Category Archives: Valdosta City Council

Broadband, outsourcing, trash, and fire @ LCC 2014-02-28

The second day of the Commission retreat is finished. Reporting from location, Gretchen noted:

1PM: BroadBand

Chairman Bill Slaughter has a five year goal of making broadband available. Some possibility of creating a fibre ring. He says he’s working with the City of Valdosta.

Well, a year ago in February he said broadband was “one of the number one issues”, but in October he said “we have broadband”, so it’s anyone’s guess what his opinion will be in a few months.

1:06PM: Outsourcing

Commissioner Crawford Powell wants to outsource more county services.

That’s working so well, after all; see the next note.

1:19PM: Trash evaluation

Continue reading →

Six small rezonings and a planned development @ GLPC 2014-02-24

Mostly single-family rezonings this time, plus one 15 acre planned development request.

Here’s the agenda, supplied by an informant. This one came as a real PDF, permitted extracting the text, so that’s an improvement over last month. Too bad about that “the expense” for the county to put it on the web in the first place.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue

Monday, February 24, 2014* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading →

Local government pipeline responsibilities

Make pipeline companies answer questions, motivate implementation of safety standards, announce FERC Scoping meetings, and enforce reasonable local zoning restrictions: these are things local governments can do, and NTSB and FERC say they should do most of them. Gilchrist County Commission in Trenton, Florida has done most of them, and plans to continue doing more. The Lowndes County Commission and the Valdosta City Council still can, too, plus all the other county and city governments along the proposed pipeline path, and their statewide county and city government associations. Will our local elected officials represent we the people?

Make pipeline companies answer questions

There were Real questions at the Gilchrist County Commission meeting in Trenton, Florida Monday. Two hours of first questions from a citizens committee with Spectra’s reps expected to answer right there in front of everybody, then questions from locals and people from many counties around, including attorneys representing landowners and other county commissions cross-examining Spectra on the spot. The Chairman of the Gilchrist County Commission said there was a general opinion among the populace that they were asking specific questions and getting only general answers. Congratulations, Chairman, Commission, staff, Committee, and everyone who asked questions for showing the world how it’s done, and for exposing Spectra’s evasions to public scrutiny.

This is in sharp contrast to Continue reading →

CJB * 3 + Georgia Trend * 2 @ VLCIA 2014-02-18

CJB Industries is on the agenda twice, and in an article on VLCIA’s website and in an article in Georgia Trend that is the subject of one of those agenda items.

Here’s the agenda:

Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority
Tuesday, February 18, 2014 5:30 p.m.
Industrial Authority Conference Room
2110 N. Patterson Street
Agenda
Continue reading →

Bird Supper rescheduled due to Atlanta weather to 5 March 2014

The City of Valdosta press release was carried by WCTV and VDT, and WALB interviewed Mayor John Gayle again. Lowndes County at least managed to update its front page. Last year crossover day was March 7th, when bills cross from one chamber to another. I don’t know when it will be this year, with all the holidays and weather closings, but probably not long after the rescheduled Bird Supper, if not before.

On lowndescounty.com:

LOWNDES COUNTY BIRD SUPPER—Tickets on sale now!

BIRD SUPPER RESCHEDULED – March 5

Continue reading →

Bird Supper this Wednesday in Atlanta

On the county’s front page:

LOWNDES COUNTY BIRD SUPPER—Tickets on sale now!

For more than 50 years, local citizens have met face to face with members of the General Assembly during the Lowndes County Bird Supper. Hosted by Lowndes County and the City of Valdosta on behalf of our community’s local legislative delegation, this year’s Bird Supper promises to be one of the best yet!

The event will be held Wednesday, February 12, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. at the old railroad depot, downtown Atlanta. Tickets are $50.00 and include refreshments and a quail dinner. Attendees will enjoy the music of the Valdosta State University Faculty Jazz Ensemble, while meeting with state officials in a business casual atmosphere.

The Lowndes County Bird Supper is our community’s chance discuss upcoming or pending legislation with lawmakers, with an opportiunity to explain how legislative decisions impact South Georgia. For more information, please contact Lowndes County Clerk, Paige Dukes, at 229-671-2400, For tickets, please contact Event Coordinator, Belinda Lovern, at 229-671-2400 or blovern@lowndescounty.com.

Colter Anstaett wrote for WALB 8 January 2014, Valdosta Mayor looking forward to “Bird Supper” next month, Continue reading →

Dollar General and a historical overlay @ GLPC 2014-01-27

Yet another Dollar General, two small rezonings in Lowndes County, a business office in Valdosta, and a proposed Historical Overlay District.

Here’s the agenda, supplied by an informant. It came as PDF of an image, so I OCRed it to get this text. But why should any citizen have to do that? Oh, right, “the expense”.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue

Monday, January 27, 2014* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading →

Flood mapping and modeling @ VCC 2014-01-09

The Valdosta City Council votes Thursday on a contract for flood mapping related to the series of secretive Army Corps of Engineers meetings, plus bids for water and sewer and smoke testing sewers. They’re also swearing in winners of the recent election and electing a mayor pro-tem (probably the same one), along with a change to the Entertainment Ordinance and public hearings to close an alley and abandon part of a street, and the usual City Manager’s Report, Council Comments, and Citizens to be Heard.

No detail in the city’s agenda about the flood mapping, but at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session 11 November 2013 Emergency Services Director Ashley Tye said the current agreement wouldn’t obligate any payment, merely to reserve the right to contract at a later date if that seemed to be in the county’s best interests, and at the Regular Session 12 November 2013 the county approved getting LIDAR data from NOAA Coastal Services Center. Neither the county nor the city has published this agreement.

Here’s the agenda: Continue reading →

Valdosta Offers 5th Annual Government 101 for Citizens

Received today, with this note.

FYI—this is now open to any residents of Lowndes County, not just City of Valdosta. Please spread the word. It is a great way to learn a LOT more about your local government.

Tim Carroll
Councilman District 5
City of Valdosta

Here’s the application. Continue reading →

ADS included household trash in their recyclded items –Tim Carroll

Personal recollection from Valdosta City Council Tim Carroll received today on ADS fails to recycle, appeals DSS ruling anyway, adding detail that wasn’t in the VDT article.

The main problem the City was having with ADS was they included household trash in their recycled items. Used diapers and other household products mixed in with recycle materials is not allowed. The City advised ADS back to this past October of the issue and no improvements were made. Eventually the city had no choice but to cut them off. The City is a regional hub for recycle material and proud to offer the service.

OK, so is that a violation of the county’s “exclusive franchise” with ADS?

-jsq