Maybe they think they sufficiently discussed that at the budget hearing where no citizen questions were entertained. About the budget they refused to post online until after they approved it.
So, did they post it by that Friday, 1 July 2011, as County Manager Joe Pritchard promised? Continue reading
Continue readingBack in 09 a horse was found down and could not get up, the sheriffs
the scene, the horse was euthenised, and the owner Clinton Miller also a registered sex offender was written citations it was later
According to lowndescounty.com, the Monday morning work session is cancelled,
“Due to the lack of items on the agenda that require additional information”but the Lowndes County Commission meets Tuesday evening as scheduled. The agenda does not contain the formerly tabled Nottinghill rezoning proposal for Cat Creek Road. Since rezonings are usually considered once a month (every other meeting), presumably the Commission will take that one back up in August.
The rest of the agenda is the shortest I’ve ever seen, so unless lots of citizens sign up to be heard, don’t blink or you’ll miss Tuesday’s meeting.
Continue readingLOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION CANCELLED
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue readingQuestions abound: Why is it that Lowndes County residents will not be voting on the most important issue to face their school system since its inception in 1950?
If I lived in the county I’d be mad that CUEE and the Chamber of Commerce chose to leave my vote out of such a very important decision.
Quick fact: Consolidation alone will not save money & Consolidation alone will not improve academic success, according to the Vinson Institute report commissioned by CUEE and the Chamber.
Further Query: Why would CUEE and the Chamber of Commerce spend $50 grand to collect the signatures for the petition causing the City of Valdosta to spend thousands of tax dollars (2 staff dedicated to task & 4 temps hired) to verify the signatures on the petition?
Schoolchildren, safety, and farmland: three topics that often seem forgotten in discussions of development.
Opposing the
proposed rezoning for Notthinghill,
neighbor Thomas E. Stalvey Jr. noted
that traffic on Cat Creek Road
is already a problem, and adding a subdivision would make it worse.
He noted that it’s traffic routed down Cat Creek to Moody that
accounts for a lot of it.
He said school children stood out on the road and they were already in danger.
“If we put 49 more houses out there, it’s just going to up the risk.”
He explicitly linked road widening to development: Continue reading
Dr. Noll, president of WACE, welcomed VLCIA’s new executive director Andrea Schruijer, and
then reminded the board that the honking cars outside
indicated an ongoing community assessment of biomass,
and he encouraged them to consider previously presented
materials and to prevent the biomass plant from
finding a back door to come back in.
He remarked that he had visited his mother in Germany:
One and half years ago she was in the intensive care unit for about three weeks because she had severe lung issues. She moved away after that to an area where there isn’t the kind of air pollution she was exposed to before hand, and every single day she wakes up she feels like she’s on vacation.
Here’s the video:
Because of my mother —Dr. Noll @ VLCIA 19 July 2011
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, 19 July 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
-jsq
Continue readingI went to the June & July CUEE meetings just to see what they were doing & to dialogue about consolidation. At both meetings dialogue on consolidation was a forbidden zone. I keep telling you their game plan is textbook UN Agenda 21. Debate is not allowed. They manipulate everything to create what they misname “consensus” which means per their numbers & statistics everyone who does not speak out against their agenda is for their aganda including anyone who never shows up at all. In their minds every name signed as attending is part of their consensus, which is why I never sign in. It is also why they keep trying to say Sam Allen is for consolidation even though
In their minds every name signed as attending is part of their consensus, which is why I never sign in. It is also why they keep trying to say Sam Allen is for consolidation even though he chairs the group against consolidation. he chairs the group against consolidation. They made sure they got photos of him at the July meeting to further their consensus game.
If you live in the city or the county & you want to hear real dialogue about consolidation
I really feel like the Lowndes County Commissioners meetings are more to pacify the community then to actually listen to the concerns of the citizens which I’m sure most counties are the same. I feel quite positive matters of concern actually never leave that room, I’m pretty certain if the room were full and more individuals showing concern for their community maybe things could change slightly. I have gotten the impression that they really don’t want to hear people’s opinions. I was once under the impression that there job of commissioners where to also hear from the residence of the county. It certainly has shown me how transparency issues and intimidation also go hand in hand. When you think of a member of county government it’s a position of power and power some obviously let go to their head. But after reading the article it appears no matter where in this country when you oppose them you obviously could be removed in handcuffs. You’re only allowed to have your 3 to 4 minutes to speak after interruptions and snide remarks. First Amendment right allows us to have freedom of speech… but broken down, it allows us our time at the podium less freedom of speech if Mr. Paulk decided to stop us. I wonder how the rest of the commissioners feel about his antics toward people being heard. Maybe they don’t have concerns in the matter but you have to wonder if they feel intimidated as well and just choose to say nothing.-Susan Leavens
David Rodock wrote in the VDT 14 July 2011, Industrial Authority welcomes new director,
That sounds like Industrial-speak for they’re going to “move on to” things that do work. However she chooses to phrase it, it’s about time.When it comes to the proposed biomass facility and maintaining a healthy relationship with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, which assisted the Industrial Authority in attracting the project, Schruijer believes staff and board members will be able to work through the situation.
“With economic development, it can be difficult to juggle a lot of different items,” said Schruijer. “It’s a balancing act to make sure you have all the parties involved and educated on the situation. The Department of Economic Development was there to help us recruit the project and they did just what they were supposed to do. In fact, they went above and beyond their duties by brushing over this project with a fine tooth comb. We worked with them and they worked with us. It seemed like a good project, and I think we’ll be able to work through this, maintain a good relationship with them as long as we keep the avenues for communication open.”
Regarding transparency: Continue reading
the attached is the drug test every employee had after the GDA turnedthe statements over to the county manager… he “Joe Prichard” stated some employees were interviewed EVERYONE even Linda was Drug tested… she was the only one that showed concern for the drug test, she stated because she mixed the pentasol she may test positive to the drug. But all employees were certified to euthenis and we get it all over our
fingers and some of us have even had the syringes explode from the needles and get in our eyes and mouth and we were not scared of testing positive. And “all” employees were interviewed not “some”! And I might add we all passed! Notice it is also under reasonable suspicion not random…
-Susan Leavens