PLACE Forum

JUNE 19 COLUMN BY LISA BROUILLETTE / THANK GOD FOR ALABAMA’S JEFFERSON COUNTY
http://placeforum.org/blog/2009/06/20/thank-god-for-alabamas-jefferson-county-june-19-2009-column-lisa-brouillette/
First published in the Opelika-Auburn News.

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THROUGH TUESDAY, JUNE 30 —- 11TH ANNUAL JURIED ART EXHIBITION
Held at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center, Auburn Arts Association gallery. Free & open to all.
Come view this 11th annual juried art exhibition / competitive exhibition open to artists and craftspersons in Lee County.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 12:00 – 2:00 pm — EPA WEBCAST: FUNDING & INCENTIVES & BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT
Available online. Registration required; visit www.epa.gov/npdes/training to register.
This webcast, hosted by the EPA, includes: Funding & Incentives, Abby Hall, U.S. EPA, and  Brownfield Redevelopment, Stacy Swartwood, U.S. EPA.  Additional information at http://cfpub2.epa.gov/npdes/outreach.cfm?program_id=0&otype=1.
Note: Your computer must have the capability of playing sound in order to attend these webcasts.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, NOON – 1:00 PM — AUBURN PUBLIC LIBRARY / BROWN BAG LUNCH SERIES: ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Held in the programming room, Youth Services Building, Auburn Public Library, 749 E. Thach Ave.
Free & open to all. Water & coffee provided; bring your lunch.
Speaker/topic:  Auburn resident David Newton lead a talk on alternative energy.
More information: Reference desk at 501-3195 or visit http://www.auburnalabama.org/library/adultprograms.asp#brown.

**Amendment to the zoning ordinance definition of “family” will be discussed at this meeting.**
TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 3:00 pm-OPELIKA PLANNING COMMISSION
Held at 700 Fox Trail, Opelika Public Works bldg. Open to all.  www.opelika.org
Agenda includes:
A.      PLATS (preliminary and prel. & final) – Public Hearing
1.       Arrowhead S/D, Revision of Lot 26A, 2 lots, Lee Road 704, Ray Thomas, Preliminary and Final Approval
2.       Teel S/D, 1st Addition, 2 lots, 447 Lee Road 265, Ken Teel, P/F Approval
3.       Fox Run Development S/D, Resubdivision of Lands, 2 lots, Fox Run Parkway,  Fox Run Development , LLC, P/F Approval
B.      ADMINISTRATIVE PLAT – Ratify
4.       T & D S/D, 2 lots, 550 Lee Road 117, William T. Pitts,  Ratify
C.      REZONING  - Public Hearing
5.       Hamilton Gables, Hamilton Road, 7 acres, from R-3 to PUD
6        Allan & Lisa Campfield, 1 lot (17,000 sf), R-3 to C-2, GC-1
D.      AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE – Public Hearing
7.      Section 2.2 Definitions – Family

