City Of Peachtree Corners Awarded Certificate Of Achievement From GFOA For Fifth Straight Year

The City of Peachtree Corners’ Finance Department has been awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its 2022 financial year-end comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR).

The GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. It is the city’s fifth year of receiving the award and represents a significant accomplishment by the City’s Finance Department and its leadership.

According to a GFOA release, “The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a construc- tive ‘spirit of full disclosure’ to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.

“We are pleased to again receive this honor,” said City Manager Brian Johnson. “Our finance department, and Finance Director Cory Salley, are to be commended for this achievement as it is the highest form of recognition GOFA presents.”

The city’s Finance Department produces the CAFR each year and works with independent auditors to verify the city’s financial situation and standing. The CAFR is judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.

“This is an important award that validates Peachtree Corners’ commitment to go beyond the minimum requirements to prepare comprehensive annual financial reports in the spirit of transparency and full disclosure,” said Assistant City Manager, Brandon Branham.

The Government Finance Officers Association, based in Chicago, is a non-profit professional association serving approximately 17,500 government finance professionals. With offices in Chicago and Washington, D.C., it serves the member organization by advancing uniform standards and procedures in financial management for governments and assisting with professional development for public finance managers.

Residential Basement Buildout 9 Simple Tricks to Reduce Your Environmental Footprint

Finishing your unfinished basement can be a great way to increase your home’s value while giving you the extra space you need. It is a very popular endeavor because the basics are already in place, the structure is built, and you just need to partition the basement in the way you want it. There are some basic things the Building Department will need from you at the time of permitting. Yes, you do need a permit to do any construction in your unfinished basement. So, first things first, you must make an applica-

■ Label all rooms. We must know the function of each room.

■ Emergency escape and rescue openings, basements, and every sleeping room require a window or door that opens directly to the outside and allows you to move away from the structure. We also need the size of the doors and windows on the plan.

■ Show the location of all appliances including water heaters, furnaces, ranges, fireplaces, etc. Let us know if they are gas or electric.

Here are some simple tricks to reduce your environmental footprint:

1. Prevent standby power usage

Even if your appliances are off, they are still using energy when they are plugged in. According to the Department of Energy, standby power accounts for 5-10% of residential energy use. Reduce your power usage by unplugging your appliances when you go out of town. https://www.energy.gov/ energysaver/articles/3-easy-tipsreduce-your-standby-power-loads

2. Bring your own to-go container at a restaurant. These to-go containers are usually composed of Styrofoam, single-use plastic, or paper that is usually only used once. Reduce your waste by keeping a Tupperware container in your car to take your leftovers home.

3. Use WaterSense Appliances

Looking to replace a dishwasher, clothing washer, toilet, sink faucet, shower head, or irrigation controller? Look for an appliance with the EPA’s WaterSense label. WaterSense-labeled products use at least 20 percent less water, save energy, and perform as well or better than non-certified models.

4. Go paperless tion for a permit which will require that you submit plans for your buildout.

This is what we cover in this article. We do not require stamped plans from a design professional for residential projects unless there is a special engineering problem. This can include items like removing a wall or a similar event that might call into question the structural stability of the structure.

For the most part, we receive CAD or hand-drawn basement plans because most projects are just creating partitions, but there is still much we need to know to approve a buildout.

This list is not all-encompassing, but it should help you understand what we are looking for.

■ Plumbing fixtures. Show the location of all plumbing fixtures and let us know if they are existing or new.

■ Electrical. Show the location of electrical receptacles and if they are GFCI receptacles. Show the location of all lighting fixtures. Finally, show the location of smoke and/or carbon monoxide detectors.

These represent the basic plan information we need on any basement buildout.

One other thing to keep in mind, if you’re adding a bedroom, and you are on a septic tank system, please contact Gwinnett County Environmental Health before submitting your plan to get approval for the added bedroom.

Many of us take our delicious leftovers home with us after eating

How much mail do you get every day and how much of it do you need? Reduce tree depletion and paper waste by unsubscribing from catalogs and signing up for paperless billing so your statements are emailed to you instead.

5. Bring your own grocery bags

Keep durable bags in the trunk of your car for your groceries to avoid the waste from plastic and paper bags. Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to decompose and are wasteful.

6. Wash clothes in cold water

According to EnergyStar, about 90% of the energy it takes to operate a clothes washer is from heating the water. Unless dealing with heavily soiled clothing, washing in cold water will still clean your clothes, cut energy usage, and prolong the life of your clothing.

7. Lower the thermostat

Save energy and money on your heating and cooling bills by simply resetting your thermostat when you are asleep or away from home. You can do this automatically without sacrificing comfort by installing an automatic setback or programmable thermostat. The Department of Energy recommends setting the thermostat in the Winter to 68°F while you’re awake, and lowering the temperature when you’re asleep or away. Turning the thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours while you are at work can save you as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling. https://www.energy. gov/energysaver/thermostats

8. Skip bottled water

Plastic bottled water is usually used only once and is an incredible waste of resources. Instead of buying a plastic water bottle, purchase a durable and reusable bottle to keep with you on a daily basis.

9. Reduce paper towel use

Instead of throwing away that old t-shirt, consider repurposing it and using old clothes in place of paper towels for household cleaning.

Take this quick quiz to gain insight into your ecological footprint: http://www.footprintcalculator. org/