City Council Monday night passed an ordinance that amends city regulations to allow for sheds to be a permitted accessory structure in all residential zoning districts, but it did not have unanimous support of the members.

District 2 Councilman John Carioscia voted against the ordinance amendment. Sheds were only allowed in back yards before now.

The ordinance regulates the placement of the sheds to the side yard or back yard, as long as required setback are observed. Sheds in a side yard must be screened from view by using landscaping, a wall, or combination of both. They also are restricted to a maximum of 160 square feet.

Sheds were added to the list of permitted accessory structures for single-family or duplex residential property, but not for vacant lots. The list of permitted accessory structures now includes sheds, garages, satellite antennas, sun shelters, gazebos, play houses and recreational facilities.

In other action:

* A resolution urging tobacco retailers in Cape Coral to voluntarily restrict the sale and marketing of candy-flavored tobacco products aimed at young consumers also met with mild resistance, but passed by a 6-2 vote. Island Coast High School students representing Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), made a brief presentation to council about the health hazards associated with tobacco products. However, the resolution does not restrict the sale of those products in any way, just asking for voluntary compliance.

* An ordinance authorizing the city to enter into a five-year lease agreement with D&D Matlacha Bait & Tackle on Pine Island Road for the use of city property along the canal waterfront adjoining the shop for boat storage, parking and docking purposes passed unanimously. The agreement generates a share of the revenue for the city from rental and storage fees charged patrons by D&D. The monthly rental fee to the city includes a modest increase to $3,000 per month.

* Council unanimously approved an ordinance allowing pre-existing single family residences that are used as a model home in the Marketplace Residential district to retain their status as pre-existing residences under certain conditions.

* Council corrected an error regarding property on Northwest 37th Place owned by Alvis and Joan Dobson. For unknown reasons, the city was inadvertently added by a title company as a grantee on the warranty deed conveying the property to the Dobsons in a 2003 sales transaction. The city voted to execute a Quit Claim Deed document removing all claim to the parcel.

* Council and City Attorney Dolores Menendez recognized attorney Brian Bartos for 15 years of service on the city attorney's staff, describing him as an invaluable asset.

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Shed regulations amended

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Festivalgoers fail to clean up after Rhythm and Alps music festival, held in Wanaka on New Year's Eve.

Empty tents, upturned gazebos and chilly-bins sit abandoned while air-beds and broken jandals litter the ground.

A new video has emerged showing the large amount of waste and camping equipment left behind after the Rhythm and Alps music festival, held in Wanaka on New Year's Eve.

Alex Turnbull, general manager of Rhythm Group Entertainment, the company behind the festival, said the mess is becoming increasingly typical of concertgoers worldwide.

''I think it's the new reality where people think that it is OK to just leave things because someone else is paid to clean it up," he said.

''I doubt after staying at your friend's place you would just drive off and leave your stuff on their front lawn.''

In a temporary city, built for 10,000 people and evacuated after 48 hours, it is inevitable that some things will get left behind, but Turnbull thinks the increasing availability of cheaper camping equipment is contributing to the growth of the mess.

''In the weeks before summer some places advertise these cheap tents specifically for music festivals and not for serving wet or windy conditions.

''They often don't last, zips break or it's too much of a hassle so it is just easier to abandon them there.''

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What festivalgoers leave behind

Empty tents, upturned gazebos and chilly-bins sit abandoned while air-beds and broken jandals litter the ground.

A new video has emerged showing the large amount of waste and camping equipment left behind after the Rhythm and Alps music festival, held in Wanaka on New Year's Eve.

Alex Turnbull, general manager of Rhythm Group Entertainment, the company behind the festival, said the mess is becoming increasingly typical of concertgoers worldwide.

''I think it's the new reality where people think that it is OK to just leave things because someone else is paid to clean it up," he said.

''I doubt after staying at your friend's place you would just drive off and leave your stuff on their front lawn.''

In a temporary city, built for 10,000 people and evacuated after 48 hours, it is inevitable that some things will get left behind, but Turnbull thinks the increasing availability of cheaper camping equipment is contributing to the growth of the mess.

''In the weeks before summer some places advertise these cheap tents specifically for music festivals and not for serving wet or windy conditions.

''They often don't last, zips break or it's too much of a hassle so it is just easier to abandon them there.''

The site has since been cleared and cleaned by local community groups and schools looking to fundraise.

''Our focus after the festival is getting it cleaned up as fast as possible and keeping the locals happy," Turnbull said.

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Festivalgoers fail to clean up

Picture: David Bailey Koombana pontoon a sure bet

Beachgoers jumped for joy with the installation of Bunburys first floating swimming pontoon, as the city sweltered through a scorching weekend.

Located in the boating prohibited area at Koombana Bay Beach, the swimming pontoon features non-slip UV resistant decking, two ladders, and low-maintenance lightweight fabrication.

