Notes from University Heights General Meeting

March 22, 2011

Treasurers Report

Balance            Checking            $2290.83

Savings            $1133.45

$10.00 yearly dues for 2011 are due now.   Please mail check to UHCA c/o Carolyn Lehr

345 Vista Drive, 30605

Introduction of guest speakers, Commissioners Andy Herod & Mike Hamby

• Water Treatment Facility on College Station-Building is almost complete and is ahead of schedule and under budget.  Traffic light will be an “on demand” light.
• Vet-School-UGA trying to expand into teaching hospital at corner of College Station & Barnett Shoals.   Gov. Deal did not put in budget.   UGA still raising funds for planning.
• Old Lexington Road & Barnett Shoals will be turned into T-Junction.   Construction will start in June after shool.
• Tennis Center- Will be located at SE Clarke Park.   Construction to start soon.
• YWCO-There is a request for a special use for a company to build a senior living center.  It will be voted on 3/29.  International Drive would be extended to Research Rd.
• Traffic Calming-Money from Splost is being set aside for traffic calming & the addition of stop signs.
• Speeding school buses—To report call David Huff 706-353-9609
• Traffic Calming in U.Heights-Mike Hamby to talk to Steve Decker about the addition of stop signs at University Circle and Vista, Spalding and Caldwell Circle.
• Greenway—Still in early planning stages.
• Bike Lanes on College Station-Some money in Splost for improvement of bike lanes on College Station.   The bridge is on the GDOT and T-Splost agenda.
• Farmer’s Market at Willowwood-No update

Update on Entrance Signs for U. Heights by Michelle Roche

• Owners of properties at University Circle & College Station, and University & College have agreed to allow signs to be placed on properties.\
• Need to have surveys done in order to confirm agreement with owners.
• UHCA has set a budget of $1000-2000 per sign.   Design of sign to commence after agreement with owners is signed.
• Looking for local artisan or designer.

Neighborhood-wide Yard Sale

• Will be held on May 7, 2011.   Michelle Roche will place ads in Banner and Flagpole
• Maps to be distributed at homes near entrances.   If you are going to have a yard sale, email Michelle at m.roche@charter.net

Election of Officers

• Keith Flaute re-elected president
• Michelle Roche elected VP/Secretary
• Carolyn Lehr re-elected treasurer
• Matt Schneider & Manley Kizer re-elected as board members
• Kathleen Powell elected as new board member

Our UHCA meeting last Monday (7/12) was a success.  Tax attorney and CPA, Greg Garcia presented information on tax rebates for energy efficient home improvements that can be claimed for TY 2009 and 2010 and others that can be claimed over the next several years.  We also heard from our commissioners, Andy Herod and Mike Hamby, about current and future projects, including a ‘DeKalb-style’ world market at the shopping center on the corner of Lexington and Gaines-School Rd.  Additionally, commissioner Herod said he expects that the much-discussed tennis complex has a good chance of being built here on the East-Side.

Below are the notes from the handout Greg Garcia discussed at the UHCA general meeting on 7/12/2010:

A Summary of Residential Energy Credits

Federal Residential Energy Credits

Two types of credits:

1)     Non-business energy property credit.

2)     Residential energy efficient property credit.

1) Non-business energy property credit:

30% of costs for qualified energy efficiency improvements, not including installation, onsite preparation or assembly costs.  Credit limit is $1,500.  Improvement components must be installed on or in your main home that you owned in the United States, if the original use of the component begins with you, and the component can be expected to remain in use at least 5 years.

a)     Qualified energy efficiency improvements include:

i)      Any insulation material or system that is specifically designed to reduce heat loss or gain when installed in a home.

ii)      Note -  A component is not specifically and primarily designed to reduce heat loss or gain in your home if it provides structural support or a finished surface (such as drywall or siding) or its principal purpose is to serve any function unrelated to the reduction of heat loss or gain.

(1)   Must meet criteria established by the 2009 IECC (International Energy Conservation Code) as in effect after 2/17/2009.

(2)   If purchased before 6/1/2009, credit can be taken if the criteria in effect before 2/18/2009 are met, if you relied on manufacturer’s certification issued before 2/18/2009.

iii)   Exterior windows, including certain storm windows and skylights.

