The public deserves a list from the BOE of every DCSS employee who has a take home vehicle. There is a post on the blog stating that 20 school resource officers have take home vehicles, only five live in the county, and two live near the Alabama border. Surely, this has to be misinformation, for no competent administrator would allow a situation like this to exist (?).
So BOE and Interim Superintendent Tyson, let's stop any misinformation. We know how y'all state that this blog is full of misinformation. You should have readily accessible the list of take home vehicles. Release it to the public, along with justification for each person who has a take home vehicle.
P.S. We are still waiting for a list of every property DCSS owns (like the Clarkston Community Center: most taxpayers probably aren't aware that this is a DCSS facility, and the school system does not charge rent for its usage).
There really is no justification for take home vehicles, with a few exceptions, in this budget climate. It's so much more cost effective to reimburse for mileage.
ReplyDeleteI pray the poster who said 20 school police staff have take home cars is incorrect.
Personally, I have no problem with a take home car for the superintendent. That's a standard perk. But there's no justifying any other take home vehicles for DCSS employees. How can we get a list of all DCSS vehicles, and which ones are take home?
ReplyDeleteWait a second. DCSS ahs take home vehicles? What???
ReplyDeleteHas anyone filed Open Record requests for the vehicle info and the property info?
ReplyDeleteThe DeKalb Parent Site has detailed instructions on how to do this.
It seems that this is information they couldn't possibly protect and eventually they would legally have to provide to it to anyone making a request.
A quick google search shows school districts all over the county, getting rid of "standard perks" for school superintendents. Maybe DeKalb should lead the way in the Atlanta area?
ReplyDeleteWhile we are talking about take home cars, does Crawford Lewis get to keep his DCSS vehicle while he is on leave? Is he still buying gas for it with his p-card? While we're at it, does he still get to use his $2500 a month expense account during his leave?
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the list of folks who have take home vehicles, how about a list of all employees who have DCSS provided and paid for Blackberry's? I am pretty sure all principals and most central office staff have them... how much is the cell phone contact in the yearly budget? My guess is that almost everyone who has a DCSS provided blackberry also has a personal cell phone with a data plan and unlimited minutes... do they really need another phone? Didn't they do their jobs just fine a few years ago with just an office phone and email?
ReplyDeleteI don't begrudge the superintendent the use of a car. He (or she!) has to travel all over this county and it's a darn big county. (I do begrudge him filling up ALL of his cars with gas!)
ReplyDeleteIn addition - if anyone wants to file an Open Records request, we have always had a link on the right hand column of the home page under "Our Favorite Links" - about halfway down - that will generate a proper letter for you.
The link is called "Open Records Request Generator"
I don't begrudge the superintendent the use of a car while he is actually working as superintendent. As he is no longer traveling around the county on school system business, I see no reason for him to have a car at taxpayer expense. Let Ramona Tyson have his vehicle until he returns to his duties. (Assuming that he ever does.)
ReplyDeleteTrue that. Point well-taken.
ReplyDeleteTake home vehicles for the BoE.
ReplyDeleteThe word you're looking for is "insane".
Get rid of them. Provide a milage or gas allowance (make it stingy too!) and that should cut the budget overage back.
Superintendents who get their houses raided under RICO have no business expecting "standard perks", especially a car.
I'll be happy to file the open record request - does anyone have the name of the person I would address it to? Sorry - not as savvy getting around DCSS as so many others on this blog.
ReplyDeleteFleet Services
ReplyDeleteDeKalb County Schools
Anthony Jackson - Director
Fleet Services, which is a department separate from Transportation, is responsible for the maintenance of approximately 1,400 vehicles in the DeKalb County School System's fleet. This includes nearly 1,035 buses, and almost 400 support, service, utility and delivery vehicles.
Click this link for phone numbers, etc...
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/~transportation/fleet.htm
Also - include your board rep on the request -- thanks MomFirst!!
ReplyDeleteCere...and just to make sure I'm doing the right thing - I'm requesting a list of all DCSS owned vehicles with take home privileges - does that sound alright?
