Furlong Field House A "Fait Accompli"

It's probably mainly because of the angle, but the photo makes the fieldhouse look like a hotel I once stayed at in the Shetlands. Right down to the "sun porch," the roofline and the half=timbering. So that's a very Jacobean-looking fieldhouse indeed.

And who pays for the numerous change orders from the contractors and the facility maintenance? Taxpayers....

The building on the right looks like a horse stable.

Well Nellie, perhaps that's where they'll keep the horses for the polo team.

But they still need a building for the town space shuttle.

I want to start singing, "The hills are alive, with the sound of taxes...."

Let's hope that the design and construction teams are going lo learn some lessons from the Woodman Field house expansion project for their next project (Washington Street school):

1. As I. Newton observed long time ago, an apple falls down from a tree. Therefore, storm water catch basins are not going to work if water needs to flow uphill to get to them.

2. A ruler is the best engineer's friend (with a calculator). It pays to use that friend when designing and building, including roofs. A ruler, if used properly, can make straight lines.

3. The Administrative Code of Montclair includes time restrictions on when construction can take place. Let's hope that neighbours on the next project will not be regularly awaken at wee morning hours by construction noise.

4. The Administrative Code of Montclair also includes strict restrictions on idling of construction vehicles. Hence, if you park your back hoe in front of somebody's house and let the motor run for more than 30 mins they will probably complain.

at least with our new council they're moving "full steam ahead" on their tax lowering plans, right?

Cary Africk has promissed on these very pages to deliver some major savings.

(at this point I'd settle for my taxes staying the same for two years).

Right,

I believe I said (but correct me if I'm wrong) that I would propose significant cuts.

Although I'm not a member of the Board of School Estimate, I am proposing that the ENTIRE council be more involved in reviewing the school budget and setting HIGH GOALS for spending reductions..

When 60% of your taxes come from schools, that's where the greatest leverage is. But it's also the schools that are doing the very essential job of educating our children. How much is enough, vs. how much is too much.

The Superintendent has been very proactive this year, and has gone on the record as wanting to address the budget issues critically.

It's going to be a big issue, and the solution is not going to be trim $3K here and $4K there.

i am getting way excited about the shuttle. it'll be good for the economy, good for the future and good for the kids and their nannies. i do believe that the orange cans in this photo are surrounding the shuttle storage area. can you believe it??!! well, ka-ching, it could be true.

"more involved in reviewing the school budget"

Doesn't the council vote on the budget annually? "More involved" ? Isn't the council providing oversight on 60% of township expenses?

"It's going to be a big issue, and the solution is not going to be trim $3K here and $4K there."

True, probably 4.7 million here and 400,000 there, more like, huh?

A couple of points:

The new multi-purpose room (originally billed as a "skybox") is a total waste of money and truly hideous to look at. Unless the BOE plans to rent it out for bar mitzvahs, I can't imagine this thing getting much use. If it takes 15 minutes to walk from the high school to Woodman (and 15 minutes back), any classes scheduled for the space will be very short. And what's with the big swale in the roof? It looks warped. Must be some avant garde design notionm that I'm unfamiliar with.

Hopefully all the people who attend the ribbon cutting will come back early Sunday morning, say about 8 am. That's when the field is used for pee wee football games played mostly by teams from outside Montclair. So, taxpayers, you're paying for kids from other towns to use our facilities while Woodman Field (like other BOE athletic facilities) remains locked and off limits to residents. Then there's the noise and parking problems these visiting groups cause. But that's another story...

Jerzee Giant

I'll bet those groups pay to use the field.

Cary,

along those lines. how would you feel about a transparency ordinance in montclair. In this day and age, shouldn't citizens be able to get a pdf of the BOE budget and township budget online?

"The Superintendent has been very proactive this year, and has gone on the record as wanting to address the budget issues critically."

What has "proactively" been cut? Anything? Has the budget stayed the decreased? Or even stayed the same?

Or does "proactive" mean an increase 4.3 % over inflation instead of 4.4% over inflation?

If you want people to "do more with less" the only tried and true method to achieve that is give them less.

"has the budget decreased?"

Righty...

If I were a betting person, I'd bet the out-of-town pee wee or Pop Warner teams don't pay a dime to use the field. But its hard to know for sure given the total absence of transparency at the BOE.

