The Roebling Bridge is slated to close to vehicular traffic for nine months amid a restoration project, officials with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said Thursday. Starting Feb. 1, the bridge will be reduced to a single lane of traffic. Then, beginning Feb. 15, the bridge will close entirely to vehicular traffic for a lengthy restoration project to preserve the 154-year-old historic landmark.The bridge is scheduled to reopen to traffic by the end of November and the overall project is expected to be complete by Dec. 31.The bridge was closed in April 2019 as a safety precaution after sandstone fragments broke from the east side of the north tower. Temporary netting was installed, and the bridge was reopened in August 2019. Transportation officials and representatives of the State Historic Preservation Office have been working to develop a project that will address several issues and help preserve and protect the structure for future generations.The $4.7 million project was awarded to Lithko Restoration Technologies LLC. The project includes masonry work and the repair and replacement of sections of sandstone on the north and south anchorages and towers. Other work includes minor deck and sidewalk repair.The bridge will be limited to a single lane of traffic for two weeks, then closed to traffic altogether for this restoration, said Bob Yeager, chief district engineer for the Department of Highways District 6 office. But we know what a vital connection this is and we will keep a pedestrian sidewalk open during the project.Special traffic signals will be installed to allow for a single lane of traffic.The Roebling Bridge carries approximately 8,100 vehicles a day. Motorists may use the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge (U.S. 25) or the 4th Street/Veterans Bridge (KY 8) to the Taylor Southgate Bridge (U.S. 27) as a detour.

The Roebling Bridge is slated to close to vehicular traffic for nine months amid a restoration project, officials with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said Thursday.

Starting Feb. 1, the bridge will be reduced to a single lane of traffic.

Then, beginning Feb. 15, the bridge will close entirely to vehicular traffic for a lengthy restoration project to preserve the 154-year-old historic landmark.

The bridge is scheduled to reopen to traffic by the end of November and the overall project is expected to be complete by Dec. 31.

The bridge was closed in April 2019 as a safety precaution after sandstone fragments broke from the east side of the north tower. Temporary netting was installed, and the bridge was reopened in August 2019.

Transportation officials and representatives of the State Historic Preservation Office have been working to develop a project that will address several issues and help preserve and protect the structure for future generations.

The $4.7 million project was awarded to Lithko Restoration Technologies LLC. The project includes masonry work and the repair and replacement of sections of sandstone on the north and south anchorages and towers. Other work includes minor deck and sidewalk repair.

The bridge will be limited to a single lane of traffic for two weeks, then closed to traffic altogether for this restoration, said Bob Yeager, chief district engineer for the Department of Highways District 6 office. But we know what a vital connection this is and we will keep a pedestrian sidewalk open during the project.

Special traffic signals will be installed to allow for a single lane of traffic.

The Roebling Bridge carries approximately 8,100 vehicles a day. Motorists may use the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge (U.S. 25) or the 4th Street/Veterans Bridge (KY 8) to the Taylor Southgate Bridge (U.S. 27) as a detour.

Continued here:
Roebling Bridge will close to traffic for 9 months amid restoration project - WLWT Cincinnati

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh bid farewell to his hometown Tuesday night in what his office described as his final state of the city address.

After being nominated to serve as President-elect Joe Bidens labor secretary, Walsh is preparing for life in Washington, D.C.

And the wake of his pending departure leaves behind some deal of uncertainty not just about who will replace Walsh but also when voters will choose that replacement, and just how many times theyll have to do so.

In the short term, Walsh if confirmed by the Democratic-controlled Senate hands off to Boston City Councilor Kim Janey, who as City Council president becomes acting mayor for at least a few months.

In the longer term, its a little less clear.

Walsh is set to leave office in the midst of an election year, with a preliminary election and general election scheduled for September and November, respectively, and two declared candidates City Councilors Michelle WuandAndrea Campbell are already running to be the next mayor. More are expected to jump into the race; Janey herself is even considering a bid for a full term.

However, according to the city charter, Boston is required to also hold a special election if Walsh officially vacates his position within 16 months of the last citywide election or, in other words, before March 5.

Its theoretically possible that the narrowly divided Senate doesnt approve Walshs nomination before March 5, in which case the entire subject becomes a moot point. The first labor secretary under President Donald Trumpwasnt confirmed until April of 2017. However, that was only because the process was delayed after the Republican presidents first labor nominee withdrew. All of Trumps other cabinet nominees wereconfirmed by March 2.

Assuming that Senate Democrats confirm Walsh by March 5, a special election would need to be held between 120 and 140 days after he officially vacates office. And while the charter does not explicitly mention it, officials say the city would also hold a preliminary election for that special election.

All that is to say that Boston voters could be staring down four elections over the course of fewer than six months this year.

