Tag Archives: Valdosta

Videos: Road work and apparently annexation @ LCC Work 2014-05-27

Nevermind the County Engineer said about the Cat Creek Road bridge, “All construction will take place during the months of June and July” (Work Session 2014-03-24), it was closed when Gretchen was headed for this morning’s Work Session, so she had to go by Moody AFB on Bemiss Road, and was a few minutes late. That’s why there’s no video for the first few agenda items, and the videos are handheld. They vote 5:30 PM this evening at the Regular Session, is the same time as the Planning Commission meeting.

The smaller acreage for the return of the Hahira Annexation request is because it no longer has frontage on Hagen Bridge Road, only on GA 122, thus removing the county’s previous grounds for objection (but it’s also on the Planning Commission agenda at 5:30PM today, same time as the Regular Session). There is an appointment to the Hospital Authority and two reappointments to the shadowy Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority that approves bonds. Two Public Hearings for road abandonments, of Old Statenville Road and of Excess Right of Way on James Road and Riverside Road. All that plus a GEMA Sheltering Memorandum of Agreement and a beer license, plus Poll Manager Recognition.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes. See videos from the previous Regular Session for context on the Public Hearings and on the James Road Subsidence.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
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NRC nuke waste plan failed federal appeal

Why the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is trying to get the public’s confidence in nuclear waste management: NRC lost an appeal in 2012. Southern Company’s new nukes at Plant Vogtle scraped by before this happened, but there’s still no place for nuke waste even from the existing Vogtle 1 and 2 reactors to go. NRC has a revised Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) scheduled to be finished October 2014.

Here’s U.S. DC Circuit Court of Appeals decision No. 11-1045 NY v. NRC 8 June 2012, on the Court’s website and on NIRS’ website.

David Erickson and Mark Anstoetter wrote for Lexology 17 August 2012, NRC suspends issuance of nuclear power plant licenses,

In response to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to vacate its rule regarding long-term storage of nuclear waste, New York v. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, No. 11-1045 (D.C. Cir. 6/8/12), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has agreed to suspend Continue reading →

Work, Budget, and Regular Sessions all Tuesday @ LCC 2014-05-27

The Hahira Annexation request is back (while on the Planning Commission agenda the same day), and there is an appointment to the Hospital Authority and two to the shadowy Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority that approves bonds. Two Public Hearings for road abandonments, of Old Statenville Road and of Excess Right of Way on James Road and Riverside Road. All that plus a GEMA Sheltering Memorandum of Agreement and a beer license, plus Poll Manager Recognition.

The county’s front page and calendar link to a blank page for a Budget Session Tuesday. Guessing by previous behavior, that may mean at 5PM before the Regular Session at 5:30 PM, which in turn is the same time as the Planning Commission meeting. The Work Session is also Tuesday, at 8:30AM, due to Memorial Day Monday.

Here’s the agenda. See videos from the previous Regular Session for context on the Public Hearings and on the James Road Subsidence.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
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Videos of votes: James Road fallout, airport, water, sewer, alcohol @ LCC 2014-05-13

In a Special Presentation to Thomas Smith on retiring from the 911 center, we saw a rare use of the county’s video camera to display the podium at the front of the room. Escalated from contingency fund to SPLOST payment (we still don’t know how much): fixing the James Road 10-inch drop in 48 hours in front of Westside Elementary School due to faulty road construction in 2008. Also due to that same hasty 2008 James Road widening and realignment for the James Road second mall and massive subdivision mega-project that never happened, they scheduled a Public Hearing for abandoning Excess Right of Way on James Rd & Riverside Dr. And they voted to fix three discrepencies MIDS, Inc. found in its contract of last year. They voted for the low bid on the lift station pump without ever saying what the other bids were.

They reappointed Airport Authority Chairman Steve Everett for another four-year term; he did not appear. They approved the 911 Center surplus item sale. They scheduled a Public Hearing to abandon part of Old Statenville Road SE because they say only seven cars a day, no, now it’s ten cars a day, use it and there are no houses on it. Nobody had any questions about the a beer license.

And the County Manager said a quarantine on the Animal Shelter was being lifted and the next Work Session would be Tuesday (27 May 2014) because of the holiday (Memorial Day).

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
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Executive Session for Real Estate @ VLCIA 2014-05-27

The Industrial Authority is having a Special Called Meeting Tuesday at 4:45 PM, the agenda for which goes straight into Executive Session for no stated reason. Is that even legal, as I’ve asked before about a VLCIA executive session?

Also, why is G. Norman Bennett still listed as a board member and Vice Chairman, even though according to the VDT he resigned from VLCIA 13 March 2014? I asked him about that in Hahira a month ago today and he said he’d talk to VLCIA. Somebody didn’t follow through.

