Open Letter on Buri Buri Elementary School’s August 11th Construction Community Meeting

South San Francisco, CA   August 13, 2016  by Michael Harris

Last night’s long meeting was not well organized, not well publicized, little new information, same old lies.

The people in charge of this fiasco have no idea what they are doing again / still.

Mister Bow Tie does not lie very well.

There is no straight answer on how much money has been spent / wasted.
It seems that between $16 million – $31 million has been spent.

Bill Savidge claims he has done Bond Management Construction Projects all over California.
He has never seen anything like Buri Buri.

The new woman assigned to manage the project supposedly had a contractor’s license when she applied for the job.
Her spell phone number was put on the white board. The District did not even have white board markers that worked.

I talked to John Baker about old problems with the site. The meeting improved when John took over the meeting.
I explained to John the school fence behind Alta Mesa houses did not contain the school property.
It should be moved to the property lines for management / weed abatement purposes.

These included the storm drainage pipes tied into the SSF Storm Drain System.

This drain was installed in the gully below me.
However, the pipe draining down from the campus to the city storm drain was never properly connected.
There was an offset when they started the pipe from each end, but it never met in the middle.
The shoddy installation was covered up with 8′ of dirt.

Next Tuesday the city’s Code Enforcement Officials will visit the site.
This will probably include Tom Carney, Luis DaSilva, Gerry Kohlmann.
Tom Carney’s last code violation reports totaled 56 pages.

There will be asbestos removal problems they assure us will be done properly. We do not believe them.

There will be major vibration problems when the old main classroom building foundation is demolished.
It was covered over with rubble.

Major questions arose again: Why were the solar panels installed before the new school was built?

Someone should ask Phil Weiss that question. The promised energy savings never materialized.
The CBOC would like to know why SSFUSD is paying 37 cents / KWH.

SSF CC hired the same contractor who was formerly Chevron for $50000 to tell them how to save money on energy.
Karyl voted against the scheme with: Why would we want to go down the same road the School District did.

I have addressed CC numerous times on Energy Savings.
Council cannot even get dead flood lights changed above their podium.
I think by the next CC meeting new ones will be installed.
I have questioned many times why Council has not changed the flood lights in Chambers with Costco FEIT LED flood lights.
Costco sold out the PGE rebated $20 4-Pack 11.5 watt 750 lumen bulbs for $6 + 9.5% sales tax on $20.

I bought 2 packs for my neighbor across the street. She installed 6, I kept the other 2.
At that time the price was $10 / 4 pack.

Instead of taking LED Light Bulb Junkets to Davis, maybe Council should look closer to home.
Pradeep Gupta should have been sent sans Brian McMinn & Dave Bockhaus.

This energy company has not appeared at CBOC Meetings when requested to do so.

Roberts Rules of Order (Parliamentary Procedure) were not followed.
I blame this on the several meeting Chair Persons, who all seem unaware of Parliamentary Procedure.

I had to intercede 3 times so Sam Langi could end the meeting with intelligent / relevant questions.
Sam laid out the scenarios of toxic waste from the site draining into SF Bay.
Sam presented a list of agencies with oversight over this fiasco.

Bay Area Air Quality Management District may be contacted at: 415 771 6000. Fax: 415 928 0338
Complaints may be filed at 800 334 ODOR. Their website is: www.baaqmd.gov

Air Quality Inspector’s Sharon Gee and Divinia Lee have visited me on asbestos complaints.

Several residents sitting in front of me could not stop interrupting when someone else had the floor.

Salom-i BULL-oni would have called the meeting uncivilized again.

We have yet to learn why Larry Scott & Salom were terminated.

There is still no site plan for a final school. The grading plan is kinda / sorta / maybe in place.

The whole project is a very ad hoc ‘catch as catch can’ fiasco.

The main goal is spin & spin control on the next boondoggle.

I called Mark Addigeo in February to update him on this mess.
Mark did not want to hear anything on this mess & slammed the phone down on me.

I had hoped SSF residents could get help from the ‘Powers that Be’ in SSF.

Reba Mitchell stated she has lived here 60 years. Reba is glad the traffic in front of her parents home is now on Del Monte.

The old school served ~ 650 children. The newer school is expected to serve 950 children.
The infrastructure is not there to accomplish this. Del Monte residents complain about parents blocking their driveways.
We need legal recourse so the residents can sue inconsiderate parents doing this.

My family has been here since June 20, 1959. Both sisters attended Buri Buri.

It will take a Class Action Suit against all parties involved to recover bond funds misspent.

This would include Swinerton, Cal Builders, current & former SSFUSD Board Members who foisted this Measure J fiasco / hoax on residents. It would include Larry Scott, Salom Samad. Salom had no California Architect’s license. He has managed projects all over the Mid East.

When the dust begins blowing again, it will blow toward 33 Arroyo down Indio Drive & Del Monte Drive.

The predominant wind direction through The Gap is 280 Magnetic.
If you live downwind on this Compass Bearing, you will get more dust.

The District claims work was starting at 0800. It starts at 0700. I hear heavy moving equipment moving as I type at 0718.

If you want your city cleaned up, Mike Futrell & Gerry Kohlmann are the people to contact. They can make it happen.
Don’t waste you time with phone calls, emails, faxes, letters to CC. Keep Kevin’s office in the loop.

We need District elections to hold our elected leaders accountable every 2 years.
We need District SSFUSD elections as well. The At Large-ss election system we have done failed.

Mike Harris
Temporary / Acting / Interim Chair Person
The Over Da Hill Gang