Tag Archives: Georgia

Moody MAZ text amendments to ULDC back again @ LCC Regular 2015-10-26

The Planning Commission meets Monday evening to consider those ULDC amendments, MAZ-ULDC-text-amendments-001 so county staff will recommend to the County Commission at their Monday 8:30 AM Work Session that they table the MAZ text changes at their Regular Session Tuesday 5:30 PM evening. Meanwhile, the Air Force wants to maintain the road rights of way for Davidson Road and along Grassy Pond. And the Land Bank Authority wants to appoint some more members, acording to “the attached resolution” which of course we the taxpayers aren’t allowed to see without an open records request.

Elected Probate Judge McDowell can appoint a part-time associate judge, but she needs the county commission to approve funding the salary. The DA wants to continue a Victims of Crime Act Victims Service grant.

Annual renewal of health care service provider and Section 125 Plan Document.

Two more Lift Station (sewage) pumps, at Val-Tech new for $20,076.42 and at Whitewater repairs for $13,353.65.

Finally, bids for Disaster Related Debris Removal Proposals required by FEMA, plus the usual beer, wine, and liquor licenses.

All that in Continue reading →

Sabal Trail bad for VSU, rivers, animals, landowners, and community: to FERC in Valdosta 2015-09-30

Sinkholes, explosions, and other risks to our rivers, lands, and wildlife for no benefit from the Sinkhole Trail, plus FERC and its environmental contractor are paid by the pipeline companies, but still we can win, said local landowners and others to FERC in Valdosta last night, as you can see in these LAKE videos. And you can come to the Kayaktivism Day this Saturday several Valdosta State clubs are holding on the Withlacoochee River. Meanwhile, the FERC circus moves to Columbia High School in Live Oak, FL tonight. Continue reading →

A farce, a hoax, and wrong: citizens about Sabal to FERC in Moultrie 2015-09-29

“You tell us you’re sorry and it happens again”, said Alton Burns of Coolidge about pipeline leaks, fires, and explosions, setting the tone for the whole evening, which ended with local landowners calling the whole process a farce and a hoax. As attorney Jonathan Waters said, South Georgia is a home, not a pipeline easement.

The FERC meetings started the previous evening in Albany and continue at 5:30 PM each night at:

  • Wednesday, September 30, at Holiday Inn Valdosta, Conference Center Magnolia Ballroom, 1805 West Hill Ave., Valdosta, GA 31601. LAKE videos from Valdosta.
  • Thursday, October 1, at Columbia High School Auditorium, 469 SE Fighting Tiger Drive, Lake City, FL 32025 LAKE videos from Lake City.

There are many more things you can do to stop Sabal Trail. Remember, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

Here are links to the LAKE videos from last night in Moultrie, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Lake Park dwelling in commercial zone, 4 Valdosta, 4 County @ GLPC 2015-09-28

I’d guess the Lake Park case will breeze through tonight. The cases are more complicated, a couple with multiple parcels, and the Lowndes County cases are all big: 18-43 acres. Here’s the GLPC agenda that appeared on the county’s website Friday without anybody having to ask!

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, September 28, 2015 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading →

Videos: Candidate Forum @ SCLC 2015-09-20

Here are videos of the candidate forum at Serenity Church last Sunday. Anyone can use these videos provided they attribute Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange. There’s another candidate forum tonight at VSU.

And if you haven’t heard John Robinson sing, you really ought to listen to this. Plus Roy Taylor says he didn’t do it.

Videos: Forestry, river gage, abandon two roads, dedicate another @ LCC 2015-09-21

They vote this evening, about right now. Here are videos of yesterday morning’s Work Session. The Forestry report referred to a report that the public can’t see. What the forestry rep reported was mostly numbers of burn permits.

County Manager Joe Pritchard had to stop Chairman Bill Slaughter from adjourning so he could say: “Friday afternoon we received a request for electronic signalling at highway 41.” County Engineer Mike Fletcher elaborated that it was a railroad pre-empt that would not allow for left turns onto Tillman Crossing when there’s a train. Request came from Norfolk Southern. Chairman agreed to add it to the agenda, then they adjourned.

The annual continued funding for the Little River USGS stream gage at GA 122 costs $400 more this year. Commissioner Marshall wanted to know what happened with the automated gage reporting system he thought they voted for previously, that would send reports when the gage was high. County Manager Joe Pritchard said that was actually the SCADA system for the county’s wells and sewage lift stations. Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker wanted to know how this gage operates. Box on bridge, tube down into river, monitors height and flow, reported through a cell phone, real time data on the web. It’s been there long enough to establish flood stages and advanced warning levels so people can protect their property.

The Abandonment of a portion of Spain Ferry Road and Kinderlou Clyattville Road turns out to be from Continue reading →

River gage, abandon two roads, dedicate another @ LCC 2015-09-21

This morning at 8:30 AM, USGS Funding Agreement for HWY 122 Stream Gauge continue funding for Little River USGS stream gage at GA 122, Abandonment of a portion of Spain Ferry Road and Kinderlou Clyattville Road because “the county has received a request” from whom wasn’t said, Dedicate a portion of Shiloh Road to whom or what wasn’t said. Plus GEMA Sheltering Memorandum of Agreement “for the sheltering of evacuees from Coastal Georgia and/or Florida in the event those areas are threatened by a hurricane”. Plus Declaration of Surplus Items and Authorization to Sell on GovDeals.com.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2015, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015,  5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: votes on decisions already made, and paving Black Road, Naylor? @ LCC Regular 2015-09-08

They meet again today. Here are videos of when they voted last, after apparently already deciding before the meeting how they would vote, plus one citizen spoke for several in the audience who want their road paved (Black Road near Naylor), even though the Chairman said “we kind of minimize that dialog”. County Manager Joe Pritchard again reminded of the Annual 9/11 Memorial Service to be held 10AM Friday at Historic Courthouse,

Indeed they did not vote on the Roundabout Support. There was a bit of discussion on the water main to Lowndes Middle School to fend off suspected Valdosta annexation. Everything else they breezed through as fast as they could move, second, and unanimously vote, including the church rezoning and the two lift station pumps, on Bevel Creek and Coleman Road.

See also Continue reading →

Candidates Qualified for City Elections in Lowndes County, GA

Every Valdosta City Council seat up for election is contested, a couple of Valdosta School Board seats, one Hahira City Council seat, and five people are running for four Lake Park City Council seats.

Although this is a nonpartisan election, all candidates are invited to speak tonight at the Lowndes County Democratic Party (LCDP) monthly meeting, 6PM Monday 14 September 2015, at Mama June’s Home Cookin’, 3286 Inner Perimeter Rd., Valdosta, GA. Around 20 of them will speak, so here’s your first opportunity to hear directly from most of the candidates.

Here’s the list of candidates who qualified for this election, according to the Lowndes County Board of Elections, formatted the way they sent it. Continue reading →

Solar prices will drop much further below fossil fuels

High-placed utility executives have told me solar panels can’t get any cheaper. Here’s why economies of scale will continue to drive solar prices down, just like for Henry Ford’s Model T. There’s no excuse for new pipelines or nukes. Let the sun rise!

tl;dr: If current rates of improvement hold, solar will be incredibly cheap by the time it’s a substantial fraction of the world’s electricity supply.

Ramez Naam, on his blog, 10 August 2015, What’s the future price of solar?, Continue reading →