Flashback: Stranger Danger: Cell Towers on School Grounds. But Tomorrow A LARGER Cell Tower Installation will be put on Daly ES Playground!

New members on the Montgomery County Board of Education? But the same old bait and switch is going on with regard to the safety of public school children.

The Daly Elementary School PTA voted NO on a cell tower for the Daly ES playground. But, the Board of Education said take a hike to the PTA and planted a cell tower there anyway.

Tomorrow, the "new" Board of Education will allow LARGE, more powerful cell tower panels to add to the Daly ES cell tower. That allows another set of strangers on this elementary school playground to add to this cell tower. Here is the Montgomery County Tower Committee Agenda for Wednesday, December 7, 2016, where MCPS staff will represent that the Montgomery County Board of Education approves of putting ANOTHER set of cell tower workers on the Daly ES playground.

http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/cable/Resources/Files/Towers/agendas/2016/12-7-16_agenda.pdf

Do Progressive Democrats care about the safety of public school children? The answer to that question is a resounding NO.

Read  Stranger Danger: Cell Towers on School Grounds: Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

SPECIAL REPORT: Top turf company made millions selling faulty fields to taxpayers #mcps #FieldTurf #MCPSLOVESFieldTurf

Have you read this report yet? Have you watched all the videos in the article? Just insert MCPS and Montgomery County Parks into the article for a good read on what has gone on here in Montgomery County, Maryland.

You will never see this type of investigative reporting here in Montgomery County. Thanks to the New Jersey reporters who put together this comprehensive report on how Montgomery County public schools came to have defective artificial turf football fields at Richard Montgomery High School, Walter Johnson High School and Montgomery Blair High School. Those three football fields have now failed and are putting players at risk on a daily basis.

Here in Montgomery County we will have to wait for a catastrophic injury to a child or adult on one of these fields before any of our elected leaders will acknowledge this crisis. But no worries for MCPS, the legislature has protected MCPS will a cap on any damage claims. Does Parks have a cap on their liability for the Blair High School field? SPECIAL REPORT: Top turf company made millions selling faulty fields to taxpayers #mcps #FieldTurf #MCPSLOVESFieldTurf: Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

SPECIAL REPORT: Top turf company made millions selling faulty fields to taxpayers #mcps #FieldTurf #MCPSLOVESFieldTurf

SPECIAL REPORT: Top turf company made millions selling faulty fields to taxpayers
When the hottest selling artificial sports fields in the U.S. began falling apart, executives at FieldTurf chose profits over the good of their biggest customer - the unwitting public.
Read 'The 100-Yard Deception' on NJ.com.

From the investigation:

An NJ Advance Media investigation of FieldTurf and its executives reveals:

• They knew. For most of the time they sold the fields, at $300,000 to $500,000 each, executives were aware the turf was deteriorating faster than expected and might not last a decade or more as promised.

• They misled. Despite candid, internal email discussions about their overblown sales pitches, executives never changed their marketing campaign for Duraspine fields.

• They tried to cover up. A lawyer warned that some of those internal emails could be damaging in a lawsuit, and an executive sought to delete them. An IT consultant refused, calling it a “possible crime.”

• They kept quiet. From the time fields began to fail in 2006 until today, executives have never told most customers about Duraspine’s problems or how to identify signs it was prematurely falling apart.

• They stonewalled. Some customers who did report problems said FieldTurf officials slow-footed warranty claims and told them the deterioration was normal, or that their fields needed more maintenance.

 http://fieldturf.nj.com/2/

 http://fieldturf.nj.com/

NJ Investigates what Montgomery County Loves, Getting Ripped off by No Bid Plastic Grass Vendor

COMING SUNDAY: A six-month investigation into the leading maker of artificial sports fields in U.S., #FieldTurf https://t.co/Z9em6ylWMi

— Christopher Baxter (@cbaxter1) December 1, 2016

http://fieldturf.nj.com/

http://fieldturf.nj.com/

The 100-Yard Deception Preview fieldturf.nj.com How the leading maker of artificial turf fields in the U.S., FieldTurf, made millions selling faulty fields to taxpayers.

