We've been duped UPDATED

Remember this article on the Mt. Lebanon Magazine website? home(town) improvement There was a $4.5 million bond issued in January. Last night, the Commission approved the multiple contracts for the pool. The grand total construction cost of all five contracts is $3,953,900. This does not include the cost of a project manager, since there are multiple contracts.

The Recreation Bond will not be used for Robb Hollow. It will not be used for the golf course. It will not be used for Public Works. It is going toward the Pool. The entire bond and then some.  We've been duped.

I should have seen this coming. Here are the minutes of a November 6, 2012 Park Advisory Board meeting. Notice who attended the meeting. That was the first clue.

IV. Recreation Bond UpdateDonnellan reported that an Ordinance for a bond issue not to exceed $4.8 million was introduced on October 22. He stated the bond was to include $3.3 million for swimming pool improvements, $750,000 for Robb Hollow improvements and $500,000 for golf courseimprovements. He said a public hearing would be held on November 13, and a vote on the Ordinance was scheduled for November 26. (Editor’s note: The Ordinance was enacted immediately following the public hearing on November 13).Kelly Fraasch announced that there was a meeting scheduled for November 11 at 1:00 p.m. to walk Robb Hollow Park and discuss possible improvements. Members of the Nature Conservancy, Parks Advisory Board, Environmental Sustainability Board, and the Friends of Robb Hollow Park were invited.John Vogel distributed a copy of an email from Ms. Fraasch detailing plans for the meeting. Vogel requested that Donnellan forward the meeting invitation on to board members who were absent.A discussion of the planned improvements followed. There was concern among the group that the Parks Advisory Board had not had sufficient input into the planned projects and that they did not reflect the recent prioritization of projects from the board.Fraasch reported that the Commission was discussing a committee to review athletic fields.The Parks Advisory Board recommended that the bond issue funding for improvements to the golf course and Robb Hollow Park needs further consideration.Fraasch presented her latest proposal for Robb Hollow Park. The plan included opening access to the upper and lower areas of the park, moving the leaf operation, grassing areas for additional greenspace; as well as providing opportunities for future development of a play area, outdoor classroom, dog park and pavilion.

The second clue was that none of Kelly Fraasch's presentations ever made the Municipal website. However, the YSA Recreation presentation was posted.  Where is her study for Robb Hollow? You can find it here, on her blog.

Look at page 55 of the new Capital Improvement Program 2014-2018. (Allow for extra time for the large document to open.) More discussion for turfing and lighting Middle and Wildcat Fields with a $200,000 non-municipal contribution, either from the YSA, advertising or grants.  Yeah, right.

No dog park, outdoor classroom, play area or improvements to Public Works space. No hopes of developing Robb Hollow, which would have released us from McNeilly. Even Moody's said the $4.5 million bond was to be used for renovation of recreational facilities. We've been duped.

Update August 15, 2013 2:20 PM $3.95 million in recreation upgrades get Mt. Lebanon commission's OK

School Board Moves Ahead with Bond Issue for High School UPDATED

School Board Moves Ahead with Bond Issue for High School 

On Monday, August 12, the Board gave direction to the financial advisor and bond counsel to proceed to bid on an anticipated $33 million debt issue to fund the remaining costs of the high school renovation project. The bonds were directed to be wrapped around existing debt so that the millage cost to the community will be minimized as the debt payments implement over a three year period. It is anticipated that the increase in millage will be below .2 mills each of the next three years to complete this financing. Board approval of the sale of these bonds is anticipated at the August 19, 2013 Board meeting.

The bond analysis has finally been shared with the public and can be found here. Debt Profile

Update August 15, 2013 1:33 AM Mt. Lebanon schools pick loan option

It's a wrap!

The school board has decided to use a wraparound structure for the second bond issue vs. level payment. With the cushion, a.k.a over taxing, that the school board has established, the board has decided to use capitalized interest. The cushion could be used for OPEB, the grievance, the rifle range, etc.

