Post by d204mom on Apr 16, 2008 16:42:38 GMT -6
I'll start. This email has completely disappeared. A few weeks ago the header was still there but now the header's been taken down too.
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In an effort to address the deafening silence on the progress of Metea
Valley High School, I thought this letter would be in order.
As you have likely read in the newspapers or in other reports from
District 204, the District has pursued a legislative remedy to the
incessant delays that are at the heart of the Brach-Brodie trial lawyers’
strategy in the condemnation case. Those lawyers are desperately hoping
that if they can just stall long enough, the District will voluntarily
choose to overpay for the land in order to get on the land in time to
deliver the school in 2009. The legislative remedy we are seeking
effectively blunts this weapon of delay by giving the District access to the
land before the case is concluded.
The bill to grant that remedy, sponsored by Representative Joe Dunn,
passed the House and then went to the Senate where it has remained
assigned to the Rules Committee. The lead Senate sponsor of that legislation
is Senator Randy Hultgren, whose district includes the majority of the
Indian Prairie School District. Senator Hultgren has been in constant
contact with the District and our representatives on the status of the
bill and related legislative efforts.
The balance of the Indian Prairie School District (most of which will
attend Metea Valley) lies in the Senate District represented by Senator
Linda Holmes. Senator Holmes has consistently worked with the District
in search of common ground for a solution to our problem.
In May, Senator Holmes conceived the idea of holding a meeting to see
if there was some opportunity to bring the parties together and reach an
agreement that would meet everyone’s needs. She also realized that
by including Senator Hultgren and the Senate Majority Leader (Senator
Halvorson, who also chairs the Rules Committee) in those meetings, she
might just generate the support needed to create a legislative remedy,
provided one proved necessary. Several such meetings ensued in
Springfield and I attended most of them on behalf of the Board of Education.
Senator Holmes asked hard questions of both sides. As but one example,
she expressed great concern for the taxpayers of the School District
and the possibility that a “too high” price for the land might cause
the School District to return to the taxpayers for additional money to
complete the construction of the school. I assured her that would not
be necessary and, in June, the Board of Education adopted a resolution
committing to both our taxpayers and the legislature that we would
manage the construction of Metea Valley in the same responsible manner in
which every other building was constructed in this District: on time
and at (or under) budget.
Over the course of the many meetings and telephone conferences that
ensued, the issues identified by the landowners dwindled as the District
found ways to meet or reach reasonable compromises on all remaining
issues. As the end of June approached, the last issue articulated by the
landowners had been addressed, and Senators Holmes, Hultgren and
Halvorson believed that a complete solution had been achieved. On June 28,
2007, a trial lawyer for one of the landowners announced that he would
not support any agreement or effort that had the result of placing the
District on the land, effectively backtracking on every commitment and
step of progress that had been made in the meetings brokered by Senator
Holmes and the other legislators.
Although the Senate has met each day since July 5, those have been
special sessions called by the Governor. Special sessions are limited in
scope to the subject matter for which they have been called, so the
Senate was unable to formally address our issue until Tuesday, July 10,
when regular session resumed.
Tuesday morning, Senators Holmes, Hultgren and Halvorson called another
meeting on the subject of Metea Valley High School. Their
disappointment at the tactics of the landowners’ trial lawyers was exceeded only
by their collective dedication to finding a way to open Metea Valley
in the Fall of 2009. They recognize the urgency of our situation and
their commitment to a rapid solution was apparent.
Senators Holmes, Hultgren and Halvorson have now had a taste of the
trial lawyers’ tactics with which we have done battle for several years.
We believe that with their help, the rest of the Senate will promptly
provide us with a legislative solution to our problem.
While it is still too soon to declare victory and begin moving earth,
we are encouraged by the progress being made in the Senate. For that,
we owe a debt of gratitude to Senators Holmes, Hultgren and Halvorson.
We will report more when further progress is made.
Mark C. Metzger, President.
