Fibre Reinforce Polymer Composites in Bridge Structures Term Paper

Fibre Reinforce Polymer Composites in Bridge Structures - Term Paper Example From the research it can be comprehended that mechanically, a composite is a separable combination of two or more materials that are not the same at the molecular level but purposefully mixed to come up with a new material that has optimal and superior properties, which are different from those of its components. These materials have been utilized over the years in construction. An ancient way was the use of straw for reinforcement in clay and mud bricks. In the last century, in several structural systems, combination of reinforcing concrete and steel has been used for construction. However, a new crop of composite material has since been largely accepted by most engineers for construction and the rehabilitation of new structures and existing facilities. This class consists of Fibre Reinforced Polymer composites, which were in the earlier days developed specifically for defense and aerospace. Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) are a combination of polymeric resins which acts as binders o r matrices that has stiff and strong fibre assemblies which act as the reinforcing phase. The combination of a reinforcing phase with the matrix phase produces a material system that is analogous to steel reinforced concrete and is new. However, these concentrations may significantly vary; generally, the reinforced concrete rarely has more than 5% reinforcement, whereas Fibre reinforced polymer composites contains more than 30% reinforcements.... This class consists of Fibre Reinforced Polymer composites, which were in the earlier days developed specifically for defense and aerospace. Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) are a combination of polymeric resins which acts as binders or matrices that has stiff and strong fibre assemblies which act as the reinforcing phase. The combination of a reinforcing phase with the matrix phase produces a material system that is analogous to steel reinforced concrete and is new. However, these concentrations may significantly vary; generally, the reinforced concrete rarely has more than 5% reinforcement, whereas Fibre reinforced polymer composites contains more than 30% reinforcements. Components of a Fibre Reinforced Polymer Composite Fibre This is a material that has been made into a long filament. A single fibre normally has up to 15Â µm. When the diameter is bigger, the probability of surface defects increases. The aspect ratio of diameter and length in continuous fibres can range from thousa nds to infinity. They usually occupy 50% of the weight and over 30% of the volume. Fibres are mainly meant for providing fitness, carrying the load, providing thermal stability, strength, and other structural properties to Fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) (2). The fibres in FRP composite need to have very high ultimate strength, high modulus of elasticity, low variation strength, high uniformity of diameter, high stability, and high uniformity of surface dimension among fibres. There are various forms of fibre used as reinforcements for polymer composite reinforcement exists. The manufacturer of materials made from FRP composites normally present

'Descartes' account of what is necessary and what is sufficient for Essay

'Descartes' account of what is necessary and what is sufficient for knowledge does not make sense'. Explain and critically discuss - Essay Example In developing these ideas, Descartes wrote several books regarding the nature of existence and knowledge, providing us with plenty of material to study and has had tremendous influence on those who have come after him. One of his most often quoted statements is â€Å"I think, therefore I am† which was published in his book entitled â€Å"Discourse on Method,† which was first published in 1637. By studying the writings that led up to this concept as expressed in â€Å"Discourse on Method† and comparing them with further attempts to refine this idea within â€Å"Meditations on First Philosophy,† one begins to conclude that Descartes’ account of what is necessary and what is sufficient for knowledge does not make sense. This simple-sounding statement of â€Å"I think, therefore I am† is the result of a discourse in which Descartes calls into question all of the assumptions he’s come to know as a result of the philosophical thought of his day. â€Å"I had long before remarked that †¦ it is sometimes necessary to adopt, as if above doubt, opinions which we discern to be highly uncertain† (Descartes, 2001). To seek a higher version of the truth, Descartes felt it was necessary to question every assumption that had even the shadow of a doubt. Through this questioning process, he demonstrates how thought, not observation is really the right foundation for knowledge. â€Å"When I considered that the very same thoughts (presentations) which we experience when awake may also be experienced when we are asleep, while there is at that time not one of them true, I supposed that all the objects (presentations) that had ever entered into my mind when awake, had in them no more truth th an the illusions of my dreams† (Descartes, 2001). His idea of discovering truths about the world was defined by whether he had a clear and distinct perception of them and that was sufficient for knowledge. However, the idea that knowledge can be defined by a â€Å"clear and

