Category Archives: Transparency

VLCIA and local counties

In which of these five, seven, eleven, or thirteen counties is Athens, Georgia?

According to Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), Regional Hub,

Valdosta is a regional hub for eleven Georgia counties and two Florida counties. Valdosta-Lowndes County acts not only as the regional hub for retail, medical, transportation and entertainment. Our community is also the regional hub for employment for five contiguous, predominantly rural Georgia counties and two Florida counties (as indicated in the chart to the right) and supports a thirteen county region referenced from the 2000 Census (see chart attached below).
The five Georgia counties are (alphabetically) Brooks, Cook, Echols, Lanier, and Lowndes, and the two Florida counties are Hamilton and Madison. In which of those seven counties is Athens, Georgia?

The thirteen counties, barely legible on VLCIA’s webpage, are: Berrien GA, Brooks GA, Clinch GA, Colquitt GA, Columbia FL, Cook GA, Dougherty GA, Duval FL, Echols GA, Fulton GA, Hamilton FL, Lanier GA, and Madison FL. Fulton County, Georgia? OK, that’s odd. Hm, the table is entitled

“Journeys To and From LOWNDES GA (Threshold = 50)”.
It’s about vehicles travelling in and out of Lowndes County. So Fulton makes some sense, due to people travelling between here and Atlanta. Local region, though? Not Fulton. Ditto Duval County, Florida. Jacksonville, local? I think not.

So maybe call it an eleven county region. In which of those eleven or thirteen counties is Athens, Georgia?

-jsq

Why doesn’t VLCIA buy locally?

Col. Ricketts reminded VLCIA board members at their most recent regular meeting (2012 01 17) that he had asked them for input about trees for Miller and Westside Business Parks.
We have identified trees from a nursery, Select Trees, in Athens, Georgia, with a special five year warranty on those trees, that meet our landscape plans for both Miller and Westside Business Park. As we discussed in our last board meeting, there is some cost savings available to us, and the ability for us to select trees now and hold them if we make a deposit.
OK, I commend VLCIA staff and board for trying to save we the taxpayers money.

But isn’t VLCIA supposed to be promoting local business and agriculture? Why is our Industrial Authority outsourcing to a company halfway across the state? Why doesn’t it buy locally, even if it costs a little more?

For that matter, aren’t there plenty of local trees, like sycamores, magnolias, and even longleaf pines that would cost very little to transplant to a local business park? Maybe those are the types of trees they’re buying. We don’t know, because only the board got the list of trees.

For that matter, why didn’t VLCIA put out a public request for bids for the trees?

Here’s the video:


Why doesn’t VLCIA buy locally?
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Andrea Schruijer Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 17 January 2012.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

SPCA report on animal shelter: “Childish Behavior” and lack of oversight

No, not here (although the description might fit): SPCA of Erie County, New York reported on the animal shelter in neighboring Niagara County, New York. Also the parts about “horrific” animal cruelty and “excruciatingly painful” euthanasia may sound familiar.

WGRZ.com wrote today, SPCA of Niagara Report; “Childish Behavior”, Lack of Oversight,

In part of her report, Carr writes, “It’s clear that the NCSPCA is dysfunctional in many ways. Without standard operating procedures, without careful record keeping and record retrieval, without trust of one another, without a clear chain or command, with any strategies to improve, this organization will continue to disappoint and enrage the community,”

She continues, “there is an overwhelming culture of distrust at the shelter. Some staff distrust the Executive Director, the Executive Director distrusts many of the board members, many board members distrust the Executive Director and some staff and volunteers distrust some staff and staff distrusts some volunteers. Everyone seems to distrust someone associated with the SPCA. They gossip, pass on written complaints about each other to one another, try to get each other fired, go behind backs of one another to people in authority and make complaints. The evaluation team has witnessed this rather childish behavior at all levels of the organization, by board members, the Executive Director, staff members, and volunteers.”

Charlie Specht wrote for the Buffalo News yesterday, Probe details ‘horrific’ animal cruelty at Niagara SPCA: Report by Erie County counterpart details ‘excruciatingly painful’ euthanasia, Continue reading →

Coal EMCs: no budget for this boondoogle —Katherine Helms Cummings

Received yesterday on Coal Plants Washington and Ben Hill not quite dead yet. -jsq
I asked Washington EMC Chair Mike McCoy today after their monthly board meeting what their budget is for 2012 and this boondoggle. They haven’t got a budget. They are meeting next week with the four remaining co-ops (assuming some don’t peel off before then) and they will work on a budget then.

You can check my blog out for more of the hair raising and mind boggling details of what they are doing in the “best interests” of the owner members and community.

-Katherine Helms Cummings

On her blog, Rural and Progressive, she posted yesterday Is Washington EMC “winging it” on Plant Washington finances? and today WEMC Board Member supports forensic audit. Very interesting.

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Video: Infrastructure, Westside Business Park @ VLCIA 2012 01 17

According to what Col. Ricketts said at their most recent regular meeting, apparently what VLCIA is accepting bids for today is Phase 2, not Phase 1, of Infrastructure for Westside Business Park. I still give them credit for at least posting an announcement of today’s meeting on their website.

The red rectangle indicates the area of clearing and grading for Phase 1 Infrastructure for Westside Business Park. Col. Ricketts said that had already been completed. This is all on Belleville Road near Lake Park.

They had already asked for bids for Phase 2, which is for an internal roadway, storm water and sewer, lighting, paving, etc.

