Tag Archives: Government

Taxes and outreach @ LCC 2014-02-28

Got a TV camera in there this morning.

Here’s the agenda.

See also yesterday’s session.

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Videos, Retreat, first day @ LCC 2014-02-27

They talked in detail about the Naylor boat ramp and park. The discussed animal shelter renovations for 2015 and 2016. And of course their paving list. Surprisingly, they actually considered whether ownership along the road right of way should be taken into account in deciding whether to pave or not. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall said he had been surprised to learn that many county citizens did not want their roads paved.

Here’s the agenda and some still pictures. Here are the raw videos so you can see for yourself.


Videos, Retreat, first day
Annual Retreat, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 27 February 2014.

They’re back at it this morning, and Gretchen is there videoing.

-jsq

Adapt natural gas pipeline to renewable resources? –Laura Dailey @ GCC 2014-02-20

Spectra was unwilling to consider adapting their Sabal Trail pipeline plan to include renewable energy, other than to continue reiterating that they do natural gas pipelines, and to refer to renewables only as “alternative” energy.

Laura Dailey asked at the Gilchrist County Commission meeting 20 February 2014:

Will the pipelines be adaptable to future use of other forms of energy besides the transmission of fossil fuels. Anybody know that?

Brian Fahrentholdt of Spectra answered: Continue reading

More the county could do about the pipeline –John S. Quarterman @ LCC 2014-02-25

I thanked the County Manager but mentioned something else the county could do about that pipeline, at the 25 February 2014 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

I thanked County Manager Joe Pritchard for notifying constituents like FERC had recommended about the FERC Scoping Meetings starting next week.

Then I read the recommendation of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) after Spectra Energy’s 1994 Durham Woods pipeline fireball in Edison, New Jersey that burnt dozens, evacuated thousands, made hundreds homeless, and literally scared one woman to death:

The public will not benefit from the safety improvement recommendations developed in RSPA’s public safety risk study without guidance containing implementation procedures and without motivation from associations representing local governments.

I suggested Lowndes County Commissioners might want to talk to the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) about that.

Here’s the video:

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Objections and Sabal Trail pipeline reader –Danielle Jordan @ LCC 2014-02-25

A local native and VSU student voiced her objection to the proposed Sabal Trail pipeline in the 25 February 2014 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

8. Citizens Wishing To Be Heard – Danielle Jordan

And she handed the Commission a pipeline reader. The VDT summarized:

During the citizens to be heard portion of the meeting, Danielle Jordan voiced her opposition to the Sabal Trail Transmission pipeline because “it violates personal property rights, causes safety concerns, and causes troublesome environmental impacts.” She then presented the commission with a packet of research.

Here’s the video:

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FERC Scoping Meetings on Sabal Trail Pipeline –Joe Pitchard @ LCC 2014-02-25

County Manager Joe Pritchard told everyone about the FERC Notice of Intent and Scoping Meetings starting next week (Albany Monday 3 March, Valdosta Holiday Inn on West Hill Ave. Tuesday 4 March, Moultrie 5 March, all at 6PM). at the 25 February 2014 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

7. Reports-County Manager

He said materials were on the county’s website, and they are:

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Walker Road abandoned next to US 41 S @ LCC 2014-02-25

We maybe learned which road was abandoned in the 25 February 2014 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session.

5.a. Abandonment of Unopened Right of Way off of US 41 South

Public Hearing a. Abandonment of Unopened ROW

Video. This time County Engineer Mike Fletcher said when the county previously decided to abandon, April 24, 2012, and he said where, sort of, “known as Walker Avenue”. The county’s online tax assessor map has no such road, but it does have a Walker Road between Valencia Street and Tillman Road Continue reading

SPLOST and website @ LCC 2014-02-27

Retreating again this week, but not very far this time: next door to the Commission chamber, tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday. In addition to SPLOST (now that they’ve got it, they have to determine how to spend it), what’s this about website on the agenda?

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
2014 Commission Retreat Agenda
Lowndes County Judicial Complex, Administrative Wing
2nd Floor, Overflow Room next to the Commission Chambers
327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, GA 31601
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Sabal Trail interrogated in Gilchrist County, Florida @ GCC 2014-02-20

Here’s a video playlist of the real questions asked at the Gilchrist County Commission where everybody could see Sabal Trail and Spectra Energy answering about their proposed 36-inch fracked methane pipeline in a 100-foot right of way: or not answering. This is 1 hour and 27 minutes worth of video. I didn’t get all of it because both camera batteries ran down and it took a bit to find a plug. This interrogation went on for more than two hours total. Well done, Gilchrist County, staff, citizens, and everybody who asked questions.

Update 28 Sep 2014: A couple of notable questions:

As mentioned in this PR, Gilchrist County put this in the “Time Certain” part of their agenda:

5:00 p.m. Sabal Trail Workshop

As mentioned in local government pipeline responsibilities, other local governments could do this, and more. For example, Lowndes County, Georgia with 114,552 population compared to 16,815 for Gilchrist County (2012 est.) could do more.

Here’s the video playlist:

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Videos: lift station, weather, jobs @ LCC 2014-02-24

A special called voting meeting about Industrial Authority bonds. followed the Work Session. In the Work Session, the last item was the presentation by Industrial Authority Executive Director Andrea Schruijer, preceded by a severe weather report For Nine minutes they discussed a deficit for special tax lighting districts throughout the county: apparently they didn’t take into account that power rates or lighting times might vary. Lowndes County’s sewer lift station at a subdivision with a private golf club apparently needs replacement. This is the subdivision for which the Nelson Hill Wells were drilled as possible replacements. The abandonment of some unspecified unopened right of way off of US 41 South is apparently resolved now after two years.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
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