Tag Archives: development

VLCIA on expansion of existing industry

Local industry for local jobs: feedback loops? At the 21 Dec 2010 board meeting, Brad Lofton and the VLCIA board talk about exanding local industry, namely PCA and AlphaProTech. Lofton says AlphaProTech will add 50 new jobs. Hm, 50 is more than 25 slated for the biomass plant. And nobody even has to trade AlphaProTech land for them to produce these jobs!

According to their website, AlphaProTech sells:

“protective apparel, infection control and extended care products in addition to a line of construction weatherization building products for the housing market.”
Hm, so if VLCIA promoted refitting local houses it would also be promoting AlphaProTech.

It’s interesting to hear Gary Minchew say regarding one company:

“we just don’t need to be the front man”


Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Interesting that VLCIA is not willing to be the front man for local industry (as we’ve also seen in this response from Col. Ricketts), when VLCIA clearly is the front man for Sterling Energy and Wiregrass Power LLC, neither of which are from around here.

-jsq

Roy Copeland in Top 100 Trial Lawyers

At the 18 Jan 2011 VLCIA board meeting, Brad Lofton congratulated Roy Copeland. Lofton seems to be referring to Copeland’s membership in the THE TOP 100 TRIAL LAWYERS – Georgia, A Professional, Educational, and Business Organization of Trial Attorneys. There appear to actually be 90 members. I congratulate Roy Copeland on his membership. I can’t quite make out whether he also received an award from the same organization. Anyway, here’s the video:


Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

“I have to trust you people” –Ken Garren, former exec. dir., VLCIA, 18 Jan 2011

Former VLCIA Executive Director decides based on rants in the VDT to come say “I trust in you” and “If it turns out to be wrong, then we live with that.”

Ken Garren (Brad Lofton’s predecessor as executive director) speaks in support of the current VLCIA and the biomass plant, 18 Jan 2011.

“I made a decision that although I’m concerned about a lot of things, and I’m concerned about anything….

I have to trust those people who are in those positions will do their homework and make the right decision. Then I will live with that. If it turns out to be wrong, then we live with that.

What bothered me was when I started reading in the paper about the veiled threats. The personal issues. …

When I started reading about veiled threats. When I started reading about people being chastised because they didn’t accept a brochure or some literature. You know, that bothered me.

Then when I read one of the rants about it; they wondered how you folks were chosen. If you don’t know how these people are chosen…. They ought to do their basic homework.

But I’m here tonight to say that: I’ve looked at it; I’ve researched it; I don’t always agree with all the things the authority does… but I trust in you….”

Update 2014-03-31: VDT wrote 3 March 2014 that Garren joined VLCIA after Sterling Chemical came in.

Then he praises Sterling Chemical which came in on his watch, and while Norman Bennett (currently on the VLCIA) was Chairman of the County Commission. See for yourself:

In the current fashion he begins by saying when he first moved here (1965). Is that what’s required these days to be worth listening to? Continue reading →

Col. Ricketts responds on solar rooftops and house refitting

The VLCIA board directed Col. Rickets to respond to a couple of my questions. Here’s his response. -jsq
From: “Allan Ricketts” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>
To: John S. Quarterman
Cc: Brad Lofton
Subject: Response to Your Questions to the VLCIA Board of Directors on 18 January 2011
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:01:35 -0500

Hello John,

This e-mail is in response to the questions you directed to the VLCIA Board of Directors during the “Citizens to be Heard” portion of the VLCIA Board Meeting on Tuesday, 18 January 2011.

Continue reading →

“We’re industrial development” –Mary Gooding

After some some other things, I asked the VLCIA board (18 Jan 2011) about my previously submitted questions about house refitting for insulation and efficiency, and about rooftop solar, such as have been successful in Austin and Houston, Texas.

Mary Gooding answered:

“That really would be the city… we’re industrial development.”

She didn’t say which city. There is more than one city in the county. The question as sent to them in writing refered to Hahira; maybe that’s the city she meant. Should Hahira not expect any help from VLCIA?

And what about us who don’t live in any of the cities? So far, all the new solar rooftop installations are in unincorporated parts of the county, although both are in Hahira’s 31632 ZIP code.

Col. Ricketts, at the direction of the board, has since sent me a response, which will lead off tomorrow morning.

