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RAMALLAH, West Bank Muhammad Hamayel, a 15-year-oldfrom the town of Beita,southeast of Nablus in the northern West Bank, was shot dead by the Israeli army during the clashes that took place in the town June 11, in protest against the outpost established on the lands of Jabal Sbeih in the town.

The town of Beitahas turned into a heated confrontation point between the Palestinian residents and the Israeli army and settlers, in light of the latters attempt to establish a settlement outpost called Avitaratop Jabal Sbeih (Mount Sbeih).

Since the beginning of settlement activity at the top of themountain May 3, the people of Beita have been engaged in daily confrontations that seem to escalate everyFriday, with the participation of the residents of the two nearby towns of Yatma and Qablan, to counter the settlers takeover of the mountain. The confrontations have resulted in the death of fouryoung menMuhammad Hamayel;Issa Barham, a doctor from Beita who was killed May 14; Tariq Sanubar, a young man from Yatma killedMay 16; andZakaria Hamayel, a teacher from Beita killedMay 28 while hundreds of others were injured.

The settlers latest attempt to seize Jabal Sbeih came after a settler was killed at the Zaatara checkpoint in ashooting attack carried out by Mutassim al-Shalabi May 2.

Moussa Hamayel, deputy mayor of Beita, told Al-Monitor that the settlers had targeted Jabal Sbeih several times, but their recent attempt was the most dangerous, as within a few days they installed more than 40 mobile housing units on an area of 5dunams (1 acre) out of a total area of 840 dunams (207 acres). They alsopaved the road on the top of the mountain, in a first step that allows them to later expand and control it.

He noted that Jabal Sbeih is a vital strategic location, as it overlooks the main road between the cities of Nablus and Ramallah, and runs adjacent to the road leading to Jericho and the Jordan Valley. In addition, it is only 1kilometer (0.6 miles) from the Zaatara checkpoint, which is the most important military checkpoint for the Israeli army in the West Bank.

Hamayel explained that by taking over Jabal Sbeih, the checkpoint and the mountain will be connected to the eastern region of the West Bank (the Jordan Valley), thus turning the checkpoint into a large and only gateway to the northern West Bank, separating it completely from the central and southern West Bank.

Due to its location, Jabal Sbeih was subjected in past years to several attempts to seize it and establish a settlement outpost on its top, but the residents confronted these attempts every time and forced the settlers to leave. The first try was in 2013 after a stabbing attackat the Zaatara checkpoint in which a settler, named Avitar, was killed. Settlers established the outpost bearing the same name. However, after residents stood their ground and organized popular marches, the army had to dismantle the outpost.

In 2018, the settlers tried once again to establish an outpost after the killing of a rabbi near the settlement of Ariel north of Salfit. They installed mobile homes and supplied them with electricity and water, but the residents confronted them, which prompted the army todismantle the outpost again.

The third attempt was in 2020 when settlers tried to establish three outposts on Jabal Sbeih, Jabal al-Armaand Jabal al-Najma in the town of Beita, but failed. The most recent attempt was in May and the residents seem to have succeeded this time as well in confronting the settlers.

On June 7, the Israeli army issued a military order prohibiting the continuation of construction in the outpost on Jabal Sbeih, declaring it a military zone where no presence is allowed, and preventing the entry of building materials to it, provided that the property is evacuated within eight days.

However, Hamayel noted, As long as the decision is not implemented on the ground, it remains mere ink on paper. We fear that the decision will be a maneuver to gain time to circumvent the popular uprising. We have not yet received any official decision.

Speaking about the municipalitys role in supporting the people who own land in Jabal Sbeih in light of the settlement threat, he said that the municipal council can exempt citizens from the financial fees for supplying electricity and water to the area, but it cannot do more than that due to its limited financial capabilities. This is why we called on all official and civil institutions to back the residents, support their steadfastnessand encourage them to stay in the area, Hamayel stressed.

Hudhayfa Badir, a resident of Beita who owns 5dunams in Jabal Sbeih, told Al-Monitor that the settlement outpost failed due to the resistance and steadfastness of the residents who refuse to sell an inch of the mountain to settlers.

He pointed out that the settlers took advantage of the local and international interest in what is happening in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and the war on the Gaza Strip, to set up tents and mobile housing units on Jabal Sbeih in an attempt to seize it.

Badir notedthat the residents will take all the necessary measures to thwart any future settlement attempts onthe mountain, the most important of which is taking legal action to establish ownership of the land, maintaining popular preparednessand organizing more nationwideactivities.

He noted that according to what the residents learned from Palestinian sources, the settlers tried to circumvent the armys military order to evacuate and dismantle the settlement outpost in Jabal Sbeih, twice, but the army refused to withdraw the decision, pointing out that the residents are anxiously waiting for the military order to be implemented.

Badir stressed the need for the local community and civil and official institutions to help the residents of Beita to stop the Zionist ambitions, whether by providing basic services, such as supplying electricity and water or paving streets, to encourage people to stay in the area or by establishing projects there, in addition to the reclamation of uncultivated lands and the construction of roads.

Regardless of the military order, the residents of Beita and Jabal Sbeih, in particular, remain on high alert, awaiting the decisions implementation. The young men in the town continue to organize various activities, including what is known as night confusion, similar to what was happening near the fence on the borders of Gazain 2019.

Read more here:
How these Palestinians thwarted settlers in northern West Bank - Al-Monitor

Jackson Township has adopted the lateral inspection ordinance for any sold or transferred properties.In observance of the upcoming holiday, next week we are on a compressed schedule next week for trash and recycling pickup. Monday and Tuesday routes will both be picked up on Tuesday and the rest of the week will be picked up on the normal scheduled day!

Mark your calendars! Our Electronics Recycling Event is Saturday, June 26, 2021. Check back for more details!!

Solid waste collection is a critical and essential job as part of the response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. You can help protect the health of the men and women who collect your trash and recycling during this vital time. The virus may survive for up to 24 hours on cardboard and two to three days on plastic*. With a few simple steps, you can protect sanitation workers by reducing the possibility they will come into contact with potentially contaminated items.

VISITING FACILITIES If your community still allows members of the public to drop-off waste or recyclables at a facility, please follow all safety policies and procedures required by that facility. These might include not paying with cash, keeping at least 6 feet of distance between you, other customers, and any employees, and unloading in the correct area to avoid requiring staff to handle discarded materials more than necessary. And of course, always follow all safety rules regarding speed limits, cell phone usage, and remaining near/in your vehicle.

Since 1967 Dallas Area Municipal Authority has been a natural resource for those who live and work in Dallas, Shavertown, Trucksville, and adjoining areas of our community.We provide vital services to residents and businesses, including on-lot and public septic, solid waste and recycling, as well as yard waste and composting.

Today, we serve more customers than ever before as the Back Mountain has grown in population and we have kept pace with our customers needs through enhanced services, state-of-the-art processes, and the highest level of customer service.

The Dallas Area Municipal Authority (DAMA) constructed, operates, and maintains the collection, conveyance, equalization and primary pumping station facilities that serve the charter member municipalities of Dallas Borough, Dallas Township, and Kingston Township.

