Post by bob on Jul 13, 2007 11:58:43 GMT -6
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
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
