The longest single item in the one January Valdosta City Council meeting was unscheduled: the surprise statewide Georgia Parks and Rec Volunteer Award and Council Andy Gibbs responding with thanks.

The most contentious rezoning was 4.b. CU-2018-13 Scintilla Charter Academy Conditional Use Permit, to add a Middle School to an Elementary School.

The most-discussed general topic on the agenda was water, with Utility Director Darryl Muse speaking about 5.b. Bids for 10 emergency standby generators for Utilities, 5.c. Bids for water treatment chemicals for Utilities, and 6.b. Purchase SCADA system for Lift Stations and Water Treatment Plants, with frequent questions from Council members. They did bring up the recent major spill at the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant.

In Citizens to Be Heard, I told them what Valdosta Utilities hadn’t.

Also in CTBH, John Robinson spoke about how small businesses need to thrive and another speaker said he had been attacked physically by a local business man. Renaming Forrest Street was discussed by Prof. Mark George, by George Boston Rhynes, and by a Pastor Jasper whose last name I didn’t get.

And they made one appointment each to KLVB, the Valdosta Tree Commission, and the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda. The minutes are not online yet, but a Summary of Actions is: yes, they really approved every item unanimously 6-0. For the rezonings, see also the preceding Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting.

• 1. Order, Invocation, Pledge

  Video.

• 2. Council Gibbs gets Georgia Parks and Rec Volunteer Award

  Video.

• 2. Council Andy Gibbs thanks for Georgia Parks and Rec Award

  Video.

• 2.a. Lt. Shelley Miller & Sgt. Allen Carter, Fire Dept.

  Video.

• 2.a. Lt. Shelley Miller & Sgt. Allen Carter accept Employee of the Month, Dec. 2018

  Video.

• 3. Minutes Approval (2018-11-08)

  Video.

• 4.b. CU-2018-13 Scintilla Charter Academy Conditional Use Permit

  Video.

• 4.b. VA-2018-15 1.79 acres from R10 to R-M, Ailone Tichone, Hickory Road

  Video.

• 4.c. VA-2018-16, 11.14 acres, R-10 to R-P, Harvest U. Meth. Church, E. Park Ave.

  Video.

• 4.d. VA-2018-17, 2.57 acres, R10 to C-N, Treina Dove, N. St. Aug. Road

  Video.

• 5.a. Bids for painting City Hall exterior

  Video.

• 5.b. Bids for 10 emergency standby generators for Utilities

  Video.

• 5.c. Bids for water treatment chemicals for Utilities

  Video.

• 5.d. Bid from Georgia Power for relocation of poles, Lake Park Rd. sidewalk project

  Video.

• 6.a. Funding, Single-Family Residential Rehabilitation Repair

  Video.

• 6.b. Purchase SCADA system for Lift Stations and Water Treatment Plants

  Video.

• 7.b. Travis Morgan appointed to one of two open KLVB slots

  Video.

• 7.b. Brent Moore appointed to Valdosta Tree Commission

  Video.

• 7.c. Appoint Aneesha Johnson to Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority

  Video.

• 8. CTBH: Renaming Forrest St. –Mark George

  Video.

• 8. CTBH Help get GA-EPD to publish sewage spill reports –John S. Quarterman

  Video. Utilities hadn’t told Council, so I did: there were thirteen more spills than just the one from the WWTP, as WCTV carried me saying that around that same hour of the evening. I also asked the Valdosta City Council to help get GA-EPD to publish sewage spill reports. The Mayor indicated Valdosta reported to the state and I could get the reports from there. I said that was the point: that’s how I found out about the 13 spills Utilities didn’t tell anybody else about.

• 8. CTBH Renaming Forrest St. –George Boston Rhynes

  Video.

• 8. CTBH Small businesses need to thrive –John Robinson

  Video.

• 8. CBTH Local business man attacked the speaker –Charles Mark Judge Sr.

  Video.

• 8. CTBH Too much attention on trying to spell something –Pastor Jasper (?)

  Video.

• 9. First Friday, Christmas events, Bird Supper, Retreat March 15-16 –City Manager

  Video.

• 10. Council Comments

  Video.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:

Videos: SCADA and Generators for sewer system lift stations
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Video by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, December 6, 2018.

-jsq

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