Since the inception of DAMAs Solid waste and recycling program, As a community we have been able to divert almost fifty percent (50%) from the landfill and send it to Northeast Recycling Solutions to be recycled. Thank you for your support and keep up the great work.

Dallas Area Municipal Authority collects residents Recycling for Dallas Borough, Dallas Township, and Kingston Township. Dallas Area Municipal Authority also works together with Luzerne County and PADEP to continue growth and education for the Back Mountain.

Link:
Dallas Area Municipal Authority

The first thing any of us want to do when we encounter unpleasant household odors that wont go away with regular cleaning is to discover how to get rid of bad smells in the house. If your bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room continue to stink no matter how much you clean them, and youre asking yourself why does my house smell like sewage, you may be suffering from sewer odors!

Sewer odors can occur anyplace in your home with a drain or water line; sinks, showers, bathtubs, and yes, toilets, can all lead to a musty smell in the house or a sewer smell in the house.

Youll need to learn how to get rid of bad odors in the house if you ever hope to breathe with ease when you walk into the stinky room.

Instead of turning to chemical-laden air fresheners to mask the odors, look for ways to identify and repair the causes of sewer odors. Read on to discover how to get rid of bad smells in the house and leave your whole home smelling clean once again.

Strong sewage smells in the house may originate from several locations and then spread throughout your home, leaving it smelling like a septic system.

There are several common causes of these smells. Here are four areas in your home that sewer smells may be coming from and the reasons for the smells.

Sewer odors do more than just make you turn up your nose, however. They can be hazardous to your health. Depending on the type and severity of the sewer gas odors, they can cause illness and other problems.

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Home Sewer Odor Problems

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Although sewer smells in basements can be strong, you can easily miss these smells if you dont frequently use that part of the home. If you have a sewer smell in your basement, check these three areas first:

While it may seem surprising, sewer smells from shower drains are more common than those from toilets! There are two main culprits for sewer odors in shower drains, and only one is plumbing related.

tb1234

Simple Dirty Drain Cleaning Recipe

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Luckily, to eliminate biofilm, you just need to clean out your pipes. Using soap, hot water, and a brush, clean drains to the p-trap before rinsing with cold water, which should eliminate future odors.

Infrequently used shower drains most commonly cause sewer odors. Without frequent use, the water in the p-trap can evaporate; without water in the trap, there is nothing to keep sewer gasses from getting in.

Therefore make sure you keep your shower clean disinfected to prevent any smell or odors. This kind of odor typically improves after running the water for several minutes.

If your plumbing is not the problem, a dirty drain may be. Over time, biofilm builds up in our drains and pipes; this buildup can cause a sewer like odor, which worsens when you run water.

Instead of pushing the sewer gasses back down, the water flow disrupts the surface of the biofilm and causes even stronger smells to be released.

tb1234

Powerful DIY Drain Cleaner Recipe

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Pour a large pot of water (boiling) down the drain and then pour the baking soda into the water-filled drain. Let it sit awhile. End with two cups of white vinegar mixed with one cup of boiling hot water and let it sit for at least 20 minutes.

Flush the drain or toilet with more water. Find more powerful vinegar and baking soda based drain cleaner recipes and how to unclog a drain tips here.

Sidenote: The base ingredients for this natural drain cleaner are similar to homemade carpet cleaner recipes. Make sure you keep white vinegar and baking soda in mind when thinking about powerful home remedies for cleaning.

Sewer smells from toilets are often the worst in the house because they connect directly to a septic system. There are two main reasons why your toilet may be producing sewer odors.

The wax ring seal between the base of the toilet and the flange can become damaged over time. Furthermore, toilets that were installed imbalanced and rock are the most common cause.

A broken wax ring seal can let sewer gas up from the bottom of the toilet. Removing the toilet and replacing the wax ring should eliminate the odor; likewise, using shims can help level the toilet to prevent rocking from breaking the ring again.

Then, use caulk to protect the joint. Make sure you clean and disinfect the area with a strong homemade toilet cleaner.

While less likely, water in the toilet trap may also have evaporated, allowing sewer gas to seep up and into the room.

Infrequently used toilets, such as those in guest bedrooms or basements, are usually the culprit, but a long absence from the house, such as an extended vacation, may also be the problem. If you get home from a trip to discover a sewer odor in your bathroom, check levels in the water trap before calling a plumber.

Kitchen sinks and bathroom sinks alike can cause stinky sewer odors. Similar to both showers and toilets, a lack of water in the trap can cause sewer odors to come up through the sink drains.

Infrequently used sinks, such as those in basements, outbuildings, or wash basins, are most likely to develop these odors. If biofilm build up is the culprit of your sink sewer smell, removing and thoroughly cleaning the pieces may help eliminate unpleasant odors.

You can remove the pivot rod, pop up stopper, p-trap, and gooseneck from the sink and soak them in a mixture of warm water and bleach. After reassembling the parts, pour boiling water down the sink to completely remove any remaining biofilm residue.

>> Related: How to clean and seal kitchen countertops

If sewer odors have taken over your home, think twice before calling local plumbers. Heres how to get rid of bad smells in the house all by yourself. These DIY solutions can help eliminate sewer odors, without the expensive plumbing bill.

Vent openings are often above the main bathroom in the home. Clogged or blocked vents from leaves, debris, or dead animals can prevent sewer gasses from properly venting.

To keep sewer odors from coming back, consider adding preventative drain maintenance to your house cleaning checklist. Regularly cleaning out your drains can prevent biofilm from building up in the pipes. To avoid the use of harsh chemicals or disassembling pipes, use household items.

tb1234

Preventative Drain Cleaning Recipe

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Pour the vinegar, followed baking soda down a drain, allowing it to sit for two hours. When finished, flush the drain with hot water to wash away the loosened biofilm.

A vinegar, water, and baking soda solution can also be effective as a DIY air freshener spray. Adding a pleasant aroma from an essential oil like lemon or lavender makes it even better.

While its not likely youll have a sewer smell in your vehicle, for unpleasant odors you can also use this solution as a homemade car air freshener.

We hope youve now learned how to get rid of bad smells in the house. Identify and fix the source of the smell toget rid of pesky sewer gas smells for good!

In this article, you learned the answer to the question why does my house smell like sewage. You learned what can lead to a musty smell in the house and what can lead to a sewer smell in the house. Did I leave anything out? Let me know in the comments and use the buttons below to share on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Read more from the original source:
How To Get Rid Of Sewer Smell In Your House - From ...

Greater Noida: A 21-year old working as a sanitation employee, working under a private contractor of the Greater Noida authority, was killed Thursday after stepping into a sewer to clean it.

According to officials, the victim, Krishna (identified by a single name), who lived in Gharbara village of Greater Noida, was sent inside a sewage line in Surajpur area allegedly without any gear or safety equipment.

When Krishna didnt respond for some time, a fire brigade was called to rescue him. A firefighter went down the sewer wearing breathing apparatus to retrieve the victim tied to a rope in a 40 minute-long operation. The victim was soon rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead, the police said.

