Scottsboro City Council Meeting, Aug 26, 2013 First Monday Trade Days Weekend - Labor Day

Scottsboro's First Monday

 

 

Scottsboro City Council Big News - Scottsboro Boys & Girls Club to be assisted by the City of Scottsboro as the Gadsden Boys & Girls Clubs folds due to financial problems. Mayor proclaims September as Drug Awareness Month; Chief of Police Ralph Dawe and Dr. Judy Berry, Schools Superintendent make comments. See video below.

 

Cruise In Saturday August 31st, 2013

 

 

City Council Agenda

Next City Council Meeting will be on Sep. 9, 2013; work session and regular session.

 

VIDEO

 

Jackson County Commission Work Session and Regular Session, Aug. 26, 2013; The Big One - Labor Day First Monday Trade Day Weekend

Jackson County Commission, from Right to Left: Mr. Miller, Mr. Guffey, Mr. Hodges-Chairman, Mr. Ledwell and Mr. Venable.

 

 County Commission Big News was Mr. Bob Manning's selection as County Administrator. Reports indicate Mr. Manning is an Accountant and has worked with Defense contractors for some period of time. Agenda Items from the work session were approved in the regular session.

 

Agenda and Video of meeting below. Don't forget, this weekend is Labor First Monday.

This Saturday, Sunday and Monday is the Labor Day First Monday and Art In the Park

 

A commercial I bought and arranged in 2007 to advertise First Monday. This year the event is on Aug 31st, Saturday, thru Sep, 2nd, Monday.

 

 

The dollar just ain't worth what it used to be. Trickle down economics.

Car Show with entertainment after 5PM

 

The Clarion's report on area events: http://www.theclarion.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6760:labor-day-weekend-full-of-activities&catid=42:clarion-rotation-stories&Itemid=142

 

 

COMMISSION AGENDA

Daily Sentinel article on administrator selection:  http://thedailysentinel.com/news/article_48edac24-10ae-11e3-87cd-001a4bcf887a.html

 

VIDEO

 

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TVA Quarterly Board of Directors Meeting, August 22, 2013 Knoxville, Tennessee - MORE DEBT

(TVA old logo, Fair Use Rights for non-profit educational usage)

 

BIG NEWS - MORE DEBT - HIGHER RATES

3rd Quarter FY 2013 Tennessee Valley Authority's Quarterly Board meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee - TVA links:.
Meeting News Release
TVA Presentation
Solar News Release
Rate Action Fact Sheet
Solar Programs Fact Sheet
Renewable Programs Fact Sheet
Video of listening session
Video of meeting

 

 Big news - TVA debt continues to grow, executives give excuses and predict the debt will fall but offer no reasonable, sensible solution for debt reduction. Also, this is an old story that has been told for the past 25 years.

 

 The Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors approved a $10.5 billion fiscal year 2014 budget at its meeting Thursday and a 1.5 percent retail rate increase.

Rate Adjustment

-The TVA board of directors approved a 1.5 percent retail electric rate increase, effective with the FY 2014 budget on Oct. 1, 2013.

-The increase will be about $1.50 a month for the residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Chattanooga Times Free Press article: "TVA directors today approved a $10.5 billion budget for fiscal 2014 that will raise base rates by 1.5 percent on Oct. 1. The increase will boost the monthly electric bill for a typical residential customer about $1.50."    http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/aug/22/tva-power-demand-falls/   also: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/aug/23/tva-rates-rise-power-sales-decline/

 

TVA DEBT 

Office of the Inspector General Special Project, Special Project 2009-13007-01

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Link: http://oig.tva.gov/reports/PDF/11rpts/2009-13007-01.pdf

"Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) faces a challenging financial situation in the near future. The company is making significant investments to improve the condition of existing assets, bring new ones on-line, and comply with environmental regulations. At the same time, TVA is

approaching a statutorily imposed debt ceiling of $30 billion, a major impediment to making

needed investments. TVA currently projects that it will have accumulated approximately $27.4

billion in debt and debt-like instruments in fiscal year (FY) 2012. Furthermore, in light of the nation’s current weak economy and TVA’s increased borrowings being considered part of the

federal deficit, TVA could have difficulties in getting the debt ceiling raised."

 

The TVA OIG Report gives a historical accounting of TVA debt which I summarize as follows: (A) 1996- $26 billion debt, Executives stated they would reduce the debt by half to $13.2 billion in 10 years, they failed. (B) 2004 and subsequent years up to 2011 there were several attempts to reduce debt, all failed. History listed on page 6 of the OIG report at the above link.