ReplyDeleteSounds good - you may wish to also include type of vehicle - in case they include buses, etc...
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Dekalb Co. Tax records...the Board of Education owns 193 parcels of land that are valued (land & improvements) at over $350,000,000
ReplyDeleteSee what info this gives:
ReplyDeletehttp://web.co.dekalb.ga.us/PropertyAppraisal/realDisplay.asp
3251 PANTHERSVILLE RD $11,278,80
ReplyDelete1877 VANDERLYN DR $9,375,100
2383 N DRUID HILLS RD $8,261,200
3498 PINE ST $8,124,200
3688 CHAMBLEE DUNWOODY RD $7,400,100
4555 CENTRAL DR $6,873,100
5247 REDAN RD $6,817,400
2863 KELLEY CHAPEL RD $6,298,700
4664 N PEACHTREE RD $6,080,500
2106 COLUMBIA DR $5,856,300
2800 HENDERSON MILL RD $5,846,900
618 N INDIAN CREEK DR $5,770,300
3801 BRIARCLIFF RD $5,765,000
3100 MOUNT OLIVE DR $5,759,000
5036 LAVISTA RD $5,526,600
3919 BROOKCREST CIR $5,296,700
1804 BOULDERCREST RD $5,167,900
2190 WALLINGFORD DR $4,996,200
1626 N DRUID HILLS RD $4,938,400
2360 RIVER RD $4,926,900
1192 CLARENDON AVE $4,800,200
1701 MOUNTAIN INDUSTRIAL BLVD $4,706,000
2451 RANDALL AVE $4,631,000
1798 HAYGOOD DR $4,232,900
5265 MIMOSA DR $3,940,700
3770 N DECATUR RD $3,588,900
919 MARTIN RD $3,440,600
5505 PHILLIP BRADLEY DR $3,303,000
3150 WILLOW OAK WAY $3,025,600
5435 ROBERTS DR $2,881,800
ReplyDelete1999 SILVER HILL RD $2,874,200
2300 WILDCAT RD $2,847,000
1402 AUSTIN DR $2,804,100
3995 ASHFORD DUNWOODY RD $2,741,100
3536 RADCLIFFE BLVD $2,720,200
1663 E NANCY CREEK DR $2,691,300
4680 CHAMBLEE DUNWOODY RD $2,688,800
0 PANTHERSVILLE RD $2,659,200
445 HALWICK WAY $2,631,100
4293 SARR PKWY $2,607,400
3226 FLAT SHOALS RD $2,563,900
4120 CEDAR RIDGE TRL $2,541,700
1101 HAMBRICK RD $2,505,300
4576 N PEACHTREE RD $2,499,800
3034 CURTIS DR $2,479,700
2914 EVANS WOODS DR $2,457,100
4236 TILLY MILL RD $2,444,300
6775 S GODDARD RD $2,441,400
1070 OTELLO AVE $2,415,700
3836 MIDVALE RD $2,414,800
6720 JAMES B RIVERS MEMOR DR $2,411,500
2112 SEAMAN CIR $2,404,300
1484 IDLEWOOD RD $2,382,400
2535 CALADIUM DR $2,380,900
1855 BROCKETT RD $2,367,400
4900 SHEILA LN $2,366,500
3695 NORTHLAKE DR $2,361,000
1865 ALDERBROOK RD $2,351,600
1365 SNAPFINGER RD $2,332,700
797 FAYETTEVILLE RD $2,332,700
2408 HENDERSON MILL RD $2,323,300
1131 BRIAR VISTA TER $2,284,900
1215 BALSAM DR $2,268,300
3169 HOLLYWOOD DR $2,253,400
1680 CLAIRMONT PL $2,250,900
2449 DRESDEN DR $2,236,100
3505 BORING RD $2,192,300
651 S INDIAN CREEK DR $2,164,600
1879 WEE KIRK RD $2,158,600
2629 HUBER ST $2,157,800
10 LAKESHORE DR $2,138,200
1674 ATHERTON DR $2,137,900
3601 SEXTON WOODS DR $2,137,600
1317 S INDIAN CREEK DR $2,120,400
157 HEATON PARK DR $2,111,600
1372 SKYHAVEN RD $2,108,200