Beachgoer Shontaye Hempelis, 12, said she had already jumped off it about 50 times.

Its really good, she said.

I want to use it heaps this summer.

Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said the pontoon was a fantastic addition for families and individuals who frequent Bunburys beaches.

This pontoon will benefit swimmers of all ages over the summer months, he said.

Leisure beach activities such as this help to encourage people to visit our beaches and complement other beach activities such as the recent Stand Up Paddleboard operator and the gazebos and shade sails already at Koombana Beach.

If the hot weather at the weekend is any indication, Bunbury beaches are sure to be packed this summer.

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Koombana pontoon a sure bet

Palmdale, CA (PRWEB) January 14, 2014

Whats the key to attend more sales? Diversification. Leading canopy tent supplier ace canopy has decided to leave no stone unturned in its quest to offer canopy tents to the public. Temporary shelter has many applications but has been limited to higher income customers due to cost. This year, Ace canopy has decided to create of line of pop-up tents and temporary canopies that are more affordable yet look more like the expensive kind. Many customers want canopy tents for temporary use but cannot afford them. Due to the cost of heavy-duty materials, Ace is bringing out a new line of light duty framed and center material canopy tents for temporary use that still look like the higher end quality tents.

Ace canopy CEO and founder Michael Stein says, Due to the economy for the past several years. Many customers have held out from getting canopy tents due to their budget. Our new line of canopy tents and gazebos enable the customer to have a product that looks expensive, but cost much less. Granted that the frames of material are not as of high quality as our heavy-duty models this still gives the customer an opportunity to have a product that looks good, albeit only temporary use.

Many of the canopy tent patterns were modeled after the higher end shelters, but the thickness of the fabric and gauge of the steel frames were minimized to bring down the cost. According to the canopy company, many customers only need these tents for a weekend or 2 out of the year, but would like something that looks nice but cost much less than the industrial models. The company also wanted to compete with rental companies. Many times a rental company will charge nearly 30% of the actual cost of a tent. The new ace canopy models are approximately 60% less than the commercial grade canopies. This makes owning an option as opposed to renting.

See the original post here:
Ace Canopy Launches 2014 Line Canopy Tents

Water pipe reconnected but needs to be stabilised.

A huge effort by Gisborne District Council staff and contractors Fulton Hogan has seen Gisbornes main water pipe reconnected four days after it first broke. The pipeline bringing high quality water down from Mangopoike Dams to the Waingake Treatment Plant broke early on Tuesday morning. Since then a major repair job has been underway. The broken pipe was buried by six metres of material and had to be dug out. Large quantities of dirt and vegetation have been removed to unearth the pipe, extensive work completed to stabilise the site and gazebos have even been erected so that pipe welding could continue in the rain.

The broken pipe has now been joined but we are not out of the woods yet, says deputy chief executive Peter Higgs. The pipe is not ready for water at the moment. The area where the pipe broke is steep and has never been particularly stable due to extensive bush felling prior to 1940. The area is regenerating. Trees were planted to increase stability but the risk of slips will always be an issue. Piles are now being entrenched into the steep slope. They will be used to support the pipe where the break occurred.

Only then will we start testing the repairs by allowing a small amount of water to be gravity fed down through the pipe. This is likely to happen early next week. We will continue testing the repaired pipe for the next ten days starting with a flow of 200m3 per hour and building to full capacity (1000m3 per hour).`

Considering the scale of the repair and the dedication of staff and contractors working 24/7 we are happy with the speed with which this crisis is being resolved. It is just in time; with food processing starting full production next week, we will need all the water we can get.

Gisborne people again made a huge effort saving water. Daily consumption to 8am today (Saturday 11 January) was 12,302m3; well under the saving target despite no rain yesterday.

We are very grateful for the magnificent water saving efforts of the Gisborne public, added Mr Higgs. With water consumption down by a third again yesterday, storage in the city reservoirs has increased. This means that water rationing is looking less likely and that there will be no disruption to the districts major food processors.

Peoples water saving efforts have been inspirational. We have had examples of businesses volunteering to stop services that use a lot of water, many people contacting us with water saving tips, neighbours working together to ensure all in their area know about the water situation and dont use their hose. We will be meeting with the major industrial water users next week to thank them for their efforts and discuss how we can work together to meet our water usage targets.

Water usage figures are likely to jump next week as food processors increase production.

Gisborne people and businesses need to be careful with water for the next 10 days and the hose ban will continue until the end of summer.

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Water pipe reconnected but needs to be stabilised

Gisborne residents are continuing to save water following a large landslide which severed a water pipe, causing major issues for the town's water supply.

Water consumption in the area is now down by a third, meaning water rationing planned for next week will likely not be needed.

Gisborne District Council deputy chief executive Peter Higgs is happy with what residents have managed to achieve.

"Our target was to reduce water use to less than 14,000 cubic metres per day. This was achieved yesterday. Thank you to all the Gisborne people who have made this happen."