Munis Declare Cell Tower Moratoria

November 29, 2016 — Moratoria on cell towers in the public right-of-way have been declared in Southern California and Florida as municipalities struggle to cope with applications made by Mobilitie, according to reports in the Fresno Bee and the Palm Beach Post.
The wireless infrastructure provider proposed building 120-foot tall structures in three areas of Fresno County, California, and at seven sites in the cities of Clovis and Fresno, California. In response, officials declared a 45-day moratorium, which could be extended to 10 months as zoning processes are developed.
Mobilitie proposed installing wireless communication facilities at five locations in Boynton Beach, Florida, including two near residential areas.

http://www.aglmediagroup.com/munis-declare-cell-tower-moratoria/

SARASOTA COUNTY GOVERNMENT Planning and Development Services

TO: Sarasota County Commission
THROUGH: Thomas A. Harmer, County Administrator
FROM: Matthew R. Osterhoudt, Interim Director, Planning and Development Services
 Allen Parsons, Planning Division Manager
DATE: November 22, 2016
SUBJECT: Six-Month Moratorium on the Permitting or Construction of Communications Facilities Taller than Thirty-Five Feet in the Right-of-Way

RECOMMENDED MOTION(S) OR ACTION(S): 
(Public hearing) To adopt Ordinance No. 2016-080, establishing a moratorium on new construction or installation of communications tower facilities over 35 feet in the right of way for a period of six months, or until the County Commission rescinds the moratorium Ordinance, whichever is shorter.


BACKGROUND: 
Sarasota County recently received 11 permit applications as part of an alternative method of delivery of communications services known as “small cell” or “distributed antennae systems” (sc/DAS).  The proposed 11 towers range between 75 to 120 feet in height and they are located at various intersection locations in the public right of way throughout the unincorporated area of the County, west of the interstate (I-75). This new type of communications technology in public right of way (or otherwise) has not been previously approved by the County.

County staff’s initial review of the 11 applications has identified numerous safety, structural, legal, procedural, and permitting concerns. The implications of these issues are amplified given the location in the public right of way. Further, all 11 tower requests would require the processing of individual special exception petitions under the County’s Telecommunication Tower and Facilities and Zoning Ordinances as they are greater than 35 feet in height, all of which would be considered individually by the County Commission (Board).

A temporary moratorium on communications facilities over 35 feet in height in the public right of  way will provide the County the opportunity to review existing County ordinances, learn from what other communities have experienced, and ensure there is a regulatory framework that adequately considers and addresses the implications of these facilities.

RELEVANT PRIOR BOARD ACTION:   1. April 7, 1998 – The Board adopted Ordinance No. 98-001, Telecommunications Tower and Facilities Ordinance (5-0 vote).


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2. November 9, 2005 – The Board adopted Ordinance No. 2005-047, updating the Ordinance to reflect current standards (5-0 vote).
3. June 5, 2013 – The Board adopted Ordinance No. 2013-001, establishing tower setback distances from residential property and roadways with scenic highway designations (5-0 vote).
4. April 21, 2015 – The Board adopted Ordinance No. 2015-008, establishing that towers that existed prior to the adoption of the 2050 Overlay may continue to exist provided they are shown on a Master Development Plan (5-0 vote).
5. November 8, 2016 – The Board approved Authorization to Advertise the public hearing for a temporary moratorium on the permitting or construction of Communications Facilities over 35 feet in height in the public right of way (5-0 vote).

OUTREACH:
N/A

PROCUREMENT ACTION:
N/A

ANALYSIS/NEXT STEPS: 
The proposed sc/DAS tower permit applications involve the installation of new cell tower type technology referred to as Hybrid Transport System facilities. There are two basic types of outdoor DAS (oDAS) antenna nodes: 

• One type that attaches to existing structures (e.g. poles); and  • Single-monopole type towers between 75 and 120 feet in height. 