TUESDAY, JUNE 23, 3:00 – 6:00 PM — OPELIKA MAIN STREET FARMERS’ MARKET
Held on South Railroad Ave, downtown Opelika. Open to all.
This market is open every Tuesday through out the summer. Produce is grown by local farmers. Please call Velinda at 334.745.0466 or e-mail opelikamainst@aol.com for more information.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM —- ONLINE CONFERENCE / VIRTUAL ENERGY FORUM
Also held Thursday, June 25, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm. Available online at www.VirtualEnergyForum.com.  Free & open to all.
This event, www.VirtualEnergyForum.com, the world’s largest online-only energy conference,  meets twice a year, and is free to attendees. This year’s conference will feature speakers such as Mark Ginsberg of the US Department of Energy, Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute, Fred Krupp of the Environmental Defense Fund as well as leaders from major corporations such as Proctor and Gamble and leading academic institutions such as Harvard. The Virtual Energy Forum offers attendees an opportunity to watch energy experts live via video and get answers to their questions on-the-spot. Besides saving expenses and saving carbon by meeting online instead of flying, attendees of the Virtual Energy Forum also can watch live video case studies on how other companies have implemented energy-efficient solutions, and attendees can even browse a virtual exhibit floor featuring sustainability solutions and text chat with representatives about their products.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 11:00 AM —- PROFESSIONAL BUILDER WEBCAST: STIMULUS AND THE HOUSING MARKET
Available online. Free, but registration required:  http://email.housingzone.com/cgi-bin7/DM/y/hBIYI0QrhIC0e8U0Hdwc0EN
Join this discussion on the federal stimulus package’s effect on housing recovery. Everyone agrees, housing will lead the country out of its economic malaise. Get insight from a leading economist on the effect the stimulus is having, and learn from leading builders and remodelers about how to take advantage of this opportunity.
Panelists:
Moderator – Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director, Professional Builder
Jim Haughey – Chief Economist, Reed Construction Data. With more than 30 years experience as a business economist and more than 20 of those spent monitoring the building and construction industry, Jim has seen everything the market can offer. He brings the strength of a larger economic vision and makes it pertinent for the housing industry.
Jason Stone – Principal, Sage Homebuilders, St. Louis. Jason Stone entered the building industry after designing a model for selling real-estate via the Web. It is his perception that green building will be to this decade what the Internet was to the last: an ultra-fast adoption of a new concept that we will soon wonder how we ever lived without. Sage Homebuilders is holding its own in spite of the collapsed housing market. It has recently expanded to offer green renovations and is finding there’s a high demand for the service.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, —- LRCOG AOMPO PUBLIC MEETINGS / DRAFT 2035 LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLAN (LRTP) Open to all.
11:30 am – 1:30 pm: OPELIKA – Held in the Opelika Ralroad Depot, 1032 South Railroad Ave, Opelika.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: AUBURN — Held in the City of Auburn meeting room, 122 Tichenor Ave, Auburn. (entrance on side of building)
Lee-Russell Council of Govts, on behalf of the Auburn-Opelika Metropolitan Planning Organization (LRCOG AOMPO), will host this first of two public involvement meetings to discuss the draft 2035 Auburn-Opelika Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The draft LRTP addresses all modes of transportation in order to identify changes in local transportation needs. When complete, the LRTP will serve as a guide for efficient and equitable expenditure of transportation funding in the Auburn-Opelika area.
Meeting attendees can view the draft LRTP, discuss the recommended transportation improvements with project staff and submit comments. Comments received at these meetings will be incorporated into the Final LRTP. There will be no formal presentation and each meeting will have identical content.  More info: Keith Bryan, LRCOG, 334-749-5264 or keith.bryan@adss.alabama.gov.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 – YELLOWHAMMER RESTAURANT BENEFIT FOR LEE COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY
Held at the YellowHammer Restaurant, 1465 Patrick Ave, Waverly. www.yellowhammerrestaurant.com
Reservations are required by phone: 334.887.5800.
The YellowHammer Restaurant will hold this benefit for the Lee County Humane Society. The YellowHammer supports the shelter’s goal to construct an on-site spay/neuter facility, which would ensure 100% spay/neuter surgeries for all animals of Lee County prior to adoption. A portion of the proceeds from your meal on Wednesday, June 24 will go directly to the Lee County Humane Society.  The YellowHammer Restaurant offers Gift Certificates and is available for Private Parties and Special Functions.

