Category Archives: Community

Spectra to answer questions about pipeline @ LCC 2013-12-09

Received yesterday. Good first step. Will the Commission also have Spectra speak at the Regular Session, like they did ADS back in February? Will it make that a public hearing?
Update 11:30 AM: Pipeline meeting set: Commissioner gathers opposing views by Matthew Woody, front page of the VDT this morning. -jsq

From: Demarcus Marshall <marshall at lowndescounty.com>
Date: Friday, October 25, 2013 7:51 AM
To: Tim Bland
Cc: Matthew Woody
Subject: Sabal Trail Pipeline

Tim and Residents along the Proposed Sabal Trail Pipeline,

Brian Fahrenthold of Sabal Trail Pipeline contacted me yesterday and requested an audience with the Lowndes County Commissioners. I have submitted to the chairman a slot for him to address the commissioners at our December 09, 2013 work session. I am writing you to ask Continue reading →

WCTV on the pipeline

Spectra said “more rural” “lessens stakeholder impact”. What do you think about that, rural landowners whose land Spectra wants? County Chairman Bill Slaughter said the most positive thing he’s said so far, “we’re going to be looking out for the citizens of Lowndes County”, about this natural gas pipeline potentially ripping a 100 foot right of way through this county and many others in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama for the benefit of Florida Power and Light. And Valdosta, you’re not for sure out of the pipeline path: remember FERC could choose that Option B through Valdosta that is Spectra’s alternate route.

Option B by WCTV

James Buechele wrote for WCTV yesterday, Pipeline Would Cut Through Florida & Georgia, Continue reading →

Pipeline complaints heard at Lowndes County Commission @ LCC 2013-10-22

You don’t see this every day. After several citizens spoke in the Commission meeting against the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline and asked for the Lowndes County Commission to help them, four Commissioners stayed afterwards to listen to citizens:

Four Commissioners listening to citizens
L-R: Tim Bland, a citizen who spoke in the meeting, Joyce Evans (District 1), Matthew Woody (VDT), John Page (District 4), Bill Slaughter (Chairman), Carol Singletary, Demarcus Marshall (District 5), and other citizens.
Pictures by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 October 2013.

Richard Raines (District 2) left quickly, saying he didn’t feel well.

Crawford Powell (District 3) spent the same time talking to County Engineer Mike Fletcher (who was at the Spectra meeting a week ago) about what could be done. There are things the county can ask for, and maybe get, that individual citizens cannot so easily accomplish.

Video of the Commission meeting will follow, including the citizens speaking.

-jsq

Lowndes vs. Florida Pipeline

The VDT got some good quotes from Spectra and from landowners, and even from a Lowndes County Commissioners at the Spectra dog and pony at Wiregrass Tech last week. Not the whole story, though; this one has legs.

Matthew Woody wrote for the VDT today, Lowndes residents oppose Fla. pipeline,

Andrea Grover (Spectra), Matthew Woody (VDT) Sabal Trail Transmission held an open house at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College last week to explain the Florida natural gas pipeline expected to run through South Georgia.

Sabal Trail had bulletin boards depicting aerial photos with the proposed 600-foot corridor mapped out with two red dotted lines running parallel to one another. In the center of these dotted lines, there was a brown line which highlighted an existing pipeline.

He got a bit more detail from Spectra rep Andrea Grover about Option A (the current proposed pipeline path) vs. Option B: Continue reading →

Press freedom is not opposed to freedom –AP

Press freedom is an essential part of liberty, and without liberty there is no security. It’s good to see the CEO of AP speaking up about this, after Julian Assange, Bruce Schneier, and Benjamin Franklin.

Colleen Slevin wrote for AP yesterday, AP CEO: Press freedom v. security a ‘false choice’,

Governments that try to force citizens to decide between a free press and national security create a “false choice” that weakens democracy, and journalists must fight increasing government overreach that has had a chilling effect on efforts to hold leaders accountable, the president and CEO of The Associated Press said Saturday.

Gary Pruitt told the 69th General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association that the U.S. Justice Department’s secret seizure of records of thousands of telephone calls to and from AP reporters in 2012 is one of the most blatant violations of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution the 167-year-old news cooperative has ever encountered.

