Category Archives: VLCIA

Videos: EMT, Cleaning, Bids, VLCIA bonds, Airport Authority, Opioids @ LCC 2018-05-22

By far the longest item was a special proclamation for EMT Services, at 4.5 minutes, followed by cleaning bids, which took almost three minutes for the Lowndes County Commission to reject.

In Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, Gretchen took 2 minutes to invite them to WWALS’ Wild & Scenic Film Festival, at Mathis Auditorium, Thursday, May 31, 2018.

WSFF WWALS Logo, Graphics

Almost everything else was read out and unanimously approved, except the one most contentious the previous morning, 7 b. Additional Deputy Coroner Request, was tabled.

Below are Continue reading →

Videos: New County Agents, VLCIA bonds, Airport Authority, Opioids @ LCC 2018-05-21

Not on the agenda, County Agent Jake Price introduced two new people in his office. The Industrial Authority Executive Director explained the bonds are not new, she just wants to refinance them to reduce payments.

Among items they will vote on tonight at 5:30 PM, the longest item at almost four minutes was the request for an additional Deputy Coroner. Looks like they’re finally going to sign up an attorney for the opoioid litigation. They spent more time on the cleaning bids.

The whole Work Session Monday morning took 13 minutes, including the presentaitons. Below are Continue reading →

VLCIA bonds for what? Airport Authority, Opioids @ LCC 2018-05-21

What are the Industrial Authority (excuse me, Development Authority) bonds for? Maybe they’re finally going to finance solar power for people here, since VLCIA has a budget surplus?

Steve Everett at LCC 2018-07-14
VLCAA Chairman Steve Everett and Executive Director Jim Galloway asking for the county to fix its shortfall in funding the Airport Authority, July 14, 2015.

Since George Page got appointed to the Airport Authority by the City of Valdosta, I suppose they’re going to reappoint Steve Everett. They last reappointed him May 13, 2014. By the way, he’s the Chair of VLCAA.

Apparently they’ve picked an attorney for the Opioid Litigation in their previous meetings two weeks ago, and now they’re down to signing the agreement.

Here’s the agenda, which has the dates off by one. Continue reading →

Where you at, onevaldostalowndes.com?

Well, they spelled that wrong, as “Where are we now?” Maybe for the video narrator from California who showed a picture of lily pads when he said “River”.

Rivers, Video

Vision, Website But to be fair, this website and the video from the Development Authority organized by VisionFirst whom Lowndes County paid $25,000, presumably matching Valdosta, also adopted by SGRC, does work hard to show a positive vision of the local area. Oops, I forgot the hospital and the Chamber, and, most importantly, Georgia Power, listed in the FAQ:

Who is the leading the effort? Continue reading →

Pastry, Hunting, Market Strategy @ VLCIA 2018-02-20

On their agenda for tomorrow are bonds for Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe.

Martin's Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc. logo

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, February 20, 2018, 5:30 PM
Development Authority Conference Room/103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda

Continue reading →

Videos: Leadership Lowndes, VLCIA appointment, Rivers Radio @ LCC 2017-12-12

In an outbreak of transparency and due diligence in the last Lowndes County Commission of 2017, they took ten minutes replacing Mary Goodman on the Industrial Authority, hearing from three nominees, and appointing Brad Folsom. They took three and a half minutes to choose among three nominees to the Tourism Authority to appoint Robert Jefferson. None of those nominees spoke, but the vote was so split they actually had a runoff, which ended in a 3:2 final vote. They also reappointed Joyce Evans by silent “acclamation”.

Leadership Lowndes spoke for 12 minutes (as long as three citizens get), citizen Willie Mae Jones wanted to know what next to get her Black Road paved, and County Engineer Mike Fletcher said the signatures were verified as 84% of the property owners on the road, so it would go on the paving list with the 74 projects already on there. Chairman Bill Slaughter actually asked for Commissioner comments, and each of them said a few words, mostly thanks to the staff and Merry Christmas. Chairman Bill Slaughter even thanked citizens for coming to the meetings. Merry Christmas, Commissioners!

