Here's the "thank you" e-mail from the attorney for the private school that got a MCPS high school building for free in 2010. Nothing like happy constituents!
The private attorney represented a private school that succeeded in buying the MCPS Peary High School building and 19.5 acres of land for only the price of the land. The building was thrown in for free!
(Too bad about the overcrowded MCPS schools. If only students could vote.)
The e-mail below is from the attorney for the private school, and is sent to Diane Schwartz Jones, County Executive Ike Leggett's staff person handling this transaction.
In this e-mail the private school attorney thanks Ms. Jones for her help and support and for the terrific job she did "fending off" County Councilmember Marc Elrich!
That's what we pay county employees to do, right?
For more on the loss of the 19.5 acre Peary High School site in 2010 click here.
For Montgomery County Councilmember Marc Elrich's confusion over the Peary High School sale go to minute 1:17 in this video. The Board of Education voted against the sale of the Peary High School site in 2010, yet in this video Councilmember Elrich insists that he was told the Board of Education was not opposed to the sale. Why is he confused? Is it because he was "fended off" by County Executive Ike Leggett's staff back in 2010?
Showing posts with label Diane Schwartz Jones. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diane Schwartz Jones. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Monday, January 20, 2014
Council Report Peary HS: sale of a "rare asset"... "not a good business deal for the County"
In 2006, County Executive Doug Duncan tried to push through the sale of the MCPS Peary High School building and land to a private entity. Councilmember Marilyn Praisner obtained an outside evaluation of the proposal from ZHA, Inc. The ZHA, Inc. evaluation is shown below.
Bottom line? The sale of the MCPS Peary High School site was a bad deal. What happened? The sale idea was dropped for a few years until 2010 when County Executive Ike Leggett and a majority of the County Council were able to ram the deal through in record time. Were MCPS buildings overcrowded then? Yes. Did County Executive Ike Leggett and a majority of the County Council care? No.
From the 2006 Evaluation of the proposal to sell a MCPS public high school and land to a private entity:
Bottom line? The sale of the MCPS Peary High School site was a bad deal. What happened? The sale idea was dropped for a few years until 2010 when County Executive Ike Leggett and a majority of the County Council were able to ram the deal through in record time. Were MCPS buildings overcrowded then? Yes. Did County Executive Ike Leggett and a majority of the County Council care? No.
From the 2006 Evaluation of the proposal to sell a MCPS public high school and land to a private entity:
...In a fair and equitable sale, the value of the land would accurately reflect its current market value. If the County, recognizing the scarcity of large available sites for new school construction, would like to be able to re-purchase the property at some later date for use as a public school, then it would only be fair to discount the sale price. However, it would not be reasonable for the County to discount the sale price without adequately protecting its ability to repurchase the premises at some later date. As explained in this memorandum, it appears that the proposed deed offers the Academy a low price and offers little or no protection to the County’s interests. As such, the information available would indicate that this is not a good business deal for the County. A review of the Lease, the Proposed Deed, and the analysis prepared by the Administration (hereafter, Analysis), as well as other supporting materials illustrated the following:
•The Analysis was not an “apples-to-apples” comparison.
•The Analysis was not consistent with the often confusing language of the Lease and the Proposed Deed.
•Given that the County’s interests here are more than just financial and given that the time frames contemplated are fairly lengthy, a private-sector analysis of this proposed transaction would be more qualitative than quantitative in nature.
•Under the Proposed Deed, it may not be possible for the County to repur-chase the school for use as a public school at less than fair market value.
•The Analysis performed by the Administration did not clearly convey to the Council that the proposed transaction was a sale of a rare asset probably well below market value with no guarantee that said asset would be available for repurchase should the County need to re-use it as a public school.
•A sale under the proposed terms does not represent the best deal available to the County...
Monday, January 13, 2014
"we need to completely eviscerate Mr. Z. and his report..." - How Leggett & Council Gave Away a MCPS High School in 2010.
Right now, MCPS is running to the State of Maryland legislature and lobbying for school construction money, claiming that they are out of public school classroom space.
But, just a few years ago, in the fall of 2010 to be exact, County Executive Ike Leggett and some on the Montgomery County Council (by a vote of 8 to 1) worked very, very hard to give away an entire MCPS high school to a private entity!
The public high school building sat on 19.5 acres of public school land.
The Montgomery County Board of Education objected to the sale of the high school and site, but the County Executive and a majority of the County Council were unmoved by their position.