The Justice Department action involving the AP resonated far beyond the U.S., including Continue reading →

Raisin’ Cane Ribbon Cutting

The Lake Park Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, local elected officials, and community members helped celebrate the opening of the Corbett family’s most recent endeavor. Raisin’ Cane held a ribbon cutting on Thursday, October 17th at their new facility at the corner of US41S and Newsome Road.

Ken Corbett welcomed those gathered and thanked family, friends, contractors and more for helping to bring the vision to completion. Continue reading →

Common Community Vision for Lowndes County

What do you the citizens want Lowndes County to be? Here’s a chance to speak up, so when somebody asks where were you when the decisions were being made, you don’t have to answer “lying on the couch watching television.” (Thanks to Nolen Cox for that phrase.)

Corey Hull wrote on facebook today, Help Spread the Word for the Future of Lowndes County,

My office is conducting a survey and gathering public input on Facebook (go to www.facebook.com/valdostalowndesmpo) about what they want the Lowndes County Common Community Vision to be ( www.bit.ly/LowndesCCV). So far our participation has been low. I am calling on all of you to encourage your friends, family and colleagues to spread the word and let us know what you think about the future of Lowndes County and its cities.

Over the next two months there will be future opportunities for public input so stay tuned.

Thanks for your help.

On the Southern Georgia Regional Commission’s website, Lowndes County Common Community Vision, Continue reading →

Videos: SPLOST VII Resolution, child proclamation, and appointment @ LCC 2013-09-10

They voted to put the SPLOST VII Resolution on the ballot in November, “to reimpose the tax”, with not even a hint of those town halls that never happened. They reappointed Mac McCall to ZBOA. The Proclamation was for a boy who called 911 to help an old neighbor who was trapped under a refrigerator (nope, not for South Georgia Pride). And we learned that nobody has to fear arrest or threat and everybody can speak their mind in the Commission chambers; nevermind recent history to the contrary.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes. See also videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Gaines Lane into county road system? Little chance for ordinary citizens @ LCC 2013-09-10

Citizen Anita L. Armstrong wants help with Gaines Lane, but it’s a private road, and it would have to be paved to state highway standards to get accepted into the county’s road system. She spoke at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 10 September 2013.

I come before you again asking to see if we can get some help with our road. It is so bad and we don’t have the money. If we could get just a little help, maybe we could get it kind of straightened out so we could get in and out. The last bad weather that we had, we had to be pulled out of the road for at least five times. And each time that we pulled out, we have to pay someone to do it…. And we are asking your help.

Her problem is that Gaines Lane is a private road, not county maintained. To get it into the county road system, right of way would have to be donated to the county, because some years ago the county made a policy (try to find it in writing) that it would no longer pay for rights of way. Some of the landowners on Gaines Road have not agreed to donate. And even if they do, the county also has a policy (try to find that one in writing, while you’re at it) that it only accepts roads that are up to county standards, which means already paved to state highway standards. So basically unless you’re a developer, you’re not going to get a road into the county road system.

Ms. Armstrong spoke in the previous session, 13 August 2013, about garbage trucks damaging her road.

A Bess Armstrong 11 May 2010 according to the minutes:

Bess Armstrong, Gaines Lane, thanked the Commission for their help in assisting with road improvements made on Gaines Lane. Mr. Armstrong added that he needed some guidance on how to maintain the road in the future. Chairman Paulk stated that the credit should be given to Reames Construction, since the county was unable to work on the private road.

There was extensive discussion in the 23 February 2010 meeting, according to the minutes: Continue reading →

Visible Option 3 for sewer for middle school @ LCC 2013-09-10

In a surprise move, Commissioner Crawford Powell insisted on showing the audience what the Commission was voting on regarding extending sewer service for the Lowndes County Board of Education, at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 10 September 2013.

8.b. Sewer Service Requested for Lowndes County Board of Education

Utilities Manager Mike Allen said LCBOE wants sewer service for Lake Park Elementary to help out their failing septic tank; he recommended Option 3.

Commissioner Crawford Powell asked for Option 3 to be displayed or read. IT Director Aaron Kostyu noted that if there was a copy it could be projected. Allen moseyed over to the table by the podium with a copy, pictured here, with transcript below.

Option 3) Direct county attorney to draft two documents: Continue reading →