The sewer was very narrow and about 30 to 40 feet deep and it took around 40 minutes for our personnel to rescue the unconscious man, who seemed to have some life in him at that time. The victim was wearing no gear or safety equipment; he was wearing only shorts and a vest. He was rushed to the nearest hospital. There are poisonous gases in the sewer that make it very unsafe to work without any gear; even our personnel had to wear breathing apparatus before going in, said Jitendra Kumar, fire station officer, Greater Noida.

The police later registered an FIR under Section 304 of the IPC against Neeraj Bhati, the authoritys contractor and Jai Prakash, the site incharge.

The victim was soon rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. He must have suffocated as they are poisonous gases, especially in summers, down the gutter. He was sent down to clean their line manually to reinstate the flow without any safety equipment. We have registered an FIR against the private contractor and the site in charge, and are waiting for the post-mortem report, said Ajay Kumar, SHO, Surajpur.

Manual scavenging - that accounts for manually cleaning sewers, septic tanks and others - is banned under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Officials at the authority, meanwhile, said that they have ordered an enquiry into the matter.

We had earlier made it very clear that no worker would be sent down the pit without safety gear. We had also provided all protective gear and oxygen masks however, in this case, it seems the directions were violated. We have ordered an enquiry and it seems that a private contractor with the Greater Noida authority is responsible. The concerned official has filed an FIR. However, the act does not amount to manual scavenging, said Narendra Bhooshan, CEO, Greater Noida authority.

However, activists differed. This is a clear case of manual scavenging. An act that accounts to anyone manually cleaning sewer or septic tank that has human excreta in it accounts for manual scavenging and is prohibited, but unfortunately there is very less awareness on it and it continues across India, including in the national capital, said Bezwada Wilson, the national convener of Safai Karamchari Aandolan a human rights organisation campaigning for eradication of manual scavenging.

A total of 340 people had died due to cleaning sewers in the past five years till December 31, 2020 of which Uttar Pradesh, at 52, accounts for the highest number of deaths, Ramdas Athawale, the minister of state for social justice and empowerment, had informed the parliament in February 2021.

Originally posted here:
21-year-old sanitation worker dies while cleaning sewer in Greater Noida - Hindustan Times

Clean drinking water for Airway Heights, where the groundwater is contaminated with toxic chemicals: $21 million.

A sewer system for Malden, whose residents septic systems were destroyed along with their homes in last years devastating wildfire: $6 million.

Relocating Walla Walla Countys 911 dispatch and emergency operations center, which sits on a location vulnerable to both earthquakes and flooding: $2.75 million.

The return of congressional earmarks, a practice lawmakers banned a decade ago amid allegations of corruption and wasteful spending, could direct billions to local needs across the country.

But a split among Republicans means North Idaho wont see any of that money.

Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dan Newhouse, whose districts cover Eastern and Central Washington, are among just over half of House Republicans who have submitted requests to direct federal funds to projects in their districts.

Proponents, including every House Democrat but one, say reforms will make the revamped process more transparent and prevent the wasteful spending on lawmakers pet projects that drove Congress to abandon the process.

Supporters say the process also gives individual lawmakers a say in how federal money is spent, helping to foster bipartisanship in an era of intense political division, and puts decision-making power in the hands of representatives who know their communities needs better than the White House and federal agencies.

Thats our fundamental responsibility as legislators, McMorris Rodgers said. I believe that as the representative for the 5th district, I should be able to submit projects for consideration that, in many cases, otherwise would not get consideration.

Critics like Rep. Russ Fulcher, a Republican who represents North Idaho, warn the return of earmarks could pave the way for frivolous federal spending, although the process lets lawmakers direct existing funds and does not increase federal spending.

These funds might be pre-approved on the first go-round, but the policy of earmarks will remain, Fulcher said. The bigger issue for me is the debt. Every single appropriation, every single bill that we sign off on, is an invoice to our grandkids.

The debt will come back and bite us. Its a matter of time. And I think the earmark program, overall, hurts more than it helps.

The new House earmark process, officially called community project funding in the Appropriations Committee and member designated projects in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, lets each lawmaker request a portion of funds that would already be spent.

Were not talking about new dollars, Newhouse said. This is money that is appropriated, and we have a say in where it goes versus that faceless bureaucrat in some office that has likely never even heard of Yakima, Washington. Why should they be making those choices instead of us?

Not every request will be approved, and House Democrats have said the money available through the process will be capped at 1% of discretionary spending, the money Congress appropriates each year, separate from mandatory spending on programs like Social Security.

President Joe Biden requested $1.5 trillion in discretionary spending for fiscal year 2022. While Congress doesnt appropriate exactly what presidents ask for, Bidens request suggests about $15 billion could be allocated through earmarks.

Earmarks have been part of the federal budget process since the first Congress in 1789, but they gained notoriety after a string of scandals in the early 2000s, including a California Republican who famously drew up a bribe menu showing what it would cost to secure government contracts.

Earmarks went away because a small number of members of Congress abused them, said Kevin Kosar, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, in the course of doing that, they kind of threw out the baby with the bathwater.

Wary of repeating those mistakes, House lawmakers made several changes to the process, including banning earmarks to for-profit companies and requiring members to certify they and their immediate families have no financial interest in the projects they request funding for.

There were some huge issues with how earmarks used to be run, said Newhouse, who serves on the Appropriations Committee and strongly objects to applying the baggage-laden term to the new process.

We tried to learn from the past and not put into place a system that would lend itself to some of the things that happened before.

Both committees also require lawmakers to post the details of all their requests on their websites, and all of the requests are listed in publicly available spreadsheets.

Kosar said the return of earmarks could especially benefit rural areas, which often lack the resources cities have to seek out other sources of federal funding.

Through the years I found that there were projects in communities, especially in the small towns and cities that I represent, (where) it was extremely difficult for them to get funding, McMorris Rodgers said.

Larger cities and counties, you would see that they were hiring the people that could help them, the grant writers or others that would advocate with the agencies on their behalf, she said. Versus a small town and Malden is a great example where they dont have the resources to be hiring those kinds of people.

Between the two committees, McMorris Rodgers requested a total of roughly $196 million and Newhouse requested $44 million.

In the Senate, which has to sign off on appropriations proposed by the House, Democrats have supported the return of earmarks, while Republicans are also divided.

In a statement, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she is excited about the direction were heading in.

My job as senator is to fight for Washington state in the other Washington, Murray said, so I have always been supportive of making sure members of Congress have an opportunity to put funding for specific projects into appropriations bills that meet the needs of communities in their state.

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said in an interview he is open to the process, provided it is done appropriately, while his fellow Idaho Republican, Sen. Jim Risch, has said he opposes the return of earmarks.

See the rest here:
Don't call them 'earmarks,' but return of lawmaker-directed spending could send millions to Eastern Washington while North Idaho's Fulcher opts out -...

A rundown on how each state representative voted on the zoning reform bill.

Myth: The Planning and Development Committees proposed bills would end our local decision making on zoning and land-use.

