At the recent work session of the City Council, its members approved the scheme fabricated by Mayor Ireton and Wicomico County officials to do a “stopgap” and poorly designed upgrade of the intersection of Onley Road and South Division Street to accommodate (in theory) the additional traffic, including school buses, that the new Bennett high school will generate after it opens later this year. Although that will occur much earlier than had been anticipated, both the BOE and the Daily Times are lambasting the City because it has not upgraded the intersection.
But the BOE is unwilling to put much money in the City’s hands to pay for the work. Of the estimated cost of the stopgap solution, only a pittance would be paid by the BOE, which of course makes its usual plea of poverty, But, is that really the case?
Street talk is that the BOE is now scrambling to spend a remaining surplus in excess of $500,000 in the construction funding for the new school. Proposed uses of that cash kitty include additional landscaping for almost $100,000 and other “goodies” that were not part of the initial plans. It is interesting that the Daily Times does not even mention this in its editorial.
Apparently neither the mayor nor the City Council were aware of the situation discussed above during their discussion with members and officials of the BOE. Simply stated, the Board has more than enough available funds to pay the entire cost of the stopgap solution ($450,000) or a significant part of the more costly but necessary and appropriate upgrade of the intersection.
Another little known fact is that the BOE has decided to modify the site so that traffic, including school buses can flow throughout the entire site from the entrance on College Avenue. The internal roadway is not simply a “detour” as described in the Daily Times.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
28 comments:
Another "Slick Trick by Rick" ???
Just like his proposed county budget!
Any private developer would be paying for the needed street improvements. Why not have the BOE pay for it which is using both local and state dollars. Having the city pay is forcing all the costs to be funded by money.
It almost sounds like the BOE is using the construction money for a slush fund and not participating in the road upgrade that is needed because of them.
my opinion has always been that 'administrators' should not be running the BOE, but the teachers and volunteered parents should be. if they choose to hire an 'advisor' instead of the upper fat there now, i believe things would be much more efficient.
We need to do something about this Government mentality that says: "It's been approved, we must find a way to spend it, necessary and appropriate or not."
The only thing some people respect is fear.
City of Salisbury is funded by taxpayers.
BOE is funded by taxpayers.
Who will be paying for the upgrades? - Taxpayers
I get home and I find that I have a political pamplet in my rear door for Dave Burton for Delmar school board. Mind you my house is 50/60 yards off the road and it was left in the back of the house. He might be a real good man but a word for the wise, (dont ever come on my property when no-one is here or if you have not been invited, ever.) In todays world going onto peoples private property when they arent home is just plain stupid.
I have now learned they have $700,000.00 left over, not $500,000.00. What say you now Doc?
Phil Thompson's the man to vote for for the Delmar school Board. Vote him in and the political game will be OVER!
This really is no surprise -- Ireton makes more as a Board employee that he does as mayor and got special part-time teaching status when he was elected.
The Board will probably hire one or two more supervisors, a coordinator and a project director to join the dozens of others doing part time work for full time pay. Positions were added to the central office when times were better economically, and all of those positions are being kept with more added. All proposed cuts were to programs for kids, not to the central office.
Joe:
$700K is "in excess of $500,000."
All the pissing and moaning the councils do about quality of life and noise ordinances, not once have they considered the quality of life of the residents of Onley Road. I'd like to take 26 buses down their roads twice a day for 180 days and see how they like all the traffic, noise and disruption to the lives of those living there. Let's not forget the late night buses for sporting events at Bennett. Buses haul those kids in and out also.
Brian Foret should be forced to live there after the comment he made about it not being a single family residential area it's now college rentals. Just because they are renters and students does not mean Brian Foret, the BOE, the City or County councils can forego their right to a quality of life. Has anyone even considered pollution created by the density of the exhaust fumes in that area to be created by 26 buses twice a day? This is a tree lined street, the exhaust will not dissipate as quickly as it does in an open space. Where are the tree huggers now?
They said they are going to add another 1 1/2 inch overlay on top of the road. BFD!!! All that will do is smooth out the ride. It will not strengthen the roadbed. The road already has 1 1/2 inch of what is known as top base with little to no base layer of asphalt. How is the roadbed constructed? How many inches of CR-6 is under the existing asphalt? This road will not tolerate the traffic of all these buses on a daily basis. Who will pay to maintain this street? Don't count on the city with their track record of street maintenance and budget.