Characteristics and Gambling Habits of Bingo Players

Characteristics and Gambling Habits of Bingo Players An Investigation into the Characteristics and Gambling Habits of Bingo Players in the UK Introduction Bingo is a popular pastime in the UK, and has grown as an industry over recent years, moving away from local community centres to dedicated bingo halls and numerous online sites. As with all industries, to ensure that there is a continual renewal of customers, those in the bingo industry must be able to target their marketing strategies effectively. This means that they need to be able to identify who their target audience is for them to be able to deliver an effective marketing campaign which is aimed predominantly at those people (Aaker et al., 2000). Studies in the past have suggested that bingo is considered to be a rather low-level leisure activity. As a result, it has also been previously associated heavily with being a pastime of predominantly working class women (Dixey, 1987). In addition, it is generally associated with pensioners, largely due to the sedentary but social nature of the game (Cousins Witcher, 2007). Although this may have been the case a number of years ago, there is little recent empirical evidence to determine whether this is still the main market for bingo. Given the changing nature of the game and its delivery, it is plausible that changes in the main demographic of players may also be in a process of change. This study therefore uses pre-collected data to evaluate whether this may be the case. Rationale of Study Gathering information on the demographics of people who play bingo, or are interested in playing bingo, is likely to be useful to bingo halls for targeting their marketing campaigns. In addition, with the advent of online gambling, understanding whether current online gamblers would be likely to participate in bingo games if they were available may be important in design of online gaming sites. Marketing opportunities online may also be improved if evidence is available of the demographics of the target audience. Consideration will also be given to the expenditure of different demographic groups on bingo, as this information may be useful in the industry for determining customer value. Study Hypothesis Based on the previous literature, it is hypothesised that the main demographic of bingo players will be predominantly women, but that there will be a substantial number of younger players. It is also expected that there will be an association between those gaming online and those playing bingo. Finally, it is expected that there will be no difference in the expenditure on bingo between age groups. Methodology Origins of the Data The data which is used in this study was taken from the British Gambling Prevalence Study 2007, which was the largest study of its kind to be conducted in the UK to the present date. The study was commissioned by the National Centre for Social Research and aimed to collect information on gambling habits and demographics in order to assess the prevalence of problem gambling within the UK. Study Population The study was designed to be representative of all adults in the UK aged 16 years and older who were living within private households. Study Sample All residences in the UK were separated into Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) and 317 of these were randomly selected for the study. The probability of selecting each was apportioned according to the number of addresses within them, but no other demographics were taken into account. For each PSU which was selected, 32 addresses were selected randomly, and this gave a total of 10,144 addresses. After non-completion, the total sample available in the data-set was 9003. Study Instrument The study was conducted using a multiple-choice questionnaire. This clearly explained at the beginning the goal of the study, and explained clearly how the survey form should be completed. A coding document was then compiled to code the answers into statistical software packages, and this was included alongside the data-set. A copy of the questionnaire which was used is available from http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/findingData/snDescription.asp?sn=5836. The data which was included in the data-set was already weighted to account for non-response and bias, and this was completed by the researchers who completed the data collection and original analysis. Results Proportion of Bingo Players in the Sample The results of the analysis indicate that only a small minority of the population sampled had played bingo in the last twelve months, with a total of 7.5% of the sample. This is shown graphically in Figure 1. Table 2 then details the frequency with which that small group had played bingo. It may be seen that 45% of those who had played bingo in the last twelve months had done so less than once a month. A total of 36.4% of those who played bingo in the last twelve months had done so once a week or more, and a further 15.6% reported playing at least once a month. This information is then presented graphically in Figure 2. Table 1. The frequency with which respondents reported playing bingo in the last twelve months. For those who had played bingo in the last twelve months, the mean age was 47.78 with a standard deviation of 18.08, while it was 47.75 for those who had not played bingo in the last twelve months, with a standard deviation of 18.33. Performing an independent