Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

BENICIA >> Tuesdays City Council meeting covered so much ground, that the cannabis legalization discussion had to be moved to September. But there was plenty of time left for the city to get feedback on the new master fee schedule for services.

The city recently audited all the fees it charges for everything from permits to install a water heater, to building a condominium, to the police responding to a false alarm at a house.

The city had been running deficits and under-recovering for years, which is a way of saying they were spending more on services than they recouped in fees.

The overall costs for services is a macro number that takes into account labor, overhead, and anything else that requires city staff oversight.

The city estimated that only 30 percent of costs were being recovered. With the new proposed schedule, the recovery rate will be 60 percent, with a 40 percent deficit that will most likely be made up by the general fund.

But all of that translates to some fees increasing by as high as 400 percent, a hefty number that hasnt gone over well with residents and business owners.

Gina Eleccion, management analyst and a main architect of the new fee schedule, spearheaded a long study examining existing rates and eventually proposing these latest adjustments.

Some are going up, some are going down, but overall, more revenue will be generated for the city provided people actually apply for permits and not blow them off due to cost.

City Manager Lorie Tinfow defended the fee increases by saying that the citys deficits havent just meant less money coming in than going out, but they have affected the citys ability to attract staff.

Retention issues (mean that) we cannot keep up with the market for salaries and benefits, she said at Tuesdays meeting. Weve lost people. Thats why we are really doing this. We cant keep up with the growing costs.

Beyond being able to offer competitive salaries, there are also contractual pension issues that will be ongoing.

One criticism lobbed at the council from unhappy constituents was the idea that a city should run itself like a business dont pay out more than you take in.

Councilmember Alan Schwartzman has tackled this criticism on more than one occasion, but he addressed it again on Tuesday. Numbers of people say, Why dont you run the city like a business? Well, here we are looking at the cost of doing business, and were not anywhere close in some of these different departments and areas, he said, referring to the under-recovery for services. If you are in business and your costs are going up, what do you do? At some particular point you may have to raise prices.

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So council and mayor unanimously agreed that fees had to go up. The question was, by how much?

Councilmembers focused in on line items in the fee schedule, zeroing in on things like bicycle licenses to taxi permits, and whether or not they are even needed.

Other council members like Mark Hughes wanted to see the most common fees for homeowners reduced.

None of this addressed any anger some constituents had with the overall state of affairs, a few of which spoke during the public comments section of the meeting.

A realtor addressed the council and offered that if fees are too high, people might have less incentive to pull permits in the first place. She also noted that when the proper channels are followed, home improvements are officially noted and property taxes can go up, which is good for the city.

Other residents spoke out about excessive fees and overregulation in government in general.

Resident Wayne Fisher took to the podium and said he was renovating his house and he saw that some fees will be increasing by more than 300 percent. The reality is, you dont know the impact this will have, he said. We heard earlier today from people with their water bills. That was a big increase with unintended consequences. You are facing a similar situation with these increases. If you dont know what [the impact is] you shouldnt increase it. I urge the council to vote no, he said.

Others have taken to social media to decry the new fees, arguing that the permit structure wasnt examined thoroughly and that there was no examination of past permits and their individual rates.

Eleccion did indeed look at old permits and their impacts and rates, but in some cases its an apples to oranges comparison since some fees have switched from a valuation model to piecemeal. For example, if a homeowner was applying for a permit to put in a new kitchen estimated at $50,000, a flat rate wouldve be applied. With the new fee schedule, homeowners will now in some instances pay for each job involved with a project, such as new windows, a new floor, or a new water heater.

When the discussion moved back to council, the mayor asked how Benicia compares to neighboring areas and what they charge for fees.

Eleccion said that we did find ourselves much lower than those cities, though a side-by-side comparison is hard to make since all towns break their numbers down differently.

The mayor then asked what the consequences would be if the new fees were not enacted.

City Manager Lorie Tinfow said the budget would stay as-is, and the reserves would be down below 20 percent. She mentioned that some Measure C funds are unprogrammed and could be an option, and that there were other options that she could look into.

