Today, I am announcing that I will not be a candidate for
re-election to the Georgia State Senate, District 8, in 2014. After
34 years in public service—more than half of what will soon
be my 60 years on this earth—and having gone through many
difficult yet successful campaigns during that time, I have decided
that this is the right time to devote more time to my business
career and to my family during the remainder of our son’s high
school years before he goes on to college.
I’m familiar with at least
one of Sen. Golden’s campaigns,
but he has also
spoken up for solar power in Georgia,
although neither he nor his buddy Gov. Deal got it that doubling
GEFA’s solar state tax rebate fund once in 2011 wasn’t enough when
solar deployments increase 65% every year.
Witness we installed 12KW more of solar panels at the end of 2012
and we’re finally on the list for rebate for 2014
because state funds for 2012 and 2013 were already used up.
Apparently
Nottinghill is going to have a community water system,
since it’s on the agenda for a trust deed,
but you wouldn’t know that unless you’d followed
other trust deeds, such as the one
for Raisin’ Cane approved in December.
The city will use the low-interest loan to finance the construction
of two major pump stations, two minor pump stations, a 6-mile
32-inch and 40-inch force main, a headworks structure with grit
removal and bar screens, and a 6-million gallon equalization basin.
Wastewater will be gravity fed to the existing site of the
Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) for final treatment
and discharged utilizing the existing plant outfall, until the
relocation of the plant is completed in November 2015.
First public update since
May:
Valdosta has had several recent meetings with other governmental groups
and has agreed to co-fund a flooding study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The City of Valdosta hosted a Regional Flood Preparedness meeting
with the Georgia Silver Jackets on June 25—a continuation of
discussions that began earlier in the year focused on regional
interests and on maximizing area resources.
Representatives from the cities of Moultrie, Sylvester, Tifton and
Valdosta and from the counties of Lowndes and Turner attended the
meeting to discuss current and future flood monitoring and
forecasting issues throughout the Little River and Withlacoochee
River watersheds. These two watersheds are part of the overall
Suwannee Basin that is approximately 10,000 square miles in Georgia
and Florida.
The City of Valdosta initiated planning discussions recently that
brought together representatives from key local, state and federal
agencies to seek solutions to a regional flood issue.
The 50-year flood event that occurred in late
February,
early
March
2013 was a vivid reminder of the 2009 flood event that significantly
impacted south Georgia. Since 2009, the city has worked to help
identify potential causes and the scope and area of the regional
flooding that occurred. This information has been shared with
various state and federal officials and agencies in the hopes of
gaining their interest and support to work together to address the
regional flooding. Since Valdosta is located
The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) didn’t know there was
a large water problem hereabouts, but now they do, and they want
to take a watershed-wide approach, from the headwaters to the Gulf of
Mexico, including both surface water and aquifer issues,
perhaps starting with redrawing FEMA’s flood maps,
and maybe even including once again funding the state water council.
Here are the rest of the videos from the Hahira City Council meeting of 2 August 2012, including the very interesting scheduled agenda items in which each Council member, the City Manager, and the Mayor give their thoughts on issues relevant to the City of Hahira.
Regular Session, Hahira City Council (Hahira), Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Hahira, Lowndes County, Georgia, 2 August 2012.
Here’s a video playlist of most of the Hahira City Council Regular Session of Thursday 2 August 2012. Hahira City Council (population about 2,800) spent more time in open public discussion about each of
several individual agenda items than the Lowndes County Commission (population 111,000+) typically spends on an entire “open meeting”.
Near the beginning they still have Citizens to Be Heard. Maybe they’re not afraid of their citizens? Citizens mostly wanted to talk about the police chief’s proposal to fine people who didn’t mow their lawns.
A few more videos will be added, probably today, (now available as
Council Comments)
of the votes on cost of living increases (yea), SPLOST VII (yea), the consent agenda (yea), and council comments at the end of the session.
The agenda is below after the videos; thanks to City Manager Jonathan Sumner for sending it. Here’s the video playlist:
-jsq
Video Playlist Hahira City Council Regular Session, Hahira City Council (Hahira), Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Hahira, Lowndes County, Georgia, 2 August 2012.
It’s nice to know Hahira will get a break in interest, but tax payers will still have to pay back the loan. I missed the council meeting which is unusual for me. Does the video show anything about the fact some council members voted not to raise the tap fees for new construction which would certainly help pay back the loan instead of depending so much on tax monies? Developers should not be allowed to come in and make huge profits from new construction, then take their profits and let the citizens pay the price for increased water demands. Raising the one time tap fees would have distributed some of the costs to the developers who enjoy the profits from increased demands on the infrastructure and water usage.
-Barbara Stratton
Yes, we have video of the entire Hahira City Council meeting, which will be posted soon. LAKE is always happy to accept help in taking or labeling videos.
The Governor’s water supply program awarded funding to eight water supply projects across the state.
The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority and the Georgia Department of Community affairs announced more than 90 million dollars in loans.
They’re aimed at helping finance water supply infrastructure.
The cities of Hahira and Vienna were approved for loans to construct new water supply wells. Newton, Oconee and Walton counties were all awarded 40 year loans to construct new reservoirs.
This makes state Senate district 8 an open seat.
Qualifying is al this week, Monday through Friday.
Today, I am announcing that I will not be a candidate for re-election to the Georgia State Senate, District 8, in 2014. After 34 years in public service—more than half of what will soon be my 60 years on this earth—and having gone through many difficult yet successful campaigns during that time, I have decided that this is the right time to devote more time to my business career and to my family during the remainder of our son’s high school years before he goes on to college.
I’m familiar with at least
one of Sen. Golden’s campaigns,
but he has also
spoken up for solar power in Georgia,
although neither he nor his buddy Gov. Deal got it that doubling
GEFA’s solar state tax rebate fund once in 2011 wasn’t enough when
solar deployments increase 65% every year.
Witness we installed 12KW more of solar panels at the end of 2012
and we’re finally on the list for rebate for 2014
because state funds for 2012 and 2013 were already used up.