two-sample t-test on the data produced a p-value of 0.963, which indicates that the null hypothesis may not be rejected. This means that there is no significant difference between the mean age of the two groups at the 95% confidence level. Age of Bingo Players Table 2 displays the mean age of each group when those playing bingo within the last twelve months were grouped according to frequency of playing. Alongside the mean, the standard deviation is also given. This information is presented in the box-plot in Figure 3. This shows that the mean age of the players appears to increase as the frequency of playing increases. In addition, it would also appear that the variation in age is smallest in the group who play at least twice a week. Performing a one-way ANOVA analysis indicates that there is an association between age and the frequency of playing bingo and that the null hypothesis of no association may be rejected at the 5% level (p Table 2. Mean and standard deviation of the age of players grouped according to the frequency with which they play bingo. Gender of Bingo Players Of those who had played bingo in the last twelve months, 71.4% were female, and this percentage is show graphically in Figure 4. A chi-squared analysis indicates that there is evidence that the null hypothesis may be rejected at the 5% level (p Player Expenditure on Bingo Expenditure and Gender Analysis of the data shows that females who had played bingo in the last twelve months lost a mean of  £319 over the previous 7 days, with standard deviation 506. In contrast, males lost a mean of  £60.50 over the 7 days, with a standard deviation of 4.95. An independent samples t-test revealed that there is evidence at the 0.95 significance level against the null hypothesis of no association. This therefore indicates that there is a significant difference between the amount lost by males and females (p = 0.045). Expenditure and Age Figure 5 shows a scatter-plot of the total amount which each respondent reported losing at bingo in the last seven days plotted against their age. The black dots represent female participants while red dots represent males. It would appear from this plot that there is no association between the amount of money lost at bingo and the age of the player, for either males or females. A bivariate regression analysis of this data confirms this. It indicated that there was no evidence against the null hypothesis of no association, and so age was not found to be a significant predictor of the amount lost at bingo over the seven day period (p = .489). Figure 6 presents a scatter-plot of age against expenditure on bingo over the previous seven days when winnings are also taken into account in addition to losses. There was far more data available for this analysis, but it would still appear that there is no particular association between age and expenditure on bingo, for either males or females. This was confirmed by regression analysis, which indicated there was no evidence against the null hypothesis of no association (p = .187). Therefore it was concluded that there was no association between age and overall expenditure on bingo over the previous week. Expenditure and Frequency of Playing Bingo Figure 7 presents a box-plot of the amounts lost at bingo according to the frequency of playing bingo in the last twelve months. It would appear from this graph that those playing twice a week lost less than those who played less often, as the mean is lower and the variation is less. An ANOVA analysis however indicated that there was no evidence against the null hypothesis of association. This indicates that there is therefore no association between the frequency of playing bingo over the last twelve months and the amount lost at bingo (p = .925). Figure 8 presents a similar box-plot analysis which takes account of the winnings of players in addition to losses. When comparing the different frequency of playing groups it would appear that overall expenditure appears to be relatively consistent. The variation in expenditure does however appear to be somewhat larger in the group which play two times or more a week. One-way ANOVA analysis of this data confirms that there is no evidence against the null hypothesis of no association (p = .731). Therefore it may be concluded that frequency of playing bingo over the last twelve months did not impact on the overall expenditure of the player on bingo over the last week. Online Gamblers and Bingo Table 3 presents a cross-tabulation of the number of participants who reported having played bingo over the previous twelve months and those who reported having gambled online over the previous twelve months. This shows that of those who had reported playing bingo in the last twelve months, only 8% reported gambling online during that time (Figure 9). In contrast, 26.3% of those who had gambled online over the last twelve months reported that they had also played bingo during that period (Figure 10). A chi-squared analysis of this data indicates that there is strong evidence against the null hypothesis of no association (p Table 3. The number of respondents who had gambled online over the previous twelve months and the number who had played bingo over the previous twelve months. Figure 11 presents a scatter-plot of the net expenditure on bingo in comparison to the net expenditure on online gambling, both over the previous seven day period. From this chart it would appear that there is no association