Fact (Spin from Democrats):This legislation empowers local communities to plan for the future.Nothing in any proposed Planning and Development Committee bill eliminates local decision making on zoning and land-use. Instead, these changes add clarity, transparency and consistency to local zoning regulations.

a. Connecticut law (8-2) gives the authority to regulate land use to the 169 towns and cities in our state.b. These bills move Connecticuts law, written almost 100 years ago, into the 21st century, providing tools and frameworks for municipalities to create their own goals, plans and processes.

The reality:

HB 6107 passed in the house and the language changed significantly (through a strike all amendment) to this one bill, which has been cobbled together with pieces from 13+ different bills raised in four-plus different committees. Some of the original bills most definitely would have ended local decision making on zoning and land use this session.

While CTs law, 8-2 may have been written almost 100 years ago, individual towns have been granted zoning powers and routinely review and update their own zoning regulations, so they are already in the 21st Century. Towns already create their own goals, plans of conservation and development and processes. Towns are already mandated to create an affordable housing plan. They are best suited to write the regs most applicable to their own unique town.

HB6107 MANDATES towns to accept ADUs as of right everywhere in the municipality and limits maximum parking requirements to two parking spaces for all units with two or more bedrooms. It does permit towns to opt out should they not want to follow these mandates by a two-thirds vote of both the local zoning board as well as the local voting body of the town.

If towns do not opt out by set date or add any additional ADU restrictions, like allowing ADUs only in certain zones within a town, the local zoning policy is made NULL AND VOID. This is a loss of local decision making.

The bill also MANDATES any developer fees must be returned to the builder and cannot charge any fee that is calculated in a different way for a developer from any other project. This may prevent the ability of towns to collect fees for seed capital to create affordable housing projects.

The bill deletes from 8-2 provisions which state: prevent overcrowding of land, avoid undue concentration of population, conserving value of buildings

The bill deletes character and replaces it with physical site characteristics and cannot deny a project unless such character is expressly articulated in regs by clear and explicit physical standards for site work and structures.

The bill allows cottage food industry & mobile manufactured homes in residential areas.

The bill requires towns to consider the impact of building on neighboring municipalities and the planning region, to address disparities in housing needs and access to educational, occupational and other opportunities and promote efficient review of proposals but does not state how, this will likely be expanded in future sessions.

The bill prohibits a maximum cap on the number of multifamily over four units, mixed use or middle housing and local towns cannot set a minimum floor area requirement.

Myth: HB 6107 would eliminate local control over accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Fact (Spin from Democrats):These bills would streamline and clarify local control over ADUs.

The current language in these bills would allow whats called as-of-right development of an ADU anywhere there is a single-family dwelling. As-of-right means that through public input to local zoning boards, regulations would be created and a local administrative review would assure compliance. Though public hearings will no longer be needed for an ADU that meets regulations (reducing the burden on a local homeowners time and cost), local boards and commissions remain in control. Towns may opt out by a two-thirds vote.

The reality:

Section 6 of the bill requires towns and cities to allow accessory apartments (also known as accessory dwelling units ADUs), as of right meaning that any home owner can build accessory apartment separate from the main home on any property by going to town hall and just getting the project signed off as written in the zoning regulations (similar to the process for a single-family home).

This bill MANDATES towns to accept ADUs as of right everywhere in the municipality. The ADUs can be attached or detached but local property coverage requirements will remain in place, with the provision that the accessory units cannot have any more restrictive provisions i.e. height, setbacks, etc. than on the main unit on the property.

With as of right, there is no longer a special permit or public hearing requirement, so any concerns or input from neighbors and the public is no longer part of the process.

It does permit towns to opt out should they not want to follow these mandates by a two-thirds vote of BOTH the local zoning board as well as the local voting body of the town. This was intentional, and may be a high bar for some towns to reach rather than a simple majority given the overwhelming two-thirds majority control Democrats hold at the state level.

If towns do not opt out by set date or add any additional ADU restrictions, like allowing ADUs only in certain zones within a town, the local zoning policy is made NULL AND VOID. This cannot be seen as anything else but a loss of local decision making.

Myth:HB 6107 would impose new, potentially costly, unfunded mandates for training and assimilating local regulations.

Fact (Spin from Democrats):These bills will result in long term savings for our communities. Towns will not be responsible for training or code development costs.

Training All communities benefit when commissions and boards are well trained on complex land use issues. State and regional groups are willing to provide training, which can be conducted online. Some groups are already offering training to commissioners, and many planning and zoning commissioners already volunteer for these trainings. Municipalities would not bear the burden of these costs.

Saving Tax-Payer Dollars A state level working group would create model codes that municipalities could CHOOSE to adopt, SAVING towns the cost and the time of creating these codes themselves. These model codes will allow for design and architectural standards that will help to address concerns residents and zoning boards sometimes have with new development.

The reality:

The amended bill changed the requirements of hours needed and in which different categories of zoning and will be provided at no additional cost to towns.

The amended bill changed the working group membership to be appointed by elected state leadership and also includes bureaucrats in the group from different commissions.

The working group membership will be critical in order to create workable form-based codes that are specifically nuanced to meet the unique needs of 169 cities, suburbs and rural communities.

Per the current language in the bill, towns may adopt any or all of the codes that will be created by the working group. Later legislative sessions may mandate the regulations.

Leaders in planning, zoning, etc from different size towns from across the state from different size townsnot expresslyincluded in the working group. They have real experience in what works and what does not work with zoning, 8-30g and the nuance needed to create sound planning and zoning policy locally.

The working group is not explicitly tasked with addressing the shortcomings of 8-30g or to make recommendations that would help create more affordability.

Other experts in soils, sanitation, conservation and environmental issues must also be appointed to the group to ensure policy will work for all sizes of towns, there is only one environmental specialist being appointed.

Myth: This bill would hurt the environment by overriding the local voice of municipalities who host waterways, open space.

Fact(Spin from Democrats):This bill offers methods for towns to help protect the environment.

The bill recognizes the need to be proactive and provide the tools for planning so we can address changes like rising sea level that will destroy parts of our community if we dont act. Specifically, there is language to protect the Long Island Sound and its main tributaries and encourage towns to promote clean energy options, including freestanding solar and wind energy, as part of development projects.

The reality:

The original bills also provided for clean energy and protected Long Island Sound. We do not recall any criticism of that part of the bill. This is a false myth.

The original zoning bills did push for significant high-density development (15+units per acre) in downtowns and main streets. This leads to greater water runoff and concerns with adequate sewer capacity.

Provisions from other previous bills to increases to the alternative sewer capacity from 5,000 gallons per day to 7,500 or 10,000 that were removed from HB6107 bill. Those provisions would have had potential environmental impacts.

In addition, the original bills included significant increases in as of right development beyond just ADUs to multi-family and mixed use, which would have removed public hearings on individual projects, where hyperlocal environmental impacts to neighboring properties would have no longer been allowed.

Myth: This bill will take away our control over traffic flow and parking.

Fact(Spin from Democrats):This bill enhances our ability to plan accurately and efficiently.