724 N INDIAN CREEK DR $2,106,800
1848 VICKI LN $2,102,600
2330 RIVER RD $2,087,600
3132 CLIFTON CHURCH RD $2,018,700
1130 ROCK CHAPEL RD $2,003,700
385 GLENDALE RD $1,999,600
2701 OAKLAND TER $1,960,200
659 ALLGOOD RD $1,943,200
2968 CRAVENRIDGE DR $1,940,500
3075 ALTON RD $1,939,900
1780 MONTREAL RD $1,905,800
4137 LIVSEY RD $1,891,300
156 HEATON PARK DR $1,888,000
1530 JOY LN $1,881,600
3590 LAVISTA RD $1,880,300
3414 MEMORIAL DR $1,867,100
2225 HERITAGE DR $1,860,100
3230 COLUMBIA WOODS DR $1,830,000
3039 SANTA MONICA DR $1,819,300
3318 MIDWAY RD $1,813,100
2477 CORALWOOD DR $1,803,700
2652 LAWRENCEVILLE HWY $1,760,400
2084 GREEN FORREST DR $1,759,700
923 FORREST BLVD $1,732,900
2590 KELLY LAKE RD $1,732,400
955 COLLEGE AVE $1,664,100
0 HUDSON RD $1,642,200
2100 BIXLER CIR $1,608,600
2162 2ND AVE $1,486,800
4150 GREEN HAWK TRL $1,475,200
2160 IDLEWOOD RD $1,370,000
3789 MEMORIAL COLLEGE AVE $940,500
ReplyDelete3991 SNAPFINGER RD $934,600
5809 MEMORIAL DR $891,600
2301 WILDCAT RD R $881,200
0 E SIDE DR $752,000
2215 MILLER RD $722,100
750 PINE RIDGE DR $610,200
0 STEPHENSON RD $600,000
0 CLIFTON SPRINGS RD R REAR $558,400
0 HATTON DR $501,200
3932 FLOWERS RD $491,200
2645 DEKALB MEDICAL PKWY $395,600
6355 MARBUT RD $392,400
1634 KNOB HILL DR $376,300
3001 COLUMBIA DR $355,800
1173 CLARENDON AVE $270,000
0 COLUMBIA DR $249,000
3346 MILLER RD $227,200
2418 WOOD TRAIL LN $226,400
5821 MEMORIAL DR $200,500
0 CANDLER RD $197,500
922 STEPHENSON RD $195,800
0 N DECATUR RD $186,500
2200 PHILLIPS RD $180,600
1775 YOUNG RD $174,400
2184 IDLEWOOD RD $160,000
5790 MARBUT RD $151,700
3574 OAKVALE RD $148,100
1753 HUDSON RD $145,400
5100 ROCK SPRINGS RD $120,000
2170 IDLEWOOD RD $117,500
1847 YOUNG RD $116,900
5050 LAVISTA RD $110,000
5200 COVINGTON HWY $102,400
2761 ROCKCLIFF RD $97,900
4863 BROWNS MILL RD $87,100
0 MIRIAM LN R $76,300
2819 KELLEY CHAPEL RD $72,800
2376 RIVER RD $72,100
0 PANTHERSVILLE RD $69,000
0 WEE KIRK RD R REAR $66,600
2051 BRENDON DR $64,800
3981 MCGILL DR $57,900
1914 S STONE MTN LITHONIA RD $52,700
5224 COVINGTON HWY $52,200
4589 CENTRAL DR $52,100
1950 STEPHENSON RD $48,000
1755 YOUNG RD $40,900
0 N CLIFF VALLEY WAY $38,200
0 WALKER WAY $37,900
0 PANTHERSVILLE RD R REAR $36,100
0 S INDIAN CREEK DR $34,500
0 KATIE KERR DR R $33,500
4437 KLONDIKE RD $31,000
2111 OAK GROVE RD $29,400
0 S HAIRSTON RD R REAR $29,000
3855 BRIARCLIFF RD $28,100
1857 OAK GROVE RD $27,600
0 COLLEGE AVE $27,300
5058 CHAMBLEE TUCKER RD $22,100
0 SCHOOL ST $20,500
0 FORREST BLVD $18,000
0 N DECATUR RD $16,600
3100 VALLEY CIR $15,500
0 GOLFBROOK DR $9,800
0 FLAT SHOALS RD R REAR $9,300
6807 IDA ST $8,000
3825 BRIARCLIFF RD $6,000
1236 KIMLIE LN $6,000
0 WALNUT ST $5,100
0 WELLBORN RD R $5,000