(1)   Must meet criteria established by the IECC for the climate zone in which the components were installed.

(2)   If purchased before 6/1/2009, credit can be taken if the criteria in effect before 2/18/2009 are met, if you relied on manufacturer’s certification issued before 2/18/2009.

(3)   After 2/17/2009 property must also have a U-factor of 0.30 or less and a solar heat gain coefficient of 0.30 or less.

(4)   In addition, for exterior windows and skylights purchased before 6/1/2009, you can rely on the Energy Star label, rather than a manufacturer’s certification, if the property is installed in the region identified on the label.

iv)    Exterior doors, including certain storm doors.

(1)   Subject to same criteria as for exterior windows above.

v)     Any metal roof with appropriate pigmented coatings or asphalt roof with appropriate cooling granules that are specifically designed heat gain in your home.

(1)   Roof must meet or exceed the Energy Star program requirements in effect at the time of purchase or installation.

vi)    For purposes of taking the credit, you can rely on a manufacturer’s certification in writing that a building envelope component is an eligible building envelope component.  (Do not attach the certification to your tax return, but retain it for your records.

2) Residential energy efficient property credit:

Eligible costs include labor costs properly allocable to onsite preparation, assembly or original installation of the property and piping or wiring to interconnect such property to home.

Credit is 30% of your costs of qualified solar electric property, solar water heating property, small wind energy property, geothermal heat pump property, and fuel cell property.  The credit amount for costs paid for qualified fuel cell property is limited to $500 for each one-half kilowatt of capacity of the property.

a)     Qualified solar electric property costs are for property that uses solar energy to generate electricity, including the cost of solar panels or other property installed as a roof or portion of a roof, for use in your home in the United States.  The home does not have to be your main home.

b)     Qualified solar water heating property costs are costs for property to heat water for use in your home in the United States, if at least half of the energy used by the solar water heating property for such purposes is derived from the sun.  This includes the cost of solar panels or other property installed as a roof or portion of a roof.  To qualify for the credit, the property must be certified for performance by the nonprofit Solar Ratings Certification Corporation or a comparable entity endorsed by the government of the state in which the property is installed.   The home does not have to be your main home.

c)     Qualified small wind energy property costs are costs for property that uses a wind turbine to generate electricity for use in connection with your home located in the United States.  The home does not have to be your main home.

d)     Qualified geothermal heat pump property costs are costs for qualified geothermal heat pump property installed or in connection with your home in the United States.  Qualified geothermal heat pump property is any equipment that uses the ground or ground water as a thermal energy source to heat your home or as a thermal energy sink to cool your home.  To qualify for the credit, the property must meet the requirements of the Energy Star program that are in effect at the time of purchase.  The home does not have to be your main home.

e)     Qualified fuel cell property costs are costs for qualified fuel cell property installed or in connection with your main home located in the United States.  Qualified fuel cell property is an integrated system comprised of a fuel cell stack assembly and associated balance of plant components that converts a fuel into electricity using electrochemical means.  To qualify for the credit, the fuel cell property must have a nameplate capacity of at least one-half kilowatt of electricity using an electrochemical process, and an electricity-only generation efficiency of greater than 30%.

f)      Energy efficient building property is any of the following:

i)      An electric heat pump water heater that yields an energy factor of at least 2.0 in the standard Department of Energy test procedure.

ii)     An electric heat pump that has a heating seasonal performance factor of at least 9, a seasonal energy efficiency rating (SEER) of at least 15, and an energy efficiency rating (EER) of at least 13.

iii)   A central air conditioner that achieves the highest efficiency tier that has been established by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) as in effect on January 1, 2009.  If purchased before 6/1/2009, credit can be taken if the criteria in effect before 2/18/2009 are met, if you relied on manufacturer’s certification issued before 2/18/2009.

iv)    A natural gas, propane or oil water heater that has an energy factor of at least 0.80 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%.  For property placed in service after 2/17/09 the property must have an energy factor of at least 0.82 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90%.  If purchased before 6/1/2009, credit can be taken if the criteria in effect before 2/18/2009 are met, if you relied on manufacturer’s certification issued before 2/18/2009.