Some local elected officials say thats unacceptable, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During a Boston City Council meeting Wednesday afternoon, Councilor Ricardo Arroyo filed a home rule petition to override the special election requirement if Walsh leaves after March 5, calling it irresponsible to schedule multiple elections at a time the region is seeing record levels of the contagious disease and with a vaccine still months away for most residents.

Arroyo also argued that an additional election would exacerbate voting disparities and put an additional burden on already-strained city resources.

Having multiple elections for the office of mayor in the same year in the midst of a pandemic is a serious threat to the health of our residents and communities, will contribute to the disenfranchisement of people of color, disabled and low-income communities, would be a wasteful and costly expenditure for the city at a time when our revenues are down and so many critical services are in need of increased funding, the District 5 councilor said.

As Arroyo noted, the special election would create the possibility of four different people serving as Bostons mayor in less than a year.

Under these conditions, when we can act to prevent it, we should, he said.

During the meeting, Councilor Kenzie Bok also noted that another logistical issue is that the special election would result in overlapping signature requirements where we would have a special still running while people were gathering signatures for a general. Even with just one set of elections last year, local signature thresholds faced legal challenges due to the pandemic.

Secretary of State Bill Galvin, the top election official in Massachusetts, also backed the idea of bypassing the special election requirement this week, given the potential confusion for voters with what could become a crowded field.

Its not about the candidates, its about the voters, giving the voters the maximum amount of time to make choices, Galvin told The Boston Globe this week.

For their part, at least one of the candidates also supports skipping the special election, even though a shorter runway would ostensibly benefit those who are already organized and have campaign infrastructure in place. Wu told Politico on Tuesday she supported nixing the special election, saying that the extra costs and public health considerations of having two elections in a year have to be weighed in this current moment. Campbell also added her name Wednesday in support of further discussing the subject at the to-be-scheduled council hearing but has not yet taken a stance on Arroyos petition itself.

Home rule petitions do face a number of hurdles, including approval from the City Council, the mayor, both chambers of the state legislature, and Gov. Charlie Baker. However, state lawmakers and Baker just recently approved a similar petition to bypass a special election this year in Lawrence, whose mayor officially resigned to take a state job.

Arroyos office said Wednesday that they were confident they had sufficient support to follow suit in Boston and his petition has received support from civil rights groups, including the local chapter of the NAACP.

However, not all of Arroyos colleagues are on board.

During the meeting, Councilor Matt OMalley argued that the additional costs of a special election shouldnt be a consideration, amid concerns about going the majority of the year with an unelected acting mayor.

Democracy costs money to do it well, to address these barriers, to do it safely, to make sure that we have early vote, to make sure that we have vote by mail, he said. To make sure that were able to allow as much civic input in this important, important election is what we ought to be spending our money on.

OMalley and fellow Councilor Frank Baker also raised concerns that effectively canceling a special election could give the appearance that the council is putting their thumb on a race involving at least two of their colleagues and further sow distrust in government.

Baker even directly suggested that his colleagues were acting out of self-interest.

Theres a reason why people, right now, dont like politicians, because were doing things like this, where we because we have the power to manipulate elections now were going to manipulate elections, he said. And even though we say its about finance and its about COVID its about who is our person in the race and how does it benefit them directly. I cant help but think that that is the underlying reason.

Several other city councilors, including Annissa Essaibi-George and Micheal Flaherty, are also considering a mayoral campaign in the wake of Walshs departure.

Arroyo, Baker, Bok, and Councilor Lydia Edwards, who chairs the committee that will hold a hearing on the petition, all made a point of noting that they are not running for mayor, nor have they publicly endorsed either Wu or Campbell.

Councilor Julia Mejia, who has also said she wont run for mayor, shot back that a special election would simply compound the advantage that older, white voters have historically had in low-turnout municipal elections.

Were going to let a few thousand politically active people decide who will be the mayor of 700,000 people for the next four years, because we already know whats up, Mejia said. Dont get it twisted here. We know who comes out in droves in special elections. It is not those who are mostly impacted by the decisions that are being made every single day.

During the meeting, Bok suggested that the body shouldnt get stuck in the obvious political implications. Edwards, who unsuccessfully ran in a 2016 state Senate special election, added that special elections hurt all candidates opportunities to engage with voters.

Edwards made the case that the council should let the process play out and have a transparent open conversation with a hearing in her government operations committee with advocates and stakeholders, followed by a potential working session.

There is no special bending, working around, and trying to manipulate, Edwards said. We have legal procedures. We are all following them.

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Marty Walsh is shipping out of Boston. So what exactly happens next? - Boston.com

Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney addresses a press conference in Nairobi.

A notice by the Ministry of Lands that it will issue new title deeds to replace those issued under repealed laws as it transitions to a new registration system has raised concern among landowners.

As a follow up to a gazette notice published on December 31 by Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney informing landowners in Nairobi of changes in their land reference numbers, Ardhi House on Tuesday said it will cancel and replace all title deeds issued under old laws.