between the two. A regression analysis confirms that there is no evidence against the null hypothesis of no association (p = .882). Therefore it must be concluded that there is no significant association between the total expenditure of the respondents on online gambling and their total expenditure on bingo over the same time period. Discussion From this study it may be seen that there are certain demographic characteristics which are associated with playing bingo. It would appear from the results that bingo players are in the minority, with only 7.5% of the population estimated to have played in 2007, and only 2.7% of the population playing once a week or more. As hypothesised at the beginning, there was no particular age group which was associated with playing bingo. There is however evidence that it is an older age group which is associated with playing bingo regularly, with the mean age being in the mid- to late-fifties for those playing once a week or more. Despite this, there was no association between age and the amount spent on bingo in a week. This indicates that older people are still the main demographic for the industry but that they are not particularly more valuable than younger people. They may however be more valuable if their spend is consistent week after week, when compared to younger players who may play only once a month or less. There was also no association between frequency of playing and expenditure within the week. This is an important implication as it suggests that customers who can be attracted to regularly play bingo will be consistent with their spending, and not reduce spending as they play more over the year. Almost three quarters of players were female, and it was also females who were associated with much larger expenditure on bingo. This finding is however somewhat limited, as only information on the expenditure of two males was available for analysis. Therefore this finding may not have a high statistical power. Finally, there is evidence that there is an association between bingo players and those gambling online. This is important as it suggests that there is potential in both advertising for bingo online and also in online bingo rooms. The extent to which an individual gambles online does not however appear to be associated with how much they spend on bingo. Therefore online players may not be more valuable than those attracted through offline methods. Although this study has provided some useful insights for those interested in the demographics of bingo players, there are some limitations. One of the main limitations is that there was little social information available in the study which related to income and social status of the respondents. It is possible that this may impact on gambling habits, including playing bingo (Barry et al., 2007). This may be important in areas where there are either large levels of population in higher or lower social classes. Therefore further market research in particular areas may be useful in determining the potential for marketing in that particular area. References Aaker, J.L., Brumbaugh, A.M. Grier, S.A. (2000) Nontarget markets and viewer distinctiveness: The impact of target marketing on advertising. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 9(3), 127-140. Barry, D.T., Maciejewski, P.K., Desai, R.A. Potenza, M.N. (2007) Income differences and recreational gambling. Journal of Addiction Medicine, 1(3), 145-153. Cousins, S.O. Witcher, C.S.G. (2007) Who plays bingo in later life? The sedentary lifestyles of ‘little old ladies’. Journal of Gambling Studies, 23(1), 95-112. Dixey, R. (1987) It’s a great feeling when you win: Women and bingo. Leisure Studies, 6(2), 199-214. National Centre for Social Research (2007) British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007. Available [online] from: http://www.data-archive.ac.uk/findingData/snDescription.asp?sn=5836 [Accessed 12/12/2008].

genocide Essays -- essays research papers

Genocide is an extremely broad subject with various different definitions. Genocide could be one or more leaders trying to get rid of a large group of people by killings or attacks, or it can be against a smaller group of people in a less violent manner. Genocide has been a very extreme problem in society and various reports of genocidal events have been recorded in history, but how does one go about finding the precise and accurate definition of a â€Å"genocide†? Genocidal acts are placed into different categories and are defined in different degrees. The Commission on Human Rights has set up seven treaties that describe acts of genocide. Regardless of committees’ attempts to limit or abolish acts of genocide, genocide was a very important issue especially in the twentieth century. After witnessing and learning of the devastations and atrocities, our world and nation in particular need to protect the rights each person rightfully deserves in a stricter manner to prev ent acts of this nature. In the twentieth century, we saw a more obvious rise in genocidal acts. We can blame this on the advances made with weapons. Pencil factories, for instance, were starting to produce bullets and other ammo to enhance warfare. The twentieth century was a century of vast change. The advances in aids to warfare certainly brought our nation much more power. Unfortunately, this power, if fallen into the wrong hands, could do a lot of unnecessary damage to innocent people. A leader with the intent ...