The reality:

In evaluating traffic studies required for projects, the original versions of bills replaced level of service calculation of traffic for the substandard vehicle miles travelled in order to all for much higher density development.

HB6107 allows for vehicle miles traveled as well as level of service method.Local zoning officials may decide which method they prefer to use.

This allowance for either method of traffic study can be taken away in the future through recommendations by the appointed working group for the one that allows greater density development.

This bill MANDATES the maximum parking allowed to two parking spaces for all units with two or more bedrooms everywhere in a town.

It does permit towns to opt out of the parking requirement should they not want to follow these mandates by a two-thirds vote of both the local zoning board as well as the local voting body of the town. This may be a high bar for some towns to overcome given the dominance of Democrats at the state level may also exist in many municipalities as well.

While parking is a significant cost to development, it must be appropriately considered on a local basis as there as towns with local roads that may not be wide enough to accommodate on street parking that would come with higher density development in downtowns and transit areas.

Many towns lack jobs, goods and services residents might need, which would necessitate owning a vehicle(s) to access those items and their employment. Many towns also lack adequate public transportation to neighboring towns. There are issues with frequency of service and cost as well.

If developers do not have to build adequate parking, that burden falls on municipalities and the private sector to create parking lots to accommodate excess vehicles needing parking, which will end up being an additional cost burden to those residents and the towns.

Myth: This bill will drive up residency at a rate which outpaces the local resources and services such as police and fire, and schools.

Fact (Spin from Democrats): This bill will help Connecticut plan how we grow. The latest census numbers show that Connecticut had the fourth smallest gain in population in the US over the past decade. This slow growth is hurting our economy. The pandemic has reversed that trend giving us a new opportunity. The influx of new homeowners and residents is good for our economy. At the same time this influx threatens to drive longtime residents, our parents and our children, out of our town. This bill will help local leaders plan how our town grows, so we can meet the needs of people already here and the new residents we hope will continue to choose Connecticut as their home. Requirements for as-of-right multi-family housing around transit stations and main street / commercial corridors were removed from the bills.

The reality:

The as of right TOD/Main Streets/Commercial corridor was indeed removed from the bills the exponential market value overdevelopment in those bills (SB1024 & Fair Share bill) would have in fact overwhelmed local infrastructure, resources and services.

Towns already have a process to create their own Plan of Conservation and Development to help strategically plan for growth.

The reason Connecticut had the smallest population gain is due to the poor economic public policy of the Democrats that have an almost 2/3 majority in both the State House and Senate that is driving businesses and their good paying jobs out of our state. (The Democrats allow few if any bills by the minority party to be raised for a public hearing.)

The new jobs that were created in the state are paying less than the jobs that are being lost. When high paying jobs leave the state and replacement new jobs coming in pay less, living in Connecticut becomes less affordable for all. That is real reason the economy has lagged the rest of the country.

There has not been significant new housing development in most of the state by builders due to the lagging economy. If there was significant demand and a vibrant economy, there would have been more development in the last decade.

In general, for every homeowner buying in the state, one is selling, and this trend may not be sustainable long term as the pandemic recedes and taxes are increased.

The original zoning bills focused on flooding the state with market value housing supply, to deflate property values, which would not depress values enough to create true affordability. NOTE: HB 6107 deletes the provision: conserving the value of buildings.

The only sustainable way to improve affordability is through better public policy to create a more vibrant economy that brings new businesses with better jobs and more opportunity into Connecticut.

Southwestern Connecticut, with its proximity to the economic engine that is the NY Metro area, has helped to sustain Connecticut. The significant revenues the state garners from these residents that commute 2.5 hours+ daily to NYC to their highly technical jobs which command higher salaries that has helped to sustain the state. In contrast, Connecticuts business base has contracted and the rest of the state has been slower to recover.

The majority party focuses on inventing new taxes, user fees as the States revenue source which burdens corporations, local businesses and residents. This is not a sustainable model for a vibrant economy in Connecticut.

The majority partys focus on increasing tax burden on the higher income earners and keeping the inheritance and estate taxes has shown that those higher earners are most able to leave the state and have done so for other states with more favorable tax policy.

Myth: This bill will overburden the public water and sewer infrastructure.

Fact (Spin from Democrats):This bill will help us grow our infrastructure responsibly.

This legislation will give towns tools and guidance to plan strategically for the future, so communities can decide where they allow development and what type. A vital part of planning is infrastructure. If we dont address septic and sewer capacity in our state, the only places that will be able to grow are where there is existing infrastructure. The Committee will work with DEEP, DPH, environmental advocates and others to assure health, safety and environmental concerns are taken into account before making any changes to regulations.

The reality:

The original zoning bills as SB 1024 and SB961 would have changed procedure for alternative sewer systems without first having careful and deliberate study of the expansion, adequate staffing with the proper technical experience to create the regulations and for proper enforcement of such alternative sewer treatment systems.

The original zoning bills would have encouraged exponential development, which easily could have overburdened existing infrastructure, including town water and sewer. For example, the required Fair Share units would have required significant expansion of sewers and town water for virtually every town as most towns would have had to double their current number of units to meet the threshold mandated fair shares.

We welcome a new working group that will properly evaluate alternative sewer systems prior to expanding the daily gallons of waste permitted.

The new Working Group detailed in HB6017 still lacks adequate representation of soils, sanitation, wetlands and conservation experts/specialists to create sound planning and zoning policy.

The allowance of ADUs as of right in entire towns can potentially have an impact on the capacity of public water and sewer, should the towns not opt out of permitting them throughout the town.

Areas in lower Fairfield County already lack adequate water capacity, which will need to be pulled from further into central Connecticut to meet the existing need. Considering most plans were looking to double the size of towns, water capacity will continue to become an issue.

Myth:This bill strengthens the hands of developers who have been exploiting the states affordable housing statute, 8-30g, to override local zoning laws.

Fact (Spin from Democrats):Zoning reform will clarify and make more equitable the process by which the state sets its housing goals, and give towns guidance and tools to achieve those goals.

The affordable housing appeals process within 8-30g is not being amended within these proposals. Zoning and housing are definitely intertwined, and these bills actually give towns greater control over how we grow.They do not eliminate the 8-30g requirements. This bill gives towns additional tools and support in reaching an 8-30g moratorium if they have not achieved 10% affordable housing in their communities.

The reality:

Many, if not most, accessory apartments, could be rented at a market value rate that would be considered affordable throughout most of the state, yet this units will not be counted as part of the 10% affordable housing as per 8-30g requirements unless they are registered as Deed Restricted.

The reality is that few, if any homeowners would want to impact the value of their homes by adding a permanent or 30-year deed restriction to their personal property.

Yet again, towns will not be given credit for any existing naturally affordable housing that is already available (and the new units that will be available through the allowance of accessory apartments) since they will not be counted (in the numerator) towards the 10% 8-30g affordable threshold.

On a positive note, the additional accessory apartments will not count against towns as total housing units either (not in the denominator in the 10% calculation.)