0 PANOLA RD R REAR $4,900
0 PANOLA WAY CT $4,100
0 OTTAWA TRL $4,000
0 WESLEY CHAPEL RD $4,000
3863 BRIARCLIFF RD $3,500
0 GOLFBROOK DR $2,500
0 MILLIGAN DR R $300
1930 S STONE MTN LITHONIA RD $200
5776 MARBUT RD $200
411 WYNBROOKE PKWY $200
2170 PANOLA WAY CT $200
1040 KINGWAY DR $200
0 WYNBROOKE PKWY n/a
0 OLD ROCKBRIDGE RD n/a
5931 SHADOW ROCK DR n/a
WOW!!! That's explosive! Now, what are these properties, exactly? Some are only valued at a few hundred dollars...how is that?
ReplyDeleteKeep going - great stuff!!! This is what we have been asking for for over a year.
a lot of these are actual schools.
ReplyDeleteA large number of the properties are functioning schools. It is interesting to see the huge differences in values. For example:
ReplyDeleteAustin - 5435 Roberts Dr - $2,881,800
Briarlake - 3590 Lavista Road $1,880,600
Hawthorne - 2535 Caladium Dr - $2,380,000
Oak Grove - 1857 Oak Grove - $29,400
Vanderlyn - 1877 Vanderlyn Dr - $9,375,100
Must be counting all the trailers.
Also, when you look at the $29,400 value for Oak Grove, you really have to start wondering if any of the numbers are any good.
Got the open records request back on vehicles w/ take home privileges - I'm sure cere can add better but for starters:
ReplyDeleteThe following have a 4 door sedan w/ take home privileges:
Kevin Phillips
Toney Blackmon
Mike Hall
David Guillory
"Safety & Training"
Tonia Marshall
Juanita Graves
Susie Stanton
Alma Blackmon
Dave Carter
"General Use
The following have a "Hero Truck" assigned w/ take home privileges:
Henry Waters
Bernard Watson
Peter Peart
Philip Rudolph
Renard Vann
Tony Nolind
"General Use"
I'll continue below
Under Facilities and Construction the following have vehicles w/ take home privileges:
ReplyDelete"General Use"
"General Use"
Pat Pope
Under Public Safety we have a LOT:
Det. Bolson
Sro Huff
"General Use"
Det Powell
"General Use"
Lt Catron
Sro Bell
Sro Beilicki
Det G Smith
Det Gober
"General Use" (x3)
Sro Blakley
Sro Malone
Sro Brooks
Det Benson
Det Bradshaw
Det Grisby
Det Beck
Deputy Dir James
Sgt Parks
Sgt Pinckney
Det Rowe
Det Richardson
Sgt Perkins
Sro Dowdell
"General Use" x2
Dir Wood-Shuffett
"General Use" x3
Then under Security Systems???
James Hanson
Fred Nathan
Chuck Hutcheson
Delie Liburd
General/Equip
And 1 under ADMIN
Crawford Lewis
Outrageous and inexcusable. More reason why the school police dept. needs a thorough outside review.
ReplyDeleteAre Toney Blackmon and Alma Blackmon related? Nice to have relatives with two take home cars paid by taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteThe number of take home cars is no longer acceptable when the school system is $100 mil in the hole. This is an easy cut.