Councilmember Mark Hughes agreed to an increase in fees, but said hed like to re-examine the higher permit fees for the things homeowners will most often need, like new water heaters, roofs, or furnaces.

Schwartzman concurred and said it was a fact of life that prices have to be raised at times. Were trying to run a city here, and everybody in this room counts on services. When the costs go up, what do we do? If we dont have enough money to cover it weve got to get it from some place. We can raise taxes or we can raise fees. We dont have a choice.

Cutting services is an option, he said, but no one wants to do that.

Each councilmember had quibbles with particular fees, but it was determined that they could be changed on down the line after the fees are adopted.

Ultimately, the fee increases were approved, with some reductions in proposed permit charges for new water heaters, furnaces, windows, kitchens, and bathrooms.

Staff will come back later with recommendations for more adjustments, the mayor said.

We need to hold ourselves to the promise of being more effective and efficient, said Patterson. The alternative is really reducing services, and none of us want to do that.

So buckle up, Benicia: fees are going to rise starting Oct. 16.

Continued here:
Benicia City Council approves revamped fee rates for services - Vallejo Times Herald

BOSTON (CBS) After more than 30 years living in the same home, a Southboro couple decided to take on a big kitchen remodel. It didnt turn out exactly as they had planned and thats when they reached out to I-Teams Call 4 Action.

My wifes dream kitchen has been somewhat destroyed because of this situation, explain John Pomfred.

If somebody sells me cabinets I want them to look like they did in the store, said his wife, Sue.

Heres the white line we are referring to, John said as he traced his finger up the edge of a cabinet door.

That white line, is actually a stripe of unstained wood that is revealed or concealed as the wood expands and contracts.

Cabinet with white line showing (WBZ-TV)

Then we realized theres a problem all over the kitchen. Somedays they would be extremely wide, the white lines, and somedays they would be hardly noticeable, John told WBZ-TV.

For two-and-a-half years, John and Sue have been working with Lowes and the manufacturer, Diamond Masterbrand, to fix the issue with their $16,000 cabinets. Replacement doors were ordered twice but the new doors had the same problem. Touch-ups didnt seem to work either.

We are at our wits end and we are frustrated beyond belief. Thats when I called the I-Team, explained John.

When the I-Teams Call 4 Action got involved, Masterbrand agreed to a third attempt to replace the defective doors.

Kitchen remodel (WBZ-TV)

They were approved by John and Sue and they were just installed. In a statement Masterbrand says, Our team worked over the past year to remedy this situation we want our customers to love their new cabinets, and we take their satisfaction seriously.

John and Sue tell us they havent seen any unstained wood on the new doors but the company has agreed to return if any new problems pop up.

When I originally called Call 4 Action, we got action, said John.

If youre having trouble getting results on a consumer complaint let us know about it. Call us at 617-787-7070 or email uswbzcallforaction@cbs.com.

Read the original here:
I-Team's Call 4 Action Helps Couple With Failed Remodeling Job - CBS Boston / WBZ

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on Friday rejected the idea that he would soon join the Trump administration as energy secretary.

Manchin told a town hall crowd at the West Virginia State Fair on Friday that he won't leave to join President Trump's cabinet, a Senate aide confirmed. Manchin is up for re-election in 2018.

A Wall Street Journal reporter also tweeted his remarks and said he won cheers for saying he wouldn't join the administration.

A decision to join the Trump administration would have opened the door for the GOP to try again on Obamacare repeal since Republican Gov. Jim Justice would likely appoint a Republican to fill the seat.

Manchin's name has been floated as a replacement for Rick Perry, who may leave the energy post to become the director of the Department of Homeland Security. That post is open after Gen. John Kelly left to serve as White House chief of staff.

Currently, there is a 52-48 GOP majority in the Senate. The GOP can only afford two defections on any legislation, as Vice President Pence could break a 50-50 tie.

While Manchin says he is staying put, there could be other shuffles in the Senate.

Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., is expected to go to trial in less than a month to fight corruption charges. If Menendez loses then he would leave the Senate and Republican Gov. Chris Christie would appoint a replacement, also likely a Republican.

Christie is expected to leave office in January 2018.

View post:
Joe Manchin won't join Trump's Cabinet - Washington Examiner - Washington Examiner

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U.S is 200 days into a Trump presidency and a lot has happened. While most decisions taken by the Trump Administration have been controversial in some way or the other, this has made it difficult for people to follow whats going. While the travel ban and a few other terms have been flying around, heres a quick run down of all the decisions Trump Administration has taken so far in case it comes up at a dinner party.

1. Paris Climate AgreementIn 2016, World leaders from 195 nations across the globe united against climate change through the United Nations Framework Convention by agreeing to curb greenhouse gas emissions. While America has always preferred to be a spectator in talks regarding curbing of GHGS, the Trump cabinet went a step further. In June 2017 Trump cabinet withdrew from the accord, as Trump felt that the US was getting a raw deal out of it and that it was unfair to the US Economy. He believed it would cost the US $3 trillion in lost GDP and 6.5 million jobs, leaving the US impoverished. However, as matters stand today, the United States is not only the worlds largest economy but also, cumulatively, its largest greenhouse gas emitter. Hence its pulling out significantly weakens the global climate commitment towards the planet.

2.Healthcare Bill

One of the 1st orders of business for the Trump cabinet was to repeal ObamaCare. But the Trump cabinets replacement plan wasnt all that great which led even Republicans rejecting it saying it wasnt enough to just repeal ObamaCare. A second draft of the bill was submitted as well, but Republicans seem divided over the decision. With the plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare still hanging in balance, trump is in the hot seat.

Heres the whole scoop on the U.S Healthcare Bill

3.Travel Ban

The Travel ban is probably the most talked about decision of the Trump cabinet.In January 2017, Trump released an executive order barring entry into US for citizens from 7 Muslimcountries namely Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, as he believed that the immigrants and refugees from these countries posed a serious security threat. He also called for the US to suspend resettling refugees from these regions until extreme vetting procedures can be implemented, including ideological tests to screen out extremists. While the policy got entangled in many lawsuits and 2 attempts by Trump to implement the ban were blocked by U.S courts. the Supreme Court ruled for the partial implementation of the policy and allowed the Trump administration to go ahead with the 90 days ban on visitors from the remaining 6countries and 120 days suspension of US refugee settlements, but asked the White House to ease down on the travel restrictions with respect to the relatives of the existing immigrants in the country.

Just in case you want to know more about the Travel ban

4. Multiple Firings

Ever since Trump assumed the office of POTUS, there have been dismissals galore of various top officials.While Acting Attorney general Sally Yates was fired for asking the travel ban to not be imposed.FBI Director James Comey was let go for his probe into the Russian investigation. Press secretary Sean Spicer resigned after the President appointed Anthony Scaramucci (an unworthy recruit in Spicers opinion) as his communications director. Right after Scaramuccis appointment, White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus was fired 10 days into his job after Scaramucci accused him of leaking information to the media and called him an ineffective Chief of staff.

5.Transgender restrictions

The Trumps administration has taken a series of deliberate steps against the transgender community. In February, the administration withdrew federal protection of transgender students that allowed them to use bathrooms of the gender they identified with in schools. This led to to a full blown debate within the Trump administration itself, but finally the bathroom bill was passed. To add to this, he recently banned transgenders from joining the army and claimed this was because ofthe tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. With about 6,000 or so transgender troops already serving in the military,whether it would it bar trans people from joining the military going forward, or would it force the military to discharge trans people who are already serving is still to be seen.

Read the rest here:
Trump Administration: Things That May Come Up At A Dinner Party - WTDnews (blog)

Former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo. LYN RILLON

No replacement has been named so far for former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo after her rejection by the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, according to presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella.

Taguiwalo was the third Cabinet member rejected by the CA.

Abella said President Duterte had supported her despite their different views, but he has to respect the CAs decision.

