Category Archives: Economy

Turnberry, Seago, and Branham back again, 3 alcohol, and budget @ LCC 2017-01-09

Three rezonings are back from last month on the agenda for the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning at 8:30 AM.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2017, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2017, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

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America’s largest college mutual fund VA529 owns Spectra Energy, a stranded investment

Parents and grandparents buy 529 college savings plans as safe investments, so VA529 chose poorly in Spectra Energy, the very risky company behind the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline now plowing through the Floridan Aquifer drinking water of south Alabama, Georgia, and all of Florida and under the Withlacoochee and Suwannee Rivers against growing opposition. Maybe you’d like to mention that to Mary G. Morris, the Chief Executive Officer of Virginia529 College Savings Plan, the biggest mutual fund investor in both Spectra Energy and in Enbridge, which is buying Spectra. There’s a handy VA529 contact form or you can call or write:

1-804-371-0766
Toll-Free: 1-888-567-0540
9001 Arboretum Parkway
North Chesterfield, VA 23236

Spectra is so risky it just sold itself so Enbridge would take on about $22 billion of Spectra debt. Debt especially racked up since Continue reading

Nature Nates parking and mailbox @ VLCIA 2016-11-15

5:30PM today, Nature Nate’s parking lot expansion and the never-ending mailbox controversy are back on the agenda for the Development Authority.

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 5:30 pm
Development Authority Conference Room/103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda

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Videos: South Georgia Alliance and BRAT @ VLCIA 2016-10-18

The Development Authority is twice as under budget as it is under revenue, and they expect tax collections to catch up in January. National Manufacturing Day had great local and national media coverage. Fussell Tire wants to build a warehouse with a non-coforming face towards St. Augustine Road; the board sent back a look askance. They’re also still feuding with the Post Office about mail delivery to Nature Nate, the only tenant in Miller Business Park.

Prospective businesses want to see communities that “have their arms wrapped around millenials”, including bike trails. Hm, what about water trails, asked WWALS president John S. Quarterman?

They lacked a quorum with Continue reading

Wild Tourism Arts @ LCC 2016-10-24

Requested at the work session two weeks ago, and now on the agenda for Monday morning, a resolution for an arts district. That and reappoint Wild Adventures GM Molly Deese to the Tourism Authority, a public hearing on the 2016 updates to the Greater Lowndes Comprehensive Plan (even though they tabled it last time), and the usual Bid, surplus, and subdivision infrastructure sorts of items.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2016, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2016,  5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

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Videos: Water, VSU bonds, 3 road abandonments, 1 widening, MIDS bus, Comprehensive Plan @ LCC 2016-10-11

Two weeks ago, County Manager Joe Pritchard announced that Commissioner Joyce Evans is now serving as Vice Chairman, yes, the resolution to approve the VSU bonds was requested by the South Regional Joint Development Authority (SRJDA), and John Stevens is the new VDT reporter. Citizen Shirley Moore said she’d like a connection to county water and sewer. They tabled the Comprehensive Plan update, apparently because the Commissioners wanted to “dig into it deeper”.

The rest was mostly approving what they already discussed the previous morning. They meet again Monday morning.

Below are links to each LAKE video with a few notes, followed by a video playlist.

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South Georgia Alliance and BRAT @ VLCIA 2016-10-18

Yes, the Industrial Authority is meeting today at 5:30 PM about BRAT, South Georgia Alliance, and National Manufacturing Day, before it meets tomorrow at 11:00 AM about VSU bonds.

Here’s today’s agenda:

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, October 18, 2016, 5:30 pm
Development Authority Conference Room/103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda

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VSU Bonds Development Authority Meeting Wednesday morning @ VLCIA 2016-10-19

Why a day late and with no agenda?

Update 2016-10-19: Because, according to the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority last night, the meeting this morning is not them: it’s the South Regional Joint Development Authority (SRJDA). The newspaper apparently got it wrong.

Community Calendar, VDT page 12a, 12 October 2016, Upcoming: Development Authority

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority meeting at 11 a.m. October 19, Development Authority office, 103 Roosevelt Dr., Valdosta to discuss refinance of VSU Bonds, election of officers and all other business which may come before the Board at such meeting.

There’s nothing about that on the Development Authority’s Meeting Schedule web page (which lists a meeting “October 18, 2016” with no agenda Update 2016-10-18: that other agenda is posted now.). And nothing about it on their facebook page.

Could this meeting be about one or both of Continue reading

Videos: Art, hurricane, engineering reports, VSU bonds, 3 road abandonments, 1 widening, MIDS bus, Comprehensive Plan @ LCC 2016-10-10

The Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline and others already in the county came up in the Comprehensive Plan approval discussion, as you can see in these LAKE Videos from Monday morning; they vote tonight 5:30 PM.

Stephen Spradley and Georgia Forestry were still helping after Hurricane Matthew, but Ashley Tye reported on evacuees, Chad McLeod reported on engineering projects including the Naylor Boat Ramp at the Alapaha River, and Angela Crance reported on an art district; actually Buddy Boswell did that.

They also heard about a self storage rezoning, three road abandonments, a road widening, the annual MIDS bus service renewal, and a county resolution about bonds for another private LLC by the South Regional Joint Development Authority (SRJDA), different from the one with the public hearing October 21st at a private law firm. What does the resolution say? It’s not in the documents with the agenda.

Below are links to each LAKE video with a few notes, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading

VSU bond resolution, 3 road abandonments, 1 widening, MIDS bus, Comprehensive Plan @ LCC 2016-10-10

Monday morning 8:30 AM, a self storage rezoning, (final?) Comprehensive Plan approval, three road abandonments, a road widening, the annual MIDS bus service renewal, an art district presentation by Angela Crance, a Georgia Forestry presentation by Stephen Spradley, and a county resolution about bonds for another private LLC by the South Regional Joint Development Authority (SRJDA), different from the one with the public hearing October 21st at a private law firm. What does the resolution say? It’s not in the documents with the agenda.


U.S. Air Force Col. Billy Thompson, 23d Wing commander, expresses his gratitude to Continue reading