The BOE has refused repeated requests from neighbors and Counselor Cary Affrick to provide a schedule of all activities taking place at the various fields at Woodman.

If they can't or won't provide that sort of basic information, why would they give us a rundown of Woodman Field expenditures and revenues?

Just curious...Do you agree that residents (taxpayers) should be barred from using the facilities like, say, the running track at Woodman Field?

On top of our tax dollars, any resident who uses the ice rink has to pay a fee...the same fee a person from Clifton or Glenridge pays. There is no discount for residents. The same holds true for those purchasing daily passes to the township pools. They're open to anyone and Montclair residents don't get a break.

Hey, its only money.

Righty...

If I were a betting person, I'd bet the out-of-town pee wee or Pop Warner teams don't pay a dime to use the field. But its hard to know for sure given the total absence of transparency at the BOE.

The BOE has refused repeated requests from neighbors and Counselor Cary Affrick to provide a schedule of all activities taking place at the various fields at Woodman.

If they can't or won't provide that sort of basic information, why would they give us a rundown of Woodman Field expenditures and revenues?

Just curious...Do you agree that residents (taxpayers) should be barred from using the facilities like, say, the running track at Woodman Field?

On top of our tax dollars, any resident who uses the ice rink has to pay a fee...the same fee a person from Clifton or Glenridge pays. There is no discount for residents. The same holds true for those purchasing daily passes to the township pools. They're open to anyone and Montclair residents don't get a break.

Hey, its only money.

Righty...

If I were a betting person, I'd bet the out-of-town pee wee or Pop Warner teams don't pay a dime to use the field. But its hard to know for sure given the total absence of transparency at the BOE.

The BOE has refused repeated requests from neighbors and Counselor Cary Affrick to provide a schedule of all activities taking place at the various fields at Woodman.

If they can't or won't provide that sort of basic information, why would they give us a rundown of Woodman Field expenditures and revenues?

Just curious...Do you agree that residents (taxpayers) should be barred from using the facilities like, say, the running track at Woodman Field?

On top of our tax dollars, any resident who uses the ice rink has to pay a fee...the same fee a person from Clifton or Glenridge pays. There is no discount for residents. The same holds true for those purchasing daily passes to the township pools. They're open to anyone and Montclair residents don't get a break.

Hey, its only money.

As the sister of someone involved in helping to raise funds for this project, I'd just like to point out that the new field house (aesthetics aside) is really a very good example of the community voting with its wallet for a project they thought was important. If you ever had the misfortune to need to use the facilities of the prior building, you would know what an improvement anything late-20th century will be. And visiting teams who were forced to use the icy, rusty, and otherwise quite Dickensian locker rooms of the past will at very least come away with an improved sense of our town's hospitality. I'm all for low taxes, but this is not really a very good example to target.

I don't think residents should be prohibited from using the facilities Jerzee.

giant=they'll be having resident pay MORE for usage once they realize we're all enjoying these facilities at the same rate!

"As the sister of someone involved in helping to raise funds for this project, I'd just like to point out that the new field house (aesthetics aside) is really a very good example of the community voting with its wallet"

Funny, I never voted either with my wallet, ballot or in spirit. If I did, I would have voted yes for new bathrooms, yes for new locker rooms and NO, NO, NO for the two story gym, multimedia room and lavish offices for the coaches. But thats just me-the guy that doesnt want to tithe the extra 50% I am paying in taxes since I moved here in 2003.

I think a more accurate version of events is "Some residents voted with my wallet."

Git2,
All the necessary improvements could have been done with a fraction of the budget (with nothing coming from taxpayers). The expansion is a PERFECT example how something excessive was built because of large private donations.
In times of budget problems it makes no sense.

jimmy,

looks like 3.75 million of the 4.7 million was donated. So wouldn't "yes" to locker rooms and new bathrooms likely run about a million?

"(with nothing coming from taxpayers)"

How's that?

The donations were over $3M. So if you build something say for $1M they would cover it and you would have money left for maintenance and other needed improvements (may be of other school fields).

Git2,

I don't think anyone questions your point about updating the space.

We question the cost: Does it take millions to create a space to show our hospitality?

And to work out?

If this could have been done for a more reasonable price, we might not find as much anger.

But this cost, coupled with the Most Expensive Elementary School in the State is disturbing.