 

TVA's CFO John Thomas, Aug. 22, 2013, makes more debt predictions.

 

TVA Raccoon Mountain 1600 Mega Watt Pumped Storage Facility Update 

VIDEO Part 1 Presidents Report

 

 

VIDEO Part 2 Financial Report 

 

TVA Board Chairman Bill Sansom 

 

TVA OIG Report as mentioned in the Quarterly Report,  ( Aug. 5. 2013 OIG Report, link: http://oig.tva.gov/reports/audit-inpsections.html  ) no conflicts of interest, concerning Mr. Sansom's Director positions with other private corporations doing business with the TVA.   (Full Report)

 

 Chairman of the TVA and on Bank Corporation Board of Directors (resigned in 2012), page 6 of the OIG Report, TVA paid over $6 million dollars to the Bank in 2010. The OIG reports no conflicts of interest but leaves it up to the public to determine if there was the appearance of a conflict of interest.

 

Other companies did provide products to the TVA in which the Chairman served on the board. However, it was stated that the chairman was not involved in any of the transactions, which were small in size. 

 

Information gathered and presented at the last TVA Board Meeting, and to the OIG for their disposition of choice, was public information available and accessible on the web about the public and private corporate offices held by Mr. Sansom, including his reportable financial holdings.

 

Individual employed by TVA is not Mr. Sansom's relative although the the name is the same as his relative.

 

Chattanooga Times Free Press article: "Charges against TVA chairman dismissed" http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2013/aug/22/charges-against-tva-chairman-dismissed/?news  There never were any charges as the inquiry was an "administrative inquiry" (OIG report) as a result of publically available information concerning Mr. Sansom.

 

"Nuk'em Bills" - More Costs and Debt for Watts Bar?

 

Scottsboro City Council Work Session - Scottsboro Boys and Girls Club Discussion, Aug 19, 2013

 

Monday August 19, 2013 was a work session of the Scottsboro City Council.

The Big Topic-Scottsboro Boys and Girls Club

 

AGENDA

 

VIDEO

Alabama Republicans and Gun Control - Removal of Concealed Carry Rights

 THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF ALABAMA CREATES GUN FREE ZONES

DID THEY KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING?

Does the Republican Party of Alabama understand their new law removes individual rights of concealed carry when a sign is posted: "No Firearms Allowed" and the facility has security measures in operation.

Do Alabama citizens understand that the elected Republican representatives in Alabama passed a law which removes Second Amendment Rights to "bear arms?"

This is what a citizenry receives when they do not know who or what they are electing! Yet the Republicans bash President Obama at every opportunity. When has Mr. Obama removed your concealed carry rights Alabama citizens?

The Law: "Section 6b of the new Alabama law says a person may not possess or carry a firearm inside any building or facility to which access of unauthorized persons and prohibited articles is limited during normal hours of operations by the continuous posting of guards and the use of other security features..." That would include Walmart and any other store that has cameras, controlled entry and security staff, which they have. This includes all sorts of buildings where there is any sort of control.

REPUBLICANS-thanks for nothing and removing my rights to concealed carry. You have done nothing but ban firearm's concealed carry rights from law abiding citizens.

SB286, since passed, is confusing and ridiculous.

http://localtvwhnt.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/localtvwhnt-files-wordpress-com_2013_05_sb286-enr-1.pdf

 

 

TVA COAL ASH and RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Electricity for all, at what costs in human suffering, costs to taxpayers and TVA ratepayers?

 

 

Arrowhead Landfill near Uniontown,  Al. (photo - southernstudies.org)

 

TVA COAL ASH and RACIAL DISCRIMINATION: ADEM (Alabama Department of Environmental Management) could loose all Federal funding, totaling near $54 million, due to discriminatory acts against minority peoples in the State of Alabama claims environmental groups and their attorneys.

The claim originated as a result of ADEM's refusal to meet with concerned citizens and environmental groups due to the dumping of TVA coal ash which has contaminated local water supplies in Uniontown, Alabama. Other states have refused to accept TVA's coal ash due to high contamination levels of dangerous substances such as Arsenic, Mercury, and other heavy metals.

 

This action is poised to cost Alabama taxpayers and TVA ratepayers an enormous amount of money. Discrimination, mismanagement and corruption does not bring positive results. Read more, including the full press release from concerned citizens and their attorneys at  http://scottsborostories.blogspot.com/2013/08/tva-coal-ash-and-racial-discrimination.html

 

Scottsboro City Council Regular Session Aug 12, 2013

 Scottsboro City Hall (photo by G. Morgan)

 

Monday was a regular session of the Scottsboro City Council.

