
Reply-To: Michelle Murray <MichelleMurray@mtlsd.net>

Dear Parents of Howe Students:
Next week, February 3 - 7, is Cancer Awareness Week.  All Mt. Lebanon Elementary Students will be participating by wearing the "color of the day/cancer."
The list of Cancers and the Colors for the week are:

Monday- White- General Cancer Day
Tuesday- Teal- Ovarian Cancer Day
Wednesday- Light Blue- Prostate Cancer Day
Thursday- Pink- Breast Cancer Day
Friday- Red- Gilda's Club Day
Help us to increase awareness by encouraging your children to wear the appropriate color each day. Thank you.

Michelle Murray

          Principal

I understand that some parents are concerned. What do you think?

Update February 3, 2014 12:39 PM I wasn't quite sure what teal looked like. Here is what I found:

teal

Update February 3, 2014 12:48 PM Thanks to Wikipedia, here is a color chart and list of awareness ribbons. It is ironic that teal is also the color for anti-bullying awareness.

Want to make it easier to raise taxes by borrowing money?

That is what will happen if we, the voters, approve a change in the Home Rule Charter. Today's Trib outlines the Change in store for Mt. Lebanon.

The easy one is to make the Home Rule Charter gender neutral. Kristen Linfante thanked Home Rule Charter Chairman Bill Matthews for that change. That is not important to me, but evidently it is to Kristen.

The change with the biggest impact to Mt. Lebanon is the one which eliminates super votes, that is bond issues only require three votes, instead of four. The commissioners absolutely loved that one. I think Kristen forgot that the voters still have to approve these changes. This would be after the Commission approve the changes. The presentation is the first item on the Municipal video.

How I interpret this particular change for incurring debt is that every four years, when Wards 1, 3, and 5 elections are held, the potential to control Mt. Lebanon are during those elections. Only three like minded candidates would have the power to do anything they wish. In addition, when the commissioners voted on the Rec Bond, for example, the three commissioners who are spending our undesignated funds for toxic turf, would have been able to stick it in the Rec Bond. They would only require three votes, instead of four, to issue bonds and ultimately raise our taxes.

A positive change to our Home Rule Charter would be to change the tax increase cap from 2 mills to one that does not exceed a 20% increase of the prior year's real estate tax levy. In 2013, 20% = 0.90 mills. Based on 2013 millage rate, the 2 mill cap now allows a 44% property tax increase without voter approval. (2 mills/4.51 mills = 44.3%)

Here is the link to the Ad Hoc Home Rule Charter Study Committee Final Report. Our Home Rule Charter is our Constitution. We will be asked to change the way we have been governed since 1975.

Don't try this at home UPDATED

Today's Trib slams Mt. Lebanon on Zamagias.

It is under Tuesday's Takes

Intervention's lesson: There's no better object lesson in the folly of “government economic development” than the mess that is the corner of Washington and Bower Hill roads in Mt. Lebanon. The latest proposal to develop this parcel has failed after Zamagias Properties defaulted on taxpayer-backed loans used to acquire the property. The “state,” at least for now, is left holding a $1.78 million bag. Worse, Zamagias gets to keep the property. Don't try this with your local bank.

Read more: http://triblive.com/opinion/editorials/5487663-74/center-lesson-whether#ixzz2rhogxgza 

Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

Mt. Lebanon needs to exercise its buy back option and buy back this property. Zamagias Properties has the money and is getting away with it because they can. Commissioners, do the right thing.

Update January 30, 2014 10:20 AM Here are 9:31 AM's comments pictorially.

More on our "official community magazine"

When I had my little Market District get together last week, Bill Lewis was kind enough to share this letter to the editor of Mt. Lebanon Magazine.

Bill raised many concerns in his 2006 letter in regard to the July/August 2006 article, Around Town Community Endowment Launched. As usual, Mt. Lebanon Magazine only reported the entertaining part, and not the rest of the story of community issues.

• The Municipal government spent $36,000 in tax funds to create the MLCE. 
• The Commission wasted $40,000 when sports organizations backed out of funding support for McNeilly Field/Park.
• The Mt. Lebanon Soccer Association was to contribute $135,000 to the MLCE for the specific purpose of developing athletic fields. [Why is this sounding like déjà vu?]
• Public officials and youth sports leaders were claiming that people with children wouldn't move here and housing prices would fall if we didn't have more fields. [Remember, this was in 2006.] 
• When was spending $36,000 discussed in a public forum? 
• Why does the magazine taint the good thing it does with editorial and publisher hype and managed news?