"So, taxpayers, you're paying for kids from other towns to use our facilities while Woodman Field"

I guess the BOE wanted to get into the field rental business.
Where on the school budget are these rental profits recorded? Oh thats right, no one gets a chance to look at the detailed budget, just the topline.

oh, jaromer. You're incredibly naive. That's not how it works. When rich people donate money in memory of someone they don't typically want a cinderblock locker room, or water tower, or drain pipe or roof tiles on the local school. They want something nice and showy. Something the users will really appreciate. That's just the way it is.

Now if a new locker room were truly needed and it would run about a million (I dont know if it would or not) and we spent a million and got a 4.7 million dollar facility out of the deal then it's win-win if you ask me.

Now, that being said, I have no idea if a million dollar locker room was, in fact, needed. If, for example, a $300,000 retrofit would have done the trick, then we've lost out.

I'd be interested to know if the field improvements are included in the 4.7million figure or were they extra.

And, what the final cost of the whole thing was. We should be able to get a pdf breakdown on the BOE website if they were interested in community relations and transparency.

"I guess the BOE wanted to get into the field rental business. "

That's a bit unfair (but expectable, I guess).

If the field is "needed" for the students AND you can raise some revenue by renting it out when not in use, it's a good thing to do.

"looks like 3.75 million of the 4.7 million was donated."

Right, then $3.75 is the budget. Once they add the new building for the lockerrooms and the new bathrooms, let the rest cover the millions spent on the turf and baseball field move. Hell, maybe even reroof the shack in the back that still has a tarp on it.

ROC,

Yes, I am naive. But, taxpayers paid about $1M of the renovations, taxpayers paid for all the change orders, and taxpayers will be paying forever for extra staff, maintenance and utility bills.

I cannot tell you with 100% certainty that the fields are not used by other towns, but I will say that the football games on Sunday's are Montclair little league football.

As for the new fieldhouse, I am sure there is plenty of information that we do not have that would explain the extent of the project, the funny roof, etc. However, when a rare opportunity presents itself and you are handed millions of dollars from a wealthy alumni, you must take advantage of that opportunity and build something that will benefit all of Montclair athletics for the next 30yrs+. If you have ever been in that fieldhouse, you would know that it was a disaster, probably unsafe and not a place students would want to spend time in. It was essentially only for football as there was no room for anything else. Now we have a beautiful facility, that all sports teams and physical education classes can enjoy. It will provide a venue where children can come and workout and better themselves physically instead of sitting on the couch playing video games or standing on street corners and apparently jumping each other for their IPods. The obesity rate of kids is staggering and its because they are not active. So we spend $1 million to get a $5 million facility that will last for at least 30yrs and will be a great place for Montclair athletics to train and thrive.

As for the neighbors complaining about the activity at the the fields...you bought a house across the street from a towns of 40,000's largest sports complex. If you wanted a nice tranquil environment, there are many dead end roads that you could have bought on.

Right,

You are correct. I am thinking of large cuts. Finding really different ways of doing things with substantially large cuts. As you say, in the hundreds of thousands, if not more.

One suggestion I've been floating is across the board cuts of 10%. Schools, library, parking authority, township. I don't know if it can be done, but it's something to reach for.

I do believe PDFs of the town and the schools budget are available.

And I do believe that use of Woodman is NOT free to outside groups, that they all pay.

And, by the way Prof, is our Elementary School really the most expensive in the state? I didn't know that!

If you want to discuss the money we spend on high school athletics, I'm all for it. Wasn't at all connected to the sports scene as a high schooler myself, and managed to have a pretty excellent experience. However, Montclair seems to be fairly deeply wed to its identity as a sports town, and if that's the case, and whether for good reasons or not, there are certain collateral costs. Like fields and facilities, for both the home team and the visitor. And, while port-o-sans are an option, generally rest rooms are included. So let's assume that's what the town's dollar went to refurbishing and the generous donations of rich people, alumni and residents went to all those things people here consider hateful, excessive, laughable or otherwise unworthy of public expenditure. Feel better?

There's nothing more in the article, after the jump!

" taxpayers paid for all the change orders, and taxpayers will be paying forever for extra staff, maintenance and utility bills."

Do you know we paid for the change orders? How much? "extra staff" what extra staff?

If someone gave me a free, modern, energy efficient , tax free $3.7 million dollar "house" and I had to pay the electric bills, I'd take the deal.