Mandating as of right accessory apartments and two or less parking spaces per housing unit may lead to additional density development at lower costs and this is a clear benefit to developers. There is no guarantee that those units will actually be considered affordable. While towns may opt out, meeting the 2/3 majority in both the local P&Z and the voting body of many towns could be challenging threshold to reach.

The Working group is not specifically tasked with addressing the shortcomings of 8-30g, why not?

Why are affordable housing chairs from towns of different sizes not included on the working group to discuss why 8-30g is not achieving the intended goals of affordability and overriding local zoning regulations while not creating needed affordability.

Towns may reserve sewer capacity allocations for multifamily would also be a benefit to developers who would create higher density developments. The may could change to must in future legislative sessions.

The working group is specifically tasked with looking into expanding alternative sewer systems capacity, which would also be a benefit to developers, allowing higher density development.

Limiting the fees that may be charged to developers for larger projects and having to return excess fees may prevent municipalities from collecting seed funds for affordable housing development. This is a benefit to developers.

Builders can use vehicle miles traveled if a town chooses to use that method in a traffic study, which would lead to higher density development.

Alexis Harrison represents CT 169 Strong

CTViewpoints welcomes rebuttal or opposing views to this and all its commentaries. Read our guidelines andsubmit your commentary here.

Excerpt from:
The HB 6107 zoning bill myths vs 'facts' vs the reality - The CT Mirror

Neil Coppinger and Colleen OHara

Signify, a world leader in lighting technology, has expanded its horticulture team in North America to support business development efforts in the region. Neil Coppinger and Colleen OHara have joined the U.S. team as Key Account Managers and will be responsible for developing new business opportunities and driving sales growth of Philips LED horticulture grow lights across all customer segments.

Coppinger will support sales efforts in the Central U.S. and Southeast, OHara will support sales efforts in the Northeast. Both bring extensive knowledge and experience in the application of horticulture LED lighting technology.

Coppinger comes to Signify with 13 years of agriculture and horticulture technology sales experience. He most recently served as National Sales Director at BIOS Lighting, where he worked with greenhouse and indoor growers to adopt and integrate horticultural lighting solutions. Prior to that, Coppinger held roles at Motorleaf, a company specializing in artificial intelligence for greenhouse production, and at LED grow lighting manufacturers Heliospectra and Lumigrow.

OHara, based in southern New Jersey, brings extensive horticulture knowledge and experience to Signify, most recently as Commercial Sales Manager for the Mid-Atlantic region at Hawthorne Gardening. Prior to joining Hawthorne, she was the East Coast Regional Business Development Manager for BIOS Lighting with an emphasis on providing lighting solutions for cannabis cultivators. Before joining BIOS, she served as Director of Sales for HiFarm, a craft cannabis cultivator in Portland, OR.

Signify Key Account Managers are responsible for developing new business and driving sales growth across customer segments including greenhouse food, floriculture, vertical farms, medicinal cannabis, and research institutes and universities. Key Account Managers collaborate closely with Signify Plant Specialists and Project Application Engineers to facilitate co-creation with growers and develop tailored lighting solutions to meet their needs.

Brian Sparks is senior editor of Greenhouse Grower and editor of Greenhouse Grower Technology. See all author stories here.

Read more here:
Signify Adds Expertise to Its Horticulture Lighting Team - Greenhouse Grower

Anonym Studio has designed a stunning 1,080 sq. meter home in Bangkok, Thailand, that comes with a full rock climbing wall and a gradient brick facade that allows dazzling patterns of light to shine in.

Dubbed Sailom House, the project is a four-story home that accommodates three families. The complex, designed in 2020, is meant to replicate a serviced apartment with functional spaces on each floor that all members can use.

On the first floor, common areas like the kitchen and living room have been laid out for communal use. Above that, each upper floor houses the residents bedrooms, along with additional living areas and pantries. Each story is linked together via two internal courtyards that open up into a space between the ground and fourth floor.

Notably, the house features an intricate climbing wall, an add-on requested by the owner who is an avid climber. The court hosts a walkway on each floor meant to overlap and combine spaces. The roof is elevated at the upper part of the court, creating a void that best facilitates airflow and natural lighting. The outdoor and indoor spaces meld together intentionally, allowing wind and light to obscure elements that exist inside and outside of the home.

The highlight of the home is the slotted brick facade that offers natural ventilation and a variety of dynamic patterns. The designers say that the brick materials were affordable, accommodate airflow and allow for heightened safety. The facade provides refuge to areas of the home that are exposed to excessive amounts of sunlight and has varying patterns that allow for more or less privacy, depending on where theyre placed. For the top parts of the house, the bricks become more perforated and airier, whereas the lower areas have tighter brick clusters.

The space between the home and the facade has been fashioned into a veranda dotted with potted plants, creating a greener living space. The buildings architects say the bricks used in the facade were styled without making any cuts, so calculating the ranges between each block, beam and lintel was done with intention.

There is this element of craft to it as well, said Phongphat Ueasangkhomse, one of the homes architects.

The beams above the brick facade were left deliberately exposed, as were the air conditioning pipes in the living room, leading to a rustic and industrial feel. I like this house because it isnt about the crisp and polished details. We did everything the way it could and should be done. I wasnt too serious or trying too hard about making everything flawless, and thats what I love most about it, added Phongphat.

In other news, Sothebys International Realty listed a home in Houston, Texas, nicknamed The Darth Vader House due to its angular design. Check it out here.

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This Home in Thailand Features a Rock Climbing Wall and Light-Filled Brick Facade - HYPEBEAST

The global lighting contactor market is projected to reach USD 1,111.0 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 8.53%, during the forecast period.

According to the new market research report Lighting Contactor Market by End-User (Smart Residential Complexes, Commercial, Industrial, and Municipal), Type (Electrically Held and Mechanically Held), Application (Indoor and Outdoor), and Region Global Forecast to 2023, The lighting contactor market is expected to grow USD 1,111.0 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 8.53% during forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the increasing adoption of energy-efficient lighting, growing demand for smart controls in lighting systems, and increasing adoption of IoT in the lighting industry.

Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=24570823

Commercial segment is expected to hold the largest share of the lighting contactor market, by end-user, during the forecast period.

Lighting contactors are used widely in commercial setups such as corporate offices, healthcare and retail complexes, hotels, restaurants, and educational institutes. Increasing need for energy efficiency is the major objective for governments, organizations, building owners, and other stakeholders. The governments in different countries are adopting LEDs to increase energy efficiency as it can directly reduce the maintenance and utilization cost. Lighting control systems reduce the energy consumption by optimizing ambient light levels to suit the users needs, thereby reducing the overall demand for lighting energy. Lighting control systems require lighting contactors for controlling lights, which require frequent on and off operation. Thus, the increase in the adoption of energy-efficient lighting is likely to boost the lighting contactor market.

Electrically held segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the lighting contactor market, by type, during the forecast period.

The electrically held segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the lighting contactor market during the forecast period. These contactors require an uninterrupted flow of power for continuous operation. If the power is lost, the contactors isolate the light from the circuit. A constant current flow is required to keep the contactor energized. These contactors are noiseless and consume less amount of control power than other contactors. They are mainly used in smart residential complexes and commercial and industrial segments. Thus, the adoption of electrically held contactors is more than mechanically held contactors.

