As a citizen in Missoula for most of my life (hailing from Lake County as a young child), I became alarmed regarding the mismanagement and corruption going on in our biggest school district, Missoula County Public Schools. Our family and the families on the northeast areas of our city were tragically in the cross hairs of MCPS officials and closed three of our public schools.
Because of my concern regarding MCPS school business I attended many MCPS meetings after the school closures which happened in 2004. School properties were discussed in many, many of these meetings. One piece of property that came up a lot was the Duncan Drive 13 acre parcel set aside for a potential school site down the road. This site has been used/leased to Garden City Harvest for the PEAS farm for just $1.00/year! The length of the term of the lease has varied and I don't have the terms as I write this post. I think one term was 10 years and another 3 years, however, don't quote me on this.
In 1996, MCPS bought this land specifically in order to build a school for the Rattlesnake area's children. I have some minutes which allude that this is true - however, I don't have this document info at the time of this writing.
So - as Josh Slotnick has been the point person on the Garden City Harvest lease, he has come before the school board and requested to continue the lease. Recently, and before the huge $158 million dollar bond was passed, MCPS gave Garden City Harvest a 40 year lease term and I believe the lease rate is still only $1.00 a year! This is unconscionable for a school district to give any entity this length of a term - one never knows if there will be a need for a school on this land in the next few years let alone the next 40. This lease will be in place, unless it is considered obsolete someday, long after many of us are on this earth.
To get back to Josh Slotnick - he placed the needs of his garden project - the PEAS farm ahead of the public good. He went before a MCPS committee meeting and told the members that Missoula would be so compromised if this little farm would not be given a 40 year lease. He sloshed and groveled before the group - it was not a pretty sight.
I lately saw a letter to the editor that alluded to the fact that Josh Slotnick was an entrepreneur. How can he be this great entrepreneur when he grovels before a school board saying that he absolutely needs this public land in order to continue his precious garden.
Entrepreneur Josh Slotnick is not!
Do not vote for Josh Slotnick. I would urge you to write in a person who you think would serve Missoula's needs, not a pet project. I also do not like the work of his opponent, Jean Curtis, who has thrown so many of Missoula's traditions under the bus. Moreover, since Josh places his own needs before the public good it would behoove Josh to return to his roots - his family garden, Clark Fork Organics, which may have actually been an entrepreneurial entity and at which I bought many vegetables at one time, especially their great collards.
BTW, I ran into Josh at a local store a few years ago and brought up the fact that the Duncan Dr. property could/ would be a site for a school. Josh showed his true colors - he said that this property would never be used for a school and would never be needed for this purpose. Throwing all caution to the wind and revealing that he was totally for his needs, throwing the needs of the public to the dogs/or the pigs which the PEAs farm has raised at one time (to the consternation of the neighbors.
Another BTW, the PEAS farm was allowed to build a permanent building on this land. How could that happen when it is a leased site? How could that happen when this land was to be set aside for a public school? Something stinks here!
MCPS and Josh Slotnick have proved they cannot be trusted.
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