"I do believe PDFs of the town and the schools budget are available."

I'd be happy to be proved wrong. But I've looked and the most I could ever find was summaries not the actual meat and potatoes line by line budget.

A few years ago I found a township budget which was somewhat detailed but not all the gory details.

Please prove me wrong someone. Post a link.

Right,

Knock yourself out:

http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/WebPage.aspx?Id=214

And if you want me to dig up the town's budget, I'll do that too.

But I'm not 100% sure the town's budget is totally on-line. It's a huge sucker and I'm sure I could get you a copy.

Better yet, if you are a Montclair resident we're forming a budget committee, and you can volunteer! That way you could see it first hand!

By the way,the exact number for the change orders, through change order #12, is $164,000.

Last time I got my tax bill, I decided to look at the school budget, just out of curiousity. I was a little surprised at how many "personal aides" were listed in the budget. Does anyone know what these people do, and why we have so many of them? Bradford alone has 25 and Nishuane 26. Is this part of the "special education" budget, which at 26 million dollars, was a lot higher than I expected?

Thanks.

The last time I looked last year all that was available was this powerpoint(ish) thing:

http://www.montclair.k12.nj.us/WebPageFiles/572/budget_07-08.pdf

Glad that now, this year, it's in more detail.

As for the township budget. When last I looked a few months ago, I could not find it. I'll look again.

Right,

The money for the field house is for the field house, only.

There was a lot of money spent for other construction activities, and for the remediation of the entire area, i.e. field house plus fields. I'd say remediation was at least $500,000.

I don't know about all the expenditures, but I can confirm the "move home plate 17 feet" $850,000 expense. Money for other work would have been substantial.

That being said, I do think we are fortunate to have had the donation, and I am very appreciative of the new field house. It's a BIG plus for town sports.

And I do support sports in the town, and in the high school and in schools in general.

Let's face it, the entire country puts a very high value of sports. Look at the colleges. Hundreds of millions. It's what the public wants. And consider all the high school athletes that are able to afford colleges based on sports.

At the same time that I support the million dollar sports budgets, I'd also invite folks to things like the Fed Challenge, or Mock Trial, two non sports activities that probably cost NOTHING and in which our High School kids excel.

Cary Africk

"There was a lot of money spent for other construction activities, and for the remediation of the entire area, i.e. field house plus fields. I'd say remediation was at least $500,000."

So Cary, would it be more accurate to say the final taxpayer budget came in at $1,640,000? (the million for the field house, remediation and change orders)

Jimmy,

I think there was also some money in the capital budget for equipment ($100,000, more?).

And I have no idea of the impact on the operating budget, i.e. would additional staff be hired? maintenance? utilities, etc.

So, as they say "there's no such thing as a free lunch."

Cary

Cary,

Why don't Montclair residents get to use the high school athletic fields when they are not being used for official games? When I visit my hometown I often run on the high school track. It is not locked.

Why do Montclair residents have to pay twice to use the ice rink and pools...once with our taxes and again with the daily entrance fee? At the very least, don't you think residents deserve a break on the daily fees? Why should residents of other towns get to use our facilities and pay the same as Montclair taxpayers pay? Doesn't seem right.

"So let's assume that's what the town's dollar went to refurbishing and the generous donations of rich people, alumni and residents went to all those things people here consider hateful, excessive, laughable or otherwise unworthy of public expenditure. Feel better?"

No I dont feel better. I would have felt better if the total project came in to match the donated amount. Once again, the town (me included) had to cough up funds without representation. The BOE either buried these funds in the yearly budget or bonded it in the capital budget (so we'll be paying 4% on those $ over the next 5 years).

Ill say it again. The donation was generous. Why spend so far over that? Keep your hands out of my wallet!

jimmy.

The BOE cannot spend what they want the township council has to approve it.

The BOE cannot spend what they want the township council has to approve it.

I think youre wrong. The BOSE votes on the overall budget. The BOE can spend what they want in their capital budget, which gets bonded. Idont think they need to go back to the BOSE to tap this budget.

"extra staff" what extra staff?

According to a BOE meeting I attended, the plan is to hire 2 trainers for the gym. They would then get salaries, benefits and pensions for the rest of their careers, as BOE employees. This has not been accounted for yet.