Ask Sample Pages of the Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=24570823

Europe: the leading market for lighting contactors

In this report, the lighting contactor market has been analyzed on the basis of 5 regions, namely, Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East & Africa. The market in Europe is expected to lead the global lighting contactor market in 2018 and is projected to have the largest market share by 2023. The growing demand for lighting control systems in Europe makes it a potentially growing market for lighting contactor providers. The drive for green city projects has brought into the focus on energy efficiency in most of the EU countries. This has created a market opportunity for the manufacturers of LED and energy-efficient lighting control systems and solutions. Moreover, historical buildings, architectural sites, and hospitality businesses contribute to the increased demand for innovative lighting solutions. Thus, the demand for lighting control systems in commercial, residential, and industrial sectors is increasing which is likely to drive the lighting contactor market.

To enable an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape, the report includes the profiles of some of the top players in the lighting contactor market. The key players in the market include ABB (Switzerland), Siemens (Germany), Schneider Electric (France), Rockwell Automation (US), and Eaton (Republic of Ireland). The leading players are trying to expand in developing economies and are adopting various strategies to increase their market shares.

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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the Growth Engagement Model GEM. The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write Attack, avoid and defend strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

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Lighting Contactor Market to Witness Steady Growth through 2023 | ABB, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Rockwell Automation, Eaton - Digital Journal

MANITOWOC, Wis., June 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orion Energy Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: OESX) (Orion Lighting), a provider of energy-efficient LED lighting, controls and IoT systems, including turnkey project implementation, program management and system maintenance, today reported results for its fiscal 2021 fourth quarter (Q421) and year ended March 31, 2021 (FY 2021). Orion will hold an investor call today at 4:30 p.m. ET details below.

Financial Highlights

CEO CommentaryMike Altschaefl, Orions CEO and Board Chair, commented, The Orion team achieved solid FY 2021 financial results despite very challenging first half business conditions due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our full year performance benefitted from a significant rebound in our business in the second half as many customers returned to pre-COVID-19 levels of activity. We achieved profitability and positive cash flow from operations in Q421 and FY 2021 while also building our pipeline of project opportunities for FY 2022 and beyond. I extend our Board and management team's sincere appreciation and thanks to our team and our business partners for their dedication and perseverance through a very challenging period.

In FY 2021, we continued to expand the breadth and diversity of our customer base across several sectors, including retail, warehousing and logistics, automotive OEMs, healthcare and the public sector. We also further enhanced our product line with continued investment in product development, enabling the introduction of our new Starline high-bay LED fixtures, a new line of exterior lighting products, and next generation linear LED fixtures. These new products provide efficient, cost-effective design and enhanced energy efficiency to support our customers' environmental and business goals, and they have been well received in the market.

We also recently launched our new ISON PureMotionproduct line, expanding our business into airflow solutions to create healthier indoor spaces. The line includes ISON PureMotion Air; ISON PureMotion Light; and ISON PureMotion UVC, which uses UVC light rays in a sealed chamber to kill bacteria, fungi, mold and viruses to create a safer and healthier work environment.

Our FY 2022 is poised to benefit from a growing and more diverse group of large national account customers and projects. These customers recognize the value of Orions innovative, energy efficient products and our unique, customized, turnkey LED lighting design-build-install capabilities and strong customer service. We have a proven track record executing large national retrofit installation programs with efficient, high-quality and customized products and excellent, on-schedule service.

Reflecting the national scope of our service capabilities, during FY 2021 Orion launched a lighting, electrical and other maintenance services business that we believe can grow into an important longer-term recurring service revenue opportunity.

Given the compelling benefits our solutions provide, ranging from improved illumination, enhanced work environments, greater safety, and environmental and cost benefits, we are very optimistic regarding Orions outlook for FY 2022 and beyond.

Underscoring our optimism is the enormous untapped market for LED lighting and controls upgrades at facilities that have yet to be updated. Based on a U.S. Department of Energy study, the domestic LED retrofit opportunity in Orions key markets is estimated to be in excess of $20B today and growing to over $80B by 2035. To pursue this substantial market potential, Orions Board and management team have updated the Companys strategic plan to help guide our organic and inorganic growth initiatives, with a long-term target of building Orion to a company generating up to $500M in annual revenue in approximately five years. To achieve this long-term target, our plan envisions organic growth of at least 10% per year, augmented by external growth initiatives including the active pursuit of strategic acquisitions and business partnerships. We set these financial goals to provide our stakeholders with a vision of what we believe Orion can become."

Business OutlookOrion currently expects to achieve FY 2022 revenue of $150M to $155M, representing growth of at least 28% over FY 2021, excluding any recurrence of COVID-19 business impacts. This outlook is based on further progress in diversifying Orion's customer base and revenue sources and is supported by the following opportunities:

Orion cautions investors that its financial outlook is subject to a range of factors that are difficult to predict, including but not limited to the COVID-19 pandemic and possible business and other economic impacts.

Tax ProvisionAs a result of the valuation allowance release at the close of FY 2021, Orion expects its financial results to reflect a GAAP tax provision in future periods that is more in line with statutory tax rates. However, based upon current tax laws and the Companys federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $69M at 3/31/21, Orion does not expect to pay meaningful cash taxes for several years.

Financial ResultsOrions Q421 revenue rose 37.0% or $9.6M to $35.5M from $25.9M in Q420, due to strong national account retrofit activity as business rebounded from COVID-19 related disruptions earlier in FY 2021. Q421 benefitted from several large national retrofit projects, including for a large national retail customer and a specialty retailer. FY 2021 revenue was $116.8M compared to $150.8M in FY 2020, principally due to pandemic related work stoppages and project delays during the first half of the year.

Gross profit rose 59.7% or $3.4M to $9.2M in Q421 from $5.8M in Q420. FY 2021 full year gross profit was $30.1M compared to $37.1M in FY 2020, primarily due to lower revenue, partially offset by an increase in gross profit percentage. The gross profit percentage increased 120 bps to 25.8% in FY 2021 from 24.6% in FY 2020, mainly due to improved product margins and managing supply chain and input costs, more than offsetting increases in raw material and component prices.

Total operating expenses were $23.3M in FY 2021 vs. $24.0M in FY 2020 but increased as a percentage of sales to 19.9% from 15.9%, year-over-year, primarily due to the impact of lower business volume. Q421 operating expenses improved to 18.8% of sales from 23.7% in Q420, principally reflecting the benefit of fixed cost absorption from higher business volume in Q421.

Orion generated EBITDA of $2.9M in Q421 versus $0.0M in Q420. FY 2021 EBITDA was $8.4M versus $14.7M in FY 2020, reflecting the pandemics impact on FY 2021 revenue.

Q421 and FY 2021 results included a non-cash tax benefit of $20.9M, or $0.67 and $0.66 per diluted share, respectively, resulting from the release of the valuation allowance previously recorded against Orions deferred tax assets. As a result, Orions reported net income and earnings per share are not representative of its operating results and comparisons to prior and future periods will not be meaningful without adjusting for such tax benefit.