A large landslide in the Mangapoike area resulted in a total ban on watering lawns and gardens and left engineers working frantically to stabilise land affected by the pipeline.

"Good progress is being made fixing the pipes," says Mr Higgs. "Fulton Hogan, the contractor tasked with the repair job, has had staff working 24/7. They have brought in a range of subcontractors to get the job done as soon as possible.

"While yesterday's rain was brilliant in reducing demand for water, it had the potential to delay the pipe welding. This hold up was overcome by erecting rain proof gazebos above the areas where the welding was required."

It is expected water will be flowing freely through the pipe again by mid-way through next week.

"In the meantime it is vital that we all keep our water use to a minimum. Until the pipe can reliably bring water from the Mangopoike Dams into the Waingake Treatment Plant we will continue to rely on emergency supplies from the Waipaoa Treatment Plant, and a small amount from the Te Arai River.

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Gisborne avoids water rationing

A major repair job has seen Gisborne's main water pipe reconnected four days after it first broke, but it needs to be stabilised before it will be ready to carry water again, the council says.

The pipeline from the North Island east coast city's Mangopoike Dams broke early on Tuesday morning, and a major repair job has been underway since, involving staff and contractors working around the clock, Gisborne District Council deputy chief executive Peter Higgs said.

The broken pipe was buried by six metres of material and had to be dug out.

Large quantities of dirt and vegetation were removed to unearth the pipe, extensive work completed to stabilise the site and gazebos were erected so that pipe welding could continue in the rain.

The broken pipe has now been joined but is not ready for water yet, Higgs said.

"The area where the pipe broke is steep and has never been particularly stable due to extensive bush felling prior to 1940.

"The area is regenerating. Trees were planted to increase stability but the risk of slips will always be an issue."

Piles being entrenched into the steep slope will be used to support the pipe where the break occurred, Higgs said.

"Only then will we start testing the repairs by allowing a small amount of water to be gravity fed down through the pipe. This is likely to happen early next week."

The water saving efforts of the Gisborne public had been inspirational and water rationing was looking less likely, he said.

Read more from the original source:
Gisborne water pipe repaired

A huge effort by Gisborne District Council staff and contractors Fulton Hogan has seen Gisbornes main water pipe reconnected four days after it first broke. The pipeline bringing high quality water down from Mangopoike Dams to the Waingake Treatment Plant broke early on Tuesday morning. Since then a major repair job has been underway. The broken pipe was buried by six metres of material and had to be dug out. Large quantities of dirt and vegetation have been removed to unearth the pipe, extensive work completed to stabilise the site and gazebos have even been erected so that pipe welding could continue in the rain.

The broken pipe has now been joined but we are not out of the woods yet, says deputy chief executive Peter Higgs. "The pipe is not ready for water at the moment. The area where the pipe broke is steep and has never been particularly stable due to extensive bush felling prior to 1940. The area is regenerating. Trees were planted to increase stability but the risk of slips will always be an issue. Piles are now being entrenched into the steep slope. They will be used to support the pipe where the break occurred."

"Only then will we start testing the repairs by allowing a small amount of water to be gravity fed down through the pipe. This is likely to happen early next week. We will continue testing the repaired pipe for the next ten days starting with a flow of 200m3 per hour and building to full capacity (1000m3 per hour)."

"Considering the scale of the repair and the dedication of staff and contractors working 24/7 we are happy with the speed with which this crisis is being resolved. It is just in time; with food processing starting full production next week, we will need all the water we can get."

Gisborne people again made a huge effort saving water. Daily consumption to 8am today (Saturday 11 January) was 12,302m3; well under the saving target despite no rain yesterday.

We are very grateful for the magnificent water saving efforts of the Gisborne public, added Mr Higgs. With water consumption down by a third again yesterday, storage in the city reservoirs has increased. This means that water rationing is looking less likely and that there will be no disruption to the districts major food processors."

"Peoples water saving efforts have been inspirational. We have had examples of businesses volunteering to stop services that use a lot of water, many people contacting us with water saving tips, neighbours working together to ensure all in their area know about the water situation and dont use their hose. We will be meeting with the major industrial water users next week to thank them for their efforts and discuss how we can work together to meet our water usage targets."

Water usage figures are likely to jump next week as food processors increase production.

Gisborne people and businesses need to be careful with water for the next 10 days and the hose ban will continue until the end of summer.

About 80% of the city water supply is currently being supplied from the Waipaoa River and treated through the Waipaoa Treatment plant. This water is described as 'hard water' with higher levels of calcium and magnesium than the soft water normally supplied from Mangapoike Dams. http://www.gdc.govt.nz/drinking-water-hard-or-soft/

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Gisborne water pipe repaired 'but needs to be stabilised'

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GazeboShowcase - Gazebos - Outdoor in Aluminum, Fabric, Metal