Jimmy,

The field house will also need people to clean it, people to maintain it, people to mow the lawns, etc.

The school budget is prepared and approved by the Board of Education who then sends it to the Board of School Estimate (BOSE). The BOSE, which has three Council members including the Mayor, then has to approve it. The governing body can then change it/cut it, "theoretically," but I don't think that has ever happened. And it it did happen I believe the Board of Education could then appeal it. Bottom line? The BOSE approves it and that's what you get!

Last year, Mayor Ed was very aggressive with the BOE and changes were made.

The Capital Budget also must be approved, but once the dollar amount is approved, they can spend away. The governing body, i.e. the Council, does have to approve their debt issues, though.

The next few months are going to be a challenge, issuing the debt. There is significant debt, either new or refinance, other than the new school.

I've called a meeting of the Capital Finance Committee for the purposes of reviewing this.

The Town usually issues "Anticipation Notes," short term borrowing, before issuing the longer term bonds. Short term is just that, usually 3 years at which time it has to be rolled over (not really wanted) or replaced by long term financing (e.g. 30 year bonds).

The bond market is VERY TIGHT. Towns have gone out for bid on bonds in the last month and have received NO offers.

And while interest rates were low when we last financed, in August, market rates today are bound to be greater if the money is available.

Any of you folks in the market to buy Montclair bonds?

Jerzee,

How does this radical statement hit you:

" The district facilities belong to the community, which paid for them for the primary purpose of offering a full educational program for its children. Prudent use and management of school facilities outside of the regular operating schedules providing that such use does not interfere with the orderly conduct of a thorough and efficient system of education allows the community to benefit more broadly from the use of its own property."

Guess where it comes from? Montclair's Policy Manual from the BOE.

"Why do Montclair residents have to pay twice to use the ice rink and pools...once with our taxes and again with the daily entrance fee?"

For the same reason we pay a water bill AND a sewer bill. Which is why I try to hold it in each morning until I get to work. In these tough times, you gotta save every nickel.

Cary,
That is a very broad language.

I would assume that they do not want residents using the fields because of liability reasons. If that is the case,
they should not allow any non-school activities unless everybody using the field indemnifies BOE, pays for security, pays for cleanup, pays for traffic management when large crowds are coming, and pays for the extra wear and tear.

For a while after they put in the new turf field across from Watchung School (purportedly designed for high school lacrosse or field hockey, forget which, but it was actually too small for regulation play for the sport it was built for!)they locked the surrounding fence to "protect" the turf. Neighbors were incensed. Is access allowed now?

Jaromer,

Yes, it is broad language. But the point I was trying to make is that the BOE facilities are recognized, in that statement, as "belonging to the people." This is as it should be. Sort of like the Constitution.

Now, maybe we need some "courts" to enforce the broad language.

In any event, although this does come from the Montclair Board of Education's own web site and is presented as it's own policies, from the format it looks like it's "canned" policies provided for towns to use. Just shows that a "model" set of rules would recognize community facilities.

And, yes, the BOE does require insurance for any organized group using its facilities, and yes, I truly believe that the reason the fields are locked is that they are concerned over damage. In the case of Woodman remember that the grass field is really not grass, but plastic. Thus, throwing a cigarette on the ground would melt it. Same reason fireworks are no longer allowed on the field.

I wonder how other towns act. Anyone know?

"I wonder how other towns act. Anyone know?"

Summit allows access to all to Tatlock field, the main stadium complex.

"Any of you folks in the market to buy Montclair bonds?"

I have a few bucks laying around that havent yet been vacuumed up by machine Montclair. Why not play the role of drug dealer and feed the itch? Count me in!

Montclair bonds.

How much you paying Cary? How about a clause that if any default occurs we can take the principal off on our property tax.

I don't know if the Watchung field is still locked. I do know that soon after the turf was installed, interested parties in the neighborhood cut the lock with bolt cutters allowing taxpaying citizens to use that facility. That's my kind of community activist.

what is this shuttle I heard about?

This building is going to be useful, but it has gone a bit overboard.

The fact that the fields are locked is really terrible. it is basically the school or BOE or whoever stealing the public's parkland

It's the BOE that's the watchdog of that field--Watchung School itself couldn't use what had been its playground because it was also a field for high school athletics and once it was turfed it was off limits (never mind that they didn't measure correctly, so no county/sectional/state games could be played there).