Thank you Bill, for sharing this letter with me and now, the rest of the community. I looked in the Blog Lebo archives to see if anything was written about this. As usual, I got side tracked because of all the information in those archives and found this about Mt. Lebanon Magazine and the TIF issue for Washington Park. Laurels and Lances Some things never change. Anyway, I did find this post on Blog Lebo called, Donation Allows Endowment

As one reader pointed out, Mt. Lebanon Magazine is definitely not a news magazine. In the words of former Commissioner Humphreys, Mt. Lebanon Magazine remains the "house organ" and "propaganda tool" for Mt. Lebanon.

Imagine this...

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Lebo Citizens reader and citizen journalist, John Kendrick.

Imagine a world where there was only one source of national news and information. Imagine what it would be like if that source of national information was controlled by the presidential administration - and I don't care which one it is, Bush, O'Bama, Clinton, Reagan, etc.

How would you feel if you were told that this is the "official view / official source" and this is the only source that you were permitted to listen to?

Now consider the Mt Lebanon Public Information Office and Mt Lebanon Magazine. How should we feel about having what is effectively a "state-run" news organization? A news organization that is critical of all other news organizations or information sources that dare to report or to opine with any perspective that is different than the "state-run" entity?

Is this something that we all want to live under?

I don't. But I'd like to hear what all of you think.

A room with a view

Great news! According to the hotel contractor, all of the critical work is complete. Drywall is installed or in process. The Washington Road elevation is being bricked.

                         Photo by Eric Milliron

                        Photo by Eric Milliron

According to the poll on lebomag.com, this is the number one project.

.

                                                           

You want your own post? UPDATED 2X

You got it, Sweetheart! You are out of control, Lady, and I use that term loosely.

I just approved this comment.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Sprucing up is not necessary UPDATED": 

"I find it interesting that Kelly Fraasch only requested the negative comments about the article. Seems like an outcome-driven "investigation" (or more accurately, witch hunt) instead of one that wants a clear picture of what occurred. But of course, we know how Kelly (and Elaine) feel about the magazine, those who earn a living by working there, and also about Steve Feller. It seems like Elaine you were the only resident who complained and was so deeply offended. Especially surprising in light of the throngs of "anonymous" commentors here who purported to be so outraged by a humor piece on grocery stores. 

Elaine and Kelly don't want to hear it, but the positive comments received clearly outnumber the negative (which is why it's buried as an update and did not warrant its own post: the results did not support the outcome Elaine and Kelly wanted) -

That the positive comments outweighed the negative so intesely and that the positive comments were submitted by so many high-profile Mt. Lebanon residents is no surprise as any well-read person with half a brain and any relevant life experience could see the article was a send-up of our grocery shopping habits here in the South Hills. Personally I found it to be hilarious and spot-on.

I'm so happy for the magazine to be vindicated by all the positive comments it received in response to the article. 

Commissioner Fraasch should make better use of my tax dollars than wasting time and resources going on an unprecedented witch hunt over a funny article that 1-2 residents were offended about and only one was seriously offended by (that person being Elaine)."

Update January 22, 2014 3:01 PM I guess I am in trouble again. This RTK is buried as an update. to market, to market RTK

Update January 24, 2014 4:33 PM I emailed Kelly Fraasch this afternoon concerning the above commenter's "unprecedented witch hunt" allegation. I am updating this post with Commissioner Fraasch's response here.

Comments on comments?

Last night's school board meeting was very interesting, as far as citizens' comments go. Topics included:

• Financial advisor 
• MTLSD does not take the preliminary budget seriously. We are the only school district that refers to it as a "fake budget."
• Trophy case
• Zamagias TIF
• Pool railing
• Pool locker room floor is slippery
• Meeting was not available for viewing last week.
• Agendas are not publicized before meetings
• Trouble with teacher at Howe School

Without naming names, I would like to hear more about the situation at Howe School. The mother was cut off at the knees by the president and solicitor when she was speaking. 

As far as the TIF goes, while one commissioner was removing her blog over the weekend, another commissioner posted this: Washington Park, corner of Bower Hill and Washington Road In December, Zamagias defaulted on their TIF loan. Mt. Lebanon has the opportunity to buy it back out of the Parking Fund, I believe. Please contact our commissioners, Senator Matt Smith's office, or Representative Dan Miller's office and share your opinion on this topic.

I would love to hear from Lebo Citizen readers about all these topics which were raised at last night's meeting. 

To listen to the meeting please visit Lebo Citizens podcast from MTLSD's January 20, 2014 meeting