Tim Frenz, again did not have a presentation for the public. He resorted to pointing to his papers, rather than sharing the information on the screen to his left. In all my years of making sales presentations for my $5 million territory, I would have been fired for being so unprofessional. Josephine Posti said it in a nutshell. The public does not have the figures that the board has to see, to know that they are making a good decision. Why not, Josephine? She went after Scott Goldman when he voted in favor of level funding. He calculated that level funding will cost the district $5.6 million LESS. By wrapping this bond, we will be paying 19% MORE. She said that it will cost us more in millage. Scott tried to explain that we have the option to refinance a level bond issuance, as well, while saving taxpayers $5.6 million dollars. Cappucci, Birks, and Posti all pounced on him.

The good news is that Moody's has given Mt. Lebanon an AA1 rating.

I am not pretending that I am an expert on this topic. It is complicated to me, so please listen to the podcast for a better explanation. It is available here.

Lebo Appoints Capital Campaign Director UPDATED 3X

Mt. Lebanon School Board Appoints Capital Campaign Director 
August 12, 2013

Alyssa DeLuca-New Capital Campaign Director and MLFE Executive Director

The Mt. Lebanon School Board unanimously approved Alyssa DeLuca as the Director of the Mt. Lebanon School District Capital Campaign and Executive Director of the Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education (MLFE). Ms. DeLuca will work with the Superintendent, MLFE Board Chair and campaign leadership to raise $6 million in capital and endowment funds. She will serve as the primary staff support for a volunteer campaign committee and the MLFE Board in the identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of individual donors. Ms. DeLuca will lead campaign logistics and prospect management activities while establishing a long term development program for the District. She is expected to join the District on August 30.

Ms. DeLuca has been the Director of Development at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History for the past four years. Prior to that, she served as a Senior Communications and Marketing Consultant for Deloitte Services LP and the Director of Development and Communications for Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh. She is a graduate of Duquesne University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies.

“We are very pleased to welcome Alyssa DeLuca to the District as our capital campaign director,” stated Superintendent Timothy Steinhauer. “She has a strong background in development and fundraising and will be a capable, enthusiastic leader for our capital campaign.”

Update August 13, 2013 3:19 PM According to last night's Personnel Report, Ms. Deluca will be paid $82,500 a year and will begin on Friday, August 30 (Labor Day weekend).

Update August 14, 2013 2:11 PM I added the link to the personnel report.

Update August 18, 2013 7:45 PM A Lebo Citizens reader submitted the following article, Stocks can't fix Pittsburgh's pension system fiscal woes, experts warn With Larry Lebowitz inquiring when they can borrow again, the board needs to keep this article in mind. Change it from the city to Mt Lebanon and the story could be the same.

Four percent

Elaine Cappucci announced at last night's school board meeting, that Superintendent Timmy will be receiving a four percent raise retroactive to July 1, 2013. I am speechless.

Turf in Mt. Lebanon

Not sure why Lebofields.blogspot.com is inactive or why the turf petition seems to have seen better days too, but I did receive this email that has been making its rounds through Lebo Bubble Ball circles.

I would have thought more people would have shown up to urge commissioners to spend "leftover money" on turf. It is unclear why Dave has not worked out the details for which field - Mellon or Wildcat. Maybe Mr. Franklin can explain here. Perhaps he can explain what the commissioners should do with that 25-car parking lot that is going to be added to Brafferton that has no plan.

Go at it, Dave!

From: Dave Franklin [mailto:davefranklin4@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 11:38 AM
To: davefranklin4@gmail.com
Subject: Turf in Mt. Lebanon

If you have ever sat in the bleachers at a turfed field in another community and wondered why Mt. Lebanon does not have similar facilities, this email is for you.

At 8:00pm on Monday, July 22, the Mt. Lebanon Commission will host a public meeting at which time they will invite citizens comments and discuss the various options for how to best use this year's unassigned fund balance.

By way of background, the unassigned fund balance is essentially leftover money - money that was not specifically allocated to an item in the annual budget, and which is remaining at the end of the fiscal year.  This year's unassigned fund balance totals approximately $840,000. There are several items which the commissioners have already identified as suitable options for some of this money, thus reducing the overall total to something just below $800,000.

