Standing room only while Ellis Black (GA Dist. 174), Bill Slaughter (Lowndes County Chairman), and Tim Carroll (Valdosta City Council) spoke after Gretchen Quarterman gave an introduction at the first SpectraBusters Informational Meeting last Saturday. A second meeting is scheduled for this Saturday morning at 10AM at the Valdosta City Hall Annex.

Video. Gretchen asked if there were any representatives from the pipeline company present. Nobody spoke up. Several affected landowners did speak: Beth Gordon from Levy County, Florida and Larry Rodgers and Carol Singletary from Lowndes County, Georgia.

Video. Elected officials spoke. Bill Slaughter (Lowndes County Chairman) said his main goal was to be sure citizens of Lowndes County were treated fairly and with respect. Various citizens urged him to do more.

Commissioners Joyce Evans (District 1) and Crawford Powell (District 3) were also present, but declined to speak.

Ellis Black (GA Dist. 174), stood up and agreed with the Chairman that eminent domain might happen. However, he added:

Your best defense is the economics. Make this the most expensive route; make them go somewhere else.

He added further thoughts about property valuations.

Video. One citizen wanted to know the name of the agency that was driving this. The elected officials didn’t seem to know. The actual answer is the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Video. Tim Carroll (Valdosta City Council), barely finding space to edge into the room, said he was present as council for District 5, also representing one of the citizens in the room, who lives in his district.

Later Council Carroll organized the Valdosta City Hall Annex as the venue for this Saturday morning’s second meeting, 10 AM November 23rd 2013.

Here’s a video playlist:

SpectraBusters Informational Meeting 2013-11-16
Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, .

-jsq

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