The laws include the Indian Transfer of Property Act, 1882, the Government Lands Act (Cap. 280), the Registration of Titles Act (Cap. 281), the Land Titles Act (Cap. 282) and the Registered Land Act (Cap. 300), which were repealed by enactment of the Land Registration Act.

Replacement of the title deeds will follow a process set out by the Land Registration (Registration Units) Order, passed by parliament in 2017.

Parcel numbers

There will be changes in the parcel numbers, which Karoney told the public to be on the look out for.

The changes have already started in Nairobi where over 5,000 new titles will be issued.

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For instance, in the Nairobi, the parcel of land identified as L.R. No. 209/7229 is now Parcel Number 1 in Nairobi/Block1 while L.R. No. 4393/12 in Nairobi/Block2 is now Parcel Number 1 in Nairobi/Block2.

Since enactment of the Land Registration Act, registration of land transactions has been going on under the transitional provisions since 2012.

Title deeds bear the title of the law that they are issued under, just below the coat of arms. Title deeds issued before 2012 bore the title of the now-repealed Registered Land Act, but titles issued after 2012 bear the titles of both the repealed and the new law.

The conversion begins with the Ministry of Lands preparing cadastral maps, graphical indices of parcels and a conversion list which will show the old land reference number and the new one.

The announcement has caused concern among sceptics who see it as opening for dispossession when the land is converted.

Existing freehold

The ministry and the Law Society of Kenya, however, say the process is foolproof and there will be no change in existing freehold and leasehold tenure.

Land Registration Act 2012 needs georeferencing of land parcels to produce cadastral plans and maps to eliminate overlap of the land parcels.

There are about 11 million title deeds in the hands of Kenyans, 6 million of which were issued between 1963 and 2012.

We cannot migrate all those titles at once. We are starting with Nairobi and even then we are doing it in batches, Karoney said.

The ministry has started the process of migrating 29 out of the 250 blocks that make up the city.

As we go digital in a county, we are going to migrate the titles until we finish all of them. That is why we are starting with Nairobi because it is going go fully digital in a month, the CS said.

The process of the conversion is supposed to continue until the end of 2022 and will be done free of charge.

The landowner will be required to apply to the Ministry of Lands for the new titles. The application will include providing the original title and copies of their other identification documents.

Ardhi House is, however, silent on the time it will take to produce the new titles.

Advocacy group, Land Development and Governance Institute (LDGI), said confidence the public has on the government will inform how the process will be received.

Does the public trust that when they deliver their titles and dont get the replacement the same day they will be comfortable getting it at any other time? That is where you hear a lot of noise from Kenyans,Ibrahim Mwathane who heads LDGI said.

Mwathane says the aspect of public trust will be the most fundamental in the exercise. He said it unfortunate that there is that perception of a deficit of trust in the ministry.

I think I can understand where the Kenyans are coming from. But I am sure the CS and her team know that there is that perception.This is a very demanding and sensitive exercise, any error can be misconstrued and can undermine confidence and consequently deter people from supporting the exercise, he said.

Mwathane said another concern Kenyans have is the governments capacity to carry out the exercise.

This is a very massive exercise and it will be extremely demanding. One would expect that it would be phased out. I want to believe what has started is the first phase which will be like a pilot so people learn lessons and hopefully once the lessons are learned there will be an improvement going forward, Mwathane said.

But the CS said the new titles will be produced almost immediately. The trust problems that have plagued the sector have been created over 57 years. Part of what we are doing is to set up systems that will restore public confidence. That is why digitization is a priority. The best way to assure the landowners is to put in place a system that is not only accessible to them but is also kept away from fraudsters, she said.

Karoney said yesterday that they will work overtime to complete the process.

We are doing it gradually because we do not want the process to be overwhelming. Migrating all those titles is not easy so you have to phase it out, she said.

Ardhi House has attempted to build confidence in the exercise withKaroney saying fears and speculations over the exercise are unfounded.

The entire process will be carried out in a transparent manner. The conversion process does not involve a change of ownership, she said. The transition to the use of Registry Index Maps will curb fraud as landowners will easily note changes as opposed to deed plans that contain survey data on one parcel of land.

Cases pending

There are questions about the fate of titles on contested properties with cases pending in courts or titles that were acquitted for infrastructural development. The ministry has not given plans on how it was planning to handle the conversion of such titles.

CS Karoney said the ministry is still consulting stakeholders in the land sector to find a way forward and shall issue further communication in due course.

But landowners whose titles are held by banks as collateral will have to talk to their banks so the financial institutions can facilitate their application for the title replacement. Some of the titles are held by hospitals and courts and shall only be replaced on the application by a proprietor, who will have to liaise with the third party to facilitate the replacement process.

Land that is under caveat shall automatically be migrated to the new register.

Link:
Jitters as ministry plans to replace old land title deeds - The Standard

Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney. PHOTO | FILE

Land owners in the country will soon be required to apply for new title deeds to replace the old titles issued under the old laws.