Here’s the agenda, which says they’re having an invocation for the purpose of discussing real estate and gives no reason for the Executive Session. Also from the Georgia Open Meetings Act of 2012, 50-14-3(b)(1): Continue reading →

The fragility of centralized energy systems

All thermal power generation requires water for cooling, with nukes so vulnerable no private insurer will cover them anyway and failing frequently in recent heat waves. “Natural” gas is no better than coal or oil for water use; maybe worse because all those pipelines vulnerable to backhoes or corrosion or attack. Even hydro is vulnerable to lack of rainfall. Carbon sequestration doesn’t get good marks, while conservation and efficiency get rave reviews from a study of insurance perspectives on power generation. What’s the one power source this article about insurance risks does not say is fragile in the face of climate change? Hint: look up.

Limiting Liability in the Greenhouse: Insurance Risk-Management Strategies in the Context of Global Climate Change, by Christina Ross, Evan Mills, and Sean B. Hecht, Stanford Environmental Law Journal and the Stanford Journal of International Law, Symposium: on Climate Change Risk, Vol. 26A/43A:251, 2007.

Supply-side energy choices that may be made to reduce the carbon-intensity of energy services have their own distinctive liability characteristics. For example, switching to lower-carbon electricity generation technology based on thermal power plant technology (e.g., by substituting natural gas for coal) results in systems that are still heavily dependent on water resources for cooling. The Electric Power Research Institute has documented considerable risks to traditionally cooled power generation systems as a result of climate change-induced droughts.242 Similarly, “zero-emissions” hydroelectric generating systems are also sensitive to rainfall patterns.

242 Denis Albrecht, Electric Power Research Institute, Presentation: Climate Impact on Water Availability for Electricity Generation (April 11, 2006) (presentation slides associated with the Electric Power Research Institute).

Centralization considered harmful

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Insurers suing for lack of preparation for record floods

What if, in addition to the record floods of 2009 and 2013 and 2014 apparently caused by local lack of planning in our watersheds, what if we got 15 inches of rain in one 24 hour period like Pensacola did a few weeks ago? Local governments might get sued by insurers for lack of planning, like 200 communities in the Chicago area already got sued. Maybe we should plan ahead for greater weather variability caused by climate change.

Eric Holthaus wrote for Future Tense on Slate 30 April 2014, The Calamitous Climate Responsible for Florida’s Record Rainfall, Continue reading →

Hahira annexation again, two county, and four Valdosta w. Phi Sigma Kappa @ GLPC 2014-05-27

Return of the Hahira rezoning and annexation, down from 66.1 to as 58.09 acres, even after the Lowndes County Commission letter of objection of 22 April 2014, and on Tuesday next week, same time as the County Commission meeting. A ULDC amendment request for Special Events and such and an LDR amendment request for unspecified reasons. A county rezoning to agricultural and three Valdosta use changes: daycare, fraternity, and commercial office.

Here’s the agenda, which arrived as a PDF actually convertable to text!

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
Tuesday, May 27, 2014* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

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Nimble –Videos of Gretchen at VSU @ YR 2014-05-15

Elected officials need to adapt to new information and new circumstances, while all working together. Here are videos of Gretchen saying she will be nimble if elected, at VSU last Tuesday at an event organized by the South Georgia Young Republicans and others. Remember, this Special Election is tomorrow, Tuesday May 20th, because the seat is vacant. The winner will take office immediately upon certification of the election results. LAKE supports Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes County Commission District 5, with her calling for financial stewardship and community transparency for economic development.

Here’s a video playlist, followed by links to the individual videos with transcriptions.

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School Board Candidates at VSU @ YR 2014-05-15

Here are videos of the school board candidates from the “debate” of last Tuesday at VSU. Remember, this school board election will be decided tomorrow, Tuesday May 20th, unless there’s a runoff for some seat, so tomorrow is the day to vote.

This is everything they said at VSU, except some of the answers to the first question, since I was late from the Lowndes County Commission meeting; sorry about that.

District 1: the incumbent, Mike Davis, spoke, and challenger Bobby Watford was absent.

District 2: the incumbent Fred Wetherington, has chosen not to run. All three candidates for this open seat spoke: Eric Johnson, Tara Parker, and Mark Barber. And here are videos when all three of the District 2 candidates also spoke:

District 3: the incumbent, Brian Browning, is running unopposed, and did not speak at VSU.

Here’s a video playlist of the school board candidates at VSU, followed by links to each of the videos. As usual, anyone may use these videos, provided they cite the source, Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

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