ReplyDeleteRockdale,Walton, Paulding,Douglas,Henry,Banks,Gwinnett,Clayton,Fulton, Hart,Jackson,Butts. What do all these counties all have in commons? This is some of the counties where Dekalb Take home cars go every evening. I haven't seen any other out of county school police or transportation cars in Dekalb lately.Have you?
ReplyDeleteFor grins, I google mapped some of the addresses - lots of schools, but a couple of WHAT??s, and some seriously undervalued school properties:
ReplyDelete10 LAKESHORE DR ($2,138,200) - Piedmont Spa (clicked on picture and it said it was "permanently closed")
955 COLLEGE AVE $1,664,100 - Clarkston Community Center (other bloggers have said the rent is $1?)
0 HUDSON RD $1,642,200 - Google street view shows it as a clearing in the woods
3932 FLOWERS RD $491,200 - couldn't tell from picture - saw a parking lot, but might have been a school
2645 DEKALB MEDICAL PKWY $395,600 - picture shows an intersection with a shopping center on one corner, an empty lot on one corner and housing developments far away on the other two
1173 CLARENDON AVE $270,000 - baseball field (might be part of Avondale HS facilities)
1753 HUDSON RD $145,400 - an undeveloped parcel on a two-lane road with a few houses on it
5050 LAVISTA RD $110,000 - a house and lot near the new Tucker HS
MIRIAM LN $76,300 - Don't know exact address, but Miriam Ln is completely residential except for two empty lots...
4589 CENTRAL DR $52,100 - a house and lot in a residential neighborhood
1857 OAK GROVE RD $27,600 - this is indeed Oak Grove Elementary - WTH?
2170 PANOLA WAY CT $200 - Panola Way Elementary WTH??
411 WYNBROOKE PKWY $200 - Wynbrook Elementary...
3863 BRIARCLIFF RD $3,500 - a piece of land adjacent to Lakeside HS
1236 KIMLIE LN $6,000 - Rowland Elementary...
1930 S STONE MTN LITHONIA RD $200 - Redan Elementary...
Wow! I am SO IMPRESSED with the research being conducted on this blog! Excellent job to Momfirst for filing the Open Records request on the take home cars - and terrific info from Anon on the properties owned by the school system.
ReplyDeletePeople, please let your board reps know that you are not willing to pay for take home vehicles to a system that is asking your child to double up in classrooms.
And - we need to find out more about these properties - why do we own some of them? I understand the board doesn't want to sell while the market is low, but is it fair to ask teachers and students to make sacrifices so that we can hold on to the properties? It's a choice - and the students welfare should come first.
I agree everyone is doing a great job. I requested a couple of pieces of information last week. I never received them. I will be filing open records on Monday.
ReplyDeleteI have been to Clarkston Community Center -- Not a chance in a million that it is word over a million dollars. Even the land value...
School systems don't actually pay property taxes, which is probably why no one pays much attention to the values listed.
Below is input I've collected from some old timers regarding properties owned by the school system that are leased or otherwise used. Some can be sold publicly - albeit prices are depressed right now - or sold to the county for parkland - which is desperately needed in my district (Jeff Radar's district - we have a tiny percentage of parkland compared to other areas and the bond money is in the bank).
ReplyDeleteHeritage school is closed, would make an excellent park, which the entire neighborhood wants, but the board won't budge. Won't sell. Won't do what the taxpayers who paid for it want.
At any rate -
Here is a list of facilities I found on the DCSS website. There are a few that I remember from years back that are not on this list -- the old Rock gym in Stone Mountain (leased to the City of Stone Mountain), the old Clarkston High School (leased to the Clarkston Community Center), and old school (former black school when we had segregated schools) in south DeKalb that is now used for Destiny Academy which is leased to New Birth - I think - and an old building in Scottdale leased to the health department.
I want to clarify what those rented facilities were and are --- the Old Rock Gym (which probably should be condemned) is the original high school gym in the city and is an historic building. The city rents it for the recreation department, the old Clarkston High School facility was leased to the Clarkston Community Center for something like 25 years and the community center has raised lots of money (maybe a million or two) to renovate the place) and it is used for recreation (the soccer fields), community meetings and classes. The building leased to the Health Department for a health center is not big enough for anything and the old school leased to Destiny is being used to house one of our Charter schools (Destiny). None of these are buildings that would be used for much of anything by DCSS because of their size.