In regards to the 11 tower requests, all of them are the single-monopole type towers.  Specifically, nine of the proposed communication towers are between 75 and 78 feet in height and two proposed towers 120 feet in height. The locations of these proposed towers are at various intersection locations in the public right of way throughout County, west of I-75.  

At this time, there is not a clear understanding of how many of these towers will be proposed throughout the County as part of the communications system and where they will be needed.  When considering the numerous technical issues identified by staff regarding the 11 applications and the unknown scope of impact across the County, it is important for the County to consider interim oversight of the proliferation of these facilities.

Comparable Jurisdictions Staff has contacted several jurisdictions (both municipal and county) within the state to inquire whether they have received such similar permitting requests, and if so, how they have handled such requests. Staff also inquired whether they have regulations and/or procedures in place to handle such requests.  Most of the cities and counties contacted have few regulations or processes/procedures in place to


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handle requests to install this technology within their jurisdictions, whether in public road right of ways or otherwise. 
Several jurisdictions have either had, are considering (or discussing alternatives in-house), or have placed moratoriums in effect on the acceptance of new telecommunication facilities applications for the Hybrid Transport System facilities. For example: • Manatee County placed a moratorium in effect on September 13, 2016; • City of North Port placed a moratorium in effect on July 26, 2016; • Miami Beach had a moratorium in place from October to December, 2014 and they now have regulations in place to process permits for the new hybrid technology; • Charlotte County is considering placing a moratorium; and  • Lee and Collier Counties do not have moratoriums in place.

The Board approved a waiver of the requirement for a Planning Commission public hearing at their November 8, 2016, meeting.

Staff is recommending a six-month moratorium to provide the minimum time period necessary for Planning and Development Services to complete an analysis of any communications facilities in the right-of-way in the unincorporated area of the County, and to make recommendations to the Board regarding an ordinance that regulates them.

FUNDING: 
N/A

STAFF RECOMMENDATION(S): 
Staff recommends the Board approve an ordinance placing a six-month moratorium on new construction or installation of communications tower facilities in the right-of-way, or until the Board rescinds the moratorium Ordinance, whichever is shorter.

ATTACHMENTS: 1. Ordinance No. 2016-080, Temporary Moratorium 2. Ordinance Impact Statement 3. Public Hearing Notice

 

Local governments hide public records, face few consequences

Miranda S. Spivack, The Center for Investigative Reporting 

...During the legal fight, they also began learning about Maryland’s open records law. Used frequently by journalists and business interests, the state’s public records law allowed them to seek government documents — memos, officials’ calendars and other items — that might offer clues to how the deal was done or hints about who had been speaking with whom, when the plans were hatched and why.

But when residents asked for those documents, they hit a wall: Montgomery County government officials said they could not find many emails, letters and calendars related to their search.

This seemed preposterous, so the residents took the only route available to them — they went to court. A skeptical county judge urged the government to look anew for missing documents. Officials soon managed to find most of what the residents had sought.

The details weren’t pretty.

Documents showed that County Executive Isiah Leggett, a Democrat less than a year from his next election, had been pushing behind closed doors for the private soccer club to take over the site and attempting to pressure a reluctant school board, even though in theory he had no power over school system decisions.

The Maryland Open Meetings Compliance Board also found that the school board had violated the state’s open meetings law by discussing the lease deal in closed session....

http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/special-reports/2016/11/16/local-governments-hide-public-records-face-few-consequences/93585336/

NBC-4 uncovers lavish travel spending by Montgomery College president

Presidential Perks: Students, Staff Complain About Spending at Montgomery College

The News 4 I-Team started investigating [taxpayer funded] Montgomery College after receiving multiple letters from staffers throughout the summer complaining about the school’s president, Dr. DeRionne Pollard, and how much she spends on travel and transportation, including an armed driver recently hired by the school to protect her.

Dr. Pollard spent more than $3,400 [of taxpayer and student money] on airfare and upgraded seats to fly both herself and her wife to Honolulu and then Austin, Texas, for back-to-back conferences.

They spent an additional $495 on luggage fees for their five additional bags.