Indian Prairie School District #204
Board of Education
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
School District 204
www.ipsd.org
780 Shoreline Drive
Aurora, IL 60504
USA
----------------------------------------------------------
In an effort to address the deafening silence on the progress of Metea
Valley High School, I thought this letter would be in order.
As you have likely read in the newspapers or in other reports from
District 204, the District has pursued a legislative remedy to the
incessant delays that are at the heart of the Brach-Brodie trial lawyers’
strategy in the condemnation case. Those lawyers are desperately hoping
that if they can just stall long enough, the District will voluntarily
choose to overpay for the land in order to get on the land in time to
deliver the school in 2009. The legislative remedy we are seeking
effectively blunts this weapon of delay by giving the District access to the
land before the case is concluded.
The bill to grant that remedy, sponsored by Representative Joe Dunn,
passed the House and then went to the Senate where it has remained
assigned to the Rules Committee. The lead Senate sponsor of that legislation
is Senator Randy Hultgren, whose district includes the majority of the
Indian Prairie School District. Senator Hultgren has been in constant
contact with the District and our representatives on the status of the
bill and related legislative efforts.
The balance of the Indian Prairie School District (most of which will
attend Metea Valley) lies in the Senate District represented by Senator
Linda Holmes. Senator Holmes has consistently worked with the District
in search of common ground for a solution to our problem.
In May, Senator Holmes conceived the idea of holding a meeting to see
if there was some opportunity to bring the parties together and reach an
agreement that would meet everyone’s needs. She also realized that
by including Senator Hultgren and the Senate Majority Leader (Senator
Halvorson, who also chairs the Rules Committee) in those meetings, she
might just generate the support needed to create a legislative remedy,
provided one proved necessary. Several such meetings ensued in
Springfield and I attended most of them on behalf of the Board of Education.
Senator Holmes asked hard questions of both sides. As but one example,
she expressed great concern for the taxpayers of the School District
and the possibility that a “too high” price for the land might cause
the School District to return to the taxpayers for additional money to
complete the construction of the school. I assured her that would not
be necessary and, in June, the Board of Education adopted a resolution
committing to both our taxpayers and the legislature that we would
manage the construction of Metea Valley in the same responsible manner in
which every other building was constructed in this District: on time
and at (or under) budget.
Over the course of the many meetings and telephone conferences that
ensued, the issues identified by the landowners dwindled as the District
found ways to meet or reach reasonable compromises on all remaining
issues. As the end of June approached, the last issue articulated by the
landowners had been addressed, and Senators Holmes, Hultgren and
Halvorson believed that a complete solution had been achieved. On June 28,
2007, a trial lawyer for one of the landowners announced that he would
not support any agreement or effort that had the result of placing the
District on the land, effectively backtracking on every commitment and
step of progress that had been made in the meetings brokered by Senator
Holmes and the other legislators.
Although the Senate has met each day since July 5, those have been
special sessions called by the Governor. Special sessions are limited in
scope to the subject matter for which they have been called, so the
Senate was unable to formally address our issue until Tuesday, July 10,
when regular session resumed.
Tuesday morning, Senators Holmes, Hultgren and Halvorson called another
meeting on the subject of Metea Valley High School. Their
disappointment at the tactics of the landowners’ trial lawyers was exceeded only
by their collective dedication to finding a way to open Metea Valley
in the Fall of 2009. They recognize the urgency of our situation and
their commitment to a rapid solution was apparent.
Senators Holmes, Hultgren and Halvorson have now had a taste of the
trial lawyers’ tactics with which we have done battle for several years.
We believe that with their help, the rest of the Senate will promptly
provide us with a legislative solution to our problem.
While it is still too soon to declare victory and begin moving earth,
we are encouraged by the progress being made in the Senate. For that,
we owe a debt of gratitude to Senators Holmes, Hultgren and Halvorson.
We will report more when further progress is made.
Mark C. Metzger, President.
Indian Prairie School District #204
Board of Education
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
School District 204
www.ipsd.org
780 Shoreline Drive
Aurora, IL 60504
USA