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
Category Archives: Safety
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) 245-522Super District 4 and Concerned Citizens,
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
Valdosta Passes Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline: not in this city, this county, or this state @ VCC 2014-12-11
Go away, Sabal Trail:
NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved that the City of Valdosta supports the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners in their opposition to the construction of the Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County. The City’s support includes concerns with fundamental property rights, the manner in which eminent domain might be utilized, and the lack of demonstrated benefit to the City and County. Furthermore, the City of Valdosta supports the Lowndes County Commission in their formal request to the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC), and to State and Federal Legislators in the effort to have Lowndes County and the State of Georgia bypassed in the construction of the proposed pipeline.
Here is Continue reading
Resolution against Sabal Trail pipeline + 3-1 ordinances @ VCC 2014-12-11
The resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline, including to be filed with FERC, was
passed 6 to 1 by the Valdosta City Council Thursday 11 December 2014,
supporting
the resolution the Lowndes County Commission passed unanimously Tuesday,
plus
a clause about protecting our drinking water in the Floridan Aquifer; see
separate post.
John Robinson
thanked the city for a VSEB contract.
The
personal care home rezoning passed.
The
taxicab ordinance was deferred (not all cab company owners had been consulted yet), while two others passed.
Also
some bids rejected
while
others
were
approved,
a reappointment of
Tom Kurrie to the Valdosta Housing Authority,
and
recognized
employee of the month Terrial Small.
Here’s the agenda. For background, see the videos of the Tuesday Work Session, including a bomb report by Police Chief Childress. The videos from the Thursday Regular Session are linked below, followed by a video playlist.
Continue readingAgainst Sabal Trail pipeline + 3 ordinances + bomb report @ VCC 2014-12-09
The Valdosta City Council
discussed
a
resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline
at their Work Session Tuesday, as you can see in these videos.
Come see them vote on it tonight at 5:30 PM
at City Hall.
They also heard a bomb report at the Work Session, in addition to discussing all the other business, especially the taxicab ordinance.
At the same time Tuesday, the Lowndes County Commission unanimously Continue reading
Ask Sabal Trail to invest in solar farms instead of pipelines –Alton Paul Burns @ TCC 2014-12-09
He concluded, “There’s nothing beneficial to the state of Georgia in this pipeline.”
Some Commissioners had never heard of Sabal Trail:
now they have, from local resident Alton Paul Burns,
at their
9 December 2014 Thomas County Commission Regular Session,
and they know it could come right through Thomasville.
Discussing among themselves, one Commissioner remarked that the pipeline wouldn’t go through her place, but it was still a concern, and they should ask Sabal Trail to come explain themselves.
Later, Continue reading
We all live in Lowndes County: Valdosta Draft Resolution Against Sabal Trail Pipeline @ VCC 2014-12-09
Last night, while the Lowndes County Commission
unanimously approved
their
resolution against the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline,
the Valdosta City Council
discussed a supporting resolution at its Work Session.
Council Tim Carroll
said Valdosta had added
a clause about the Floridan Aquifer.
Council Robert Yost said he didn’t think such a resolution was something
the City of Valdosta should be doing, and he would not vote Thursday.
No other Council members expressed any reservations.
Council Sonny Vickers said he thought it was worth doing to show unity.
Mayor John Gayle remarked, “We all live in Lowndes County.” Continue reading
Sabal Trail disappointed in GWC Dirty Dozen; locals disappointed in Sabal Trail –WCTV
Spectra’s Andrea Grover is “disappointed” in Sabal Trail being on the Georgia Water Coalition Dirty Dozen; does she also find it “hard to believe” like Sabal Trail’s well-documented eminent domain threats?
Winnie Wright, WCTV, 26 November 2014,
Sabal Trail Pipeline Environmental Concerns Cited In Annual ‘Dirty Dozen’ Report,
Recently, The Georgia Water Coalition put the Sabal Trail Pipeline on their Dirty Dozen Report for 2014.
You can see Cherry Creek sinkhole behind her as she reported.
She was navigated there by VSU professor Can Denizman.
She also interviewed several locals, including me at the Withlacoochee River.
Continue readingOpposes Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County –Lowndes County Commission
Escalating from the Chairman’s letter of 11 April 2014, perhaps after listening to requests from citizens, the Lowndes County Commission passed a resolution wanting no part of Sabal Trail in the county or in the state of Georgia.
Update 2014-11-25: Well, according to Joe Adgie in the Valdosta Daily Times today, “Even though the missive has already been mailed [to FERC], the resolution will not be formally voted on until the county commission’s next meeting in December [9th].”
Filed with FERC in docket CP15-17 on 21 November 2014 as Accession Number: 20141121-5242, but that was a Friday and FERC doesn’t work on weekends, so it actually appeared Monday 24 November 2014.
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Spectra Energy of Houston, Texas has proposed to build a $3.7 Billion, 460mile natural gas line known as Sabal Trail, and;
WHEREAS, The Lowndes County Board of Commissioners has concerns regarding personal property rights Continue reading