Then there is the displacement of a property owner. How do you even know he wants to relocate?
The county has already cut a road into the school through the existing land they already own. Leave well enough alone. That student parking lot that everyone is worried about can be expanded with all the land that is over there for far less money than restructuring an intersection.
It's the same crap all the time. SPEND, SPEND, SPEND and it's OK, as long as it's NOT IN MY BACKYARD.
This entire scam is despicable.
Administrators at the BOE were once teachers. The problem is that "once were" teachers run educational systems. They have no background in business or economics. Some can't even balance a checkbook. Many were promoted because they were incompetent where they were or because they did a "sales job' in an interview. Or because they knew someone. I am speaking from the inside.
Detour, there's a muddy road ahead.
Detour, what say you Doctor Fred?
I just got word it is actually 1.9 mill, according to street talk.
Anonymous 1:28: Phil Thompson and the Delmar School Board elections are off-topic as far as this post is concerned. Having said that, I would not vote for him if he paid me, and would not accept it if he tried. Ask him why, when he lived on Mar-Lynn Drive in Delmar MD, were his vehicles tagged in DE and not MD? Ask him why he ran and operated his business out of the house when the operation of any business out of any home in that neighborhood is expressly prohibited? Ask him why he built an addition onto the home (knowing he was going to be moving) without first getting approval from the H.O.A. as required? Ask him why the addition was completely out of character with the rest of the house in terms of scale and style? Ask him why he at times has allowed his current wife to treat his own daughter in a manner far worse than or inferior to her own children? Ask him, if elected, whether he will be filling the position himself or if she will be behind the scenes pulling the strings? I have had dealings with them, one situation in particular that I THOUGHT he and I had handled respectfully and cordially until a little later when she got into it to the point that the authorities had to be called to get her to leave my property.
Freedom of information act, please someone ask how many supervisors, directors, coordinators, specialist and Professional development coaches etc were employed by the BOE in 2000 and how many are there in 2010. It would blow your mind at how many non classroom teachers and specialist there are in Wicomico County. They got rid of 7 reading specialisy/coaches positions and have 2 administrators supervising the remaining number... lots of waste on Long avenue.
Look folks, the intersection has needed to be updgraded since the most recent massive college apartments were added at the end of olney. Before then, the intersection ran at capacity.
Now, it runs over capacity.
Remember growth pays for growth? Did it?
Wrong 12:32
There is a lot of state money going into the new school and apparently money left over. The new road construction will be funded 100% with local money.
What happened to "growth pays for growth"! I guess not when the government is involved.
While asking find out the # of students in 2000 and # in 2010.
Ask how many positions are mandated because of requirements by State BOE, or because of No child left behind Federal requirements. Things are not always as they appear.
They have construction money because they finished the problem over a year AHEAD of schedule.
Ask how much the general contractor was paid in bonus money for completing the project a year early. That will blow your mind.
Let the school pay to cut a road in across their property for the Olney road college apartments.
Ken, I beg your pardon.....If you want to blog about something, please make sure you have ALL your facts correct, before posting.
I would be happy to discuss any building permits and inspection approvals in person, oh; and allow me also add registration and tag information of vehicles---we can also discuss. Had no idea you were so interested in us! WOW!
7:15 what we have here is a state institution (SU) and a county institution (BOE) forcing its will upon the city. If this is what SU and the BOE wants, let them pay to build it and let them pay to maintain it. The city can't afford to cater to their demands.
Landscaping? What the hell for, they can't even take care of what they have now at other schools for landscaping!
VoTech has a landscaping program. Let the kids do the work as a project. It won't cost them $100,000 to plant some bushes and spread some mulch. It's not like they will be building Winterthur Gardens.
2:03....apparently you are a teacher making the comments about administrators. If you know so much, and are so inclined, you could easily get your admin cert. and do a better job yourself - as an Asst. Principal, I can tell you that we do the best job we can given the mess we have to deal with, which includes idiots like you...
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