We may want to check out something --- there may be a state law that says that once a governmental entity declares property surplus it has to be offered to other governmental entities first (Heritage!)....considering the interest in the North Druid Hills Rd property that could get interesting - if the law exists.
For a listing of open, functioning properties by district, copy and paste this link -
http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/administration/operations/files/051B0FAA9605464EB5381E328D84169C.pdf
For a full listing of closed, rented, or otherwise unused properties, we will apparently have to do more research... stand-by!
I emailed my board rep about the take-home cars, and here is his reply:
ReplyDeleteThis is something the budget and finance committee looked into about 6
months ago. I don't remember if the numbers you gave me are accurate and
up to date, but we did address the issue. Most of the vehicles that went
home are the police officers that are on call. They are the people who
must respond at a moments notice to any problem in the school system. Some
of the others are transportation people that have to rescue broken down
buses etc. Also our K9 unit takes their cars home as well as the dogs.We
put some limits on the use of vehicles and many are no longer taking
their cars home that once were. We also dealt with bus drivers that were
using their vehicles to make personal stops on the way back to the barn. I
nailed one two weeks ago at Hickory House.
Like I said I do not remember all of the specific details, but we had all
the supervisors in and grilled them. I was satisfied with the explanations
we received on the cars that were still going home. If you want more
specifics you might want to contact Jay Cunningham. He was the chair of
the committee when we went over these issues.
"Some of the others are transportation people that have to rescue broken down buses etc."
ReplyDeleteRidiculous. David Guillory, hea of DCSS Transportation, is not rescuing broken down buses. the BOE takes everything the administration tells them at face value. No one represents parents and taxpayers.
"They are the people who
ReplyDeletemust respond at a moments notice to any problem in the school system."
Hard to respond in a moments notice when so many DCSS school police staffers live way outside the county. And that comes from an employee in the dept.
Cere
ReplyDeleteThere are laws on the books about vacant properties and school systems. If DCSS wants to sell a property, I believe the order is now other governmental entities, start up charter schools and then the general public.
However, DCSS is entitled (maybe?) to not sell a property. There are some new laws on the books about charter schools and vacated school system properties, but until a charter school tries to purchase a building and the system says no and it ends up in court, it is hard to know if this is an enforceable law.
DCSS is entitled to fair market value, which of course has declined. When DCSS was considering selling the Druid Hills property, at least one Board Member thought is was premature because once redevelopment of Druid Hills Road started in other places, then the value of the property would only increase. (Clearly, no fortune ball there.)
I think that unless DeKalb County wants some of these properties for green space and can use Bond money to make the purchase, I am not convinced there is much market for them. Right now, commercial real estate investors can't secure loans for even "for sure" projects.
We have talked about GPC buying Buildings A and B and the property there. We know, however, from conversations about the Dunwoody campus, that there is no money for that kind of expansion, even as enrollment soars.
Long term, DCSS needs a plan, like the City of Atlanta has to rid themselves of unneeded properties.
Anon 9:50 am,
ReplyDelete10 DCSS can lease building to generate revenue.
2) And this ridiculous argument about wanting to get "fair value" is a red herring. The market value is what it is. A viable property like N. Druid Hills & Briarcliff is still attractive to potential buyers. For every property that is sold, it brings a major operations and maintenance savings not just for that budget year, but all future budget years.
Womack and the BOE are set on "sitting" on properties, hoping that one day a magic fairy casts a spell that brings property values back to what they were 5 years ago. Ain't goin to happen. Sell the surplus and free up dollars that need to go to into the classroom.
I do know for a fact that the county has park bond money to spend. I also know that we have received very, Very little of it in my district - District 2 - represented by Jeff Rader. I know that Heritage School would be a wonderful park for my district.
