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Feb 012012
Mar 282012
BECKLEY —
At Tuesday’s Beckley Common Council meeting bids were awarded for the purchase of asphalt, concrete, stone/abrasives/ sand, and reinforcement rods for the Board of Public Works.
Councilman at large Cedric Robertson — after reviewing the bids with Councilman at large Tim Berry, City Attorney Bill File and Recorder/Treasurer Gary Sutphin — recommended the city award the bid for asphalt to Southern West Virginia Asphalt Inc.; David Hill Concrete for the purchase of concrete; and Boxley for stone/abrasives/sand.
With a motion by Robertson, and a second by Councilwoman Ann Worley, the bids passed unanimously.
Mayor Emmett Pugh then made a recommendation for the appointment of Rebecca Cook to fill the unexpired term of Linda Ward on the Beckley Human Rights Commission. The appointment, set to expire June 30, 2013, was passed unanimously after Berry made a motion that was seconded by Councilman Ron Booker.
Next, council unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the city to enter into a deed of exchange with Tom Jerry Inc., regarding property located on the north side of Prince Street.
Berry abstained from voting due to a conflict of interest. A second reading and public hearing will take place during the April 10 meeting.
The general fund budget was then brought before council for approval. Sutphin presented a budget of $16,916,864 for fiscal year 2013. Of revenue, $10,450,000 consisted of BO taxes, which Sutphin said shows Beckley’s competitive economy. He said expenditures on wages and benefits total approximately $12,251,115, or 72.4 percent of the total budget.
On a motion by Worley with a second by Berry, the budget was unanimously passed.
Council also unanimously passed the approval of the coal severance tax fund budget after a motion by Berry, seconded by Councilman Tom Sopher.
Sutphin said the city is poised to bring in $65,000 in severance revenues, a conservative estimate.
“We’ll probably do $75,000 to $80,000 in revenue but I’d rather under-budget the revenue than over-budget it,” Sutphin said.
He also explained expenditures totaled $58,000 for the telecommunications/phone system and $7,000 for a vehicle leased for Public Works.
Under old business, Booker thanked the Board of Public Works for the demolition of multiple dilapidated structures in Ward V, and asked for the status on the demolition process.
Booker said there were in excess of 30 homes in his ward that still needed the city’s attention.
Chief Zoning Officer Bob Cannon explained the final order for the demolition of 25 additional homes had been approved Tuesday morning and told Booker that 18 of the 25 homes targeted are in Ward V.
Council will meet again Tuesday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m.
E-mail: Kvanpelt@register-herald.com
The City Council is fighting back against Mayor Bloomberg’s quiet effort to eliminate a rule that all tower crane operators must have local experience before they can become licensed.
Several Council members took to the steps of City Hall on Monday with members of the crane operators Local 14 to charge that the change will compromise public safety.
“It’s going to put every New Yorker in danger,” said Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Queens) one of 38 Council members pushing a measure to keep the city’s current requirement in place.
The proposed change follows two tower crane collapses in 2008 that killed eight people — and a near-disaster last month when a crane at the World Trade Center dropped a huge load of steel next to a busy street.
The Bloomberg administration wants to change the city’s rules in response to a recent federal mandate that all municipalities adopt a national standard for crane operators licenses by 2015.
For years, the city has required crane operators to have three years of experience as apprentices working in New York City. But once an operator got a license, no retesting was required.
The city Buildings Department’s proposed rule change adds regular retesting as a requirement but also allows applicants to get their required experience in any “urban area of comparable density.”
gsmith@nydailynews.com
A man who was buried alive in mud on an Atlanta construction site Saturday is expected to make a full recovery following a dramatic rescue caught on video.
The man was walking near the construction site when he apparently slipped and fell in the mud.
Someone happened to walk by and notice a muddy arm moving, according to WSBTV in Atlanta. When firefighters arrived at the scene, the man was so entrenched that his would-be rescuers could barely see him.