This is after the Ministry of Lands embarked on a process of converting all parcels of land under the repealed statues with a view to migrating to the newly enacted Land Registration Act,2012.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney said the object of the conversion is to collapse land registration processes in the repealed land registration laws into one with all titles issued under the repealed laws cancelled and replaced with titles under the Land Registration Act,2012.

She explained that the cancellation and replacement will migrate the parcels to the new regime while retaining the ownership, size and the other interests registered against the respective title.

This will mean the full use of Registry Index Maps (RIMs) as registration instruments, replacing the deed plans further minimising land fraud.

Boundaries, as well, will not be affected since RIMs are generated from survey plans with fixed boundaries.

Both the RIMs and the survey plans are accessible to land owners on request for verification of boundary details at the Survey of Kenya Headquarters, Ruaraka.

The RIMs display all land parcels within an area as opposed to a deed plan that captures data on one specific parcel. It is thus easy to note any change or alteration, said Ms Karoney.

The migration is necessitated by the need to have a centralised land registration process eliminating fraud, delays in service delivery and threats to the right to property in the process.

Title documents held by third parties including banks, hospitals, and courts as security at the time of commencement shall be replaced upon application by the proprietor. The general public is advised to take note of the converted parcel numbers, she said.

The Lands CS decried that even though the Land Registration Act was enacted in2012thereby repealing all other land registration statutes in the country by unifying the registration regime in Kenya under the statute, the country had however not migrated to the exclusive use of the new Act continuing to ride on the saving and transitional clauses in the Act and thus operating as though the statutes had not been repealed.

Some of the repealed legislations included the Government Lands Act (Cap. 280), the Registration of Titles Act (Cap. 281), the Land Titles Act (Cap. 282) and the Registered Land Act (Cap. 300).

Each of these pieces of legislation created its own register making land registration complex. The confusion occasioned by the different regimes has become a breeding ground for fraud, delays in service delivery, centralisation of land services and threats to the right to property, she decried.

The conversion process will entail preparation of cadastral maps together with a conversion list indicating new and old numbers for parcels of land within a registration unit or registration section/ block and their corresponding acreages.

Under regulation 4(4) of the Land Registration (Registration Units) Order,2017, the cadastral maps together with a conversion list will be published in the Kenya Gazette and two daily newspapers with the notice specifying a date to be the date after which the register shall be open to the public for transactions or dealings within the registration unit.

Thereafter, any person with an interest in land in the registration unit shall lodge a complaint to the registrar who shall resolve the same within 90 days of receipt.

At the commencement date, all registers shall be closed and all transactions carried out in the new register. However, all the closed registers and supporting documents shall be maintained in the new registration unit.

A notice will be published in at least two newspapers of nationwide circulation and announced in radio stations of nationwide coverage inviting registered owners to make application for replacement of title documents from the closed registers.

The application shall be accompanied by the original title and the owners identification documents. The registrar will replace title deeds with new ones but retain the old title documents for record and safe custody.

See the rest here:
Why all land owners will have to apply for new title deeds - Nairobi News

The Democratic-controlled US House of Representatives, which is rushing ahead towards impeaching Donald Trump over the unprecedented Capitol Hill attack, has passed a resolution urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to remove the president from office.

The resolution was voted by 223 to 205 votes on Tuesday night. The voting was mostly on party lines, with one Republican voting in favour of the resolution and another five abstaining. The resolution calls upon Pence to mobilise the Cabinet to activate the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office.

The 25th Amendment, adopted more than 50 years ago in the wake of President John F Kennedy's assassination, provides a mechanism for the succession of the president for his or her replacement in the event he or she proves unfit to serve. Under the amendment, the vice president and a majority of either the Cabinet or some other body designated by Congress may remove the president from office.

The vote came after Pence, a Republican, wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he would not invoke the 25h Amendment.

Under our Constitution, the 25th Amendment is not a means of punishment or usurpation. Invoking the 25th Amendment in such a manner would set a terrible precedent, Pence said in a letter to Pelosi, a Democrat.

Speaking on the House floor, Pelosi said on January 6, President Trump incited a deadly insurrection against America that targeted the very heart of its democracy, the US Capitol.

"Defiling the genius of the Constitution, separate but equal, attacking the first branch of government, trying to prevent the US from ascertaining the constitutional duty to ascertain that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will be President and Vice President of the United States.

The gleeful desecration they have gleeful desecration of the Capitol and violence against the Congress, our staff and our workers are horrors that will forever stain our nation's history. Five Americans have died following the violent attack. More than 50 police officers were seriously injured, including fifteen officers who were hospitalised, Pelosi said.

She said the "facts are very clear" that the President called for the seditious attack.

