[Bret Ford]

I understood LLC’s as a means to protect personal assets from creditors. Since I will not have any debt or creditors, what is the advantage of establishing an LLC in this situation?

[Bret Ford]

I never thought it would be easier, but it’s the only arrangement they’re offering;  I’ll have to work with it if I want the experience.  You’re right about the extra taxes; it’s something most people may not consider, but I’ve factored that in. I intend to set aside a certain percentage from each check to cover all taxes at the end of the year.  Paying estimated quarterly taxes is also a good suggestion to help avoid the shock of a large tax bill come April. 

Thanks for the replies.

[Bret Ford]

I’ve already reviewed Georgia’s requirements via the SOS website, which is what prompted my question.  Thanks for the reply, though.

[Bret Ford]

The seed isn’t the only part of the plant that is toxic. The point I was making is that not all plants are appropriate or safe for all locations.

[Bret Ford]

Congrats on graduation and the job.

I was in your situation a few years ago and decided that a council record was an unnecessary expense.  Other people are free to disagree, of course, but I think a council record is a waste of money.  However, once you get licensed, it can save you some headache if you’re trying to get reciprocity in other states.  Personally, I would hold off.   

[Bret Ford]

Google’s PicasaWeb service does that.

http://picasaweb.google.com

[Bret Ford]

“In humans, the yew generates digestive, nervous, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders which can result in death. Symptoms include excitation, hyperventilation, and tachycardia, followed by deceleration of the heart, hypotension, nausea, stomach pains, cramps, giddinesses, colic, violent diarrhoea, dizzy spells, convulsions, coma and death (L’Herbier Virtuel 1999-2008). The red aril surrounding the seed can be eaten just as it is like delicacy with the proviso of not chewing the seed.”

 

http://www.conifers.org/ta/Taxus_baccata.php

 

IDK about anyone else, but I wouldn’t trust a child to know not to eat the seed within the aril.   

 

[Bret Ford]

Claudia, I think your question is an excellent one and I hope you get some more responses; I have wondered the same thing, as it seems there is somewhat of an uneven playing field.

While attempts at education are noble, in the end, regulatory requirements that necessitate a more widespread need for our services are what are most likely to have a positive impact on our profession and the clients/projects we design for, IMHO. In the little online research I’ve done regarding what engineers and architects can stamp, I’ve noticed that they can generally stamp most things that a landscape architect can, though the reverse is not true. For example, engineers can often stamp landscape plans for commercial development, but some places won’t allow landscape architects to prepare storm-water/hydrology reports. How many engineers took a plant ID class? Or know whether or not it’s a good idea to plant Taxus baccata near a children’s playground? Most of us have had plant ID classes and at least one grading/drainage course that included storm-water analysis, but when a client can hire an engineer and get everything done through them, why would they bother bringing in a landscape architect?

Getting municipalities to recognize and appreciate the differences in the design professions and to value our expertise enough to mandate our services on certain types of projects, as they do for engineers, architects, surveyors, etc., is the most effective way to fill the gap that you mention. Though, maybe this is where practice acts come into play if they differ on what a municipality says requires an engineer’s; landscape architect’s; etc; stamp.

My “research” is pretty limited, so who knows, maybe I’m way off base; I’m sort of wondering aloud here.

[Bret Ford]

Ditto, Georgia. 

[Bret Ford]

Georgia

Athens-Clarke County unified gov.

Locally, stamp required for:

-Soil erosion/sediment control plans: “Maps, drawings and supportive computations shall bear the signature and seal of the certified design professional.” (Design Professional: A professional licensed by the State of Georgia in the field of: engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, forestry, geology, or land surveying; or a person that is a Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control with a current certification by Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control Inc.)

 

-Stormwater Mgmt Impact Analysis: “A professional engineer or landscape architect licensed to practice in the State of Georgia shall prepare the analysis/report.”

 

-Stand Table (a table summarizing information regarding the total number of trees in the forest stand or woodland): For Athens-Clarke County purposes, a stand table shall be prepared by a registered landscape architect or a registered forester and shall include an estimate of the number of trees by species and by two-inch dbh classes using standard, professionally accepted sampling methods.

 

Those are the only specific mentions I could find.  Surprisingly, a “Tree Mgmt Plan,”  which the planning dept. requires prior to issuance of a land disturbance permit, does not require a stamp from anyone, only that “the property owner or his/her agent shall provide an approved tree management plan…”.  Also, preliminary and final plat requirements only mention surveyors and engineers, because, you know, they design GREAT subdivisions!  😉

 

Regarding getting work, the requirements are not really helpful; there is practically no differentiation between what a PE can stamp and what an LA can stamp. 

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