Category Archives: Economy

FERC pipeline Scoping Meeting tonight in Valdosta: testify for your community

A local affected landowner and the chair of a local political party ask you to come tonight at 6PM at the Holiday Inn on West Hill Avenue to testify to the federal agency that decides on a permit for the proposed yard-wide hundred-foot right of way methane pipeline that a company from Houston wants to gash through here. First a presentation by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), then citizens can stand up and be recorded by a court reporter.

As directly affected local landowner Carol Singletary pointed out on WALB Sunday,

“When you have it within 100 feet of your home, you cannot have any sense of security there. There are alternate routes that aren’t being considered. So I want to get those on the table and some strong considerations given to those.”

As Gretchen Quarterman pointed out for the Lowndes County Democratic Party on WCTV yesterday,

“The Georgia Democrats feel that there’s a moral obligation to leave the world as beautiful and majestic as we found it and the pipeline, it does not do that”, says Gretchen Quarterman, Chairman of the Lowndes County Democratic Committee.

More from the LCDP Press Release yesterday, plus more meetings and more ways to testify, Continue reading →

Solar panels in Stow, Massachusetts

In snowy Massachusetts you can finance a solar system with little money down and complete payoff in 11 years. Get the Georgia legislature to pass HB 874 and we’ll be able to do this in sunny Georgia, too.

Used with permission from howeowner Carl Howe. -jsq

People seem interested so I’ll share details of our solar installation in Stow, MA.

Full disclosure: I know the president of our solar installation firm socially (he’s a friend of a friend of ours), and like many solar installers, they do pay referral fees if others sign up based on a recommendation from an existing customer. Should anyone decide to do business with our installer, New England Clean Energy, please mention my name.

We used New England Clean Energy from Hudson MA. I believe that they are one of, if not the, highest quality installer in our area. They have more than 300+ installations in MA and NH. Of course, SolarCity and others are also in the region, Continue reading →

Broadband, outsourcing, trash, and fire @ LCC 2014-02-28

The second day of the Commission retreat is finished. Reporting from location, Gretchen noted:

1PM: BroadBand

Chairman Bill Slaughter has a five year goal of making broadband available. Some possibility of creating a fibre ring. He says he’s working with the City of Valdosta.

Well, a year ago in February he said broadband was “one of the number one issues”, but in October he said “we have broadband”, so it’s anyone’s guess what his opinion will be in a few months.

1:06PM: Outsourcing

Commissioner Crawford Powell wants to outsource more county services.

That’s working so well, after all; see the next note.

1:19PM: Trash evaluation

Continue reading →

Solar financing HB874 on GA House Energy Committee for Monday

The bipartisan distributed rooftop solar financing bill, HB 874, the Solar Power Free-Market Financing and Property Rights Act of 2014, is on the agenda for Monday for the House Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications Committee, according to Claudia Musleve Collier.

The Committee member from closest to here is Carol Fullerton (D 153) Albany. Here are the rest of the committee members. Call ’em up!

-jsq

Retreat 2014 pictures @ LCC 2014-02-27

Gretchen is posting still pictures while videoing the retreat.

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:

Continue reading →

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:

Continue reading →

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:

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
Continue reading →

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
Continue reading →