How did this happen? Let's take a look back at how the public school students of Montgomery County lost a 19.5 acre high school site and an entire high school building, just three years ago.
The Parents' Coalition has obtained e-mails from County Executive Ike Leggett's office. Here's are two e-mails from November 28, 2010, the day before a County Council joint committee hearing was going to be held on the sale of the Peary High School site. The e-mails are both addressed to Diane Jones of the County Executive's staff.
Who's who in the e-mails shown below:
Montgomery County Council staff:
Jeffrey L. Zyontz, Legislative Attorney
Michael Faden, Senior Legislative Attorney
Their November 29, 2010, report can be read in its entirety at this link.
County Executive Ike Leggett staff:
Diane Jones
Attorney for private entity wishing to purchase Peary High School site:
Lawrence Stern
At the time of this e-mail, Duchy Trachtenberg was finishing her term as a member of the County Council.
But, just a few years ago, in the fall of 2010 to be exact, County Executive Ike Leggett and some on the Montgomery County Council (by a vote of 8 to 1) worked very, very hard to give away an entire MCPS high school to a private entity!
The public high school building sat on 19.5 acres of public school land.
The Montgomery County Board of Education objected to the sale of the high school and site, but the County Executive and a majority of the County Council were unmoved by their position.
How did this happen? Let's take a look back at how the public school students of Montgomery County lost a 19.5 acre high school site and an entire high school building, just three years ago.
The Parents' Coalition has obtained e-mails from County Executive Ike Leggett's office. Here's are two e-mails from November 28, 2010, the day before a County Council joint committee hearing was going to be held on the sale of the Peary High School site. The e-mails are both addressed to Diane Jones of the County Executive's staff.
Who's who in the e-mails shown below:
Montgomery County Council staff:
Jeffrey L. Zyontz, Legislative Attorney
Michael Faden, Senior Legislative Attorney
Their November 29, 2010, report can be read in its entirety at this link.
County Executive Ike Leggett staff:
Diane Jones
Attorney for private entity wishing to purchase Peary High School site:
Lawrence Stern
At the time of this e-mail, Duchy Trachtenberg was finishing her term as a member of the County Council.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Video: There's Always $$ for a Buffet! BOE & Delegation & Council Meeting Today
The Parents' Coalition has video of the end of the meeting, including pictures of the breakfast buffet that was laid out for the attendees. This picture was taken at the end of the meeting.
Here's the video:
BOE Members in attendance at the meeting:
Christopher Barclay
Patricia O'Neill
Shirley Brandman
Phil Kauffman
Rebecca Smondrowski
Mike Durso
County Council Members in attendance at the meeting:
Valerie Ervin
Roger Berliner
Craig Rice
Phil Andrews
Marc Elrich
George Leventhal
Council Staff
Essie McGuire
Valerie Ervin's chief of staff Sonya Healy
MCPS Staff in attendance at the meeting:
Joshua Starr
Larry Bowers
Dana Tofig
James Song
Roland Ikehoa
Laura Steinberg
Montgomery County Delegation in attendance:
Jaime Raskin
Nancy King
Al Carr
Susan Lee
Eric Luedtke
Rich Madaleno
Jeff Waldstreicher
Karen Montgomery
Craig Zucker
Anne Kaiser
Let us know who you recognize in the meeting video and we will add in the names.
Friday, March 11, 2011
"another example of less-than-transparent wheeling and dealing"
To: boe@mcpsmd.org
Cc: "county council" <county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov>, ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 6:03:29 PM
Subject: Nick's Organic Farm
To the members of the Board of Education:
I am writing to express my dismay both with the decision regarding the lease on Nick's Organic Farm in Potomac and with the process by which the decision was made.
I am a professor who teaches (among other things) the history of agriculture and sustainable farming at Georgetown, as well as a former resident of Montgomery County and an avid customer and fan of Nick
Maravel, one of the real gems in the regional sustainable farming community. I brought students to Nick's Buckeystown farm last semester and they were in awe of his deep knowledge and experience of farming.
The decision to use this land, farmed organically for 30 years (as far as I know, unparalleled in the DC area and a major achievement), for sports fields is a short-sighted one that will detract from the community. I have school-aged children who play soccer; I understand the value of and need for sports fields. But there are more and less appropriate places for them when they are needed. I would wager that in its soil fertility, biodiversity, and overall ecological health, this land is now unlike any other single parcel of land within a 50-mile radius of DC. It will be murdered within two years of its conversion to sports fields - three decades of irreplaceable work undone in a moment.