WEDNESDAY, 5:30 – 7:00 PM — WEEKLY ECO HAPPY HOUR & GREEN DRINKS
Held in the back room of Zazu’s Eclectic Eatery (formerly Buffalo’s), E. Magnolia, downtown Auburn. Open to all.
This is a time and location for people to gather and discuss “Green”/”Eco”/sustainability-related issues while socializing at a locally-owned venue.  Everyone from “professionals” to those who are just curious are welcome. This will be a child-friendly gathering for those with little ones (or even medium-sized ones), with a large space and table/floor space for them to play and still be in direct eyesight/earshot.  Feel free to spread the word to others who might be interested.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM —- ONLINE CONFERENCE / VIRTUAL ENERGY FORUM
Available online at www.VirtualEnergyForum.com.  Free & open to all.
See details above, Wednesday, June 24.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM — 2009 CULTURAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT / ADVANCING OUR CULTURAL IMPRINT www.jcsm.auburn.edu
Held at AU’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. Registration $20, includes lunch & other incidentals.
Space is limited, so register early. Registration, schedule & other details online at www.jcsm.auburn.edu/summit.
Join this gathering of representatives of Alabama’s cultural and educational entities; stay through lunch for informal networking and discussion. The 2009 Cultural Leadership Summit, “Advancing Our Cultural Imprint: A Conversation on Increasing Awareness and Building Effective Advocates for the Arts and Humanities in Our Great State,” will focus on the important role of the arts, history, and culture in generating a desirable quality of life in Alabama. The goal will be to explore how we can come together to support and showcase our crucial significance to economic development, improvement of human resources, and overall enrichment of the lives of the citizens of this state. In difficult economic times, cultural institutions too often find themselves being relegated to a secondary position as the state and individual communities struggle to deal with financial cutbacks. The reality is that in such hard times the role of educational and cultural entities becomes even more vital as a place for dialogue and learning. We not only provide programs for free or minimal cost, but we also provide learning experiences that empower people to set priorities and make decisions for our future. Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Foundation, Alabama Museum Association, the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, and the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 10:00 AM  — ALABAMA HOME BUILDERS LICENSURE BOARD
Held at 445 Herron Street, Montgomery. Ph: 334-242-2230. Open to the public.
PROPOSED AGENDA
I. Call to order, Welcome–10:00 A.M.  –  John T. Manuel, Presiding
II. Roll Call  – Jean Cannaday
III. Voluntary Prayer
IV. Approval of Minutes of the last Board meeting
V. Awards and Presentations
VI. Public Input and/or Appearances Before the Board
VII. Appeals/Hearings  – Kathy Perry Brasfield
VIII. Committee Reports
IX. Staff Report  – Chip Carden
X. Licensure Applications Meeting Standards — Jamie A. Durham
A. Review and Approve New Applications.
B. Review and Approve Expired Applications.
C. Review and Approve Expired Building Official Applications.
D. Ratify and Approve New Applications.
E Ratify and Approve Expired Applications.
F. Ratify and Approve Renewal Applications.
G. Ratify and Approve Inactive Applications.
H. Ratify and approve Expired Inactive Applications.
Licensure Applications for Board Review
I. Board Review–Renewal Applications.
J. Board Review–New Applications.
K. Board Review–Expired Applications.
XI. Legal Report
1. Recovery Fund Review:  Jamie A. Durham — (a) Appeals; (b) Pending Claims; (c) Verified Claims
2. Unlicensed Builders:  Jamie A. Durham — (a)  Consent Agreements; (b)  Settlement Agreements
3. Litigation  – Kathy Perry Brasfield
4. Hearing Officer Recommendations  – Kathy Perry Brasfield
5. Settlement Agreements – Kathy Perry Brasfield
6. Investigative Committee Actions:   Kathy Perry Brasfield
(a) Formal Disciplinary Actions;(b) Informal Disciplinary Actions;(c) Consumer Complaints;(d) Board Complaints
7. Advisory Opinions —   Kathy Perry Brasfield
8. Declaratory Judgments –Kathy Perry Brasfield
9. Attorney General Opinions  – Kathy Perry Brasfield
10. Other Legal Issues  –  Kathy Perry Brasfield
XII. Old Business
XIII. New Business
XIV. Discussion
XV. Adjournment

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, NOON — OPELIKA LIBRARY SPEAKER SERIES / Financial planner, Brenda Dozier
Held at the Lewis Cooper Jr. Memorial Library, 200 S. 6th Street, Opelika.  http://www.opelika.org/Default.asp?ID=435
Free & open to all.  More info: 334.705.5380 or e-mail tcooper@ci.opelika.al.us
Brown bag lunch program. Feel free to bring your lunch; ice, cups & coffee provided.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 3:00 – 6:00 PM — AUBURN FARMERS’ MARKET AT AG HERITAGE PARK
Held at AU’s Ag Heritage Park, Samford Avenue. Free admission.  http://www.ag.auburn.edu/adm/comm/themarket/
The Auburn Farmer’s Market will be held Thursdays, 3:00 pm-6:00 pm, May 21-Aug. 27.  Check out the farmers’ market, a seasonal market which gives local farmers and producers an opportunity to sell directly to their customers, and which gives us all a chance to buy fresh, tasty, locally produced food. Entrance is free, so if you haven’t been before, come and have a look! For more information and directions, visit the website here. (http://www.ag.auburn.edu/adm/comm/themarket/).   For more info on the market, contact market manager Dani Carroll 334-749-3353 or carrodl@auburn.edu. [Note the market has moved from its previous location on Samford Ave across from the Athletic Complex to the greenspace on the opposite side of the park's pond, near the Alfa Farmers Pavilion. The entrance will be on Donahue Drive.]