"For days, he urged supporters to come to Washington for the insurrection. Wednesday (Jan 6) morning he participated in a rally to encourage the rioters to march on the Capitol and fight. And, not only did he urge people to march on the Capitol and fight, he further fanned the flames and he and his family cheered and celebrated the desecration of the Capitol, Pelosi said.

As the dangers escalated, he ignored and flat out rejected the pleas of Congress, including those of his own party, to call off his supporters the rioters, the terrorists as they engaged in vandalism and violence. Later that day and, now, the President is saying that he is not responsible and that his incitement to violence was totally appropriate, she said.

Referring to the impeachment proceedings against him, Trump in a public speech on Tuesday in a Texas border town said free speech is under assault in the US like never before.

"The impeachment hoax is a continuation of the greatest and most vicious witch hunt in the history of our country and is causing tremendous anger and division...which is very dangerous for the USA, especially at this very tender time," he said.

Pelosi said Trump's actions demonstrate his absolute inability to discharge the most basic and fundamental powers and duties of his office.

"Therefore, the President must be removed from office immediately. This is a decision we make with the utmost solemnity and prayerfulness, which this crisis requires. Removal of the President is an unprecedented action, but it is required because he is an because it is an unprecedented moment in history because of the danger he poses," she said.

The House of Representatives is expected to consider an article of impeachment against Trump on Wednesday, thus opening the possibility of Trump becoming the only president in US history to be impeached twice.

The articles of impeachment charges Trump with a count of 'incitement of insurrection' for his actions on January 6, when he delivered a speech inciting his supporters to lay siege to the Capitol, an action that temporarily halted the counting of Electoral College votes and resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including a police officer.

Earlier, the House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler released a majority staff report for the impeachment of Trump. The 50-page report made a strong case to impeach the Republican president.

Trump has falsely asserted that he won the 2020 presidential election and repeatedly sought to overturn the results of the election. As his efforts failed repeatedly, he continued a parallel course of conduct that "foreseeably resulted in the imminent lawless actions of his supporters, who attacked the Capitol and the Congress", the report said.

The facts establish that he is unfit to remain in office a single day longer and warrant the immediate impeachment of President Trump, it said.

The House on December 18, 2019 had approved the articles of impeachment against Trump, charging him of pressuring Ukraine to smear Biden, using nearly USD 400 million in military aid as leverage. However, the Republican-controlled Senate in February 2020 acquitted him of the two charges -- abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Continued here:
US House passes resolution asking Pence to remove Donald Trump from office - Business Standard

Thanet council

Eight jobs will be made redundant as part of a Thanet council restructure.

The job losses are part of budget measures aimed at plugging a 840,000 deficit for the 2021-22 financial year.

Council finances have been significantly impacted by the covid pandemic, although Cllr Rob Yates responsible for finance says Thanet is in a better position than council which have made commercial investments and so rely on commercial rents and those which have not reduced borrowing.

At a meeting of Cabinet members tonight (January 14) he said: This budget has been set during a totally unprecedented period for local government.

He said the authority work force had been diminished by covid and despite government funding not all losses due to the virus, such as those for business rates and fees and charges, would be compensated. In a time of higher expenditure and lower income the current national lockdown is adding to these pressures.

He added: Some businesses will not have survived or have built up debt, many people will have lost jobs. It is unlikely that Thanet will bounce back to its pre-covid state, at least not in the short term.

Cllr Yates said the coming year would require savings although efforts had been made to minimise the impact on services and redundancies.

He added: I am please to report a minimal impact on services, especially frontline services. There are up to 8 posts that will be deleted and the people occupying those posts will be going through restructuring.

Although it is too early to say some of those might be subject to compulsory redundancy but every effort will be made to find alternative council employment for them.

Cllr Yates did not reveal which roles were under threat.

Cabinet members at the meeting approved a report containing the budget measures and proposals for a rise in council tax of 4.99 or 2.1% increase per year for Thanet District Councils element of Council Tax for a Band D property. This equates to a weekly increase of around 10p per week.

The Budget sets out how the council will allocate 17.165million to fund services from April 2021 March 2022.

Plans include a 2% rise on fees and charges which will bring in an estimated 400,000. The fees hike will include areas of on and off street parking, crematorium fees, costs for bulky and green waste and higher port and harbour fees.

The budget will now be considered at a full Council meeting in February.

There are expected to be shortfalls in the collection of council tax and business rates due to the and increased unemployment from an economic downturn (resulting in more Council Tax Support (CTS) claimants and non-payment by those not in receipt of CTS).

Business Rates income could similarly be hit by business failures from an economic downturn with a non payment estimate of600k. There is also the potential cliff-edge of Business Rates relief for small businesses and those in retail, leisure and hospitality, which has applied for this year but will end in 2021-22, with those businesses expected to start paying rates again

Income from fees, including parking, are also expected to be hit as Covid restrictions continue. This includes Dreamland car park is part of the Dreamland estate sale to amusement park operator SHL resulting in a forecast loss of 150k income for the year.