ReplyDeleteJeff wrote a very interesting post about our inequity in park land in his blog(!) Yes -- my commissioner has a blog! Yay Jeff!
http://www.commissionerrader.com/reader-rader-updates/items/funding-inequity-unacceptable.html
Anon: 8:55
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting the board member's response. He may be okay with the answers, but I am not. Six months ago, the financial affairs of the county were different than what they are today.
My questions after reading the response:
* How long would the response time vary for 1. person's home to emergency, 2. person's home, car and to emergency?
* How many emergencies are we talking about?
* Are there employees that live in the county that would put less wear and tear on these vehicles?
* How do we keep track of extra mileage on these take home vehicles?
* Would it be cheaper for insurance purposes to not have these vehicles as take home vehicles?
* How were these employees chosen and what are their driving records?
* A detailed report of how many times these people have to use cars after hours and for what purposes?
Just another reason this board needs to go. Anyone know of anyone running for School board? I'd like to support good candidates.
Let's be clear about the Clarkston Community Center:
ReplyDelete1. Here is the website: http://clarkstoncommunitycenter.org/ It's worth noting that it is open to everyone, unlike, say, magnet schools that are only open to lottery-winners.
2. It is not run by the city of Clarkston, it is a non-profit organization
3. The estimated value of the property cited earlier in this thread seems to me more than a little high. This is Clarkston, not Dunwoody or Sandy Springs.
4. Yes, the rent is a token. However, the property is maintained by the CCC, which it would not be by DCSS, and I hope no one argues that the use is worthwhile
5. Finally, charging this non-profit full market rent would accomplish one thing: shutting down the program. Which is not to say that some increase in rent isn't possible. It's tempting to think CCC is a great target for finding the funds to offset the cost of some particular program but it just doesn't seem likely.
I didn't mean to imply that Clarkston should be sold. I should clarify - we are trying to find out just exactly what the system does own - thus the listings. I think I said "some" could be sold - Heritage ES is a prime example of one the school system could sell to the county for a much-needed park. But the board won't even put it on the table...
ReplyDeleteClarkston is being used very well by the community and the community has invested a lot of it's own money into the place -
"the old Clarkston High School facility was leased to the Clarkston Community Center for something like 25 years and the community center has raised lots of money (maybe a million or two) to renovate the place) and it is used for recreation (the soccer fields), community meetings and classes. "
Scrolling to MomFirst's post on March 12, 2010 4:33 PM
ReplyDeleteI see that we have 23 cars going home every day with "Public Safety" personnel and 4 more with "Security" personnel.
Are all of these people at the ready for an emergency? Are we in that much danger that after hours a school system emergency could call for up to 27 vehicles to respond?
We should sell the Clarkston Community Center. It is clear it will never again be used for a DCSS school. Sell it for a nominal price. if there is a major facility need for thecenter, DCSS would not be responsible.
ReplyDeleteAnd no matter how good the programs are there, if the CCC isn't sustainable enough to pay rent for a facility, then taxpayers are subsidizing their programs. The CCC serves a tiny fraction of DeKalb County residents. In times like these, we can no longer afford this gracious welfare. A non-profit has a responisbility to generate enough income to pay rent; even it's below market rate rent, it's still income that DCSS deserves (and needs!).
Now the precedent is in place for any non-profit to rent a DCSS facility for $1 per year. And that's unacceptable. Take it off the DCSS rolls.
Again, if there is a major facility repair needed, the CCC is under no obligation to pay for the repairs. It is still a DCSS facility. Sell the CCC to the city or the non-profit. We can't continue to subsidize. it is harsh reality time.
Years ago I worked for a gov't agency that required staff to be on call nights and weekends for emergencies. We were in the field during the day and each had an assigned car, but unless it was your turn to be on call, your vehicle stayed on site overnight and you commuted to and from work in your private car. No reason the DCSS police can't set up a similar system - certainly all 27 officers are on call every night.
ReplyDeleteGreat point Molly. But the BOE asked some questions of the school police dept. and folded like a house of cards. This BOE takes everything the administration says as the bible, and look at the bloat and waste it's resulted in.
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding the DCSS police dept. is a 24/7 operation. There is no need for "on call" personnel since they have officers working 24/7.
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