So the Board has just committed what is basically an environmental crime. But in addition, the public comment period was outrageously short. This feels like a rushed process, not one designed to truly
solicit public input and to involve the community in decisions about how its resources are used.
There is, sadly, precedent for this. I used to be a resident of North Woodside and the handling of the old middle school, which was leased to Yeshiva for 99 years at fire-sale prices (in a neighborhood where the
population of children was rapidly growing) was another example of less-than-transparent wheeling and dealing that basically ignored community input and permanently appropriated (for all intents and
purposes) a valuable community resource in the interests of short-term solutions. It's a pity that in the eight or so years since that debacle played out, things haven't changed much in Montgomery County.
Nick's Potomac Farm is an irreplaceable gem for the local community, the sustainable farming community, people who enjoy buying local and humanely raised food, and a national community of farmers struggling to
find sources of certified organic seed. It's a shame that Montgomery County's school board didn't trouble itself to learn more about what remarkable things were taking place on that land before deciding to
terminate the lease with Nick Maravel. And shame on the members who voted to lease a public resource like this to the County for soccer fields without appropriate hearings and public debate.
Sincerely,
Meredith McKittrick
Cc: "county council" <county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov>, ocemail@montgomerycountymd.gov
Sent: Wednesday, March 9, 2011 6:03:29 PM
Subject: Nick's Organic Farm
To the members of the Board of Education:
I am writing to express my dismay both with the decision regarding the lease on Nick's Organic Farm in Potomac and with the process by which the decision was made.
I am a professor who teaches (among other things) the history of agriculture and sustainable farming at Georgetown, as well as a former resident of Montgomery County and an avid customer and fan of Nick
Maravel, one of the real gems in the regional sustainable farming community. I brought students to Nick's Buckeystown farm last semester and they were in awe of his deep knowledge and experience of farming.
The decision to use this land, farmed organically for 30 years (as far as I know, unparalleled in the DC area and a major achievement), for sports fields is a short-sighted one that will detract from the community. I have school-aged children who play soccer; I understand the value of and need for sports fields. But there are more and less appropriate places for them when they are needed. I would wager that in its soil fertility, biodiversity, and overall ecological health, this land is now unlike any other single parcel of land within a 50-mile radius of DC. It will be murdered within two years of its conversion to sports fields - three decades of irreplaceable work undone in a moment.
So the Board has just committed what is basically an environmental crime. But in addition, the public comment period was outrageously short. This feels like a rushed process, not one designed to truly
solicit public input and to involve the community in decisions about how its resources are used.
There is, sadly, precedent for this. I used to be a resident of North Woodside and the handling of the old middle school, which was leased to Yeshiva for 99 years at fire-sale prices (in a neighborhood where the
population of children was rapidly growing) was another example of less-than-transparent wheeling and dealing that basically ignored community input and permanently appropriated (for all intents and
purposes) a valuable community resource in the interests of short-term solutions. It's a pity that in the eight or so years since that debacle played out, things haven't changed much in Montgomery County.
Nick's Potomac Farm is an irreplaceable gem for the local community, the sustainable farming community, people who enjoy buying local and humanely raised food, and a national community of farmers struggling to
find sources of certified organic seed. It's a shame that Montgomery County's school board didn't trouble itself to learn more about what remarkable things were taking place on that land before deciding to
terminate the lease with Nick Maravel. And shame on the members who voted to lease a public resource like this to the County for soccer fields without appropriate hearings and public debate.
Sincerely,
Meredith McKittrick
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Leggett & Floreen: Peary Sale Does Not Result in Revenue to the State
In a December 2, 2010, letter (shown below) from County Executive Ike Leggett and County Council President Nancy Floreen to the Maryland Board of Public Works (O'Malley, Franchot and Kopp), Leggett and Floreen ask for an expedited approval process on the Peary High School sale and state that they believe that the sale will not result in any revenues to the State of Maryland.
We now know that Leggett and Floreen's assertion that the State is not entitled to any proceeds from the Peary High School sale was not correct. Montgomery County will have to share the proceeds of the Peary High School sale with the State of Maryland. The amount of the State's share has not been announced.
Leggett and Floreen Letter Dec 2 2010
We now know that Leggett and Floreen's assertion that the State is not entitled to any proceeds from the Peary High School sale was not correct. Montgomery County will have to share the proceeds of the Peary High School sale with the State of Maryland. The amount of the State's share has not been announced.