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 6:30 PM — SAVE OUR SAUGAHATCHEE (SOS)
Held at AU’s Comer Hall, 2nd floor, auditorium. Open to all.
Agenda: 6:30 – social hour; 7:30 – Eric Reutebuch will present an update on SWaMP.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 7:00 PM – SHORT FILM SCREENING / AT THE GNU’S ROOM  www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550.  Free & open to all.
This second installment of the summer short film series at the Gnu’s Room will be hosted by Kerry Weldon. Weldon, a native of Alabama, spent several years in New York working with non-profit film societies. The short films Weldon has chosen are:
“Sangam” directed by Prashant Bhargava
“Transit” directed by Kerry Weldon
“Doki Doki” directed by Chris Eska
“Toward the Near” directed by Austen Menges
“Dear Sweet Emma” directed by John Cernak
Each month’s screening will feature at least one local film maker/director. A short discussion will follow the last film. There is no charge for this event.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 1:00 – 3:00 PM — RAIN BARREL WORKSHOP
Held at Kiesel Park, Auburn. Register via email to Tia Gonzalez gonzats@auburn.edu.
Participants will build and take home a completed rain barrel.

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 7:00 – 9:00 PM — CONCERT: JOHN PETERSON / AT THE GNU’S ROOM www.thegnusroom.com
Held at The Gnu’s Room Bookstore & Coffee House, 414 S. Gay Street, Auburn. More info: Tina Tatum, tina@thegnusroom.com or 334-821- 5550. No cover charge, but  a suggested donation of $5 will go to the performer.
Local singer/songwriter John Peterson will perform two sets of his original music. Peterson plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro and harmonica to accompany his entertaining and thoughtful lyrics.

UPCOMING WORKSHOP:  MONDAY, JUNE 29, 8:00 AM – NOON — ONLINE WORKSHOP:  AGROCLIMATE Available online. Open to all. More info: Brenda Ortiz at 844-5534 or bortiz@auburn.edu Improved ability to understand the impact of both weather and climate enhances producers’ crop management skills. To reduce production risks associated with both climate and weather on crop variability, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System will conduct this AgroClimate Workshop. Brenda Ortiz, an assistant professor in agronomy and soils at Auburn and Extension specialist working in grain crops and precision agriculture, says this workshop will include discussion of the differences in weather and climate and potential effects of climate change on the Southeast. Also, the workshop will introduce participants to AgroClimate, a set of tools designed to support crop management decisions. In addition, participants will have a number of hands-on activities with AgroClimate. The workshop is sponsored by the Southeast Climate Consortium.  http://www.aces.edu/extcomm/npa/newsline/.

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ALABAMA VOICES: TAKE NEW PATH - by Adam Snyder, Director, Conservation Alabama
Alan  Snyder, Executive Director of Conservation Alabama, calls for the state to look to clean energy as a source of job creation. http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/article/20090621/OPINION0101/906200309/1006/OPINION

ACTION ALERT:  SECRET TOXIC COAL SITES
TAKE ACTION TO MAKE THE LOCATION OF TOXIC COAL SITES PUBLIC INFORMATION
Take action to make the location of toxic coal sites public information. We should know if these sites, which contain arsenic, lead and other pollutants, are in our communities.  These coal ash sites are all over the country, so please forward this information to your friends and family so they can take action to find out if a toxic coal site is in their community.
Get more details: http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=115721.0
Take action: http://action.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacy?id=2443
NOTE: For more details on the TVA coal ash spill, and clean-up efforts, see Tenn. ash spill clean-up slow;cause still unknown http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/21/AR2009062100775.html
[PLACE editorial note: Alabamians are understandably concerned over and fighting against a proposal to dump at the Perry County landfill approximately half of the toxic coal ash from the recent TVA accident. Consider the consequences if the EPA and Army Corp of Engineers are allowed to keep secret the locations of other toxic coal sites. How will people know to protect themselves from the environmental hazards posed? According to the Washington Post article noted above, "The ash - which typically contains traces of arsenic and other toxic materials - is stored at 43 other sites in 26 communities around the country, which are so hazardous the Army Corps of Engineers won't disclose their locations." (empahsis added)]

PRODUCT-SAFETY CERTIFIER EXPANDS TO GREEN PRODUCTS
Excerpt from blog: Green Inc. – Energy, the Environment and the Bottom Line- June 2, 2009:
Underwriters Laboratories, whose ubiquitous product-safety labels have made it household name for more than a century, is pushing hard to make a new name for itself as a global environmental-standards tester. On Monday, its five-month-old subsidiary, UL Environment, or U.L.E., awarded its first product certification to a type of recycled drywall called EcoRock. . . . Other products in line to be tested by the U.L.E. program include sunglasses, wind turbines, dishwashers and televisions . . . . U.L.E. certification is the latest in a flurry of environment-related news from Underwriters – including the planned opening of two new solar-panel testing labs in Japan and Germany in 2010; an expansion this summer of the company’s year-old 20,000-square-foot photovoltaic testing center in San Jose, Calif.; the safety-testing of wind turbines in partnership with Germanischer Lloyd of Hamburg, Germany; and its selection as the first nationally recognized testing lab for EnergyStar LED products, in partnership with Luminaire Testing Laboratory in Allentown, Pa.  See full blog post online at http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/product-safety-certifier-expands-to-green/.