After spending $2,776 for a hotel room at the Moana Surfrider in Honolulu, they spent another $2,753 at the Four Seasons in Austin, racking up $500 on room service, including an $80 breakfast and a $49 dinner on the same night Dr. Pollard submitted a receipt for another $127 dinner at an Austin restaurant.

Both Dr. Pollard and the Board of Trustees declined requests for on-camera interviews. Spokesman Raymond Gilmer initially said he would do an on-camera interview but later explained the president and the board went behind closed doors and decided no one from the college would speak about the spending.

Entire story and AMAZING VIDEO at:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/Presidential-Perks-Students-Staff-Complain-About-Spending-at-Montgomery-College-403466116.html

Despite Failures, San Diego Unified Just Can’t Quit FieldTurf

San Diego Unified had at least six Fieldturf fields fall apart before the warranty was up, and two were replaced with the same defective product. Still, district officials have such confidence in the company, no other turf manufacturer has been allowed to compete for jobs within the district.


This is Part Three in our four-part series. Here’s where to find Part One and Part Two. 
Twenty artificial turf fields that once gleamed in the San Diego sun have quickly fallen apart over the last decade thanks to a defect.
The field failures have created dilemmas for school districts that tried to get replacements from FieldTurf USA under the manufacturer’s eight-year warranty. Often, schools were faced with the option of choosing a free replacement with the same defective material, or paying thousands of dollars more to upgrade to a non-defective product that would hold up as originally promised.
San Diego Unified – the region’s largest FieldTurf buyer – had at least two defective fields replaced with more of the same turf that failed...

Voice of San Diego scoured thousands of San Diego Unified documents and sought an interview with district officials to discuss the district’s FieldTurf history. Officials declined multiple interview requests and instead made defensive, misleading and at times outright dishonest claims by email.
For starters, Reed-Porter said district fields were replaced for free under warranty before they actually failed as a preventative measure.
“The FieldTurf fields in San Diego Unified did not fail. It would be inaccurate for you insinuate or report in your story,” she wrote Sept. 21. “According to FieldTurf at the time, the fields were beginning to show signs of wear, and might not last though (sic) the entire warranty period.”
That’s not quite what district and FieldTurf officials said in emails when $1.5 million worth of FieldTurf Duraspine turf installed in 2010 at Mira Mesa, San Diego and Morse high schools needed replacement after only four years...

 ...The district has had such confidence in FieldTurf over the years, no other manufacturer has been allowed to compete for the turf job. Public officials continue to argue FieldTurf’s superior product and warranty allows them to skip competitive bidding normally required by state law for public works projects.

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/news/despite-failures-san-diego-unified-just-cant-quit-fieldturf/

Revised MCPS Regulation Would Allow Elementary Students To Have Cell Phones in School

From the Department of Unenforceable Rules:

http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Beat/Web-2016/Revised-MCPS-Regulation-Would-Allow-Elementary-Students-To-Have-Cell-Phones-in-School/

The prohibition against private cell networks is to ensure students use the MCPS filtering that prevents students from accessing certain websites. Filtering is not available on the private cell networks. Therefore, students would be required to use the school system’s network for internet access, according to the revised regulation.

Former MCPS Director of School Peformance chauffered around in $55,000 SUV

From NewsChannel 5 in Nashville:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A NewsChannel 5 hidden-camera investigation raises new questions about how Metro's new director of schools spends your money
.
We spotted him using district employees as his personal chauffeurs - even on personal errands. That's despite his insistence that the school system's budget is tight.

"We don't have a dollar to waste," Joseph told the Metro School Board recently.

But we watched as Metro Schools employees chauffeured Dr. Shawn Joseph around town in the brand new $55,000 Tahoe provided by taxpayers.

Watch the entire story here:

http://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/schools-directors-drivers-waiting-and-waiting-and-waiting

Social worker: Montgomery County Public Schools has a sex offender problem

WASHINGTON - A concerned parent said Montgomery County Public Schools has a sex offender problem and she believes school officials are covering it up.
Jennifer Alvaro is a licensed social worker, certified sex offender treatment provider and a mother of a Montgomery County student. She believes the school system is dropping the ball and children are suffering.