“I think he walked in and possibly got stuck to the point of exhaustion and then passed out,” Atlanta Fire Department Battalion Chief David Rhodes told WSBTV.
After pulling the man’s face up so he could continue to breathe, the firefighters were able to remove the man from the mud within an hour with the help of a ladder.
Adding to the drama, a firefighter became stuck in the mud during the rescue, but others were able to quickly pull him out.
The man, whose name has not been released, was taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated for hypothermia, according to WSBTV.
PELL CITY — An attorney has responded to a claim filed in Circuit Court by the city, asking the court to rule in his clients’ favor regarding payment of work and materials used during the construction of Veterans Parkway.
“Defendant’s alleged that the city of Pell City is indebted to the respective defendant’s as stated in their complaint, and defendant’s ask for judgment against the plaintiff in favor of Golden (Excavating, Inc.) in the amount of $49,965, and a judgment in favor of defendant Goodgame (Company, Inc.) in the amount of $11,802,” states the response filed in Circuit Court Thursday by Pell City attorney Billy Church.
The claim was in response to a complaint filed by the city of Pell City asking the court for a declaratory judgment about whether it owes money for materials and work performed on Veterans Parkway.
In a complaint for declaratory judgment filed by city attorney John Rea, the complaint states that the two local companies demanded payment for materials and work done on Veterans Parkway.
“The city disputes that it is responsible for the claim of Golden Excavating and further disputes that the city is indebted to such company,” the complaint for declaratory judgment states. “… The city (also) disputes that it is responsible for the claim of Goodgame Company …”
In February, the City Council voted to return an $85,000 grant and seek a court ruling about its responsibility to pay for materials and work done on Veterans Parkway.
One year ago questions surfaced about the $85,000 state grant from the county and Municipal Capital Improvement Trust Fund — and the invoice that accompanied the grant request.
The grant was to be used for improved access to the Icademy on the Jefferson State Community College campus in Pell City.
The invoice that accompanied the grant request was from one vendor, Goodgame Company Inc., but another vendor, Golden Excavating Company Inc., actually performed the work.
On Feb. 28, 2011, the council approved a motion to pay Golden Excavating Co. $48,000 for excavating work on Veterans Parkway, $11,000 to Hanson Pipe for drainage pipes and $6,000 to McCartney Construction for rock and gravel.
In April 2011, the council rescinded its vote, and the $85,000 grant was never used and vendors were never paid for work completed and materials provided.
At the time the council rescinded its vote, questions surfaced as to whether the city had possibly violated the state bid law, which mandates projects costing more than $50,000 be bid out.
“No public work as defined in this chapter involving a sum in excess of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be split into parts involving sums of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) or less for the purpose of evading the requirements of this section,” states the Code of Alabama, Section 39-2-2.
Mayor Bill Hereford told the City Council during its Feb. 28, 2011, meeting that it was just as easy to pay the bills and stay below the $50,000 and get every penny on the project.
“What we did … was to make sure we segregated these sums of money from one another so they do not rise above the level of being bid, and what it amounts to as far as the project is concerned over there is that everything will continue to move along,” he said.
Last year, James Lloyd Golden, owner of Golden Excavating Co., told The Daily Home he provided a $75,000 estimate to the city for work on Veterans Parkway.
Hereford told The Daily Home in April 2011 he never saw the invoice or estimate from Golden Excavating Co.
Golden said he gave the invoice to St. Clair County engineer Dan Dahlke, who designed the road.
Dahlke told The Daily Home he believes the invoice was hand-delivered to City Hall.
Golden later billed the city $49,965 for the work, which is under the threshold for bidding out a project. At the time, Golden told The Daily Home he would absorb the loss.
Officials say Goodgame Company paid the outstanding invoice owed to Hanson Pipe in the amount of $11,803, to avoid litigation with that company, but now wants repayment for the materials used for the city’s Veterans Parkway project.
Contact David Atchison at datchison@dailyhome.com.