VLCIA seemed somewhat confused as to what their protocol is as to answering questions: Continue reading →

Jerry Jennett answers Bobbi Anne Hancock

Bobbi Anne Hancock asked a question at the VLCIA board meeting 18 Jan 2011, and Chairman Jerry Jennett explained that he’s a businessman, not a scientist, he has to trust the experts, and he’s not prepared to answer questions. He says she can state a position, though, and she does so. See it for yourself:

Apologies for missing the first part, and for the muddy sound. Professional staff of a tax-funded organization could probably do a far better job of taking and publishing videos than a tiny all-volunteer activist organizations such as LAKE. Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Who is “we”? -jsq asks VLCIA

Did the VLCIA board just back off from its staff’s very close association with Wiregrass Power LLC’s biomass plant?

After pointing out that LAKE posted videos of the entire previous VLCIA board meeting as a proof of concept that if it could be done by a tiny volunteer activist group it could be done by a tax-funded professional staff, and complimenting VLCIA on finally posting videos of their 6 Dec 2010 event a month after LAKE posted videos of the Q&A and the rest of that meeting, I asked the VLCIA board who is going to buy the electricity from the biomass plant. Chairman Jerry Jennett answered:

“That’s not our problem.” [waves hands] “You see, industry comes and it’s his job to sell whatever his output is… the manufacturing plant… the output is electricity…”

So I asked how does that match with Col. Ricketts in the previous board meeting referring to a public/private partnership between VLCIA and Wiregrass Power LLC and frequently saying “we”.

Col. Ricketts responded that he was only referring to the solar plant and the GEFA grant. Well, yes he said that then, but he also said… Continue reading →

“the answers remain the same.” –Brad Lofton

Lofton’s response to my latest. He gets the last word for today. -jsq
From: Brad Lofton
Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:01:28 -0500
Cc: [see below]

M. Quarterman,

We have responded to your questions on multiple occasions. You are welcome to continue asking, but the answers remain the same. We have a very active and successful renewable energy program that exceeds the biomass/solar project. You have been told this a number of times. As for existing projects that are in the pipeline, we told in last month’s board meeting that we are not at liberty to share specifics of any active recruitment for your blog, or your neighbor’s. We’ll be happy to share the specifics with the general public at the appropriate time.

Thanks,
BL
Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

Cc: “Michael G. Noll”, “Mary B. Gooding”, “Ricketts, Allan” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>, “Copeland, Roy”, “‘John S. Quarterman'”, “Susan R. Wehling”, Kay Harris

“Once again you ignore suggestions” –John S. Quarterman

I just sent this. -jsq
From: “John S. Quarterman”
To: Brad Lofton
Cc: [see below]

Responding to Brad Lofton’s message, actually Dalton, Georgia already has a 365kW solar array installed and in use. That’s larger than the 350 kW array VLCIA has “about to break ground”, and Dalton got theirs without having to take a biomass plant with it.

As for wood-sourced biomass, Rayonier Jesup Mill produces around 78 MW, which is more than the 40MW biomass plant VLCIA is thinking about starting. Jesup also got high air and water pollution and high crime.

Meanwhile, Dublin is already hiring for 350 jobs for the MAGE SOLAR manufacturing plant, while VLCIA’s biomass plant would only bring 25 jobs.

Once again you ignore suggestions for clean energy projects and reiterate the biomass plant and its bag-on-the-side solar plant as the whole of VLCIA’s plan.

Fortunately, I have confidence that such experienced developers as the VLCIA board can do better than that.

Continue reading →

“a great plan!” –Brad Lofton

Brad Lofton replies to my message to the VLCIA board. I’ll respond in a separate post. -jsq
To: John S. Quarterman
From: Brad Lofton
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:47:04 -0500
Cc: [see below]

John! Good morning. Always good to hear from citizens so interested in economic development. I’ll be happy to forward your correspondence to the other members of our board. I also appreciate your comments in acknowledging our recent success in the renewable energy cluster. With a 350 Kw solar array about to break ground, and a 40 Mw biomass, no community in Georgia has been more successful in the green, renewable energy sector.

Speaking of Dublin, their recently hired economic development director (a friend of mine named Cal Wray) recently requested a meeting with us in Valdosta this month to study our program and evaluate how we’ve been able to create 1,700 new jobs and nearly half a billion dollars in new investment over the past four years even in the midst of a painful recession. It’s a tribute to good leadership, and a great plan! Have a nice day,

BL
Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

Cc: “Michael G. Noll”, “Mary B. Gooding”, “Ricketts, Allan” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>, “Copeland, Roy”, “‘John S. Quarterman'”, “Susan R. Wehling”, Kay Harris