They called for bids on the 24th, so the special called meeting of today (27th) is presumably to accept a final bid for Phase 2.

Here’s the video:


Video: Infrastructure, Westside Business Park @ VLCIA 2012 01 17
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Andrea Schruijer Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 17 January 2012.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Special Industrial Authority meeting today at noon

At least this time it’s on their website (under “RECENT NEWS”):
Notice of a Special Called Meeting of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority for the purpose of reviewing bids and awarding a contract for Westside Business Park Phase I Infrastructure Project on Friday, January 27, 2012, 12 Noon at the Authority offices, 2110 N. Patterson St. 229-259-9972.
That’s not a link in the middle; they underlined the date and time. Soon, maybe they will discover italics!

Here’s a picture from when they discussed this item at their most recent regular meeting:

Update 12:20 PM 2012 01 27: And here is video of Col. Ricketts at that 17th January 2012 Regular Session, saying Phase 1 had already been completed and they had asked for bids for Phase 2. So Phase 2 is presumably what they’re accepting bids for right now. I still give them credit for posting a notice of today’s special called meeting on their website. -jsq

Westside Business Park Phase 1 Infrastructure (Clear/Grading)
Regular Meeting, Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA),
Norman Bennett, Tom Call, Roy Copeland chairman, Mary Gooding, Jerry Jennett,
Andrea Schruijer Executive Director, J. Stephen Gupton attorney, Allan Ricketts Project Manager,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 17 January 2012.
Picture by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Commission had not seen Moody AFB gate contract with Scruggs before Work Session @ LCC 2012 01 23

We still don’t know what the county is going to do about that cost overrun for the Moody AFB gate. Nobody said at the work session yesterday morning; maybe they’ll say at the regular session tonight when they vote on a contract with some sort of revised dollar figures in it.

County Manager Mike Fletcher waved around a copy of the revised contract with Scruggs Company for the new Moody AFB gate, but said he had not provided it to the Commissioners. I wonder if they’ll see it before they vote tonight? He said it was 226 pages long, but most of that was DOT boilerplate, and only something like 20 pages was the actual county contract. Seems like they could read that much by tonight.

So could we, the public, if it was somewhere we could see it.

He also didn’t say what happened to the $128,497.05 cost overrun. The Commissioners asked no questions.

Here’s the video:


Commission had not seen Moody AFB gate contract with Scruggs before Work Session @ LCC 2012 01 23
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 23 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

How much will we pay for a new gate? LCC meets Monday AM and Tuesday PM, 2012 January 23-24

A VLMPO appointment, a rezoning, five special lighting districts, and refunding taxes? What’s this one:
7.a. Grant Re-Application for the Rural Transportation Program and Associated Resolution
Is that for T-SPLOST? Is it about the discretionary funding? Or is it about re-applying for $12 million to widen old US 41 North? Or is it a periodic update for the MIDS bus system? If they put the agenda packets on the web with the agenda, we’d know.

Oh, and this one:

8. For Consideration – Contract with the Scruggs Company for Davidson Road Project
Maybe we’ll hear some answers to some of the questions raised by that project last time.

Here’s the agenda:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 2012, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2012, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Commission voted for $128,497.05 road cost overrun without discussion @ LCC 2012 Jan 10

Discrepancy? What discrepancy?

Staff presented the agenda item “7.b. Entrance Gate at Davidson and Roberts Roads”:

Lowndes County received a $2M grant from the Federal Highway Administration for construction of a new Moody AFB entrance gate, the gate to be located located at the intersection of Davidson and Roberts Roads. $477,991 of this money has already been taken for the railroad crossing improvements, leaving a balance of $1.52 million. The low bid is from Scruggs Company, $1,648,497.05.
Wait, what? The low bid is for more than the funds available? Surely somebody will explain that?

Nope, no discussion. Instead, Commissioner Crawford Powell said:

I’ll make a motion we approve the bid as presented by staff.
Commissioner Evans seconded, and they all voted for it. Hey, what $128,497.05 discrepancy?

Here’s Part 1 of 2:


Commission voted for $128,497.05 road cost overrun without discussion @ LCC 2012 Jan 10 Part 1 of 2:
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

If we look at the previous morning’s work session (9 January 2012), we do find a bit more information. The grant was presented as involving both the Federal Highway Administration and Homeland Security, and:

Mr. Fletcher has additional information.
Continue reading →

3 Appointments to VLC Conference Center and Tourism Authority LCC 2012 Jan 9-10

Who is on the Tourism Authority Board, and why do they have such rapid changeover in executive directors?

The Commissioners considered Monday 9 January and made Tuesday 10 January three appointments to the Tourism Authority: Commissioner Joyce Evans (reappointment), Jerome “Andy” Anderson (reappointment), and Greg Charbeneau apparently to replace Linda Jenson (who had been appointed to fill a vacancy for ? Montgomery).

5.a. Valdosta/Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority
County Manager Joe Pritchard said at the Tuesday Regular Session that Greg Charbeneau is a Vice President at Wild Adventures. Here’s video of that session:


3 Appointments to VLC Conference Center and Tourism Authority LCC 2012 Jan 10
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

According to Wild Adventures’ own press release of 29 July 2011 and the VDT 14 August 2011, Greg Charbeneau is also their general manager.

We learned a little more at the Monday Work Session, but not much. Here’s video:


3 Appointments to VLC Conference Center and Tourism Authority LCC 2012 Jan 9
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 9 January 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

VLCCCTA’s own webpage has no indication that such a board even exists, much less Continue reading →