CLIMATE CHANGE HITTING POOR IN U.S. HARDEST –  May 29, 2009 article in The Daily Climate
Excerpted from: http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroom/2009/05/Climate-Change-hitting-poor-in-U.S.-hardest
GreenActionResearchers find climate change is having a ‘hidden and often unequal’ impact on minorities and poor in the United States.
. . . “Climate change does not affect everyone equally in the United States,” said Rachel Morello-Frosch, associate professor at the School of Public Health at the University of California, Berkeley and lead author of The Climate Gap. “People of color and the poor will be hurt the most – unless elected officials and other policymakers intervene.”
. . . . according to the researchers:
• Households in the lowest income bracket spend twice the proportion of their income on electricity than those in the highest income bracket. Any policy that increases the cost of energy will hurt the poor the most.
• California industries considered heavy emitters of greenhouse gases have a workforce that is 60 percent minority. Any climate plan that fails to transition those workers to new “green energy” jobs threatens to widen the racial economic divide.
• Minorities and the poor already breathe dirtier air than other Americans and are more likely to lack health insurance. As higher temperatures hasten the chemical interactions that produce smog, they’re going to feel the most impact.
The findings, the researchers say, underscore the need for policymakers to consider environmental justice when addressing climate. Ignoring the climate gap, they warn, could reinforce and amplify current and future socioeconomic and racial disparities.
[The Climate Gap is available at http://college.usc.edu/geography/ESPE/perepub.html; USC Center for Sustainable Cities; The Program for Environmental and Regional Equity/PERE].

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CITY OF AUBURN BOARD VACANCIES:
* Auburn Downtown Redevelopment Authority – three vacancies will be filled at the July 7 City Council meeting. (Incumbents Phillip Fretwell and Jim Douglas have served two full terms; incumbent Robert Poole has served one partial and one full term.)
* Greenspace Advisory Board – one vacancy will be filled at the August 4 City Council meeting. (Incumbent Cliff Webber has served one partial term & is eligible for reappointment.)
* Water Works Board – one vacancy will be filled at the August 4 City Council meeting. (Incumbent James Baird has served one partial term & is eligble for reappointment.)
Citizens interested in serving are encouraged to contact their City Council member, the entire City Council (coagbemail@auburnalabama.org)  or notify the City Manager’s Office at webocm@auburnalabama.org or 501-7260. Information on the city’s boards and commissions, including current members and their terms, available online at http://www.auburnalabama.org/BoardsandCommissions/Boards.aspx.

CITY OF AUBURN / CONSTRUCTION PROJECT STATUS REPORTS (updated weekly)
PUBLIC WORKS: www.auburnalabama.org/pw/status.asp
WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: www.auburnalabama.org/wrm/status.asp

LEE COUNTY COMMISSION CONSIDERING GARBAGE DISPOSAL RATE INCREASE / PUBLIC HEARING JULY 13 www.leeco.us
The Lee County Commission will consider enacting a garbage fee disposal rate increase for citizens of Lee County currently using Lee County Convenience Centers, from $12 a month to $16 a month for residential users and from $24 a month to $48 a month for commercial users. (The current rate was set on Oct. 1, 1995.)  The rate would then be adjusted yearly based upon the Consumer Price Index. A public hearing on the proposed rate increase will be held during the 6:00 pm, July 13, 2009, Lee County Commission meeting after which the County Commission will take action on the proposed increase. If enacted the rate increase would become effective Oct. 1, 2009 to be first collected starting Oct. 1, 2010.

LEE COUNTY FORMS ‘COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE’ FOR 2010 CENSUS
The 2010 Census is quickly approaching and to help spread the word about the Census’ importance, the Lee County Commission announces the formation of a Complete County Committee. The CCC will be comprised of citizens and public agencies and will assist with outreach efforts within the community. Having an accurate count of Lee County citizens is vital to federal funding the county may receive to assist with improving and expanding services.  Interested citizens may contact Wendy Swann at 334-737-3674 or wswann@leeco.us for more information. www.leeco.us

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Thanks for your interest and support.

PLACE Forum
Email: placeforum@gmail.com
Web: http://placeforum.org/blog/
June 22, 2009

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