The Neighborhood Watchdog

Some of our neighbors have asked us for additional information on two stories: the vandalism at McLean High School that was committed by students at Langley High School and the $100,000 contract between McLean Community Center and the real estate firm of Jones Lang.

McLean-Langley Vandalism

Some neighbors would like to know how taxpayers can be assured that students will pay for the damage and not taxpayers.  They ask because school officials have no estimates of the costs nearly a month after the incident. Also, they waited for the second day after the story received widespread coverage to say that students would pay.

School board member Jane Strauss, assistant school superintendent Marty Smith and school spokesman Paul Regnier answered questions about the vandalism that occurred during a basketball game between Langley and McLean so we'll send them a note this morning with your questions.

When we hear from them, we'll share.

$100,000 Contract between The McLean Community Center Board and Jones Lang LaSalle.

Neighbors want to know exactly what their tax dollars are paying for since the McLean Community Center Board apparently violated the Virginia open government laws thus putting into question the validity of  the $100,000 contract it approved with Jones Lang LaSalle, a leading real estate services company.

In December, a board committee, which is covered by the Virginia Freedom of Information Law, approved a $100,000 contract with Jones Lang LaSalle in a closed-door committee meeting.  Then, after the meeting, they failed to certify that they had followed the FOI law while behind closed doors.  Both are violations of the law.

The Virginia Freedom of Information reads: "No resolution, ordinance, rule, contract, regulation or motion adopted passed or agreed to in a closed meeting shall become effective unless the public body following the meeting, reconvenes in open meeting and takes a vote of the membership on such resolution, ordinance, rule, contract, regulations or motion that shall have its substance reasonably identified in the open meeting."

The minutes of the committee state the members returned to public session simply to adjourn.

We'll ask Board Chair David Sanders to share a copy of the contract with neighbors and taxpayers. We'll tell you what it says as soon as we see it.