Tag Archives: Valdosta

Expanded agenda, VLDA appointment, jail, taxes, water @ LCC 2015-01-12

Whose terms are up and who’s being considered for
appointment (Teri Lupo for VLDA again),
who
bid and how much (including



showers
and

roofing

for the jail),
and some detail about

two

tax

rates
:
these are all big improvements to the agenda!
I do wonder where the agenda item for the Water Trail resolution is.

However, there’s room for improvement.
Even though you get this same extended agenda when you select “packet”
for download, it is not the complete board packet.
For example, each agenda item has a one or more page agenda item
form, and each proposed agreement or contract typically is include
in the paper packets the Commissioners get.
There are no rezoning cases on this agenda, but when there are,
those always contain several maps in the board packet, and often
other information.
There’s an HTML version of the agenda, in addition to PDF:
that’s another big improvement!
The HTML code includes this at the end of each item:


<div class="documents"> </div>

So it looks like the website software the county is using is prepared
to include such documents.
Maybe the county will actually include them soon.

Here’s the agenda
in HTML
and in PDF on the county’s website,
and I’ve also included it inline below. Continue reading

Sabal Trail like Keystone XL is for corporate profit not jobs

It would go through our land to be sold everywhere else, with no jobs here. It wouldn’t even be a nominal benefit for those of us whose land, water, and taxes it would take.

President Obama was half right:



Understand what this project is. It is providing the ability of
Canada to pump their oil, send it through our land, down to the
Gulf, where it will be sold everywhere else. That doesn’t have an
impact on U.S. gas prices.

In
his press conference of 14 November 2014
,
he was referring to the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline.
Add Atlantic to Gulf and the above quote applies equally
to the proposed Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline.

History has countered his next assertion: Continue reading

One variance in Naylor @ ZBOA 2015-01-06


300x450 Parcel 0250 050, 8887 GA 135 N, in VAR-2014-15 Deryl Sekinger @ ZBOA 2015-01-06, by John S. Quarterman, 6 January 2015

One variance in Naylor, which appears to be due to abandoned
use that presumbly the owner wants to resume.

Here’s the agenda, which oddly is not yet on the
City of Valdosta puts ZBOA agendas and minutes

online
.

Valdosta -Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

Matt Martin, Valdosta Planning and Zoning Administrator Carmella Braswell, Lowndes County Zoning Administrator
300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 259-3563 (229) 671-2430

AGENDA

January 6, 2015

2:30 p.m.

Continue reading

Sunshine for local government


We’ve got a little list, a spreadsheet as a list,

please don’t take this as a diss, we think they have been missed….



Unlike Ko-Ko’s in the Mikado,

this list
is of things previously
missed that are slowly being found (or created),
so local governments can tell the citizens what fine things they’ve
been up to, and so citizens can decide what they need to deal with
and what topics they can provide input on.
Here’s the

LAKE sunshine list for local government
.

The Lowndes County Commission just got some additions,
with
its new website,
by

posting videos of its own meetings
,
and by

posting agendas and minutes for the Planning Commission
.

The Valdosta City Council does pretty well, with its website,
its agendas and minutes,
and
the

agendas and summaries and minutes for ZBOA
.
Valdosta does not (yet) video and post its own meetings, but
it does have what appears to be

a complete list of its ordinances with links to their text
.
Dasher also has
its ordinances online
.



Meanwhile the Lowndes County Commission has only Continue reading

Meet Greenlaw and EarthJustice in Waycross 2015-01-06



People are still sick and dying in Waycross, and
answers are still few, but now there’s increasing help,
and organization at a meeting next Tuesday.
Remember
wastewater from
the Waycross SevenOut SuperFund site was sent to the Pecan Row
Landfill in Valdosta
, and

we could have similar sites here, too
.
Helping Waycross is helping everyone deal with toxic chemicals. -jsq

Facebook event,

Meeting Announcement – Tuesday Evening, January 6, 2014
, Continue reading

Solar boom charts

When a power source grows 66% a year on average
people start taking notice.
Few had heard of

the Internet in 1993
:
now it’s in your pocket.
In less than a decade, by 2023,

solar power will generate more energy than any other U.S. source
.
To keep Georgia from being left behind, this is the year to

change a 1973 law
.

If charts like this one aren’t familiar yet,
they will be in the next year or two:



Tim McDonnell, Mother Jones, 7 November 2014,

Here Comes the Sun: America’s Solar Boom, in Charts:
It’s been a bit player, but solar power is about to shine.

At 66% more per year, solar power’s current 1% of U.S. electricity
next year will be 1.66%, then 2.76%, then Continue reading

Housing, paving, appointments, solar, packets, wells, pipeline, and trash! @ Town Hall Meeting 2014-12-15



Very respectable turnout and impressive interaction
at the first-ever Town Hall by an individual Lowndes County Commissioner:

Demarcus Marshall, Super District 4, 15 December 2014
.
See and read his

State of District 4 address
.
You can read his

summary of issues and concerns
,
and you can watch citizens express those concerns in
the

LAKE video playlist:
Continue reading

Topics and Highlights @ Town Hall Meeting 2014-12-15


There were overwhelming complaints about Advance Disposal Sanitation

customer service.” Many other issues and concerns are listed in this text published by Demarcus Marshall (PDF)
of feedback received and
and
LAKE videos
of the Town Hall Meeting 5 December 2014. -jsq

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall

Super District 4


Post Office Box 1349 ● Valdosta, Georgia 31603-1349 ● Phone (229) 671-2400 ● Fax (229) 245-522

Super District 4 and Concerned Citizens,


300x388 Thanks to those who came, in Topic and Highlights @ Town Hall Meeting, by Demarcus Marshall, 15 December 2014

I want to thank those who came to my Town Hall Meeting on December
15, 2014. It was a pleasure to hear from you. Your presence made the
event a success and I look forward to another one in the near
future. I have listed the “Topics and Highlights”
addressed at the Town Hall Meeting below for your review. As well, I
have released my State of the District Address for the public. It is
my sincere hope that you will remain actively involved in our local
community. In the meantime, I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays
and a blessed New Year!

Sincerely,

[signed] Demarcus A. Marshall Continue reading

State of District 4 Address –Demarcus Marshall @ Town Hall Meeting 2014-12-15



Text published by Demarcus Marshall (PDF)
and LAKE video of his address at the
Town Hall Meeting 15 December 2014. -jsq

For those unaware, Super District 4 was a newly created district in
Lowndes County two years ago. I assumed this office without a
predecessor to this district seat. It was my understanding of this
district to compliment the other districts by adding more
responsiveness and accountability for the citizens of Lowndes
County.

Upon being elected and occupying the seat, I inherited a wonderful
staff; however, the county faced several challenges. The economy was Continue reading

Videos: Solar parking denied, signs and dwelling design approved @ ZBOA 2014-11-04



Dr. Urbonas

withdrew half

and tried the other half, but got it

denied 5-1
,
because Valdosta’s LDR doesn’t account for solar parking lots.
Everything else was approved 6-0, including

nomination of officers
.

The agenda is on Valdosta’s website and
here is the

meeting summary

followed by a video playlist.

Valdosta – Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

Matt Martin, Valdosta Planning and Zoning Administrator

300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia

(229) 259-3563
Carmella Braswell, Lowndes County Zoning Administrator

327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia

(229) 671-2430

MEETING RESULTS SUMMARY

November 4, 2014

2:30 p.m.

Continue reading