Q421 net income excluding the tax benefit improved to $1.2M, or $0.04 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of ($0.5M), or ($0.02) per basic share, in Q420, reflecting higher revenue and gross profit. FY 2021 net income excluding the tax benefit was $5.2M, or $0.17 per diluted share, compared to net income of $12.5M, or $0.40 per diluted share, in FY 2020, principally reflecting higher revenue in FY 2020.

Cash Flow & Balance SheetOrion generated $7.4M of cash from operating activities in Q421 as compared to $6.1M in Q420. The increase was due to higher net income and favorable working capital changes. Orion generated $1.7M of cash from operating activities in FY 2021, versus $20.3M in FY 2020, with the difference attributable to lower net income plus working capital investments.

As of March 31, 2021, Orions net working capital balance was $26.2M, compared to $27.8M at March 31, 2020. Working capital at March 31, 2020 included $10.0M drawn from the Companys revolving line of credit in response to pandemic uncertainties. In December 2020, Orion secured a new five-year$25.0M revolving credit facility. The facility provides a 25% increase in financing capacity and liquidity to support the Companys strategic growth plans. As of March 31, 2021, Orion had no balance outstanding on its revolving credit facility, $19.4M of cash and cash equivalents and $25M of availability on its credit facility.

About Orion Energy SystemsOrion provides innovative LED lighting systems and turnkey project implementation including installation and commissioning of fixtures, controls and IoT systems, as well as ongoing system maintenance and program management. We help our customers achieve energy savings with healthy, safe and sustainable solutions, enabling them to reduce their carbon footprint and digitize their business.

Non-GAAP MeasuresIn addition to the GAAP results included in this presentation, Orion has also included the non-GAAP measures, EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), net income excluding the tax benefit and diluted earnings per share excluding the tax benefit. The Company has provided these non-GAAP measures to help investors better understand its core operating performance, enhance comparisons of core operating performance from period to period and allow better comparisons of operating performance to its competitors. Among other things, management uses these non-GAAP measures to evaluate performance of the business and believes this measurement enables it to make better period-to-period evaluations of the financial performance of core business operations. The non-GAAP measurements are intended only as a supplement to the comparable GAAP measurements and Orion compensates for the limitations inherent in the use of non-GAAP measurements by using GAAP measures in conjunction with the non-GAAP measurement. As a result, investors should consider these non-GAAP measurements in addition to, and not in substitution for or as superior to, measurements of financial performance prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Consistent with Regulation G under the U.S. federal securities laws, the non-GAAP measures in this press release have been reconciled to the nearest GAAP measures, and this reconciliation is located under the heading Unaudited EBITDA Reconciliation and Unaudited Earnings Per Share Reconciliation following the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows included in this press release.

COVID-19 ImpactsThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted business, trade, commerce, financial and credit markets, in the U.S. and globally. Orions business has been materially adversely impacted by measures taken by government entities and others to control the spread of the virus. As part of the Companys recent response to the impacts of the COVID-19, management has taken a number of cost reduction and cash conservation measures. While restrictions have begun to lessen in certain jurisdictions, stay-at-home, face mask, and lockdown orders remain in effect in others, with employees asked to work remotely if possible. Many customers and projects require Orion employees to travel to customers and project locations. Some customers and projects are in areas where travel restrictions have been imposed, certain customers have either closed or reduced on-site activities, and timelines for the completion of multiple projects have been delayed, suspended, or extended. As of the date of this release, it is not possible to predict the overall impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the Company's business, liquidity, capital resources or financial results.

Safe Harbor Statement Certain matters discussed in this press release, including under the headings Financial Highlights, CEO Commentary, and "Business Outlook" are "forward-looking statements" intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may generally be identified as such because the context of such statements will include words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "will," "would" or words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe our future plans, objectives or goals are also forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those expected, including, but not limited to, the following: (i) our ability to manage general economic, business and geopolitical conditions, including the impacts of natural disasters, pandemics and outbreaks of contagious diseases and other adverse public health developments, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; (ii) the deterioration of market conditions, including our dependence on customers' capital budgets for sales of products and services, and adverse impacts on costs and the demand for our products as a result of factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of tariffs; (iii) our ability to successfully launch, manage and maintain our refocused business strategy to successfully bring to market new and innovative product and service offerings; (iv) our recent and continued reliance on significant revenue to be generated in fiscal 2022 from the lighting and controls retrofit projects for two major global logistics companies; (v) our dependence on a limited number of key customers, and the potential consequences of the loss of one or more key customers or suppliers, including key contacts at such customers; (vi) our ability to identify and successfully complete transactions with suitable acquisition candidates in the future as part of our growth strategy; (vii) the availability of additional debt financing and/or equity capital to pursue our evolving strategy and sustain our growth initiatives; (viii) our risk of potential loss related to single or focused exposure within the current customer base and product offerings; (ix) our ability to sustain our profitability and positive cash flows; (x) our ability to differentiate our products in a highly competitive and converging market, expand our customer base and gain market share; (xi) our ability to manage and mitigate downward pressure on the average selling prices of our products as a result of competitive pressures in the light emitting diode ("LED") market; (xii) our ability to manage our inventory and avoid inventory obsolescence in a rapidly evolving LED market; (xiii) our increasing reliance on third parties for the manufacture and development of products, product components, as well as the provision of certain services; (xix) our increasing emphasis on selling more of our products through third party distributors and sales agents, including our ability to attract and retain effective third party distributors and sales agents to execute our sales model; (xx) our ability to develop and participate in new product and technology offerings or applications in a cost effective and timely manner; (xxi) our ability to maintain safe and secure information technology systems; (xxii) our failure to comply with the covenants in our credit agreement; (xxiii) our ability to recruit, hire and retain talented individuals in all disciplines of our company; (xxiv)our ability to balance customer demand and production capacity; (xxv) our ability to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting; (xxvi) price fluctuations (including as a result of tariffs), shortages or interruptions of component supplies and raw materials used to manufacture our products; (xxvii) our ability to defend our patent portfolio and license technology from third parties; (xxviii) a reduction in the price of electricity; (xxix) the reduction or elimination of investments in, or incentives to adopt, LED lighting or the elimination of, or changes in, policies, incentives or rebates in certain states or countries that encourage the use of LEDs over some traditional lighting technologies; (xxx) the cost to comply with, and the effects of, any current and future industry and government regulations, laws and policies; (xxxi) potential warranty claims in excess of our reserve estimates, and (xxxii) the other risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Shareholders, potential investors and other readers are urged to consider these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are made only as of the date of this press release and we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More detailed information about factors that may affect our performance may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at http://www.sec.gov or at http://investor.oriones.com/ in the Investor Relations section of our Website.

Twitter: @OrionLighting and @OrionLightingIRStockTwits: @Orion_LED_IR

See more here:
Orion Q4'21 Revenue Rose 37% to $35.5M on Strong LED Lighting Retrofit Activity - GlobeNewswire