We wish Secretary Taguiwalo all the best in her future endeavors. She knows she will always have the Presidents gratitude and friendship for the time, albeit brief, that they spent together in the service of our people, Abella said.

Mr. Duterte had given her his full trust and support even when she sided with leftist groups opposing the Presidents positions, he said.

The social activist-educator would remain the Presidents friend, Abella said.

Abella also said it did not seem likely that Vice President Leni Robredo would replace Taguiwalo as suggested by some netizens, as there might be conditionalities that may not be too favorable regarding that.

Abella was also asked about the results of poll that Assistant Communications Secretary Mocha Uson conducted on her personal Twitter account on who should replace Taguiwalo.

As of Friday afternoon, Leni had 82 percent of the vote. The other options were others, Assistant Social Welfare Secretary Lorraine Badoy, and Prieto-Teodoro, presumably referring to former lawmaker Monica Prieto-Teodoro.

But Abella said Mr. Duterte has a different set of categories when it comes to deciding on Taguiwalos replacement.

Im sure the President has other ways of measuring a candidates capability aside from surveys, he said.

As for Robredo, he said there were conditions that work against the idea of naming her to the post.

He noted that Robredo had resigned from her Cabinet position as housing chief.

Im not saying no for Leni. Im just saying that it seems to be a difficult choice, he said.

Robredo, a top official of the Liberal Party, resigned from the Cabinet after she was told to stop attending meetings.

Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.

See the rest here:
Palace: No replacement yet for Taguiwalo - Inquirer.net

Build This Dreamy Sunroom Addition And Take Advantage Of Life

When you build a sunroom addition this big,it gives you the opportunity to cash in on maximum resale value in the future. This particular design is one of our favorite home extension plans. We like it because the outside rendering came out really well and the interior 3D rendering is also beautiful.

This ultra-spacious sunroom features 9 massive windows with tempered glass, so that the windows themselves can be almost as large as the ceiling height in the room.

In addition to the huge windows, you also have a gorgeous double French door which completes this well designed sunroom. The flooring for this sunroom plan was chosen to be tile and if you look at the interior rendering you will notice two love seats, one rocking chair, one chaise lounge, one recliner, two end tables, one ottoman, and an electric guitar. The only reason we mentioned all the furniture in the room is because we want you to really notice how much more stuff you could put into this sun room addition.

This large sunroom was factored with the extension of HVAC ductwork, which would run underneath in the crawl space foundation. All these factors are in the estimated cost to build below.

Read more:
Premier Four Seasons Sunroom Addition 20 x 18

An addition to the back of their Keswick home brings year-round enjoyment for the whole family

Every morning, you'll find Sandra and Joe Da Costa perched on a bar stool, enjoying a freshly brewed cup of coffee and taking in the panoramic landscape. The stunning view is new for them and is all thanks to their brand new sunroom addition and its dramatically large windows on three sides of the space.

The idea for the sunroom began about 18 months ago with the couple contemplating a three-season addition. During the planning stages, it changed to become a room that they could enjoy the entire year, with heating, air conditioning and a stunning floor-to-ceiling gas fireplace.

Although handy, the Da Costas knew they wanted to hire someone to complete this ambitious plan and found Alair Homes Aurora a premium custom-home builder in York Region. With Alairs expertise and attention to detail, the Da Costas idea quickly started to take shape, and in four months the sunroom project was complete.

Now that the paint has dried, the windows have all been installed and the heated floor is turned on, the Da Costas have added approximately 350 square feet to their home and have successfully turned their old deck into a bright, contemporary space that their whole family can enjoy.

Link:
Family enjoys year-round addition to the back of their Keswick home - YorkRegion.com

A tasty salad of tender pea shoots. Handfuls of fragrant herbs for the stew. Snack veggies for lunch boxes.

Keeping a fresh supply of greens and herbs on hand can be challenging as the growing season winds down, or if you dont have a garden. But now you can plop a planter anywhere in your house, set a few timers, and in about 10 days youll be nibbling greens like a contented rabbit. All year round.