Importantly, however, four of the commissioners are in favor of spending a portion of the unassigned funds for a turf field project, and three of those four are interested in spending a significant portion of the unassigned funds for a turf field project. The newly formed Sports Advisory Board fully supports this proposal.

Exact details as to the where (Wildcat or Mellon) and when still have to be worked out, but this is a significant step in coming closer to securing another turf field for Mount Lebanon. The purpose of this email is to encourage each of you to attend the public hearing on Monday and to show your support for this option.  While a majority of the commissioners are in favor of this expenditure, I think it would go a long way in establishing a strong consensus  if we have a good crowd there to speak in favor of this proposal. If you are unable to attend, please send an email tocommission@MtLebanon.org expressing your support for allocating a significant portion of the unassigned funds to a turf field project in our community.

Thanks

Dave

Bad news for Parks and Recreation UPDATED

The commissioners are in a real pickle. It seems as though the costs for the Brafferton field improvements, the golf course improvements, and the swimming pool renovations have ALL increased.

The bids for the swimming pool, which included architect and engineering costs, came back high by several hundred thousand dollars. 

The golf course bid has come back so high that they may be reducing the scope of work and re-bid the project. 

Brafferton Field came back higher than estimated, so they may bid the project two ways: one as currently designed with a larger field and one with a smaller field. 

How many people will be asking the commissioners to turf a field now? What will the Sports Advisory Board think about this? What happens to the unassigned funds - still going to the School District?

This and more will be discussed at Tuesday's Commission Discussion Session.

Update August 10, 2013 12:18 PM The agendas for the Commission Discussion Session and the Commission meeting have been posted. Plans for the golf course improvements are going to be scrapped, revised and rebid. Looks like the pool will be getting every conceivable upgrade possible. This is from the agenda:

Renovations to the swimming facilities includes pool recirculation, filtration, zero depth swimming pool addition, deck equipment, gutter system, pool heater, epoxy pool coating, surface drainage and concrete decking. The project has 13 alternate bids including a recreation storage building addition, east deck retaining wall, subsurface drainage system, removal of earth mounding at west side of bathhouse, splash pad assembly, water slide assembly, climbing wall assembly, deep water well slide assembly, aquatic features for zero depth entry pool, spectator bleachers, video surveillance system, drive/pedestrian walkway (options A and B) and site gas line.

Also on the agenda is to approve the 25 car parking lot for Brafferton, even though the bids came back higher than estimated. The field may need work and has no approved bid, but at least it will have a nice parking lot.

Extensive Flood Damage vs. Turfing a Field UPDATED

I asked Gateway Engineers' Dan Deiseroth and Manager Steve Feller for a list of streets affected by the July 9-10 flooding. Here is the information I requested. Thanks to both gentlemen!

On Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 11:26 AM, Daniel S. Deiseroth <ddeiseroth@gatewayengineers.com> wrote:

Steve,

As requested, below is the list of streets (Ward) affected by the July flooding.

Altoona Place (5)

Anawanda Avenue (4)

Arden Lane (1)

Austin Avenue (5)

Beverly Road (1)

Beverly Road (1)

Castle Shannon Boulevard (3) (4)

Cedar Boulevard (2) (5)

Chalmers Place (5)

Colony Circle (1)

Edward Avenue (1)

Eisenhower Drive (3)

Ella Street (5)

Elm Spring Road (1)

Forest Glen Drive (2)

Hazel Drive (3) (4)

Hoodridge Drive (3)

Iroquois Drive (2)

Jefferson Drive (3)

Larchmont Road (1)

Lebanon Hills Drive (3)

Lindendale Drive (5)

Lovingston Drive (4)

Lynn Haven Drive (3)

Mabrick Avenue (5)

Mapleton Drive (5)

Maplewood Drive (2)

Marlin Drive West (1)

McFarland Road (1) (5)

McMonagle Avenue (1)

McNeilly Road (4)

Mohawk Drive (2)

Moreland Drive (2)

Newburn Drive (1)

Old Gilkeson Road (3)

Orchard Drive (3)

Ordale Drive (2) (3)

Park Entrance Drive (3)

Piper Drive (3)

Rawley Drive (2)

Rock Haven Lane (3)

Rosewood Drive ????