 “I think there is a massive problem here and there has been for many, many, many years,” she said.

 http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/219298276-story

FieldTurf USA turned failure into opportunity when dozens of its artificial turf fields quickly fell apart at local public schools.

This is Part Two in a four-part series. Catch up with Part One here.
FieldTurf USA turned failure into opportunity when dozens of its artificial turf fields quickly fell apart at the region’s public schools in recent years.

Though customers paid $450,000 to $800,000 per field for “the best” and “the next generation of engineering excellence,” certain FieldTurf fields frayed, faded and shed after only a few football seasons, years before the eight-year warranty ran out.

The field failures – caused by a defect in the turf grass blades in the company’s popular Duraspine field – raised safety concerns for some schools and spurred districts to seek free warranty replacements from the Canadian turf manufacturer.
FieldTurf’s response came with fewer apologies than “offers” and “opportunities” for schools to upgrade their turf field to the latest and greatest for another $25,000 to $300,000, records show.
Some school districts took that offer to avoid getting more defective turf and to finally get a quality product. Schools like Carlsbad High, Fallbrook High, Valley Center High and Mesa College all paid FieldTurf a second time to replace defective fields that were still under warranty.
No one held the turf company line and wrung more money from local customers than regional FieldTurf salesman Tim Coury.
Coury also employed legally questionable methods to get new fields built, public records obtained by Voice of San Diego show.
The worst example was found in emails produced by Oceanside Unified...

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/education/the-consummate-salesman/

WBAL: Superintendent did not disclose income from 2 side jobs, panel finds

The Baltimore County School Board's Ethics Review Panel has found that Superintendent Dallas Dance failed to file financial statements about two jobs he has had on the side.

http://www.wbaltv.com/article/untitled-content-1479509370/8341190

Superintendent Smith Proposes Busing Blair, Einstein, Kennedy and Northwood Students to Fill Woodward HS in Rockville

Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Jack R. Smith is proposing a roundtable to evaluate how to ease Walter Johnson High School overcrowding by reopening Woodward High School.  As part of this evalutation, Superintendent Smith proposes that students from 4 out of 5 Down County Consortium high schools be bused to the re-opened Woodward High School.


Below is the response from the Down County Consortium PTA representatives to this proposal.

   DCC Testimony in Response to Supplement B MCPS CIP Hearing 11.14.2016 by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

MCPS Wants $1,200 for Injury Documents on Students!

A reporter asked MCPS for the documents related to non-concussion student injuries.

MCPS wants $1,200 to produce this public information.  

Montgomery County Public Schools asks for $1,200 to pull injury records of students/ email correspondence... pic.twitter.com/vLXOFSroY0

— AJ Metcalf (@AJwatchMD) November 18, 2016

Presentation to MD State Legislators on Documented Health Risks to Children who use Computers Daily

   Screen Safety Research by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

Group Seeks Support of Montgomery County Businesses To Advance Early Learning

Group Seeks Support of Montgomery County Businesses To Advance Early Learning: Officials say preparing children to be productive workers as adults starts in the early years

Breaking: More Charges Going Back to 2000 at Cloverly ES, Sexual Abuse of Minor, Child Abuse Molestation Exploitation, 3rd Degree Sexual Offense

Additional charges have been filed against the teacher from Cloverly Elementary School that was previously arrested on sexual abuse charges.  This is the same school that cancelled Halloween.  

   2016 Nov 17 Cloverly Vigna by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

PBS: The Drug-like Effect of Screens on Children's Brains

Screens distract. Screens damage learning. Screens act like a drug in the brain. 

Why are schools bringing screens and cellphones into the classroom like wildfire? 

Special-ed student confined 617 times in 6 months despite state laws

The effectiveness of a law limiting how often school officials physically restrain or isolate students is impossible to judge because nearly half the state’s school districts missed the reporting deadline.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/special-ed-student-confined-617-times-in-6-months-despite-state-laws/