Mar 282012
With tourism on the rise in downtown Los Angeles, construction is set to begin on a $172-million Marriott hotel complex that has even bigger aspirations than when it was announced almost a year ago.
Downtown’s thriving hotel market can be seen in the long-anticipated development near the L.A. Live entertainment complex and Staples Center, which has grown by a floor and 15 additional rooms from the original plan.
Now set to be 23 stories, the tower on Olympic Boulevard will house a 174-room Courtyard by Marriott and a 218-room Residence Inn by Marriott under one roof when it opens in summer 2014.
“We’re continuing to see a strengthening of the downtown hotel market,” said hospitality consultant Bruce Baltin of PKF Consulting. “Tourism — from both convention activity and leisure travel — is definitely up.”
He credits L.A. Live and its hotels with stimulating business at the nearby Los Angeles Convention Center and said other visitors are attracted by the redevelopment of downtown over the last decade that has brought in more residents, restaurants and stores.
“When people come for a concert or a game, they tend to stay overnight,” Baltin said.
The new hotel will be built by a consortium led by Williams/Dame Associates, a Portland, Ore., developer that helped build the condominium towers Evo, Luma and Elleven near Staples Center in the South Park district of downtown.
Bethesda, Md.-based Marriott International Inc. already operates a JW Marriott and a Ritz-Carlton in a skyscraper across Olympic on the campus of L.A. Live, as well as a Marriott Hotel about seven blocks north on Figueroa Street.
This will be the first dual Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott on the West Coast, but it’s not unusual to have multiple Marriott brands so close to one another, company officials have said. The hotels have different room prices and serve varying audiences. The Courtyard is a no-frills-style Marriott while Residence Inn, intended for extended stays, has larger units and kitchens.
The hotel will have meeting rooms, a restaurant and a 3,000-square-foot electronic sign on the exterior.
Williams/Dame will develop the hotel at the northwest corner of Olympic and Francisco Street with American Life Inc., a Seattle investment firm. The project will be financed through the federal EB-5 program, which provides green cards to immigrant investors who put up a minimum investment of $500,000 for development in targeted areas.
The immigrants would be considered limited partners and thus co-owners of the project. If the project produces enough jobs to meet standards for the program, as expected, they would qualify for green cards granting residency.
The hotel is expected to create about 800 construction jobs and about 200 permanent jobs after it is completed.
Marriott executives including Chairman Bill Marriott are set to join local public officials and dignitaries Wednesday for a ceremony marking the forthcoming groundbreaking. Preparation of the site, now a parking lot, is set to begin next month with construction to follow shortly after upon receipt of construction permits.
With the closure of the Wilshire Grand Hotel last year, the downtown hotel market is “essentially maxed out” at an average occupancy of about 76%, said Baltin, the hospitality consultant. Room rates are expected to rise but remain cheaper than they are in other popular local destinations such as Santa Monica and Beverly Hills.
Downtown is at a disadvantage compared with other U.S. cities competing for convention business because it still has far fewer hotel rooms near its convention center than others do, according to a report released last month by L.A. Inc., the Los Angeles Visitors and Convention Bureau.
“The average city has 7,300 hotel rooms available within a half-mile of its convention center,” City Councilwoman Jan Perry said. “Los Angeles has less than 1,700. These two Marriott properties will add nearly 400 rooms and boost our city’s competitive edge when it comes to attracting more convention business.”
roger.vincent@latimes.com
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Mar 282012
A Chesterfield Township man faces breaking-and-entering charges after a home builder planted a GPS tracking device on a Rochester Hills construction site.
The builder planted the device in a box of building materials and alerted police when the device started moving early Friday morning.
Later that day, the device led Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies to two suspects—one from Chesterfield and another from Hamtramck—who are now accused of several thefts from home construction sites in Rochester Hills and Troy.
According to a report from the sheriff’s office, the builder left the GPS device in a box of materials at a house on Monterey Lane, off Livernois south of Auburn in Rochester Hills.