Your Leisure The councils leisure trust, Your Leisure, is facing a substantial shortfall in its income as a result of Covid, as are all leisure trusts.The council has paid its management fee for the year up front, and has paid an additional 160k to the trust. This additional fee is equivalent to the previously agreed 2020-21 budget saving in the management fee that will not be achieved as a result of the pandemic.

Ongoing discussions are taking place with Your Leisure to establish their resourcing requirements, which could lead to further demands on the councils finances

The council says permanent savings must be made.

There will be reduced spending and bolstering council reserves will be delayed until 2022-23 to help meet the financial gap.

Council staff also face a restrained cost of living pay award in 2021-22 in order to protect services and minimise staffing reductions. Up to eight job losses have been announced.

A 1% increase in pay is proposed to be built into the budget, along with the cost of paying the National Living Wage and increments. Incremental increases through the grading structure are a contractual obligation to the council and a right for staff. In addition, the council is legally required to implement the increase in the National Living wage which is forecast to increase by 5.5% to 9.20 per hour on 1st April 2021. The combination of these pay pressures will cost the council an estimated 294k in 2021-22.

The councils property holdings total of 267 million net book value after depreciation has been applied.

Where assets are no longer viable or surplus to requirements they will need to be disposed of in order to reduce the councils liabilities and to generate capital receipts to fund new developments or be transferred for community benefit.

The creation of new investment assets, such as new beach huts, will be explored to create additional income.

Social rents have been set based on government rent guidance. Affordable Rents are linked to local market rents and to the Local Housing Allowance for the area. Rents are applied to individual properties at the lower of either 80% of the local market rent or the Local Housing Allowance.

Councillors have raised concerns about the impact of a rent increase on current tenants and, as a result, the budget suggests a CPI+1% increase for social rent tenants and a freeze for affordable rent tenants. Based on the proposed increase across the whole stock the average rent is 84.94, this is an average increase of 1.89p per property per week

Service Charge Increases

Tenant service charge increases continue to be capped at 3 a week.

Jet-Ski Berths at Ramsgate Marina.

Ramsgate Port Berth 1 Refurbishment

Thanet District LED Lighting convert council owned street/open spaces lighting to LED (also replacing lamp columns where necessary).

Replacement Crematorium Chapel Roof to make the roof watertight and reduce the need for repairs.

Royal Harbour Multi-Storey Car Park Lift Replacement.

A further tranche of emergency Covid funding in 2021-22 of 1.016m.

A promise of further support for quarter one of 2021-22 for losses in sales, fees and charges due to Covid.

A Local Income Tax Guarantee scheme to assist with irrecoverable losses of Council Tax and Business Rates in 2020-21, value currently unknown.

A Local Council Tax Support grant to assist with additional costs of Council Tax Support, worth approximately 300k in 2021-22.

Revenue Support Grant of 100k rolled over for one more year to 2021-22.

A Lower Tier Services grant, probably one-off, worth 215k in 2021-22.

Consideration of using the Minor Works team to generate income from selling handyperson services.

A review of printing services income and expenditure including scope to in-source more printing.

Growth in income generated from fees and charges.

Investigation of more shared services including leadership teams.

Expand the CCTV service to sell to other external organisations.

Increase the use of direct debits to improve income collection across all chargeable services.

The money that is used to fund public services is made up of Council Tax, income including fees and charges, retained Business Rates and Government funding (including Revenue Support Grant and New Homes Bonus).

Thanet District Council receives just 12p in every 1 of Council Tax. The remainder goes to: Kent County Council, Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Town/Parish Councils.

Related

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Eight redundancies expected at Thanet council amid budget pressures due to covid - The Isle of Thanet News

Q: I am remodeling my kitchen, which includes replacing my regular-sized refrigerator with a built-in model. The new one is much taller than the old one and I will have to replace the cabinet above it. Around the top of the cabinets is a continuous piece of crown molding that I dont want to disturb, mainly because I dont want to make the cuts to replace it. How do I find a matching cabinet and get the old one out?

A: A built-in refrigerator is impressive and menacing, but to install one, you must replace the cabinet above it first. The typical built-in refrigerator is 84 inches tall (you can adjust the leveling mechanisms 1 inch higher or lower) and start at 36 inches wide.

However, you wont gain much extra storage volume inside the built-in one: Though taller, it is shallower. The cabinet depth surrounding the fridge is 24 inches deep, and the built-in fridge will tuck nicely into the opening you are about to create.

Typically, a wall cabinet is 12 inches deep. You will need to replace yours with a 24-inch-deep cabinet. You will have to break out the tape measure to determine the height of the new cabinet.

Measure from the floor to the top of the wall cabinets, then subtract 84 (the height of the refrigerator) to determine the height of the cabinet in inches. The width is the same as the old one.