Roycroft Avenue (3)

Sandrae Drive (2)

Scott Road (4)

Scrubgrass Road (1)

Seneca Drive (2)

Shadowlawn Avenue (1)

Valley Park Drive (4)

Wainwright Drive (3)

White Oak Circle (3)

Woodhaven Drive (2)

Let me know if you need anything else.

Daniel S. Deiseroth, P.E.

I have asked my neighbor to get in touch with Public Works and report their constant flooding. 911 was called that day, so there may be more streets than what was reported by Gateway. The municipality should do a cross check with the 911 calls related to flooding.

I hope this is a wake up call for the commissioners. We have real infrastructure problems and they ain't ball fields!

Update August 9, 2013 5:55 PM I added the wards as requested. The commissioners and their wards are listed as follows:

Ward 1 John Bendel
Ward 2 Matt Kluck
Ward 3 Kristen Linfante
Ward 4 David Brumfield
Ward 5 Kelly Fraasch

My list included Sleepy Hollow, Coolidge, Vallevista, Sleepy Hollow, Youngwood, Wainwright, Woodland, Forest Glen, Moreland, Castle Shannon, Woodhaven,...

Disheartening news

I received some disheartening news this morning from a reliable source that Durwood Hill has dropped out of the school board director race. He was the only one who was getting my vote. Four seats. Four candidates. So that means there is no reason to vote. Meet our new school board directors:

Incumbent Mary Birks
Incumbent Dan Remely
Mike Riemer
Bill Moorhead

Looks like it is a go.

Also on this Monday's agenda:

Issuance of Bonds – Tim Frenz, our financial advisor, and Jim Webster, our bond counsel, will be at the Board meeting to give an update concerning the sale of the second round of high school renovation project bonds next week. The structure and size of the bond issue will be discussed before the sale. Assuming good market conditions, the sale will occur on Monday, August 19th with Board action to approve the sale at the meeting that evening.

No discussion of level funding, no update on the fundraising hire since the job posting has been removed and no news of the Final 2013-14 Budget.

Change Orders for August

From the August 12, 2013 School Board Meeting Agenda:

Change Orders for High School Renovation Project – The following change orders are presented for Board consideration. All the change orders listed below have been reviewed by the architect, PJ Dick and the District administration.

a. GC-69-144 to Nello for $3,616 to provide moisture mitigation at area F second and third floors,

b. GC-70-145 to Nello for $6,212 to provide concrete patching at the ticket booth and lean concrete in the south lot near the parking wall,

c. EL-38-146 to Farfield for $12,930 for variable frequency drive units, underground power source to the temporary A/C unit in the athletic building and for providing electrical rough-in for future light fixtures on the pool viewing deck,

d. ME-10-147 to McKamish for $14,486 to minimize the height of the air handling units above the roof line,

e. GC-71-148 to Nello for $10,921 for time and materials for work done in buildings F and G on additional framing and drywall,

f. EL-39-149 to Farfield for $15,022 for data infrastructure in B building and a future uninterrupted power source, and

g. EL-40-150 to Farfield for $1,746 for an exit sign for an added egress from boiler room.

Timmy's salary

I was going to call this post, "Blank" instead of "Timmy's salary" since that is how this Monday's agenda describes the personnel item, Approval of Annual Salary for Superintendent.

As a reminder, here are the Superintendent Performance Goals for 2012-13:

1. Fiscal Management- The Superintendent will operate the District in a fiscally responsible manner. 2. High School Project – The Superintendent will continue the District’s efforts to build/renovate the High School. 3. Strategic Plan – The Superintendent will implement strategies to accomplish the goals established by the new Strategic Plan. 4. Student Achievement – The Superintendent will maintain or improve student achievement. 5. Collaboration/Communication – The Superintendent will collaborate and engage members of the school community. 6. Technology – The Superintendent will advance student and adult learning through the use of Technology.

I am not sure why 6. Technology is in bold. Perhaps it is the most important. Timmy is wicked awesome with his iPhone taking pictures of pizza lunches, concert programs, bathrooms, and water fountains. 

I think with all these important goals reached, Timmy should max out with a whopper of an increase. That doesn't include his stellar work with the high school renovation bonus that five others received this year. Since he is so transfixed with the construction, I think Timmy deserves at least a $5,000 bonus. 

Oh the irony!

From The Wall Street Journal:

Pennsylvania American Water Designates August 11 (8/11) as Special Reminder to Always Call 8-1-1 Before Digging

With August 11 only a few days away, Pennsylvania American Water today reminded customers to call 8-1-1 prior to any digging project to have underground utility lines marked. The 8-1-1 phone number, used in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, helps consumers access a free service that will identify and mark invisible underground utilities, so that unnecessary outages in critical services can be avoided.

To help raise awareness of PA One Call, Pennsylvania American Water Production Supervisor George Cradic attaches "call before you dig" plate to company vehicle. (Photo: Pennsylvania American Water)

By calling 8-1-1 three days before digging, homeowners and contractors will be connected to PA One Call, which then notifies the appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested digging site to mark the approximate locations of underground lines with flags, spray paint or both.

"On August 11 and throughout the year, Pennsylvania American Water reminds customers and contractors to 'dial before you dig' and call 8-1-1 to eliminate the risk of striking an underground utility line," said Steven Tambini, vice president of operations for Pennsylvania American Water.

Tambini said striking a single line can lead to injuries, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how large or small, warrants a call. Installing a mailbox, building a deck, planting a tree and laying a patio are examples of digging projects that should prompt an 8-1-1 call. Visit the PA One Call website at www.pa811.org for more information about safe digging practices.

"It's a free call and a free service for homeowners -- a great price for safety," said Tambini.

The depth of utility lines can vary for a number of reasons, such as erosion, previous digging projects and uneven surfaces. Utility lines need to be properly marked because even when digging only a few inches, the risk of striking an underground utility line still exists. According to the Common Ground Alliance, an underground utility line is damaged during digging projects every three minutes nationwide.

Pennsylvania American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.2 million people. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs approximately 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in more than 30 states and parts of Canada.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20130808005835/en/ CONTACT: Pennsylvania American Water

Terry Maenza
T: 610-670-7789 ext. 1009
M: 610-849-6484
terry.maenza@amwater.com
or
Josephine Posti
T: 724-743-3103
M: 412-667-1479
josephine.posti@amwater.com

Another potential teachers' grievance in our future?

The Trib reported yesterday in Social media policy scrapped by Bethel Park School Board:

The Bethel Park School Board rescinded a nearly 2-year-old social media policy for staff and volunteers this week after the teachers' union agreed to withdraw an unfair labor charge it filed with the state Labor Relations Board, officials said. 

Asserting that the policy with rules for using cell phones, Facebook, Twitter and blogs was overly broad, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania last year also told district officials it was prepared to take legal action against the district. 

Bethel Park school directors voted 5-0 Tuesday to scrap the policy; four members were absent. Board members couldn't be reached for comment Wednesday. 

“Under the advisement of our solicitors, we rescinded it to give us some time to review it,” district Superintendent Nancy Aloi Rose said.

Here in Mt. Lebanon, our school board directors adopted a similar policy, Policy GBEE Student Communications on October 17, 2011. I wonder how the Bethel Park Teachers' Union would rate our policy.

Speaking of MTLSD policies, I love the spelling of "Exercises" listed on Policy IKF here.

Way to go, Lynn!

Congratulations to Mt. Lebanon resident, Lynn Helbing Sirinek, who has been named vice president of development and communications at Family Hospice and Palliative Care in Mt. Lebanon, the region’s biggest nonprofit hospice.

Family Hospice names Sirinek VP