Incompetant Land Search

[Oz (Premo)]

Originally Posted by 5857dave

Try to get the county to name the other perspective sites. They have repeatedly refused to do so saying that land acquisition does not fall under the open-meetings act. Go ahead, see if they will give you the names.

There is a document that lists the many sites whose owners were contacted and declined to sell. There is further documentation on a number of possible sites, and the topical points related to those sites. You are correct in that property acquisition does not fall under the open meetings act.

The general public needs to focus on the fact that we need school sites. Not campus sites. A 2-story elementary school is just fine, and our next one will be just that.

If you want to give your input on what the school board is doing, or what they need to do better, simply attend their meetings. The time and locations are always published. They are elected officials. Talk to them.


PS. My fingers actually got ahead of me above. A school is a conditional use no matter where it is -- even if it's in a DD. So any site automatically goes before the Zoning Board of Appeals, lengthening the process. This is another bad section of our zoning laws.

[BS Gal (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Oz

There is a document that lists the many sites whose owners were contacted and declined to sell. There is further documentation on a number of possible sites, and the topical points related to those sites. You are correct in that property acquisition does not fall under the open meetings act.

The general public needs to focus on the fact that we need school sites. Not campus sites. A 2-story elementary school is just fine, and our next one will be just that.

If you want to give your input on what the school board is doing, or what they need to do better, simply attend their meetings. The time and locations are always published. They are elected officials. Talk to them.
PS. My fingers actually got ahead of me above. A school is a conditional use no matter where it is -- even if it's in a DD. So any site automatically goes before the Zoning Board of Appeals, lengthening the process. This is another bad section of our zoning laws.

Do you really think the school board listens to the public? Look what happened to the teacher in Mechanicsville.

Have you been to the school board's offices on Moakley Street? If you have, I am sure you have seen the accomodations and $ spent there. Maybe better spent on the schools and kids but that is just my opinion.

[Oz (Premo)]

Originally Posted by BS Gal

Do you really think the school board listens to the public? Look what happened to the teacher in Mechanicsville.

Have you been to the school board's offices on Moakley Street? If you have, I am sure you have seen the accomodations and $ spent there. Maybe better spent on the schools and kids but that is just my opinion.

They have a meeting room that will hold many more people then usually attend the meeting.

I think if the public insists, YES they will have to listen.

If nothing else, these people who want to regurgitate what the partial information they have read in the newspaper, will get a bit of an education about what really goes on...

[BS Gal (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Oz

They have a meeting room that will hold many more people then usually attend the meeting.

I think if the public insists, YES they will have to listen.

If nothing else, these people who want to regurgitate what the partial information they have read in the newspaper, will get a bit of an education about what really goes on...

I have to say, I have never been to a meeting and, since my kids are out of school, I'm not interested; however, I am interested on how they can afford to build these huge "administrative" buildings with the brass and best furniture, yet can't seem to fund the schools. Compare their buildings and salaries to the County Government salaries and the County Government buildings and you will see what I am talking about. The $ is not going to the kids in the percentage it should be. It is going to administration and fancy buildings for administration. JMHO.

[Oz (Premo)]

Originally Posted by BS Gal

I have to say, I have never been to a meeting and, since my kids are out of school, I'm not interested; however, I am interested on how they can afford to build these huge "administrative" buildings with the brass and best furniture, yet can't seem to fund the schools. Compare their buildings and salaries to the County Government salaries and the County Government buildings and you will see what I am talking about. The $ is not going to the kids in the percentage it should be. It is going to administration and fancy buildings for administration. JMHO.

I have been to a meeting there... Several -- and I agree with you completely. Really though - you should see some of the furniture in that building! That'll really put your county issued metal desk to shame... Different thread though.

[BS Gal (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Oz

I have been to a meeting there... Several -- and I agree with you completely. Really though - you should see some of the furniture in that building! That'll really put your county issued metal desk to shame... Different thread though.

Damn. Got off the subject again, but had to chime in cause I can't keep my mouth shut. I don't care about the school sites as long as it is NIMBY........

[kom526]

The property at Myrtle Point should not even be considered as a school site. The county would not be able to get the necessary variances needed to satisfy critical areas requirements if they followed the letter of the law.

[5857dave]

Sorry, wrong answer!!!!!!!!!! Perhaps you are not familiar with the Myrtle Point property and its history of development/non-development. In the 1980s and early 90s the property was zoned to allow houses to be built (it was in the critical area). It has some of the infrastructure in place already (natural gas pipleine, water tower). So what has changed? The property hasn't moved. It is still in the critical area. How hard do you think it would be for the county to rezone this as Conditional Use? Perhaps you have not been long to St. Mary's County, perhaps you have. The point is, grease enough palms here and you can do about anything your little heart desires, including rezoning property. Think it doesn't happen, then dream on.

Myrtle Point is an excellent site for a school. Traffice problems on Rte.4? No doubt. No matter where you build the school, it is going to exacerbate any traffic problems already there. (Imagine a school on the Clarkes Run property in Leonardtown). The point is, Myrtle Point is not, and I repeat, NOT being used like the majority of citizens and taxpayers thought it would be. I can't think of anyone that likes paying for something and not getting the intended benefit.

Maybe someone else could try to tell me why Myrtle Point is not a viable site for a school. So far, nobody has convinced me otherwise.

[Oz (Premo)]

Originally Posted by 5857dave

Maybe someone else could try to tell me why Myrtle Point is not a viable site for a school. So far, nobody has convinced me otherwise.

Probably would have to do with the funding mechanism used to purchase the property. But it's really a moot point since that site isn't being considered for a school site. I don't think it's a bad idea, but if you folks really want to make a difference, you probably should focus more on reality...

Reality means bringing the school system "requirements" into check with reality. It means adjusting the zoning laws to be friendlier to school sites.

When you go way out in left field with greased palms, and all that crap, you ruin any credibility your argument may have had. These issues require thoughtful consideration, followed by finesse to move through the system. Not statements ripped from St. Mary's Today headlines...

[Stirituprebel]

Originally Posted by Oz

I have been to a meeting there... Several -- and I agree with you completely. Really though - you should see some of the furniture in that building! That'll really put your county issued metal desk to shame... Different thread though.

That building was funded by the BOE's operating budget. The county commissioners did not support the project and would not fund a capital project for its construction. The BOE's took out a low interest loan(about 4%) to fund the project. Justification for this is that the rental costs of their satellite offices per year equalled the construction costs over the life of the note. Towards the end, the BOE ran out of money and funded some of their equipment purchases from end of the year surplus money. This equipment was purchased prior to July 1, and was stored onsite in large trailers until November when the building opened up. All this sounds pretty good, the only problem I see is the $60,000 they spent prior to July 1 should have been spent on student textbooks, which was the issue at the time and not furniture. Since they had no great influx of new employees to the building at the time other than relocated ones they could have used the desks from their old offices. Most of the furniture in the Superintendents office was hand made by the cabinet makers in the maintenance shop.