Public Relations & The Impact of New Media Essay

Public Relations is a pivotal part of any business because it is the most direct communication between the business and the public. For a business to enjoy long term success it has to have the ability to evolve and adapt with the ever changing trends of the public in order to understand the needs and concerns of the general public. Author and entrepreneur Deirdre K. Breakenridge (2008) states in her book ‘PR 2.0 New Media, New Tools, New Audiences’ that â€Å"It’s critical for PR professionals to read, be knowledgeable, and stay extremely well versed about the markets their brands try to reach.† The 20th century brought TV, radio, and the Internet, which greatly impacted the practice of Public Relations. But just as these media channels brought impact and change to the practice of public relations then, so will the rise of new media in the 21st Century. With the emergence of many new online communication tools and channels due to the technological advancements of our time, public relations practitioners can no longer rely solely on traditional media to channel their messages. Today new media has been recognised as one of the strongest forms of channelling messages across to the public. It is extremely vital that PR practitioners learn, explore, and understand the use of new media and the roles it can play in public relations campaigns. This essay will examine the roles new media play in public relations campaigns and what the prevalence of new media imply for PR practitioners. Today new media is at the heart of companies’ public relations and marketing initiatives. One of the roles of new media in public relations is to build efficient and effective communication between public relations practitioners, or an organization they represent, and the different specific public groups they are trying to reach. Public relations practitioners rely on the tools and channels that new media provide for different purposes, all of which are part of effective communication and connecting with the public. Some of the purposes include building or maintaining relationships, garnering support and reputation, gaining feedback, delivering certain messages or news. In this day and age it has become essential for public relations to engage in continuous dialogue with the public. As the ways in which people transmit and receive information are rapidly evolving so must the ways in which PR interacts with the public. With new tools that are open to PR practitioners for communicating like E-mails, websites, digital/online newsletters, blogs, viral marketing, search engines, live conference calls, RSS and podcasting. (Aronson, Spetner and Ames, 2007, p. 1), new media provides enhanced information delivery systems and granting everyone with easy access to vehicles of mass communication. Theaker (2008) indicates that â€Å"Websites are already regarded as a mainstream element of corporate communications, and PR practitioners should be involved when clients set up websites,†. â€Å"The Internet provides the unique opportunity for people of all ages to acquire, digest, and understand a message through images, graphics, video, audio and other visu al displays which the traditional media could not put together to effectively communicate.† (Macky, 2011, p. 1). In addition to its use for connecting with the target public. New media can also be used in public relations for connecting with media outlets. Many trade publications, magazines and bloggers run blogs, Twitter accounts and Facebook pages for their news source. Majority of the latest news and cultural trends are carried on social networks and micro blogging services like Facebook and Twitter. Fitch (2009) states that â€Å"blogs have value as research tools in that they offer an insight to the complexity, subtlety, diversity, and the contradictions and lack of cohesion in public opinion.† Public relations practitioners would find that staying connected with the mass public through these channels would effectively increase their knowledge and understanding of the latest trends and happenings that people are talking about or are heavily influenced by. This particular role plays an important part in the strategies and tactics of how a public relations practitioner would carry out a campaign or defend it in a time of crisis. KFC’s 2010 scholarship tweet campaign was a great example of how effective new media can be in the practice of a public relations campaign. With 2.5 million college scholarships awarded every year in the U.S., KFC decided it had to cook up something innovative to stir buzz around the brand’s 75-scholarship Colonel’s Scholars program. KFC collaborated with Weber-Shandwick to reach out to a younger generation by employing trendy social media strategies. KFC and Weber-Shandwick decided to do away with the tired old college scholarship essay and award students a $20,000 scholarship based solely on a single tweet to convince KFC execs why they deserved a scholarship. The scholarship tweet campaign generated more than 1,000 media placements and tens of millions of media impressions, including two AP Wire stories, multiple stories on CNN Headline News, MSNBC, The Weather Channel and NBC national news. The program also captivated the online world, generating more than nine