v)     A stove that uses the burning of biomass fuel to heat your home or heat water for your home that has a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75% as measured by using a lower heating value.  Biomass fuel is any plant-derived fuel available on a renewable or recurring basis, including agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood waste and residues (including wood pellets), plants (including aquatic plants), grasses, residues, and fibers.

vi)    An advanced main air circulating fan used in a natural gas, propane, or oil furnace that has an annual electricity use of no more than 2% of the total annual energy use of the furnace (as determined in the standard Department of Energy test procedures).

g)     For purposes of taking the credit, you can rely on a manufacturer’s certification in writing that a product is qualified residential energy property.  Do not attach the certification to your return.  Keep it for your records.

(Federal Credits are claimed on Form 5695)

Georgia Clean Energy Property Tax Credit

The aggregate credit available to all Georgia taxpayers collectively cannot exceed $2.5 million for each year 2008 – 2012.  (i.e. – credit allowed on a first-come, first-serve basis until the credit limit is exceeded.)

The following ceilings apply to clean energy property placed in service for single family residential purposes, the lesser of 35 percent of the cost or:

(i) The sum of $2,500.00 per dwelling unit applies for clean energy property related to solar energy equipment for domestic water heating as described in subparagraph (a)(3)(A) of this Code section which is certified for performance by the Solar Rating Certification Corporation, Florida Solar Energy Center, or by a comparable entity approved by the authority to have met the certification of Solar Rating Certification Corporation OG-100 or Florida Solar Energy Center-GO-80 for solar thermal collectors, Solar Rating Certification Corporation certification OG-300 or Florida Solar Energy Center-GP-5-80 for solar thermal residential systems, or both;

(ii) The sum of $10,500.00 per dwelling unit applies for clean energy property related to solar energy equipment for solar electric (photovoltaic), other solar thermal electric applications, and active space heating as described in subparagraph (a)(3)(A) of this Code section, or to wind as described in subparagraph (a)(3)(B) of this Code section; and

(iii) The sum of $2,000.00 per installation for Energy Star certified geothermal heat pump systems applies as described in subparagraph (a)(3)(B) of this Code section; and
(A) Where the amount of any credits allowed by this Code section exceeds the taxpayer’s liability for such taxes in a taxable year, the excess may be taken as a credit against such taxpayer’s quarterly or monthly payment under Code Section 48-7-103. Each employee whose employer receives credit against such taxpayer’s quarterly or monthly payment under Code Section 48-7-103 shall receive credit against his or her income tax liability under Code Section 48-7-20 for the corresponding taxable year for the full amount which would be credited against such liability prior to the application of the credit provided for in this subsection. Credits against quarterly or monthly payments under Code Section 48-7-103 and credits against liability under Code Section 48-7-20 established by this subsection shall not constitute income to the taxpayer.

(B) In no event shall the total amount of the tax credit under this Code section for a taxable year exceed the taxpayer’s income tax liability. Any unused tax credit shall be allowed the taxpayer against succeeding years’ tax liability. No such credit shall be allowed the taxpayer against prior years’ tax liability.

(3) ”Clean energy property” includes any of the following:

(A) Solar energy equipment that uses solar radiation as a substitute for traditional energy for water heating, active space heating and cooling, passive heating, daylighting, generating electricity, distillation, desalinization, or the production of industrial or commercial process heat, as well as related devices necessary for collecting, storing, exchanging, conditioning, or converting solar energy to other useful forms of energy;

(B) Energy Star certified geothermal heat pump systems;

(C) Energy efficient projects as follows:

(i) Lighting retrofit projects. “Lighting retrofit project” means a lighting retrofit system that employs dual switching (ability to switch roughly half the lights off and still have fairly uniform light distribution), delamping, daylighting, relamping, or other controls or processes which reduce annual energy and power consumption by 30 percent compared to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers 2004 standard (ASHRAE 90.1.2004); and

(D) Wind equipment required to capture and convert wind energy into electricity or mechanical power as well as related devices that may be required for converting, conditioning, and storing the electricity produced by wind equipment; and

(E) Biomass equipment to convert wood residuals into electricity through gasification and pyrolysis.
(Credits are claimed on Forms IT-CEP and IT-CEP-AP)