Category Archives: LAKE

“Using words like green, renewable, etc. does not magically make it so.” –Russ Anderson

Following up on his previous correspondence. -jsq

From: Russ Anderson
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2011 16:20:24 -0500
Subject: Re: Attn: Clarifications on my comments
To: blofton@industrialauthority.com, info@sterlingplanet.com, bmaddox@sterlingplanet.com

Brad,

I’m not saying the project is good, responsible, that it will actually happen, and def. not that you are in any way right in your opinions of “green” and “renewable”.

Furthermore, I really wish you could get beyond the talking point of “the agencies and groups endorsing similar projects”, because again that is a highly contestable and skewed figure as many local, regional, and national agencies, groups, and networks still voice heavy opposition to this issue and biomass incineration.

Using words like green, renewable, etc. does not magically make it so. I know all about framing language and tactics of those wishing to line their pockets and exploit subsidy and tax loopholes. The simple fact that you are so set in your opinion and mentality is quite alarming..

For example, I am more than willing to embrace control technologies and

Continue reading →

The owl is watching! February 2011 LAKE meeting

Come help watch:
Monthly LAKE Meeting
When: 5:30 PM, Tuesday 1 February 2011
Where: Family Pizza House
5945 Bemiss Road @ Radar Site (in front of Moody AFB)
(229) 244-1845
The LAKE blog, On the LAKE Front, quadrupled its page views this month!

http://lake.typepad.com/on-the-lake-front/

People want to see what happened at the County Commission, and what didn’t can be just as important.

Lots of meetings recently: Continue reading →

Transparency and celebrating citizen participation –John S. Quarterman

I thank County Clerk Paige Dukes for making the text of the new Policies and Procedures available, and refer it to as as sterling example of local government transparency. Then I remark that I can’t be quite as complimentary about their content, which is in some parts too vague and in others too strict. I offer to provide written comments. And in my personal opinion local government should not suppress but rather celebrate citizen participation!


Video by Gretchen Quarterman
of the regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 25 Jan 2011
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Since at least one commissioner did ask for them, I sent them the written comments yesterday; they will follow in a separate post.

-jsq

“Georgia’s EPA standards are a lot lower than other standards”

I didn’t get this questioner’s name. He wanted to know:
Georgia’s EPA standards are a lot lower than other standards and lower than federal EPA standards that are coming along. My question is what will the plant do when these new standards come along?
A: Don’t know what you got; probably didn’t include studies. GA EPD issues a permit.
No answer about when new standards come along.


Video by Gretchen Quarterman of 6 Dec 2011 VLCIA biomass event
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange

-jsq

Meeting video “increasingly popular” –AJC

Patrick Fox writes in the AJC, 18 Jan 2011, Meeting access video grows among city councils:
Metro Atlanta cities want to air their business in living rooms. Alpharetta agreed to spend $68,000 for a video recording system in its council chambers. Dunwoody will shell out $93,000 for a digital video recording system, enabling residents to view city council and planning commission meetings live from home.

While not every city electronically records its council meetings, the practice has become increasingly popular.

“It’s an overall trend of cities, going where people are to share information, to keep people in touch,” said Amy Henderson, Georgia Municipal Association spokeswoman.

Continue reading →

Videos and transparency –John S. Quarterman

Here I discuss with the mayor about the Valdosta City Council videoing their entire meetings and putting them on the web for everybody to see. The mayor indicated costs of streaming was an issue; I recommended putting it on YouTube or Vimeo and letting them handle that part. I think the AJC article he mentioned is this one: Meeting access video grows among city councils, by Patrick Fox, 18 Jan 2011.

This comment by the mayor was amusing:

The worst thing you could do would be to have one camera in the back that has room audio.
Touche, Mr. Mayor! :-) What do you think, is a noisy video from the back of the room more useful than no video at all? Can you see him waving his arms around? Continue reading →

“An error was made” –Luana Goodwin

This LTE appeared in the VTD 23 Jan 2011. -jsq
I wonder if there is any way for the Industrial Authority, County Commission and City Council to now do the right thing for Lowndes County. How can they save face?

Reading the scientific data makes it clear that an error was made, and clearly this data wasn’t made available to those who have been charged with finding appropriate industry for us, industry that will raise the quality of life for the citizens of Lowndes County by providing good jobs. They can be excused for an industry that provides only a few jobs. Jobs are jobs, after all. But how can we help them apologize to all of us and thank those citizens who have spent so many hours of their own time gathering information and providing a forum to educate us? I wish it were possible.

Luana Goodwin
Valdosta

“I also would like specific documentation” –Dr. Sammons

Dr. Sammons is referring to the radio interview the Mayor of Valdosta called in to. LAKE already posted links to the VLCIA’s own videos and FAQ; see if you think they answer Dr. Sammons’ question.

-jsq

From: Bill
Date: Thursday, January 20, 2011 4:35 PM
To: blofton@industrialauthority.com; aricketts@industrialauthority.com
Cc: mgnoll@valdosta.edu; leigh.touchton@gmail.com
Subject: Radio interview

Hi

I just listened to Mr. Lofton’s radio interview. It seemed that he was indicating there was substantiating documentation on the IA webpage to support biomass combustion. I could not find it. The videos of the meeting do not constitute valid information.

Could you send me the url[s] where the information is presented on the web page please.

I also would like specific documentation that the plant will not produce dioxin as he asserts in the interview.

Thank you

Bill Sammons

After all the citizens left –Valdosta City Council, 20 Jan 2011

Want to know what your city council really thinks? Stay through the entire meeting and you’ll get some clues; or watch these videos by some who did stay. City Manager, Attorney, and each council member say what’s on their minds. Much of it addresses some of the questions asked by citizens earlier: cracks in the MLK monument, biomass, council members answering questions from the audience, etc. What they didn’t talk about may indicate what various citizens didn’t succeed in conveying to the council.

It’s not like what they were saying was a secret. The VDT reporter was there. They were finishing up the agenda with the sections “7. City Manager’s Report” and “8. Council Comments”. You can see them adjourn at the end. Some of them groused about the time citizens take up in “Citizens Wishing to be Heard”.

But remember, almost none of those citizens bothered to stay around to listen to them. Among the stay-latest: two cameras for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, providing you these two views: Continue reading →

Pollution and a Private Prison? –Dr. Mark George

As the VDT transcribed:
“I think we can do better than a generator that burns human waste. I think we can do better than a private prison and those are two things that we seem to be excited about as a community.”
Dr. Mark George spoke to the Valdosta City Council, 20 Jan 2011:

We’ve previously written about CCA private prisons and AZ immigration law on 21 December 2010:

Considering how many local farmers and others around here use hispanic help without inquiring closely as to where they come from, a CCA prison in Lowndes County would be more than ironic.

Spending state tax dollars to lock people up while cutting funding for education that would cost less per person doesn’t seem like a good idea to me.

Is this what we want to be known for?

And in If it’s sunny enough in Buffalo on 16 September 2010: Continue reading →