million social media impressions as a result of tweets during the brief entry period. In all, more than 2,800 applicants tweeted for their chance at $20,000, and the KFC Twitter handle saw a 20% jump in followers in just two weeks. But with the rise of new media on the internet, there is now a much greater ethical responsibilities with how PR practitioners handle the use of these tools. Qualitative as well as quantitative analysis is required because reported case studies indicate that some organisations and companies are attempting to engage in the what is now termed Web 2.0 social media environment using â€Å"traditional methods† of one-way information transmission and a control paradigm of communication characteristic of mass media (Gregory, 2004, p. 246). For example, some public relations departments and agencies have created fake blogs such as Wal-Marting Across America. In the former case, public relations firm Edelman created an organisation called ‘Working Families for Wal-Mart’ which published a blog in which ‘Jim and Laura’ allegedly reported their personal adventures driving across America in an RV which happened to include regular visits to Wal-Mart stores. Other bloggers including Wal-Mart Watch and later BusinessWeek quickly detected falsity and revealed that the couple were employed by Edelman on behalf of Wal-Mart (â€Å"Wal-Mart,Edelman flogged for blog†, 2006). Wal-Mart and Edelman Public Relations were severely criticised for the fake blog and creation of the fake organisation, referred to as ‘astro-turfing’ (Gogoi, 2006). And so with New media, many changes have been introduced to the practice of public relations in multiple ways. Most significantly in the shift from one-way PR communications to a two or multi-way communications. New media has also affected how PR professionals engage and interact with the traditional media reporter – especially with those who blog. Immediate access to reporter blogs allow for tracking of reporter interests and beats and this information leads to a more familiar, personalized dialogue in comparison to the traditional pitch. As more new media tools and techniques emerge, the public relations profession will continue to shift and incorporate the new practices. In the meantime, although new media requires more resources in terms of time, if offers more tools to expand reach of messages and programs. References Aronson, M, Spetner, D and Ames, C. (2007). The Public Relations Writer’s Handbook: The Digital Age. Breakenridge, D. (2008). PR 2.0: New media, new tools, new audiences. Fitch, K. 2009. New Media and Public Relations in Chia, J. and Synnott, G. An Introduction to Public Relations. Gogoi, P. (2006, October 9). Wal-Mart’s Jim and Laura: The real story. BusinessWeek. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/oct2006/db20061009_579137.htm?campaign_id=rss_innovate Gregory, A. (2004). Scope and structure of public relations: A technology driven view. Public Relations Review, 30, 245-254. Macky, M. (2011). Corporate Communication & The New Media Theaker, A. (2008). The public relations handbook. Chapter 20: Using New Technology Effectively in PR

Lead Auditors Report on Iso 14001 and Ohsas 18001

Auditees : ____HO s and staff Department : IFC,FEM,HR,KESSB,SSHE,PBB,AH,PH/BS,CARGO ____Date of Audit : _____26TH Nov 2012 – 18th Dec 2012___ Procedure Involved : a) OSH Act 1994 & relevant Regulations b) F&M Act 1967 & relevant Regulations (including BOWEC Reg. 1986) c) OHSAS 18001 Standard d) ISAGO Standards Manual Effective May 2010 2nd Edition e) EMS ISO 14001 StandardAudit Team : 1. En. Meor Badrul Niza bin Ahmad Rafie – Dept :ILS 2. En Amir Syakib Yahya – Dept QAD 3, En. Abdul Razak Sauzi – Dept :QAD 4. En. Zainudin Zaini 5.Cik Nadiah Yahaya| SUMMARY OF AUDITBased on the observation made during this audit, it was noted that KLAS has made a good start-up at launching the OHSAS 18001 and EMS ISO 14001 campaign working towards certification of OHSAS 18001 in 2013 and EMS ISO 14001 in 2014 for example: 1) Workers on site are consistently wearing basic PPE such as Yellow/orange vest and Safety shoes. 2) Almost all workers on site have been SHE inducted. 3 ) Centralised Scheduled Waste store is provided at GSE workshop 4) Consistently and periodically carrying out SHE training such as ERT; Fire fighting and Chemical spill control.However, below are the key improvements that the KLAS team needs to address: 1) To ensure all and every machineries on site are registered before they are used and monthly inspected with upkeep and maintenance done to ensure they are fit to use . 2) Ensure the quality of the inspection carried out is in detail and not just for the sake of inspection. 3) Ensure Security personnel are trained on the Site SHE requirements and they assist by screening employees and give safety briefing to visitors entering the site . ) To ensure all chemical containers are labeled and each chemical shall have its own MSDS and each site shall have its own Chemical Register. The Chemical Register and MSDSs can be placed at the SHE Notice board for easy reference 5) To ensure the scheduled waste management and communication flow is refined and retuned between process owners and scheduled waste store keepers. 