Genoa to consider cutting fees | Daily Chronicle

Genoa Park District and School District consider lowering impact fees to jump start new construction 

the park board is willing to reduce its fees by 50 percent through the end of 2010

Our need for EAV outweighs our need for impact fees," Wakeley said. "The temporary loss of impact fees is not as great because it's not a housing boom that will require buying land and building new schools."

Lots in the Oak Creek Estates subdivision are selling for half the price they were two years ago, Hoffman said, and he estimated building costs are down 25 percent. He's hoping the reduction in impact fees might be the nudge someone considering building a new home needs to build it sooner rather than later. When the agreement expires at the end of next year, hopefully building will have resumed a more normal pace, he said.

Click on the following for more details of the story:  Genoa to consider cutting fees | Daily Chronicle

Governments attracted to lower borrowing costs of stimulus bond programs | Daily Chronicle

Well Boone County it sure sounds like the days of revenue from DeKalb County prisoners is limited.  Or at least that is what the DeKalb County Administrator seems to be  saying.

DeKalb County was allocated $15 million in Recovery Zone Bonds that it can issue. Of that, $6 million can be used for public projects and $9 million can be used on privately owned buildings.
County officials are planning to use the recovery bonds to expand the jail and courthouse. Though funding options for both buildings have been studied for about a year, the announcement of the stimulus bond programs really brought the projects into focus, County Administrator Ray Bockman said.

Governments attracted to lower borrowing costs of stimulus bond programs | Daily Chronicle

Federal courthouse takes shape - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Am I missing something here?  $100,225,000/200,000 square feet, that is $500 a square foot.  Granted you have to furnish the building but what a number.  And remember this is Rockford not downtown New York City. 

 

The way the cycle goes, the final amount, the $100,225,000, has been approved by Congress and includes everything,” Wehrle said. “It’s all we have to build this building. That’s the only amount of money we have, and we can’t go over it.”
Unique characteristics
Ground was broken in May 2008, and in November, the massive, 200,000-square-foot, seven-story structure will have exterior walls, windows and a roof and be completely closed off to the outdoors.
At that time, the project will be 65 percent complete and work will shift from placing steel girders, pouring concrete slabs and installing the precast facade to the final phase — an estimated one-year interior build-out.
“A significant step is taking place right now,” Wehrle said. “As soon as the steel frame and slabs are in, things become considerably evolved. Once that exterior skin is in, it will go crazy inside. Everything will go from activity outside the building to inside the building.”
Wehrle has served as project manager on about a dozen federal building projects across the Upper Great Lakes region. Each project brings its own unique characteristics, and Rockford is no exception.
“It’s always interesting to see how the different architects bring their own approach to the projects,” she said. Rockford’s architects, Koetter Kim & Associates of Boston, designed the courthouse to radiate a look and feel of openness, representing the transparency of government and justice.
The theme is then echoed in the project’s Art in Architecture commission, the planting of a two-acre urban orchard featuring blooming crab apple trees scheduled for spring 2011 on the courthouse’s front lawn.
“It’s not your typical Art in Architecture project,” Wehrle said. “It’s not just for visitors to the building. It’s a statement for the community, for everyone to see.”
Counting the days
The timing of the project – in the midst of a severe economic downturn and construction drought — has only added to its significance.
“Because of what’s happening in the construction market, the fact that this project is bringing so many jobs to the area is exciting,” Wehrle said.
At its peak, the project is expected to have as many as 400 workers on-site.
That peak is expected to happen this winter when teams of carpenters, drywall installers, painters, electricians, plumbers and other tradesmen start turning the shell of a building into courtrooms, offices, hallways and public spaces.
Tom Dal Santo, director of the 1,000-member Northern Illinois Building and Trades Association, said he and plenty of others are counting the days until the courthouse project is able to put more local laborers to work.
“There are a decent number of people down there now. What’s good about a project like this is it involves all of the trades,” Dal Santo said. “I wish we had six more going up. I still have 150 to 175 folks not seeing a paycheck.”
Staff writer Corina Curry can be reached at ccurry@rrstar.com or 815-987-1371.
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE TIMELINE
1992: First public hearing to discuss need for new U.S. courthouse
2000: New U.S. courthouse for Rockford authorized by the U.S. Judicial Conference
November 2001: Project receives $4.9 million for site acquisition and design development
November 2003: Project receives another $2 million
November 2005: Project receives $34.5 million in construction funds
December 2007: Project receives $58 million
May 2008: Construction begins
May 2009: Ironworkers complete the building’s structural frame
July 2009: Construction begins on the building’s facade
November 2009: Facade expected to be complete, focus to shift to interior build out
November 2010: Construction to be complete
Early 2011: Tenants will move into the new courthouse
Spring 2011: Art in Architecture project, a two-acre urban orchard, will be installed

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Read the rest of the story:  Federal courthouse takes shape - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Lawyers Showed Photos of Covert CIA Officers to Guantanamo Bay Detainees - washingtonpost.com

 

Rather than investigate the CIA officials who undertook the torture, they are now investigating the military lawyers who have courageously stepped up to defend these clients in these sham proceedings."

At the courthouse at the prison, a court security officer, who is thought be in contact with CIA officials, can cut off the audio feed to the public gallery if there is any possibility of lawyers or defendants discussing CIA detention.

Lawyers Showed Photos of Covert CIA Officers to Guantanamo Bay Detainees - washingtonpost.com

Op-Ed Contributor - The Greenback Effect - NYTimes.com

 

The United States economy is now out of the emergency room and appears to be on a slow path to recovery. But enormous dosages of monetary medicine continue to be administered and, before long, we will need to deal with their side effects.

[eventually] truly major changes in both taxes and outlays will be required

get our country back on its feet and flourishing — “whatever it takes” still makes sense. Once recovery is gained, however, Congress must end the rise in the debt-to-G.D.P. ratio and keep our growth in obligations in line with our growth in resources.

Read the entire editorial by clicking on the following:  Op-Ed Contributor - The Greenback Effect - NYTimes.com

Half Of US Homeowners Will Be Underwater By 2011

 

Last week, Deutsche Bank analyst Karen Weaver published a report that shook up the "housing is recovering" crowd.  She predicted that, by next year, nearly half of American homeowners with mortgages will be underwater

Before we go into the details, here's a basic refresher on the US housing market:

• There are approximately 110 million households in the U.S.
• About 75.5 million of these are homeowners.
• Approximately 68% of the 76 million, or 51.6 million, have mortgages.
• 14 million U.S. homeowners, 27% of those with mortgages, were underwater at the end of Q1 (DB estimates)
• DB estimates that nearly half of the 52 million mortgagors will be underwater by the end of next year

Click on the following for the link to Ms. Weaver’s web cast and slide presentation:

Half Of US Homeowners Will Be Underwater By 2011

The following is the link Ms. Weaver’s original Reuters article:  http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Housing/idUSTRE5745JP20090805

Citizen panel could guide Kane budget :: Beacon News :: Local News

A different way to do business—can a county board really listen to citizens? 

Kane County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay proposed the idea just about two weeks ago, but has provided few details. McConnaughay said this week that she has asked all County Board members to submit names for consideration, but some board members said not only were they not asked to submit names,

Kane County Finance Director Cheryl Pattelli said late last month that the county could be facing a deficit of $1.6 million if the cuts are made. The deficit could reach $2.68 million by the end of the current fiscal year if those cuts aren't made.

Click on the following for more of the story:  Citizen panel could guide Kane budget :: Beacon News :: Local News