Tag Archives: Solid Waste

Water, Sewer, Video Arraignment, and Backups @ LCC 2013-07-08

A very light agenda for the Lowndes County Commission, still avoiding topics of public interest, such as that 100 foot wide pipeline barrelling through the county and the county suing a local business to the benefit of a monopoly owned by investors in New York City.

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation
  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  4. Minutes for Approval
    1. Work Session — June 24, 2013
    2. Regular Session — June 25, 2013
  5. Public Hearing — REZ-2013-07 Leatherwood, 2402 or 2406 James Rd. R-1 and R-21 to R-10, LC Water and Sewer, ~0.71 acres
  6. For Consideration
    1. Video Arraignment for Magistrate and Juvenile Court Contract
    2. Enterprise and Backup Storage Solution Scope of Work
  7. Reports-County Manager
  8. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

-jsq

Register today for hearing on Great Lakes nuclear waste dump

It’s upstream of much of the U.S. side of the Great Lakes, and you can participate in the hearing without having to go to Canada. It may be a thousand miles from here, but stop one there and maybe stop one here. You wouldn’t want a nuclear waste dump on the Altamaha or Savannah River, would you?

Michael Leonardi wrote for EcoWatch 3 July 2013, Stop the Great Lakes Nuclear Waste Dump,

Surely the question that comes to many is why on Earth would anyone in their right mind consider the shores of Lake Huron for the first permanent nuclear dump in North America? Lake Huron sits to the north of Lakes St. Clair, Erie and Ontario and the water of this lake flows southward and eastward, eventually connecting to the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Here’s how to participate in the public hearing, via Burying Nuclear Waste at the Bruce: OPG’s Proposed Deep Geological Repository,

Continue reading →

Videos: a pipeline! 2 appointments, 3 hearings, 9 considerations, and 2 bids @ LCC 2013-06-25

Got a pipeline aimed at your house? The county takes no responsibility. And videos are good for juvenile court, but still not for the Commission. Lots more; see below.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes. See also the videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

ADS buys three more waste companies, one in Valdosta

That’s five ADS purchases since Veolia. So much for Steve Edwards not being able to foresee any further acquisitions back in April. Somebody remind me, why was it a good idea for the Lowndes County Commission granting an exclusive franchise to a monopoly that’s only getting bigger, and already had little reason to keep prices down? County Commissioners certainly have not been able to explain it.

Allan Gerlat wrote for Waste Age 2 July 2013, Advanced Disposal Buys Three Waste Haulers,

Advanced Disposal Services Inc. continued its recent buying spree with the acquisition of waste haulers in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Illinois.

The Ponte Vedra, Fla.-based Advanced Disposal said in news releases it purchased Winsor Disposal in Kane Pa.; Valdosta Waste Services in Valdosta, Ga.; and Benson Disposal Services Inc. in Macon, Ill.

Here’s a list of just the ADS purchases I know of, not counting the rumor: Continue reading →

Tipping fees vs. host fees from Veolia

What is this contract involving tipping fees that Lowndes County declined to produce a copy of? How can it be “adequately maintained in the future”, as former Commissioner Lee put it, if the county doesn’t know what it is?

The minutes for the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners Work Session 11 October 2010 say:

Resolution-Proposed Amendment-March 2007 Greater Lowndes Solid Waste Management Plan, County Planner, Jason Davenport, presented the resolution, adding that the amendment was drafted due to a proposed expansion and reconfiguration of the Evergreen landfill. Mr. Davenport added that the amendment had been reviewed by staff, the Regional Commission and the Deep South Solid Waste Authority. Mr. Davenport further stated that Mr. A.J. Rodgers, of Veolia Environmental Services, was present to answer any questions the Commission might have regarding the project. Commissioner Lee stated that he was concerned that the contractual relationship that has been in place for quite some time be accurately reflected and adequately maintained in the future. Commissioner Lee then asked Mr. Rodgers if a new cell had been created yet. Mr. Rodgers answered that construction had begun in a cell that had already been approved.

Veolia spelled his name [Andrew] AJ Rogers and identified him as “area manager for Veolia ES Solid Waste Southeast, Inc.” in a 22 March 2011 press release.

But what is this “contractual relationship”? According to a letter from Walter G. Elliott, Lowndes County Attorney, Continue reading →

Lowndes County says it doesn’t know who’s on a board to which it appoints members

If you were a county government appointing members to an Authority, wouldn’t you know who the other members were, and what that Authority does? Lowndes County doesn’t seem to know those things about Deep South Solid Waste Authority (SWA).

Here’s the open records request from Brett Huntley of 7 June 2013:

Deep South Solid Waste Authority (SWA)
– List of members of the board, officers, and staff of SWA, who appointed each, and their terms of office
– Charter, bylaws, resolutions, and any other SWA organizational documents
– Agendas and Minutes for the past five years for SWA, and future meeting schedule
Please provide as much in electronic form as possible.

And here’s the response from Paige Dukes 12 June 2013:

Regarding information related to the Deep South Solid Waste Authority, you may contact Regional Commission Representative, Julia Shewchuk, at 229-333-5277. Lowndes County is not the custodian of the records you have requested.

This is the same SWA for which the county’s adopted GREATER LOWNDES 2030 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SHORT TERM WORK PROGRAM (STWP) FY 2012 -2016 says:

4.3.1 –Maintain involvement and membership on Deep South Solid Waste Authority (SWA).

Our county government doesn’t know what this SWA is that it’s a member of?

-jsq

My input to the budget “hearing” tonight @ LCC 2013-06-25

I recommend people go to tonight’s budget “hearing” and see what’s said, and maybe even try to ask some questions. I’m staying home; here’s why.

Since Ashley Paulk is apparently still running the County Commission, I’m going by Ashley Paulk’s stated theory that citizens provide input to the budget process at every meeting. I already provided mine 14 May 2013: Continue reading →

Budget Telling Tonight @ LCC 2013-06-25

Tonight you can go be told what the county’s budget will be, 5PM at the county palace. If you want to see the proposed budget, you’ll have to go their beforehand and view the one paper copy they are required by law to show you. They say they’re short of money, so why are they wasting taxpayer funds suing a legitimate business?

On the county’s online calendar: Budget Public Hearing (6/18/2013)

PUBLIC NOTICE
The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering
the Fiscal Year 2014 proposed budget on the following dates:

June 18, 2013 at 5:30 p.m.

June 25, 2013 at 5:00 p.m.

Location:
Lowndes County Commission Chambers
327 N. Ashley St.
Valdosta, GA

A copy of the proposed budget is available for public review in the office of the County Clerk.
For questions please call 671-2400.

Kay Harris wrote for the VDT 19 June 2013, Lowndes County facing budget woes,

Continue reading →

Videos: 2 appointments, 3 public hearings, 9 considerations, and 2 bids @ LCC 2013-06-24

Audio feed was still not available so what you hear, is what I hear at the back of the room… -gretchen

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes by Gretchen.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Videos: Mostly trash, plus 3 appointments, 1 rezoning, 2 wastewater @ LCC 2013-06-11

Once again the big topic was trash, and it wasn’t on the agenda. The Chairman made up a rule to limit citizen speakers to 15 minutes total. After five citizens managed to speak anyway, all to applause, and the owner of Deep South Sanitation got a standing ovation, the Commissioners offered nothing but excuses.

Here’s the agenda, plus links to the videos and a few notes. See also the videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →