Awards and Savings and Election Hijinks

From the BCCT.

There's an interesting discussion about the plaque awarded by the school board to Ron Stout. Once again, there's some pre-electoral shenanigans going on as some commenters on this blog have pointed out as well as the commenters to this story.

Would anyone think "there is more than a slight appearance of a conflict of interest" in presenting this award? Heavens to Betsy!

Did the board pay for the plaque? Then when was the public vote authorizing it?

Was the plaque paid for and presented by private citizens? Then why was it presented at a school board meeting under the implied endorsement and consent of the school board?

BUCKS BRIEFS
Bucks County Courier Times

School renovations set

The board approved bid proposals of $3.44 million for asbestos abatement, window replacement, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical work at Morrisville Middle/Senior High School this summer.

The work was expected to cost about $4 million, but the bids came in lower.

"We're very happy with the results of these bids," said Bill Corfield of Vitetta, the architectural firm handling the work. He surmised that costs have dropped because of the economy.

Savings on major items allowed the board to accept bids on all items needing renovation, not just the HVAC and window replacement. The work on boilers, classroom ventilators, windows and other systems will improve efficiency and save the district in future energy costs, said board President William Hellmann.

Resident Ron Stout received a plaque for ideas that saved the district money. His suggestion to have the high school's hot water piping tested for reliability instead of simply replacing it saved $719,000 on renovations, said board member Maryls Mihok, who presented the plaque to Stout at the Tuesday board meeting. The pipes were found to be sound enough to continue being used.

Stout, who's running for school board, brought up ideas that should save the district $200,000 in future Grandview renovations, Mihok said. "I don't care who saved us money. I would have given the award to anybody," Mihok said.


Comments
Broken For Sure, 03-27-09, 10:46 am | Rate: Flag -3 Flag | Flag Report
"School renovations set"
(Stout, who's running for school board, brought up ideas that should save the district $200,000 in future Grandview renovations, Mihok said. "I don't care who saved us money. I would have given the award to anybody," Mihok said.)

Campaigning has come early to Morrisville Borough - and thanks to people like Mrs. Mihok, its ugly, but not surprising.

You would give an award to anybody? Really? I doubt it, although you did give one to Ron Stout so that statement may be very true. From what I can see, Robin Reithmeyer has saved the school district millions in legal fees for pointing out wrong-doings of the present school board majority in Morrisville, so WHERE'S HER PLAQUE?! The previous school board majority was undermining the community in a big way and the current school board majority is just more of the same. Its just disgusting. When watching school board meetings on the TV its such a dog and pony show, (and now we even have awards, WOW.)

Is this the same Marlys Mihok who, just last week, went to a Morrisville Council meeting and blasted Councilman Rivella, accusing him of accepting campaign contributions, (as Mr. Rivella pointed out, it may be new to Morrisville but it certainly isn't new to politics) and accusing him of being on council just to get a Responsible Contracting Ordinance in place, (From what I've heard the RCO was actually put before council by another person long before Mr. Rivella was even elected to council.) Mrs. Mihok, where's Mr. Rivella’s plaque for trying to save the borough millions of dollars with this ordinance?! It would be nice if Mr. Stout could formulate a sentence or two on his own for a change so that he wouldn't need his very small circle of friends like Mrs. Mihok and her cronies to try to build him up by awarding him a bogus plaque at a televised school board meeting. NO GRANDSTANDING THERE AT ALL! Yeah right.

As for Mr. Rivella and the ordinance, I’ll tell you right now that I supported this guy and I continue to do so. Mr. Rivella’s got what it takes to take on people like Jane Burger, Marlys Mihok and their kind and he and his group will actually be able to make positive changes in Morrisville once they successfully get the same old guard off council in November. I CAN’T WAIT!

I’ve been watching and I can clearly see a few things about Dave Rivella. He’s a family man who's dedicated to Morrisville Borough and he's working hard to move Morrisville forward in spite of the people on council who don’t want this. If Mr. Rivella was in any other profession, he would naturally go to the people surrounding him for fundraising purposes so why would it be any different because he’s a union guy?! Wake up people, this is how its done. Are you trying to say that everyone else should be allowed to fundraise but he should not?! As Mr. Rivella rightly pointed out at the last televised council meeting, all of his campaigning finance contributions have been public record since 2007 but are just now being brought up, as we are in another campaign cycle, ( by the very people he won his seat from, by the very people who don’t want change of any kind - unless they're dismantling the school system that is.) I believe these people are jealous and running scared because they know that Mr. Rivella seemed to actually have people who thought enough of him and his fellow "good Democrats" to support them where as the likes of Mrs. Mihok, Mrs. Burger and their kind have to rely on negativity. This kind of behavior by these naysayers puts Morrisville in a bad light and is disgusting to watch.

AwHellYeah, 03-27-09, 12:56 pm | Rate: Flag 2 Flag | Flag Report
Robin Reithmeyer hasn't saved the district anything. She is your typical politician.


Broken For Sure, 03-27-09, 2:25 pm | Rate: Flag -2 Flag | Flag Report
AwHellYeah
"Robin Reithmeyer hasn't saved the district anything. She is your typical politician."

I don't agree, although I can understand why someone may think she. She does her thing of standing up to the school board majority, but I just can't give her any credit for being a politician. She voted for Fitzpatrick not once but twice. I'm sure there were people in her own party who weren't too happy about that. Is she outspoken...yes ...is she a politician, her actions say differently...a nd I just don't see it.

AwHellYeah, 03-27-09, 2:31 pm | Rate: Flag 1 Flag | Flag Report
Go to a Democratic Club meeting then.

Broken For Sure, 03-27-09, 5:07 pm | Rate: Flag 0 Flag | Flag Report
Simply being involved as a Democrat or Republican does not make you a political person per say. You are simply promoting your fundamental beliefs with others. Having a party affiliation does not make you a politician. Being involved within either the Democratic or Republican parties or any other party does not make you a politician. I believe there are many people in Bucks County alone who belong to political clubs yet are not politicians. Its a mean business and I can understand why it isn't for everyone. Mrs. Reithmeyer is clearly not politically savvy, although she is, I believe from what I can see trying to do what SHE feels is correct as a Morrisville School Director. I believe that if she was fighting with the board majority instead of***ainst them she would be there hero. But then again there is only room for one of them and this week it seems to be Mr. Stout, award in hand. (I mean no harm...just a little joke...very little though it may be)

Archives- Election 2007

I received this scan today along with the reminder that the election for the new school board, the one that the Emperor threatened the late Ed Frankenfield with, is fast approaching.

They suggested that this could be added to our collection of memorabilia from 2007 to eventually see if the candidates, indeed, are keeping their word.

Does anyone have items from the 2005 election cycle? These are the same people whose seats would be up in 2009.

Now appearing: The Democrats

Reithmeyer for school board; Panzitta, Rivella, and Sherlock for borough council.

The Morning After

It seems pretty fitting that the front page of the BCCT this morning portrays Morrisville so similarly in two completely unrelated stories. Morrisville this morning awakens to find that it is nothing more than a dump. It's a place where dead bodies are dumped for convenience, and it's a place where progress goes to die.

R.I.P. Gateway. I doubt that most other developers would have stayed around long enough to endure the abuse that PJP has taken for the past two years. That building should be ready to rent by now. Instead the community that should have celebrated the new business remains sitting there in the quiet dead splendor of a long interred and long forgotten cemetery. A place where nothing ever happens. And nothing ever will. There's Morrisville's ignominious future. Graveyard to the region.

Remember the names of the council members who want Morrisville to remain dead: David Rivella, Rita Ledger, Kathryn Panzitta, Jane Burger, Steven Worob, Eileen Dreisbach.

All six of you: What's next? Like your brethren on the school board, what are you doing now to improve Morrisville?

Gateway Vote Tonight. Call your council member.

Below is an email I received from Dan Jones, the developer of the Gateway project. While it was not asked of me to forward this, I believe it is important for everyone to understand the level of commitment Mr. Jones has for the project and for Morrisville.

Call your council member and let them know you want the Gateway project to continue.

Ladies and gentlemen –

Monday evening, May 19, 2008, 7:30 PM will be a pivotal and historic moment for the Borough of Morrisville. Don’t miss it.

After two years, the Borough Council will vote “yes or no” on the Gateway Center. I truly believe that a “yes” vote will mean a historic turning point for the Borough. But it will only happen if those who support the project are at the meeting.

Attend Monday night’s meeting. If you feel comfortable speaking at the public comment, do so and make a difference. If you do not feel comfortable speaking, cheer on those that do, and make a difference.

For the first time in two years the goal line is in sight. Be a part of this historic moment. In five years when you look at a wonderfully transformed Bridge Street, be able to smile and say,” I was there and I made a difference.”

Thanks to all for their continued support of the Morrisville Gateway Center.


Dan Jones
Penn Jersey Real Properties, LLC
56 E. Bridge Street, Suite One
Morrisville, PA 19067

(267) 799-4481 (O)
(267) 799-4482 (F)

danieljones@pennjerseyproperties.com

And another letter I received

Tonight at Boro Hall, council will be voting to show their interest (or lack of) in continuing to move forward with the Gateway project. Please come out and support this project and consider speaking at the mic. As many of us are busy with our daily lives, if you can't make the meeting, please call your ward officials and the ones outside of your ward too.

This will be the night when the naysayers will be strong. Don't let them outvoice us and allow them to force us to be silent once more. If you have never spoken before, now is especially your time to speak up. The more different faces and voices we have only show the support is larger than the usual suspects (on both sides of the fence).

Meeting starts at 7:30. Interviews for the Economic Development Council begin at 7:00.

Phone numbers to call:

MAYOR
Tom Wisnosky: 215-295-0439

COUNCIL MEMBERS 2008

President:
Ward 2: Nancy Sherlock 215-736-1264

Vice President:
Ward 2: Kathryn Panzitta 215-295-1264

Ward 3: George Bolos: 215-428-0667
Ward 3: Jane Burger: 215-736-1321
Ward 1: Eileen Dreisbach: 215-295-1914
Ward 1: Rita Ledger: 215-295-4344
Ward 4: David Rivella: 215-295-5030
Ward 4: Stephen Worob: 215-736-2987

Gateway Discussion at Agenda Meeting Tonight?

I received this email from a trusted source and would like to ask everyone who supports the Gateway projects to contact their borough council members. Let them know you support Gateway and that you expect their affirmative vote in council.

Go to the borough website from the link on the sidebar to the left and find your council members. Let them know you support Morrisville.

MAYOR
Tom Wisnosky: 215-295-0439

COUNCIL MEMBERS 2008

President:
Nancy Sherlock 215-736-1264

Vice President:
Kathryn Panzitta 215-295-1264

George Bolos: 215-428-0667
Jane Burger: 215-736-1321
Eileen Dreisbach: 215-295-1914
Rita Ledger: 215-295-4344
David Rivella: 215-295-5030
Stephen Worob: 215-736-2987

Heard that Gateway will be discussed this evening during the agenda meeting tonight at Boro Hall. Meeting begins at 7:30.

Also heard that a conversation was held with Jane Burger and that Ms. Burger mentioned that she CAN'T think of any reasons to support this project!!!

To put it simply, this could be the end of the Gateway project.

Please make an effort to attend and voice your opinion and call your ward representatives.

Gateway

While this does not directly apply to the current issues with our schools, it certainly does apply to the level of taxation in the borough.

Right now, the same people who stopped the school, supposedly to lower the taxes, are also opposing the Gateway project, which would generate tax revenue, lowering the tax burden on all of us. The logic seems sound. Up is Down, Good is Bad, Black is White. Paging George Orwell: It's 1984 in Morrisville and doubleplusgoodthink is alive and well.

Here is an email that I received covering some of the background on the project. I also have a Power Point presentation with more information on the project. As soon as I can get it posted somewhere I will, but if you want to see it ASAP, drop me a line and I'll email it to you.

(You asked for information on the Gateway Center. Please share the enclosure and this e-mail with those you think may find it of interest.)

The enclosed is the materials that I presented to the Borough Council on October 2, 2007 – now almost four months ago. This provides some very interesting information which I would be pleased to discuss with you and others interested in the project.

To give you the brief update from October – nothing has happened! A slightly longer answer follows …

The basic issue holding up the project for the last year and a half has been acquiring the land from – 1) the Bridge Commission, and 2) the Borough Council.

If I understand the Borough Council’s comments on Tuesday, they implied that the Council cannot do anything until we submit a preliminary development plan. If this is what they said, it is misleading.

As I explained to the Council on October 2, October 9th, and October 15th there are two aspects of the proposal that impacts the Borough Council – 1) approval of a preliminary development plan, and 2) agreement to sell land for the parking lot.

Preliminary Development Plan

The first item – the preliminary development plan – is a routine but costly part of the development process. Once prepared the preliminary development plan is submitted to the Borough Planning Committee and Zoning Committee which upon approval would ultimately require the Borough Council’s approval.

The Bridge Commission asked PJRP to submit a preliminary development plan before they would agree to sell the Morrisville EDC (who would sell the land to PJRP) the Bridge Commission portion of the project land. The Borough also wanted us to submit a preliminary development plan before they agreed to sell us their land for the project. PJRP objected to submitting a preliminary plan before having a purchase agreement with either the Borough or the Bridge Commission for two reasons –

1) It is a very expensive process to go through – over $50,000 – without having a commitment from either land owner that they are willing to sell their land; and

2) It is illegal, which the Borough Solicitor agreed with at the October 15th Borough Council meeting, and which has since been communicated from the Borough to the Bridge Commission. PJRP cannot submit a preliminary development plan until PJRP has an “economic interest” in the property to be developed. The preliminary development plan must come after a purchase agreement.

So, the bottom line with the preliminary development plan is that we cannot present a plan until we have a purchase agreement with either the Bridge Commission or the Borough. (The purchase agreement, by the way, would be contingent on the approval of the preliminary development plan. If the plan is not approved – neither the Bridge Commission nor the Borough is obligated to sell their land and we are not obligated to buy their land if the plan is not approved.)

Agreement to sell (buy) Borough land

This brings us to the “Catch-22” that the Borough has us. One, however, they have the ability to fix. As noted above, the preliminary plan must come after PJRP has an “economic interest” in the land. One way that PJRP gets an economic interest in the land is that the Borough enters into a purchase agreement with PJRP to buy the Borough’s land.

The Answer to the Borough Councils comment

So … If the Council or anyone else says “we can’t do anything until the developer submits a preliminary plan.”

A good response would be, “Doesn’t the developer have to have an economic interest in the land before they can submit a preliminary plan?”

The appropriate response from the Borough Council would be, “uh huh.”

A good response to that would be, “then if the Borough Council enters into an agreement of sale with the developer wouldn’t the developer be able to submit a preliminary development plan?”

The appropriate response from the Borough Council would be, “uh huh.”

A good response to that would be, “then why doesn’t the Borough Council enter into an agreement of sale with developer for the Borough land so that the developer can submit a preliminary plan?

I haven’t been able to get an answer to that question for four months now …

Dan

Dan Jones
Penn Jersey Real Properties, LLC
56 E. Bridge Street, Suite One
Morrisville, PA 19067
(267) 799-4481 (Office)
(215) 378-6279 (Cell)
danieljones@pennjerseyproperties.com

Huh? We've got a chance for 400-600 jobs coming INTO the borough and an estimated $300,000 in tax revenue, and we're not showing interest in moving forward? Both the borough and school district budgets are in the toilet and here's a hometown group who want to improve Morrisville and bring money in? Why is anyone stalling on the decisions for this project?

You need to contact YOUR ward's council members and tell them to move forward with Gateway. It's that simple. Go to the borough website from the link on the sidebar to the left and find your council members. Let them know you support Morrisville.

MAYOR
Tom Wisnosky: 215-295-0439

COUNCIL MEMBERS 2008

President:
Nancy Sherlock 215-736-1264

Vice President:
Kathryn Panzitta 215-295-1264

George Bolos: 215-428-0667
Jane Burger: 215-736-1321
Eileen Dreisbach: 215-295-1914
Rita Ledger: 215-295-4344
David Rivella: 215-295-5030
Stephen Worob: 215-736-2987

Interesting Document

I wonder what the payback to the unions might be for these endorsements on Election Day 2007. Did anyone else see this? And why would Marlys Mihok and William Hellmann CPA be unworthy of this honor, but Bill Farrell, Robin Reithmeyer, Al Radosti, Gloria Heater, Nancy Sherlock, Kathryn Panzitta, and David Rivella would be?

I'm not against unions. I come from a long, long line of union members in my family. I just want to know if stopping the school and seeking to award reconstruction and renovation work locally are at all connected or not, either then, now, or in the future.