The longest rezoning public hearing was REZ-2017-13 Quattlebaum-Meadors, N Valdosta RD, R-21 to C-H.

Below are Continue reading →

Special Called Meeting @ VLCIA 2018-02-07

Update 2019-07-21: LAKE videos and still pictures.

Alcohol and the economy, on the agenda for this morning’s Special Called Meeting of the Development Authority. I think I’ll go to see Brad Folsom as the new Mary Gooding.

Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority
Agenda/Special Called Meeting
Wednesday, February 7, 2018, 11:30 am
Industrial Authority Conference Room
103 Roosevelt Drive

Call to Order

  • For the purpose of voting on amended Economic Development Agreement and Lease Agreement for GA Beer Company

Adjourn Special Called Meeting

Only one item, Agenda

Georgia Beer Company’s website says “We are not open for business yet”, but its contact page says “Say hello to the first Georgia brewery in Valdosta.” They also have a facebook page. Neither of which says where they will be located. So, VLCIA, in one of your numerous mostly-empty business parks, or elsewhere?

GA Beer Co. logo

Looks like GA Beer Co. had a kickstarter fundraiser a couple of years ago, which says they all met at VSU.

Presumably this is the same Community and Economic Development Strategy recently approved by the Lowndes County Commission.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!

Videos: Emergency road repair bids! Appointments: Library Board, Development Authority, millage @ LCC 2017-08-22

The added agenda item 6e. Emergency Repairs to Rocky Ford Road got a couple of bids (unusual procedure; different from their usual no-bid emergencies) passed. The Chamber sent Gary Wisenbaker to speak in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard to ask for (after a very long preamble by John Page) apparently money from GDOT for a long list (in a letter the taxpayers did not get to see) of transportation projects to help “the business community”, apparently including the truck bypass.

They only appointed six of the seven members of the Development Authority of Lowndes County, although a Commissioner did ask about that. It’s also curious they said all the terms expired right then, since the Wayback machine has a snapshot of 4 April 2017, which shows three expiring in June 2017 and four already expired in December 2016. Apparently they just didn’t bother to appoint anybody to the four slots that expired in December 2016 until eight months later, and then they didn’t appoint anybody to one of the 2017 slots.

Below are links to Continue reading →

Videos: Tucker Rd, West Ridge Business Park, Appointments VLCCCTA, VLCIA @ LCC 2017-12-11

They vote this evening on what you can see them discussing yesterday morning in these LAKE videos of the Lowndes County Commission Work Session. The longest business item was not even a minute and a half on REZ-2017-12 West Ridge Business Park.

By far the longest item was not on the agenda: 11. Reports – County Manager a. Steve Gupton- LODAC Presentation, about a local drug counseling organization, originally private, but for long now funded by Valdosta and Lowndes County plus grants. As one of the presenters noted, probably only Commissioner Joyce Evans was thoroughly familiar with LODAC.

Below are Continue reading →

Tucker Rd, West Ridge Business Park, Appointments VLCCCTA, VLCIA @ LCC 2017-12-11

A very busy agenda this morning, including the controversial REZ-2017-14 Cothron, Tucker Rd rezoning.

They’ll probably reappoint Commissioner Joyce Evans and Gerone Anderson to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority, although Robert Jefferson and Ellen Hill have also applied.

Mary Gooding is retiring from the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development (Industrial) Authority, and four people have applied: Ed Hightower Jr., Brad Folsom, John (Mac) McCall (currently on ZBOA) and Giovanni Panizzi.

Mary Gooding, VLCIA

Nevermind the REZ-2017-12 West Ridge Business Park rezoning had nothing to do with the Industrial Authority that I know of.

No meeting would be complete without Continue reading →