6) Accidents and incidents without forgetting near misses are given due attention and investigated thoroughly to prevent future accidents and incidents. ) Compliance to the legal and other requirement are addressed diligently and carefully to avoid unnecessary penalty or hefty summonses. AREA OF CONCERN 1. Ground handling equipments and machineries are in bad shape and require immediate upkeep and maintenance to prevent from accidents and incidents. 2. Manual work involving cargo manual lifting ,distribution and loading or unloading is rampant thus back support PPE is a must unless an engineering control tool is introduced to reduce manual labour. 3.BOMB threat emergency procedure has not been addressed and need to be included in the existing ERP procedure. NON CONFORMANCERefer to CAR listing. | RECOMMENDATIONAs an Auditor, I strongly believe that KLAS Team can excel better than what and where WE currently are and this can be further enhanced by a better and systematic SHE management. | Signature : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Date : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Signature : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date : †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. (Lead Auditor) (Quality Manager)|

The City Government of West Haven, Connecticut

The City Government of West Haven, Connecticut An Introduction to the City Government The City of West Haven is found in the New Haven County, which is only 65 miles from the New York City. It has a population of about 55,046, with a majority of its population being white Americans.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The City Government of West Haven, Connecticut specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The proportion of the whites is about 65.7%, while the population of the black Americans and Asians is 19.6% and 3.7% respectively. Initially, this city was a European-settlement area, whose occupation dates back to 1648. It started with dissociating itself with the formerly British colony known as the New Haven and acquiring a new name, which was the Parish of West Haven in 1719. It was not until 1822 when it officially detached itself from New Haven. In 1784, this city tried to be incorporated into a city without much success. This prompted it to unite with the New Mi lford, and was then incorporated in 1822 as Orange. It again separated itself from Orange in 1721. The successful recognition of West Haven as a city happened in 1961. The City Council government of West Haven was constituted in November 1961, where the following positions were created: the Mayor, City Council Members, a City Treasurer, a Town Clerk, a Treasurer, a City Clerk, a Tax Collector, and Tax Review Board Members. The current Mayor, City Clerk, and Tax Collector of West Haven are Edward M. O’Brien, Deborah Collins, and Marianne E. Gambardella respectively. The City Council of West Haven has 13 Council Members, each representing a district.Advertising Looking for term paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The current members are Nicholas A. Pascale, Nicholas W. Ruickoldt, Ralph A. Eberle, Mitchell L. Gallignano, Brent Watt, James P. O’Brien, Nancy R. Rossi, Tracy A. Mor rissey, Michael P. Last, Gail S. Burns, Ronald M. Quagliani, David Riccio, Sean P. Ronan, and Charles A. Marino, who is a non-voting member. The Budgetary Process for the West Haven’s City Government The budgetary process of West Haven is initiated by the Director of Finance, who prepares a draft budget for the Mayor. The draft from the Director of Finance contains the financial estimates for that particular fiscal year that the budget will address. The heads of each department or office in the city’s government files with the Mayor the relevant forms that detail their annual estimates and the anticipated sources of revenue, as well as tax collections for that year. This presentation is done on the first Thursday of February every calendar year. The Mayor then presents the draft budget and other departmental estimates as a proposal to the council members, who deliberate on the presented budget proposal. If approved, a final ‘approved operating budget’ for the particular fiscal year is prepared, with amendments that were proposed in the deliberation stage included in the final approved budget. Typically, a budget for West Haven would include details of expenditure, operating charges, contingency expenses, capital expenditures, fund revenues, and allocation of tax collection, among other details. All details of government spending are given under the expenditure clause, including the costs of the City Council, Mayor’s Office, the City Clerk, the Probate Court, corporation counsel, and telephone administration. In addition, expenditures on public works, planning and development, human resources, library, and public safety are included in the total cost.