At 6:20 a.m. Friday, the builder received an alert that the tracker was on the move; he used a computer to follow its route south to Detroit and alerted sheriff’s deputies, who followed along.
Deputies followed the tracker to a Coney Island near I-75 and McNichols Road in Detroit, where they witnessed three men transfering items from one vehicle to another, according to the report. Deputies arrested all three men, and the builder, who was with them, identified items stolen from two of his houses.
John Flenna, 40, of Chesterfield Township, and Gary Polisano, 55, of Hamtramck, were arraigned Saturday on two counts of breaking and entering, which is a 10-year felony. The third man was released.
A search of the vehicles uncovered construction materials that had been stolen from two homes on Monterey Lane and one on Amberwood Street in Troy, the report stated.
Both Flenna and Polisano have extensive criminal records, according to sheriff’s detective Ray White. Flenna has convictions for uttering and publishing counterfeit bills, retail fraud, reckless driving, operating a vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance and failure to pay child support.
Polisano’s convictions include possession of controlled substances, retail fraud, malicious destruction of property and fleeing police.
Summary:
Organized under the auspices of the International Bitumen Emulsion Federation, this symposium, spawned by the “First World Congress on Emulsions” held in Paris, France, in 1993, will be the fifth of a series of symposia dedicated to the international asphalt emulsion industry. As with the World Congress on Emulsions, these symposia are held at four year intervals.
The symposium will embrace research and practice with respect to manufacturing, use and performance of asphalt emulsions. The 2012 conference will provide a forum for discussion of leading research work, encourage presentation of case studies demonstrating the implementation of research into practice, and foster discussion on producing better performing and cost effective asphalt emulsions.
The technical program will last three days and will build on the strong traditions established by the previous five World Congresses on Emulsions and the previous four International Symposiums on Asphalt Emulsions, held in Washington in 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2008.
New Shingle Recycling Pledge Provides Homeowner Rewards
TOLEDO, Ohio, March 27, 2012 /PR Newswire/ — Beginning today, Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), through its Roofing and Asphalt business, invites homeowners to take the Shingle Recycling Pledge as a way to show their commitment to keep old roofs out of landfills by working with roofing contractors who practice sustainable building practices.
‘According to the Northeast Recycling Center, up to 10 million tons of recyclable shingles are removed from the roofs of U.S. homes and buildings annually,’ said Barry Hornbacher, Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt Shingle Recycling program manager. ‘By pledging to work with professionals committed to recycling torn-off shingles into pavement, homeowners are helping to ensure their roofing renovation will have less of an environmental impact.’
To take the pledge in markets where recycling is available, homeowners simply visit www.roofing.owenscorning.com and select ‘Recycle Now.’ In addition to connecting with local contractors committed to shingle recycling, everyone who takes the pledge will also receive a free reusable tote bag while supplies last. Homeowners who do not currently have shingle recycling available in their area can show their interest in shingle recycling by filling out a form on the website, which will help Owens Corning Roofing Asphalt rally support from contractors in their local community. To learn more, simply visit the Sustainable Roofing page on the site.
Established in 2009, in alliance with Heritage Environmental Services and Earth911.com, the Owens Corning Roofing Asphalt Shingle Recycling Program is currently active in 39 markets nationwide. Since its inception, the program has recycled more than 95,000 tons of asphalt shingles at the Heritage affiliate locations, the equivalent of saving 95,000 barrels of oil.
‘Today’s homeowners are more involved than ever in selecting the materials and building processes used on their home, with a greater emphasis on sustainable solutions,’ said Hornbacher. ‘By taking the Shingle Recycling Pledge, homeowners will gain a better understanding about the positive impact recycling shingles has on the environment and learn how they can become more involved in the process in their local community. Homeowners looking for green roofing solutions can now choose recycling to achieve definitive results.’