 

AGENDA

 

VIDEO

Jackson County Commission Regular Session Aug. 12, 2013

Monday was a Regular Session of the Jackson County Commission. (photo by G Morgan)

 

AGENDA

 

VIDEO

 

Jackson County Commission Work Session, Scottsboro, Al. Sheriff Requests Update to Computer System

Patrol officers need data interface-computer updates needed.

                                                AGENDA

Scottsboro, Al. City Council Work Session August 5, 2013

Monday, Aug. 5, 2013 was a work session of the Scottsboro City Council.

Congratulations to the Scottsboro, Alabama, 8 year old, Dizzy Dean Baseball League players. The team received the Sportsmanship Award at the Dizzy Dean World Series recently in South Haven, Ms. http://dizzydeanbbinc.org/bb_world_series.htm  Scottsboro Mayor Potter and City Council President Patrick Stewart made the awards presentation at Monday nights Scottsboro City Council meeting.

AWARDS VIDEO


In other business, the Scottsboro Quarterback Club presented a plan to close Legion Dr. and change the traffic pattern of Cecil St, during home football games. Bids were discussed concerning construction of the façade for the old Derrick Office Building site.

Council Meeting Video

B.B. Comer Bridge Group Meets with Alabama Department of Transportation

M.H. Lynch Family photo. (Fair Use, Educational non-profit usage.)

Mr. John Cooper, Director of the Alabama Department of Transportation commented that building the B.B. Comer Bridge cost approximately $480,000; the state of Alabama furnished the steel and concrete. The Kansas City Bridge Company (KCBC) was the contractor. Mr. Clyde Broadway's father was on the bridge construction crew. Mr. Broadway reported that after the B.B. Comer Bridge was complete KCBC built several bridges throughout the southeast particularly over the Mississippi river and that his father also worked on those bridge construction projects. 

 

B.B. Comer is the last of the Alabama Steel Truss Bridges in existence, all others have been destroyed.

B.B. Comer Bridge, Scottsboro, Al.("Flicker"-no credit listed, fair use non-profit educational usage.)

 

AL.COM - "Group hoping to save historic B.B. Comer Bridge to meet with DOT official Thursday in Scottsboro - SCOTTSBORO, Alabama -- Sen. Shadrack McGill, R-Scottsboro, has set a meeting with John Cooper, director of the Alabama Department of Transportation, to discuss saving historical B.B. Comer Bridge when its replacement is completed next year...McGill announced the meeting on the Facebook page for the group Friends of the B.B. Comer Bridge, which has 3,200 members."

http://blog.al.com/breaking/2013/07/group_hoping_to_save_historic.html

 

Construction on the new bridge begins. Photo by G. Morgan, Dec 5, 2007. The Bob Jones Bridge is on the left and The B.B. comer Bridge is on the right.

 

 

Who was Mr. Braxton Bragg (B.B.) Comer?

 

Alabama Department of Archives (fair use, educational usage) 

"Braxton Bragg Comer (November 7, 1848 – August 15, 1927) was a planter, businessman, and an American Democratic politician who was the 33rd Governor of Alabama from 1907 to 1911, and a United States Senator in 1920. As governor, he achieved railroad reform, lowering rates for businesses in Alabama to make them more competitive with other states..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._B._Comer

 

Ospreys on B.B. Comer Bridge

Ospreys on B.B. Comer by Hank Allen (Fair Usage rights for non profit news and education.)

B.B. Comer Bridge Osprey nesting. There have been at least one nesting pair on the bridge. The Osprey is also known as a Sea Hawk. Ospreys are a protected species. It was stated by the ALADOT Director, Mr. John Cooper, that permission had been granted from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to relocate the nesting Ospreys. Nothing was stated concerning the methodology or when the nesting birds of prey were going to be relocated. Google link with 14 wonderful photos by Hank Allen on these marvelous birds. https://plus.google.com/photos/105427115453635757496/albums/5747910043901334849/5747910200704762306?banner=pwa&pid=5747910200704762306&oid=105427115453635757496 

 

It is of note in Part 2 of this video the multiple statement by Mr. Cooper concerning the required notice advertisements concerning the bridge project in 2002. There was no advertising in any North Alabama newspaper. As stated by Mr. Cooper,  there was advertising in The Montgomery, Mobile and Birmingham newspapers, but none in North Alabama. Should there be a question as to why there was little participation in 2002 during the official public hearings about the bridge demolition.

 

Part 2, comments form ALADOT Director John Cooper.