N.J. County Residents Fight Dunes; Add Trash to the List of Flint's Problems
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Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: San Francisco's sinking skyscraper; Texas weakens its Public Information Act; and Cobb County school eyed by Satanic Temple
OCEAN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY
STORM PROTECTION | A plan to build up dunes to protect part of the coastline here from ocean waters during severe storm events remains in limbo, as a group of property owners continues to wage a legal battle against the proposal. The plan to build the 25-foot-high dunes along 14 miles of coastline is a joint effort involving the state of New Jersey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was launched after Superstorm Sandy left the area hard-hit in 2012. But dozens of property owners have fought back against the project, which requires them to sign over land to the government. Some question whether the state will be able to foot the bill for the dunes in the long run. “Why,” asked one resident, “should I sign my property over to a government that can’t even find the money to make basic road and bridge repairs?” Estimates show the cost of building and maintaining the dunes will total nearly $1 billion over the next 50 years. The federal government would pay about two-thirds of that expense. New Jersey would be on the hook for about $372 million. [The Record via NorthJersey.com]
FLINT, MICHIGAN
TRASH | The city facing a water crisis due to lead poisoning suspended trash pickup indefinitely Monday, until a judge can resolve the dispute between the mayor and City Council over which company to award a collection contract to. Republic Services’ contract expired Friday, and council voted 8-1 to renew. But Mayor Karen Weaver felt Rizzo Environmental Services had the “lowest possible responsible bid” for a cash-strapped city trying to avoid requiring emergency management again. Her veto was overridden, and her office rejected Republic’s offer to continue services until a judge resolves the issue—ideally by the middle of this week. "While the obnoxious stench of political intrigue permeates from city hall, an equally insalubrious aroma comes from our neighborhoods where our garbage will not be picked," Genesee County Circuit Court Judge Joseph Farah said at Friday’s first hearing. [The Journal Gazette]
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
REAL ESTATE | Millennium Tower, a gleaming skyscraper home to the likes of Joe Montana and Hunter Pence, has apparently sunk 16 inches since the building was completed in 2008. It has also tilted 2 inches to the northwest. Professor Greg Deierlein, the director of the John A. Blume Earthquake Engineering Center at Stanford University, calls the tower’s shifts “significant … and of concern.” This is more than just a problem for the owners and residents of the building; it could be also be a big issue for taxpayers. The owners are claiming that the massive Transbay Transit Center excavation project next door is to blame for the sinking and leaning. [San Francisco Chronicle]
AUSTIN, TEXAS
PUBLIC RECORDS | A series of Texas Supreme Court and lower court rulings have weakened the once-touted Texas Public Information Act. Enacted in the 1970s, it presumed government records were open with the state Attorney General providing case-by-case exceptions. But last year the Texas Supreme Court ruled a nongovernmental body, Greater Houston Partnership, didn’t have to open its financial books, despite being publicly funded by the city to do economic development work. The court also allowed aerospace company Boeing to withhold information on government documents in San Antonio because it might lose a competitive advantage. [The Dallas Morning News]
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
TAXES | Property tax hikes, combined with higher reassessments of property values, have left some homeowners in Chicago reeling. Recent tax increases imposed by the city and Chicago Public Schools have now taken effect. Anne McDermott paid $4,214 in property taxes last year. This year her bill jumped upwards by over 32 percent, by almost $1,360. That was after her home was assessed at 31 percent more than it had been previously. “It's a little scary, because this is I think one of the largest property taxes the city has done, and that may not be the end of it,” she said. Revenue from the tax increases is going toward city police and firefighter pension funds and to help pay for school construction projects. [Chicago Tribune]
COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA
RELIGION | When the Satanic Temple announced they would be looking to offer “After School Satan” clubs at public schools nationwide, an initiative they’ve branded as “Educatin’ With Satan”, they included a Cobb County elementary school on their list of places where they have offered to present their curriculum. The school district’s spokeswoman, Donna Lowry, said that the system has no idea how it landed on the Satanic Temple’s list. [Atlanta Journal Constitution]
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