Through a change to Owens Corning Roofing Asphalt’s website, homeowners can search for reputable contractors in their area that already participate in the program. Homeowners can also use the site to connect contractors not already involved in the Shingle Recycling Program with a conveniently located recycling facility by selecting ‘Help Green this Contractor.’ Additionally, the site features an informational video about shingle recycling, educational resources and tools to help homeowners choose the best roof for their needs and budget once they’re ready to replace their roof.
‘Owens Corning Roofing Asphalt is dedicated to providing homeowners with high quality, beautiful roofs, but we are also just as dedicated to keeping as many old shingles out of landfills as possible,’ said Hornbacher. ‘We will continue to work with homeowners and contractors to further our commitment to reduce waste and save energy.’
For more information about the program and to locate a contractor that recycles in your area, visit www.roofing.owenscorning.com.
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune® 500 company for 57 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $5.3 billion in 2011 and about 15,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents. Additional information is available at www.owenscorning.com.
SOURCE Owens Corning
New Shingle Recycling Pledge Provides Homeowner Rewards
TOLEDO, Ohio, March 27, 2012 /PR Newswire/ — Beginning today, Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), through its Roofing and Asphalt business, invites homeowners to take the Shingle Recycling Pledge as a way to show their commitment to keep old roofs out of landfills by working with roofing contractors who practice sustainable building practices.
‘According to the Northeast Recycling Center, up to 10 million tons of recyclable shingles are removed from the roofs of U.S. homes and buildings annually,’ said Barry Hornbacher, Owens Corning Roofing and Asphalt Shingle Recycling program manager. ‘By pledging to work with professionals committed to recycling torn-off shingles into pavement, homeowners are helping to ensure their roofing renovation will have less of an environmental impact.’
To take the pledge in markets where recycling is available, homeowners simply visit www.roofing.owenscorning.com and select ‘Recycle Now.’ In addition to connecting with local contractors committed to shingle recycling, everyone who takes the pledge will also receive a free reusable tote bag while supplies last. Homeowners who do not currently have shingle recycling available in their area can show their interest in shingle recycling by filling out a form on the website, which will help Owens Corning Roofing Asphalt rally support from contractors in their local community. To learn more, simply visit the Sustainable Roofing page on the site.
Established in 2009, in alliance with Heritage Environmental Services and Earth911.com, the Owens Corning Roofing Asphalt Shingle Recycling Program is currently active in 39 markets nationwide. Since its inception, the program has recycled more than 95,000 tons of asphalt shingles at the Heritage affiliate locations, the equivalent of saving 95,000 barrels of oil.
‘Today’s homeowners are more involved than ever in selecting the materials and building processes used on their home, with a greater emphasis on sustainable solutions,’ said Hornbacher. ‘By taking the Shingle Recycling Pledge, homeowners will gain a better understanding about the positive impact recycling shingles has on the environment and learn how they can become more involved in the process in their local community. Homeowners looking for green roofing solutions can now choose recycling to achieve definitive results.’
Through a change to Owens Corning Roofing Asphalt’s website, homeowners can search for reputable contractors in their area that already participate in the program. Homeowners can also use the site to connect contractors not already involved in the Shingle Recycling Program with a conveniently located recycling facility by selecting ‘Help Green this Contractor.’ Additionally, the site features an informational video about shingle recycling, educational resources and tools to help homeowners choose the best roof for their needs and budget once they’re ready to replace their roof.
‘Owens Corning Roofing Asphalt is dedicated to providing homeowners with high quality, beautiful roofs, but we are also just as dedicated to keeping as many old shingles out of landfills as possible,’ said Hornbacher. ‘We will continue to work with homeowners and contractors to further our commitment to reduce waste and save energy.’
For more information about the program and to locate a contractor that recycles in your area, visit www.roofing.owenscorning.com.
About Owens Corning
Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass-fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune® 500 company for 57 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability by delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass-fiber technology with sales of $5.3 billion in 2011 and about 15,000 employees in 28 countries on five continents. Additional information is available at www.owenscorning.com.
SOURCE Owens Corning