With the measurements of the new cabinet, you can look for a replacement. Look for a manufacturers stamp or sticker in one of your cabinets. If you cant find one, you may have to check with several manufacturers to get the right one.

Remove one of the doors from a cabinet to take along and match up the style and color. The door is held on by a couple of screws and it will remove easily. Once you find the matching cabinet, you will probably have to special order it.

While waiting for its arrival, you can remove the old wall cabinet to make way for the new one.

Regarding the crown molding: You will probably have to disturb it since you are changing the depth of the cabinet it surrounds.

You can certainly leave the crown molding in place and drop the cabinet down, which will leave the molding untouched. But when the new cabinet comes in, you will have to change it.

Before you remove the cabinet, you must separate it from the crown molding. Use a standard screwdriver and place it behind the crown and in front of the cabinet and slowly goose the molding from the cabinet.

If you are trying to leave the molding in place, you can make a gap between the two, then cut the nails with wire cutters, or use a hacksaw blade removed from its frame.

The cabinet will be held to the wall with a couple of screws near the top, and it will also be screwed through the face frame to its neighbor. Unscrew these face frame screws first. These are large screws that not only close the gap between the cabinets but also make them one solid unit on the wall.

After that, support the cabinet from falling and unscrew the remaining screws that hold it to the wall. Control the cabinet so that it slides down and pull it out of the lineup.

By the way, you can make the cabinet a little lighter by removing both the doors and the shelving. That just leaves the carcass to manhandle out of the way.

Once the new cabinet arrives, put it into place and level it, then screw it into the studs of the wall. Then predrill the face frames and screw the face frame of the new cabinet to its neighbor. Now all you have to worry about is the crown molding.

Mike Klimek is a licensed contractor and owner of Las Vegas Handyman. Questions may be sent by email to handymanoflasvegas@msn.com. Or, mail to 4710 W. Dewey Drive, No. 100, Las Vegas, NV 89118. His web address is http://www.handymanoflasvegas.com.

See original here:
Crown molding will need replacing with new cabinet - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Bob Evans| Special to the Rockford Register Star

What follows is no defense of Donald Trump. What follows is an argument that Amendment 25 is not the proper vehicle for removing him. Impeachment, however difficult, is.

Amendment 25 contains four sections, each applying to a different situation. Some sections envision a permanent replacement of the president; some envision a temporary replacement. Section 4, the one at issue here, focuses on a temporary physical incapacity, after which the president would resume duties. That, of course, is not the application of section 4 that people have in mind. It would be at least ironic to distort a Constitutional provision to punish someone for distorting the Constitution.

Permanent replacement of a president is treated in other sections of the amendment. Section 4 applies when the president is temporarily incapacitated. President Eisenhower, who had suffered two medical emergencies, urged at an early date the Justice Department to draft the outlines of an amendment to apply to temporary incapacity for physical reasons. This effort found its way into section 4.

Section 4 authorizes the vice president and a majority of the cabinet to transmit to congressional leaders a declaration of incapacity. It also authorizes the president to issue a letter declaring his capacity to perform, forcing Congress to decide between the two claims. The process requires yet another exchange of letters between the vice president and cabinet and the Congress. After these exchanges Congress debates, and would have to vote by a two-thirdmajority to reject the claim by the president. Is this really the spectacle we want to witness at this point?

There is at least one other serious objection to the use of section 4 for present purposes. The first objection, stated above, is that it is intended for a temporary incapacity. The second objection emerges from the intent conveyed by the words of second 4. It is that it is intended for physical or medical incapacity. Those sources of incapacity can be verified, which is a requirement for such an act of profound importance.

To remove the president for violating the Constitution is not envisioned by this amendment. To try to removethe president because of his temperament would be the very definition of a slippery slope. Trump would marshaltestimony from psychiatrists, as would the cabinet. Congress would have to adjudicate a psychiatric dispute. It may have been an oversight, but Amendment 25 did not produce a solution to the problem we now face. There is a remedy. It is impeachment.

Donald Trump has distorted and disregarded provisions of the Constitution. Should not those who want to remove him for disobeying the Constitution in turn obey the Constitution themselves? A wise teacher used to remind us in our classes that "under our Constitution it is not sufficient to do the right thing. We must do the right thing in the right way."

Bob Evans is an associate professor ofof economics, business, and political science at Rockford University

View post:
25th Amendment improper way to remove President Trump - Rockford Register Star

Lands Cabinet Secretary (CS) Farida Karoney addresses a press conference during the launch of issuance of title deeds in Nairobi, on September 18, 2020. [File]

The Ministry of Lands has started the transition to a new lands registration system which will see title deeds issued before the enactment of the Land Registration Act in 2012 cancelled and new ones issued.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Farida Karoney said yesterday that land registration had become a complex process which is prone to abuse due to different pieces of legislation.

She announced that the ministry has started the conversion of land parcels that were registered using now-repealed laws.