There are a variety of indoor grow gardens on the market that come with everything you need: planter, planting medium, seeds, fertilizer and a high-intensity grow light. Smart tech and remote controls adjust lighting and moisture levels, so even if your thumbs not the greenest, you can still find success.

Linnea and Tarren Wolfe of Vancouver, British Columbia, decided to design a home grower after watching their kids gobble up sunflower and pea-shoot microgreens like potato chips.

Their Urban Cultivator looks like a wine fridge. It comes as a free-standing unit, topped with a butcher block, or it can be installed under the counter and hooked up like a dishwasher. The company offers an extensive seed selection, but anything from your local garden center will grow. (www.urbancultivator.net)

Linnea Wolfe advises home gardeners to do some research into the benefits of the edible, immature greens known as microgreens.

Most of them only take about 7 to 10 days to grow, she says. You can mass-consume them, and the health benefits are extraordinary.

The indoor garden trend is part of a, well, growing movement, says New York landscape architect Janice Parker.

The technology of these kits simplifies hydroponic gardening at its best, and makes it available to all, she says. You dont need a yard, or favorable weather.

What a pleasure to have fresh herbs, flowers and vegetables, and experience a connection to nature no matter where you are, says Parker.

She thinks these kits shouldnt just be relegated to the kitchen.

Id put them anywhere dining room tables and coffee tables come to mind. Or in dead spaces that have no light or interest, she says.

She recommends growing plants with both flavor and flair: Chives, dill, rosemary, fennel, basil and nasturtiums all have gorgeous flowers and beautiful foliage.

Miracle Gros line of Aerogarden indoor planters includes the Sprout, which is about the size of a coffee maker and suitable for herbs, as well as a larger model in which you could grow just about anything. Pre-packaged seed pods like lettuces, cherry tomatoes, herb blends and petunias come ready to pop in the planter. An LCD control panel helps adjust lighting and watering needs. (www.miraclegro.com)

Click & Grows planter is compact. It has room for three plants, and an integrated LED light pole and special lightweight soil are included. The planter comes in white, gray or beige. Theres a walnut wood case available for the herb model. (www.clickandgrow.com)

LA Urban Farms vertical garden would make a vibrant addition to a sunny kitchen or sunroom. A circulating pump brings a soothing burble of water up and through the tower-shaped planter.

So what to grow in it, if youre a novice?

Leafy greens such as arugula, kale and butter lettuce, and herbs such as parsley, cilantro, thyme and oregano prove to be easiest for indoor growing, says LA Urban Farms founder, Wendy Coleman, of Los Angeles. These plants require less light, have an easy germination process and typically grow more quickly than other produce.

See original here:
Indoor grow gardens bring your gardening inside - Uniontown Herald Standard

By KEN LAHMERSReporter

AURORA The citys landmark commission on Aug. 17 granted certificates of appropriateness, which will allow renovations at three historic district homes.

One of the homes is known by many longtime Aurorans as"the Green Monster." It is the large Queen Anne-style home at 50 S. Chillicothe Road, which has a new owner. It acquired its nickname because of its exterior green paint.

The other structures are located at 432 Eggleston Road and 270 S. Chillicothe Road.

"The Green Monster" eventually might not be green anymore, since new owner Helen Peterson announced she is considering repainting it a blue-gray color with white trim.

The home was built in 1898 and was owned by Willis J. Eldridge, a cheese merchant, in its early years. More recently, it was owned by former City Councilwoman Marcia Colombo and her husband Donald.

Architect George Clemens outlined plans to convert a screened porch in the back into a sunroom, replace some windows and add some railings around the front porch to closer match the houses original look.

Meanwhile, exterior alterations and additions were approved for the Eggleston Road home now owned by Robert and Charlotte Emrick and historically known as the Chauncey Eggleston house. He was one of Auroras early settlers.

Eggleston, a member of the Ohio Senate from 1830-33, built the federal-style brick and stone house in 1831 after he moved to Aurora from Connecticut in 1807. It sets on a 14-acre parcel.

