Category Archives: Valdosta City Council

Videos: Curfew resolution second reading @ VCC 2016-10-05

Last Thursday the Valdosta City Council asked “every police officer, civilian and sworn” to come up front for 2a. Special Presentation of the CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation Award, which took more than 15 minutes. That item alone was longer than yesterday’s entire Lowndes County Commission meeting.

Like the County Commission, the City Council apparently thinks silence is acclamation, at least for their minutes. They did at least actually vote on going into executive session to discuss real estate.

They did not vote on the Loitering Ordinance amendments because there will be a third reading. There will also be a third VPD Community Forum to discuss Proposed Curfew Ordinance, 8PM, Thursday, October 12, 2017, at Morningside Baptist Church. They have gotten some feedback already. They got more from a citizen who wished to be heard. Sorry I didn’t get her name: the city’s sound is very muddy. She seemed to recommend after-school programs and jobs intead of a curfew. She said we need to support the parents. Roy Taylor Sr. said something similar. John Robinson recommended building the community with jobs and activities. Elsie Napier talked about community grants.

Unlike the county, the city uses Continue reading

Curfew resolution second reading @ VCC 2016-10-05

The big item is the controversial teen curfew, first discussed in August, twice, and negotiated in September between the police chief and the city manager, according to WALB.

VPD Chief Brian K. Childress

According to WCTV, it was Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress who originally proposed this curfew, but apparently the city manager had more draconian ideas.

Here’s the agenda. Continue reading

Videos: Candidate Forum, AAUW 2017-09-21

Valdosta State University gave the American Association of University Women Powell Hall for this candidate forum last Thursday, September 21, 2017. Why they held it in a dark room with bad acoustics, I don’t know, but at least you can see the candidates and other speakers.

Here are links to each LAKE video, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Yes, you may use one of these videos or clips in your political ad, provided you cite the source: Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE). See also the announcement in the VDT.

Video.

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Videos: Return of Register + Laurel Run, Tucker Road @ GLPC 2017-09-25

There was shouting last night at the end of REZ-2017-09 Robert A. Register Estate, because some people didn’t like a recommendation for rezoning even with numerous conditions attached. That one took almost an hour, far longer than all the rest of the agenda. Tonight at 5:30 PM this rezoning in Lake Park goes to the Lowndes County Commision for the actual decision; they already discussed it yesterday morning.

Below are LAKE videos of last night’s Planning Commission meeting. See also Continue reading

Return of Register + Laurel Run, Tucker Road @ GLPC 2017-09-25

Tabled last month, REZ-2017-09 Robert A. Register Estate is back on the Planning Commission agenda for tonight. Meanwhile the Lowndes County Commission already discussed it this morning and is scheduled to vote on this rezoning Tuesday evening.

TRC table of recommendations, REZ-2017-19 Register Estate
TRC Table of recommendations for REZ-2017-09.

Plus REZ-2017-10 Laurel Run Homes, LLC and REZ-2017-08 West Ridge Business Park.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission Continue reading

Valdosta Solar Power on Val Tech Road

On the closed landfill across from Valdosta State Prison on Val Tech Road, what looks like maybe a megawatt of solar panels by the City of Valdosta.

Lots of solar panels
Pictures by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, 1 September 2017

Parcel-0081A-001

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Videos: Crowd for three rezoning cases @ GLPC 2017-07-31

They meet again tonight. The longest case last month at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission was: 5. VA-2017-11 Tombrooks LLC 316&318 Eager Road PD in R-10 at almost 56 minutes. Together with its companion 4. VA-2017-10 Tombrooks LLC 318 Eager Road R15 to R10 at 27 minutes, those two took longer than the pair of Jon Nijem Baytree Road rezonings and the Hahira Wilby Coleman Stanfill Street rezoning put together. That last one is apparently since Hahira is getting redesigned so much by the exit 29 reworking and a new ball park that anybody nearby might as well try to do something with their property.

Below are Continue reading

No coal ash on a dozen years of DSSWA agendas (but Brooks County Landfill)

In agendas for the governmental group which supposedly has oversight of the landfill in Lowndes County, Georgia, there is no mention at all of coal or coal ash. Thanks to Julia Shewchuck of SGRC, those agendas for the Deep South Solid Waste Authority (DSSWA) are on the LAKE website.

[April 18, 2007 Agenda] Back in 2006 the proposed Brooks County Landfill is on the the proposed April 19, 2006 agenda, and the June 21, 2006 agenda said there was a public hearing June 29, 2006. An update was on the October 18, 2016 agenda.

2007 starts with one meeting with no mention of the landfill, but the April 18, 2007 meeting has “5. Discussion of Onyx/Langdale Proposed Land Swap”. I don’t see any further mention of the Brooks County landfill after that, and apparently it never happened.

Curiously, these mentions of the Brooks County Landfill on the DSSWA agenda are all months after these VDT stories: Continue reading

Videos: Appointments to Hospital Authority and Parks and Rec + well pump @ LCC 2017-07-11

Two Regular Sessions back, they started with a moment of silence for Mike Everett, recently deceased employee of the Public Works department. The obituary in the VDT, 14 July 2014,

Michael Thomas Everett, a senior heavy equipment operator with Lowndes county and long time resident of Berrien County, GA, died unexpectedly on July 9, 2017 at the age of 58 at his home. Mike was born in Miami, Florida on December 29, 1958 to Hermon J. Everett and Mary C. Everett both deceased and is survived by his loving Step-Mother Nora N. Everett. Mike also known as Mr. Mike to many of his close friends and co-workers was an avid race car fan, loved cooking, enjoyed tending to his many gardens. He also loved music and often played guitar with family and friends. He was a magnet for all dogs taking great care of any that showed up on his doorstep. Mike was a very kind and generous man who will be deeply missed by his family, close neighbors, friends, co-workers and all who knew him. There is no service scheduled at this time.

No surprise on the pump or for the Hospital Authority, but news about Ashley Paulk and VLPRA. They approved everything else unanimously, as they usually do.

Below are links to each LAKE video, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda. There are no LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, because, they moved it half an hour early and didn’t send a notification. But there is a blog post about one Commissioner’s response to that. The county apparently does video its work sessions, but not that one, and not this Regular Session, either.

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Videos: Lake Park Zoning Amendment, Valdosta personal care CUP @ GLPC 2017-06-26

They meet again tonight at 5:30 PM. Last month was a very rare meeting where nobody showed up to speak for or against either item at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission, June 26, 2017: one zoning change from Lake Park, and one Valdosta rezoning for a “personal care salon” on Woodrow Wilson Drive.

Below are links to each LAKE video followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda. Continue reading