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The City Government of West Haven, Connecticut specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The budget for West Haven for the fiscal year 2014-2015 was a grand total of $560,994,311, with a collection rate of 98%. The total expenses amounted to $5,599, 626, while non-tax revenue, back taxes, debt reduction, and tax collections amounted to $654,036, $200,000, $150,000, and $4,745,590 respectively. Operating and Capital Budgets The operating budget of West Haven has to be approved by the Council Members before being put into use. Taking, for example, the operating budget for the fiscal year 2014-2015, the first part of the operating budget is a breakdown of the general fund revenues. This section encompasses the current property tax levy, non-current taxes, interest, and lien fees. It also entails licenses and permits, fines and penalties, use of money, property, charges for current services, and revenues from other sources. All the fund revenues amounted to $151,784,760 for the fiscal year 2014-2015. The distribution of the income from the current property, grants, another revenue, prior year property, and licenses was 56.8%, 36.9%, 3.8%, 1.8%, and 0.7% respectively. The capital budget for the fiscal year 2014-2015 for the government of West Haven City is $976,000, which is generated at a mill rate of $0.35. Its non-recurring capital budget is divided into general government, which accounts for $125,000, public safety, accounting for $396, 000, public works with $400,000, and information technology, which is allocated $55,000. All these amount to a non-recurring capital budget of $976,000. Operating and Capital Expenses The costs that West Haven incurs are broken down into personnel spending, maintenance and equipment expenses, administration expenses, and field expenses. Personnel expenses include the costs that are associated with the management salaries, employees’ uniforms, firefighters’ salaries, life insurances, holiday pays, medical expenses, education incentive, and pension plans.Advertising Looking for term paper on public administration? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Costs due to maintenance and equipment are the expenses incurred in maintenance, purchase of equipment, capital improvement fund, radio expenses, purchase of new vehicles, and repayment of the new tower loan. Administrative costs include the expenses incurred in conducting trainings and the expenditure on the commissioners. The operating and capital expenses emanating from personnel costs, maintenance and equipment, administration, and field expenses for the fiscal year 2014-2015 are $4,675,702, $137,404, $44,800, and $741,720 respectively. In total, the expenses amount to $5,599,626. Revenue Sources The City Council of West Haven has numerous sources of income, which help it in mapping its annual financial budget. The primary sources of income for the city are the current property and grants, which account for 56.8% and 36.9% respectively of the total revenue. Other sources of income include the non-current taxes, interest fees, licenses and permits fees, fines and penalties, and c harges on the current suits. Revenue from licenses and other revenues account for 0.7% and 3.8% of the total revenue respectively. Revenue from licenses and permits includes the licenses for animals, marriages, sports, building permits, electrical permits, excavation permits, zoning permits, plumbing permits, and licenses for alcoholic beverages. Other sources of revenue that West Haven relies on include telephone access fees, fees from the sale of properties, taxes collected from sewer collection, and fees from the recycling of compost, among other sources. In the 2014 to 2015 fiscal year, the amounts of revenue emanating from noncurrent taxes, licenses and permits, and charges for the current services are $2,075, 000, $1,122,900, and $1.019,800 respectively. The total revenue for the 2014 to 2015 budget is $151, 784, 7609. Shortcomings of the budget development, approval, and implementation There are several shortcomings that the government of the West Haven City faces during the development and implementation of its annual budget. One of the challenges is the delay in the submission of the draft budget and the estimates of the various departments. Although the deadline is given as the first Thursday of the month of February each year, there are sections that fail to make submissions within the stipulated time. Another challenge occurs in the deliberation of the proposed budget. Each Council Member has his preference; thus, they do not submit to the other members’ choices as easy as the members would require. Finally, the government faces shortcomings in the collection of taxes. There is the expected amount of revenue that the government anticipates collecting at the beginning of each financial year. However, challenges arise in the collection of the revenue if some businesses avoid paying taxes and others give false financial accounts. Recommendations on how to Improve Budget-Implementation of the Government of the City of West Haven The implementati on of the yearly budget for the city of West Haven can be enhanced by addressing the various shortcomings that are facing the current implementation. All the departmental heads should be penalized if they fail to submit their estimates and revenue projections in time. Each Council Member should be provided with the draft budget proposal 2 months prior to the date of deliberating it in order to avoid many disagreements among the members. Each member should then go through the proposal and present their views one month before the actual deliberation date. That way, the Mayor will be able to identify the contentious clauses and address them in good time.