The Emricks plan an addition to the existing garage, adding a breezeway between the house and existing garage and a dormer and building a detached barn/workshop behind the house and garage.

Landmark panel chairman Jeff Clark commended the Emricks for their desire to improve the historic property.

The third certificate of appropriateness was granted to Isaac Pennock for his South Chillicothe Road home. He plans to replace 13 of 21 windows in the house because they are deteriorating.

In another matter, panelist John Kudley, president of the Aurora Historical Society, announced the dedication of an Ohio Historic Marker focusing on the Geauga Lake area will be Sept. 17 at 3 p.m. at the Geauga Lake Improvement Associations lakeside property on Route 43 across from East Boulevard.

The public is welcome to attend the dedication.

Email: klahmers@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-541-9400 ext. 4189

Read the original:
Renovations eyed to historic homes in Aurora - Columbus Alive

A tasty salad of tender pea shoots. Handfuls of fragrant herbs for the stew. Snack veggies for lunch boxes.

Keeping a fresh supply of greens and herbs on hand can be challenging as the growing season winds down, or if you don't have a garden. But now you can plop a planter anywhere in your house, set a few timers, and in about 10 days you'll be nibbling greens like a contented rabbit. All year round.

There are a variety of indoor grow gardens on the market that come with everything you need: planter, planting medium, seeds, fertilizer and a high-intensity grow light. Smart tech and remote controls adjust lighting and moisture levels, so even if your thumb's not the greenest, you can still find success.

Linnea and Tarren Wolfe of Vancouver, B.C., decided to design a home grower after watching their kids gobble up sunflower and pea-shoot microgreens "like potato chips."

Their Urban Cultivator looks like a wine fridge. It comes as a free-standing unit, topped with a butcher block, or it can be installed under the counter and hooked up like a dishwasher. The company offers an extensive seed selection, but anything from your local garden center will grow. (www.urbancultivator.net)

Linnea Wolfe advises home gardeners to do some research into the benefits of the edible, immature greens known as microgreens.

"Most of them only take about 7 to 10 days to grow," she says. "You can mass-consume them, and the health benefits are extraordinary."

The indoor garden trend is part of a, well, growing movement, says New York landscape architect Janice Parker.

"The technology of these kits simplifies hydroponic gardening at its best, and makes it available to all," she says. You don't need a yard, or favorable weather.

"What a pleasure to have fresh herbs, flowers and vegetables, and experience a connection to nature no matter where you are," says Parker.

She thinks these kits shouldn't just be relegated to the kitchen.

"I'd put them anywhere - dining room tables and coffee tables come to mind. Or in 'dead' spaces that have no light or interest," she says.

She recommends growing plants with both flavor and flair: "Chives, dill, rosemary, fennel, basil and nasturtiums all have gorgeous flowers and beautiful foliage."

Miracle Gro's line of Aerogarden indoor planters includes the Sprout, which is about the size of a coffee maker and suitable for herbs, as well as a larger model in which you could grow just about anything. Pre-packaged seed pods like lettuces, cherry tomatoes, herb blends and petunias come ready to pop in the planter. An LCD control panel helps adjust lighting and watering needs. (www.miraclegro.com)

Click & Grow's planter is compact. It has room for three plants, and an integrated LED light pole and special lightweight soil are included. The planter comes in white, gray or beige. There's a walnut wood case available for the herb model. (www.clickandgrow.com)

LA Urban Farms' vertical garden would make a vibrant addition to a sunny kitchen or sunroom. A circulating pump brings a soothing burble of water up and through the tower-shaped planter.

So what to grow in it, if you're a novice?

"Leafy greens such as arugula, kale and butter lettuce, and herbs such as parsley, cilantro, thyme and oregano prove to be easiest for indoor growing," says LA Urban Farms' founder, Wendy Coleman of Los Angeles. "These plants require less light, have an easy germination process and typically grow more quickly than other produce."

View post:
Is it time to bring your garden indoors? - Lewiston Morning Tribune (subscription)