Ben Popken wrote for the Consumerist 15 July 2011, Small Arizona Town In Furor After 2nd Citizen Arrested For Speaking At Town Meeting:
What’s all this about? Continue readingThe town of Quartzsite, AZ, population 3,466, is in disarray after a video showing police hauling away a citizen for speaking at the town meeting podium went viral. The woman was saying that the town council had been violating open meeting laws.
It was the second citizen arrested at a Quartzsite town meeting in two weeks.
Please join WACE at a protest outside the Industrial Authority:
** July 19 (Tuesday), 5-6:30pm **
The Industrial Authority is located on the corner of Park Avenue and Patterson Street, and parking is available behind the building.
Since we expect high temperatures, we will provide water. Even if you can only stay for a short time, any minute and any voice counts!
Regards, Michael G. Noll, President
Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy
Only one citizen, Dr. Michael Noll, came forward to speak with commissioners. Noll asked commissioners to speak with Industrial Authority board members about the 22.2 acre tract of land that is being considered for purchase by Wiregrass Power LLC. Noll is concerned the company will use the land to pursue previous plans to construct a biomass facility, a proposal which has seen considerable negative community backlash over the last year.According to usually reliable sources, it was Crawford Powell who Continue reading“I think commissioners made this very clear that the Industrial Authority should have been done with this project,” said Paulk. “I don’t think we’ve changed our mind. I can’t speak for the City of Valdosta, but I think they’re prepared to make some moves and make a statement on their behalf in the immediate future. It’s a project that didn’t work and when things don’t work, move on to things that do. That’s my personal opinion.”
District 3 commissioner Crawford Powell offered his insight on the issue, “The issue the Industrial Authority has is they had a contractual agreement on the sale of the property and so they’re trying to work through that but I don’t think there’s any particular excitement on their behalf to continue down that road.”
This was about a contract with Black Crow media. Last night Ashley Paulk told various people after the County Commission meeting that when he went down to Black Crow to do the morning radio show he usually does before the board meeting, he wasn’t even allowed in the building. I asked him, so does this mean you’re going to keep quiet? He answered,“These contracts are invalid, and the same employees who did this did the same thing last year and we told them then not to do it again. They seem to think the Authority doesn’t run Parks and Rec., but we do, and since this was done illegally, with prior warning not to, these individuals should be fired for insubordination.”
“No, not when I’m right!”Remember, Ashley Paulk was a big man back in April Continue reading
Continue readingIt is unbelievable that despite all the concerns in our community about biomass, the Industrial authority is still considering to sell the land to a company like Wiregrass Power LLC. This is the same company the Industrial Authority once stated
it had no faith in anymore. This is the same company that just missed another deadline as stipulated by their contract. And this is the same company that apparently does not have the best interest of our community in mind.
There are other things Valdosta could do, such as what the VSU
Faculty Senate did:
pass a resolution opposing biomass.
Remember,
the mayor of Gretna, Florida did that.
If little old Gretna can do it, TitleTown USA can do it!
The Valdosta City Council could also hold an ethics investigation of their own appointees to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, on the topic of why those appointees are in favor of a project with demonstrated health hazards to the community.
Short of that, Valdosta could demand transparency from VLCIA: Continue reading
VDT is not quite right when it says Only city can stop biomass. The Lowndes County Commission could do it.
According to Ashley Paulk, a few months ago 
VLCIA approached the Lowndes County government, asking them to ask VLCIA not to extend Sterling Planet’s contract for the biomass plant. Chairman Paulk refused to accept that hot potato and instead laudably told the community what was going on. Yet there was a bit of a good idea in what VLCIA was asking. Lowndes County could pass an ordinance such as VDT is suggesting banning the incineration of human feces.
Remember, Lowndes County rezoned the land for the plant. It’s time to review that rezoning to see if in light of new information it should be rescinded. According to the VDT, Wiregrass Power LLC supplied a fake timeline, so it wuld not be interesting to know what else they said wasn’t true?
For that matter, wasn’t the rezoning to build a certain biomass plant according to a certain plan which has no expired? Maybe the rezoning is already null and void and the Commission just needs to declare it so.
Short of that, the Lowndes County Commission could demand transparency from VLCIA:
Continue readingVDT editorial yesterday: after the
Compelled? Give me a break! VLCIA has an attorney, and one of its board members is an attorney. If they can’t find a way to break a land purchase contract because conditions have changed, they need new legal counsel.In a recent Valdosta council meeting, longtime councilman Sonny Vickers asked if there was any way to put the biomass issue to rest once and for all. The good news, Councilman Vickers, is that there is and it’s all in the city’s hands.
The Industrial Authority signed an agreement with Wiregrass Power LLC which allows the company to purchase the land from the Authority and proceed with the project on its own. Although the Authority hasn’t yet voted on the issue, it appears that they don’t have a choice and may be compelled to honor the agreement.
Why didn’t they discuss that in their yet another special called meeting Thursday morning, in which they apparently discussed that offer from Sterling Planet to buy the proposed biomass plant site?
VDT continued:
And once the land is purchased, as long as the company complies with existing zoning laws, there is not a way to prevent the plant from being built.Continue readingOh, but there is.
The industrial authority’s spending of money seems to have no end. They don’t seem to budget appropriately or have a long range plan for the land they have acquired. Yet another industrial park when the Hahira park is still without any leasers.This looks like gambling with my tax dollars. I don’t gamble with my own money for the reason that I am likely to loose. The board & staff feel no responsibility to the taxpayers. so, it is clear that they would ignore our demand for a no biomass clause and support of clean air for our families.
-Karen Noll
A David Rodock story in the VDT 5 July 2011 included this quote:
I’m guessing this was G. Norman Bennett. Anyway, that’s quite the irony coming from a director of an organization that raised $15 million in debt Continue readingIncluded among the guests was George Bennett, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority board member.
“I think it’s time we hold the elected officials accountable, whether they are Democratic or Republican,” said Bennett. “You can’t borrow yourself into prosperity. We need to talk with the legislators at the national level and get them to come around do what America is all about.”