Leggett and Floreen Letter Dec 2 2010
Monday, January 10, 2011
County Taxpayers Invested $1,095,387 in the Peary High School building...
then gave the building away for free.
In a Maryland State Department of Education document (see below) obtained by the Parents' Coalition the public learns that Montgomery County invested $1,095,387 in the Peary High School building between the time the property was transfered to the County and the sale to the private entity.
The $1,095,387 was spent by County taxpayers to remove the asbestos in the building at a cost of $795,387 and to put a new roof on the building for $300,000.
Both of these improvements were apparently made when Peary High School was no longer in use as a public school and was under the control of the County government. (Neither of these expenditures appear to have been mentioned by the County Executive or the County Council during the recent discussions over the sale of the Peary High School site to a private entity.)
Yet, when Montgomery County entered into a lease/option to buy agreement with the private entity in 1996 the deal was premised on the assumption that the building had NO VALUE. The only appraisals that were used to sell the Peary High School site were appraisals of the land ONLY. No value was given to the existing school building. When the sale was finalized last month, the county received $0 for the Peary High School building. The sale terms only compensated the County for the transfer of the land.
Who removes the asbestos and puts a new roof on a building that has no value and should be demolished?
Montgomery County taxpayers, here's the question: If you put a new roof on a structure and removed all the asbestos would you then declare the structure to have NO VALUE and give it away for free? That's what your County government just did according to the information from the Maryland Public School Construction Program shown below.
PHSExpendituresProceeds
In a Maryland State Department of Education document (see below) obtained by the Parents' Coalition the public learns that Montgomery County invested $1,095,387 in the Peary High School building between the time the property was transfered to the County and the sale to the private entity.
The $1,095,387 was spent by County taxpayers to remove the asbestos in the building at a cost of $795,387 and to put a new roof on the building for $300,000.
Both of these improvements were apparently made when Peary High School was no longer in use as a public school and was under the control of the County government. (Neither of these expenditures appear to have been mentioned by the County Executive or the County Council during the recent discussions over the sale of the Peary High School site to a private entity.)
Yet, when Montgomery County entered into a lease/option to buy agreement with the private entity in 1996 the deal was premised on the assumption that the building had NO VALUE. The only appraisals that were used to sell the Peary High School site were appraisals of the land ONLY. No value was given to the existing school building. When the sale was finalized last month, the county received $0 for the Peary High School building. The sale terms only compensated the County for the transfer of the land.
Who removes the asbestos and puts a new roof on a building that has no value and should be demolished?
Montgomery County taxpayers, here's the question: If you put a new roof on a structure and removed all the asbestos would you then declare the structure to have NO VALUE and give it away for free? That's what your County government just did according to the information from the Maryland Public School Construction Program shown below.
PHSExpendituresProceeds
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Peary Sale: Did the County Government follow the law? Read the Regulations and See for Yourself
Read the regulations: COMCOR 11B.45.02, Reuse, Leasing, and Sale of Closed Schools, and see for yourself. If you don't think the law was followed, let the Board of Public Works know. Call 410-260-7335. The Board (Nancy Kopp, Treasurer, Martin O'Malley, Governor, and Peter Franchot, Comptroller) will be voting on the sale soon, on December 15th. This secret deal was fast-tracked by insiders in your county and state government, and even the federal government. According to insiders, 'the pressure was unbelievable.'
Reuse, Leasing, And Sale of Closed Schools
Leggett gives away public school site, proposes cuts to County services
In the same week that County Executive Ike Leggett pushed hard (even sending his staff attorney to Baltimore for the Nancy Grasmick committee review) to see a 19.5 acre public school site sold to a private organization for an estimated net proceeds of $800,000 to the County, he is also proposing cuts to vital county services including ambulance services.
Note to County Executive Ike Leggett: If you needed an extra $14 million from the ambulance fees legislation that didn't pass why didn't you sell the 19.5 acre Peary High School site for market rate?
Also note: No mention of cutting up the County credit cards floating around...or cutting day trips to Baltimore for his staff.
FY11 Savings Plan
Note to County Executive Ike Leggett: If you needed an extra $14 million from the ambulance fees legislation that didn't pass why didn't you sell the 19.5 acre Peary High School site for market rate?
Also note: No mention of cutting up the County credit cards floating around...or cutting day trips to Baltimore for his staff.
FY11 Savings Plan
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