The Land Registration Act was enacted in 2012 effectively repealing all other land registration statutes such as the Indian Transfer of Property Act, 1882, the Government Lands Act (Cap. 280), the Registration of Titles Act (Cap. 281), the Land Titles Act (Cap. 282) and the Registered Land Act (Cap. 300).

Ms Karoney said that the object of the conversion is to collapse land registration process in the repealed laws into one.

Centralisation of services

As a result, all titles issued under the repealed laws will be cancelled and replaced with titles under the Land Registration Act, 2012.

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The confusion occasioned by the different regimes has become a breeding ground for fraud, delays in service delivery, centralisation of land services and threats to the right to property, she said.

To harmonise the process, the Lands Ministry will close all land registers and begin issuing new titles based on a new register. Some of the changes anticipated are in the parcel numbers, which Karoney told the public to be on the look out for.

Registered landowners will need to apply for replacement of title documents from the closed registers.

Ardhi House said the applicants will be required to present the original title and the owners identification documents.

The old title deeds will be surrendered to the registrar when new ones are issued.

Karoney said the cancellation and replacement of the titles will migrate the parcels to the new regime while retaining the ownership, size and the other interests registered against the respective title.

Titles held by third parties such as those used to secure bank loans or surrendered to hospitals and courts will be replaced upon application by the proprietor.

As the shift commences, the traditional deed plans will no longer be in use, instead, the Ministry will rely on the Registry Index Maps (RIMs) as registration instruments.

Karoney assured that the boundaries will not be affected since RIMs are generated from survey plans with fixed boundaries.

Both the RIMs and the survey plans will be accessible to landowners on request for verification of boundary details at the Survey of Kenya Headquarters, Ruaraka, she said.

Minimise land fraud

The Ministry said the use of RIMs will further minimise land fraud by making it easy to detect changes or alterations.

The RIM displays all land parcels within an area as opposed to a deed plan that captures data on one specific parcel, she said.

A conveyancing expert, S K Muturi explained that there was a need for landowners to panic explaining that the government was not cancelling titles but changing numbers to make digitisation possible.

A title deed is prima facia evidence that the land belongs to you, but is a sum total of a lot of history including survey and amalgamation. This history will not change even when the numbers are changed. You will remain the owner of your land, Mr Muturi explained.

Read the rest here:
Lands Ministry to issue new titles in digital migration - The Standard

8 January 2021

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi don tell Vice President Mike Pence to immediately invoke di 25th Amendment to remove President Trump afta di violence wey happun for capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Madam Pelosi say she and di Senate Minority (soon to be Majority) Leader, Chuck Schumer don call oga Pence and dem dey wait for e reply.

Wia dis foto come from, TW

Before now, three US Democrats lawmakers bin circulate Articles of Impeachment against President Donald Trump afta di violence wey happun for Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Democratic Reps. David Cicilline, Jamie Raskin and Ted Lieu share di Articles of Impeachment for dia twitter handle and call on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke di 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office.

Wia dis foto come from, TW

Wia dis foto come from, TW

Di four-page Articles of Impeachment wey dem circulate charge oga Trump with abuse of power for "willfully inciting violence against di goment."

Also several politicians, oda lawmakers don begin call on di Vice President to invoke di 25th amendment to remove Trump from office.

Wetin be di "25th Amendment"?

Chart flow of 25th Amendment

Professor of law, Brian Kalt share flow chart of di 25th amendment wey im carry from im book so dat America pipo go beta understanding of di law.

Wia dis foto come from, Twitter/@ProfBrainKalt

Flow chart of di 25th Amendment from Professor Brain Kalt

25th Amendment fit comot Trump from Office before January 20th afta Capitol Hill Violence?

Plenti experts for law and politics mata don tok say e dey possible to invoke di 25th before Inauguration Day wey be January 20th.

One Professor of law for Michigan State University, Brian C. Kalt say di VP and Cabinet fit invoke 25th Amendment (4) if things get out of hand.

Prof Kalt go further to explain say if dem invoke 25th Amendment and give power to di VP, then later di president declare "no inability exists," e no fit retake power back immediately, di VP go still remain as acting president during di four-days waiting period according to di law.

Wia dis foto come from, TW

Base on di 25th Amendment, afta di waiting period, if di deciding group (VP and cabinet) no agree say di president dey 'fit' to carry out im duties, di decision go then dey for Congress hand.

At dis point, Congress get 21 days to decide who go exercise presidential powers, di president or di vice president.

As e be say na only 12 days remain for President Trump to leave office, Congress fit no need to do anything sake of di 21 days grace wey di law give dem. Di vice president fit continue to serve as acting president through Jan. 20, wey dem go swear in Biden.

Sources: Brian C. Kalt and David Pozen; Di Twenty-Fifth Amendment published by di National Constitution Center.

Read more from the original source:
Wetin to know about di 25th amendment and if e fit remove Trump from office afta Capitol Hill violence - BBC News