Category Archives: Transportation

Videos: paving and suing @ LCC 2013-05-14

See how the Commission does “the people’s business” one of the Christian minister Commissioners mentioned in his invocation before another Baptist minister Commissioner expressed concerns about a different religion’s choice of location. No explanation for why county citizens can’t choose their trash service or why the county is suing a local business on behalf of New York City investors, and half a million dollars for paving without any competitive bid named while one man says the county took his property for road right of way. One more potential board appointee showed up, for 2 out of 3.

County Staff Chairman Slaughter, Frenchy, and Joyce Evans Gretchen videoing

Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes. See also the videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

Richard Raines and John Page LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Kevin McCraney for Airport Authority: Nope @ LCC 2013-05-14

The applications are in their Commissioner packets, and you don’t get to see them.

The other of two applicants showed up to speak at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 14 May 2013. Chairman Bill Slaughter said:

Commissioners in your packets you should see applications from two potential appointees. You’ve had a chance to review those.

The public, as usual, did not see those applications. Nor do I recall seeing a list from the county of available appointments. At least we sometimes get to see the applicants speak, which, if I recall correctly, was Joyce Evans’ idea.

I believe we had an opportunity to hear from Mr. Sykes yesterday; is that correct. The other applicant is Mr. Kevin McCraney. I think at this time I’d like to call on Mr. McCraney if he’d like to come forward and make a statement.

Here is video of Jeff Sykes the previous morning. At the Tuesday Regular Session, Kevin McCraney said Continue reading →

Solar Fedex in Buffalo

How many of the distribution centers here have solar panels on top? Or schools? Or government buildings? Or businesses? None. But sunny far-north-next-to-Canada Buffalo has them.

David Robinson wrote for Buffalo News 14 May 2013, FedEx groundbreaking gives region bragging rights: FedEx Trade Networks breaks ground on a new distribution center that development officials hope will lure more companies, jobs

FedEx Trade Networks began construction Tuesday on its new distribution center in the Town of Tonawanda, giving hope to local development officials that the company’s expansion will boost the Buffalo Niagara region’s efforts to become a distribution and logistics hub.

“It really drives home the value of this region as a center for logistics in the global economy,” said Kenneth Adams, president and chief executive officer of Empire State Development, the state’s main economic development agency.

“It plays to the inherent strength of the region,” Adams said. “There could be no better seal of approval for a logistics business in this location.”

We’ve got transportation and logistics and distribution centers here, but we don’t have this:

Fred Schardt, president of FedEx Trade Networks, said the environmental benefits of the company’s 14-acre site within the Riverview Solar Technology Park off River Road also were a selling point. “We understand the importance of doing business in an environmentally sustainable way. It’s very, very important for us,” he said. “This park allows this to happen.”

The FedEx building will include a 100-kilowatt solar array that will be integrated into the design of the structure. Those solar panels are expected to generate 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity during the term of the company’s lease, reducing the company’s consumption of fossil fuels by the equivalent of 80,000 gallons of gasoline, Montante said.

If Buffalo, a thousand miles to the north with much less sun, can do this, we can, too. Maybe if we did this, maybe in some of VLCIA’s industrial parks, maybe it would attract more businesses….

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So popular it’s every Saturday and a street is closed: Valdosta Farm Days

Demand has ramped up in only a few years so that already Valdosta Farm Days has expanded its days and pedestrianized a street.

City of Valdosta PR 15 May 2013, City Announces Road Closure for Downtown Valdosta Farm Days,

Valley Street In anticipation of the large number of vendors expected for the Downtown Valdosta Farm Days this Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the City of Valdosta is announcing an expected road closure to help citizens plan their travel downtown.

Valley Street will be closed between N. Ashley and N. Patterson Streets, from 7 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m. Adequate traffic safety measures will be in place to alert the traveling public, as the closure will prohibit traffic traveling east and west on Valley Street during this time.

Farm Days takes place on the sidewalks around the historic courthouse in downtown Valdosta, on the first and third Saturday of every month, rain or shine, through the end of October. By popular demand, the market will take place every Saturday during the month of June.

Citizens are invited to enjoy the activities associated with the Downtown Valdosta Farm Days. For more information about Main Street events, contact the Main Street office at (229) 259-3577. For information about street closures, call the Engineering Department at (229) 259-3530.

There’s no mention of any of this on the Lowndes County Commission website.

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Give back what I’ve had for 37 years –Lamar Clements @ LCC 2013-05-14

A Lowndes County resident asked for school bus safety and his land back that the county took; this was in the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session Tuesday:

I was asked to do this for the benefit of our community. Lamar Clements is my name, and my wife Winona. We live at 5138 Coppage Road, out in Hahira. So you’d know, we’re not new residents out there. We’ve lived there 37 years. We’ve seen a lot of change.

Coppage and Griffin Roads My concern is the corner of Coppage Road and Griffin Road. I know Mike Fletcher has been recently, visited that location. I want to report that I have seen personally as a resident; I’ve seen two county school buses that could have been a fatal accident because of the structure around it. My concern, it needs to be eliminated; that will, bottom line save lives.

Secondly, I live on the corner, and the county has progressively moved the road over to the west, which is literally taking my some of my yard. All I ask is: give back what I’ve had for 37 years. And for goodness sake, when I saw those two school buses that makes a chill go down your spine when you’ve got that many children in danger.

So it’s in good hands. You guys know what to do. Go for it. Continue reading →

Videos: Why do we need to pave those roads? @ LCC 2013-05-13

Half a million dollars for paving without any competitive bid: it’s the county way! Only one of three potential board appointees showed up. Commissioners asked a surprising number of questions, including about a water system trust indenture, but not enough. They vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Paving questioned @ LCC 2013-05-13

Commissioners asked a few questions about the half a million for paving with no apparent competition at yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. Mike Fletcher, County Engineer Maybe you have more questions; you could ask them tonight at the Regular Session. You’ll have to catch them before the session starts, because you don’t get to speak in the session until after they vote.

8. Bid – Soil cement, bituminous prime (with sand), and paving for Bayhill Drive, Pinewood Drive, Grand Pine Drive, Glenn Hill Drive, Bay Wood Drive, Bemiss Knights Academy Road North, a portion of Old Bemiss Road, Payton Place, and Dodd Road

Kari Sands, Purchasing Director Purchasing Director Kari L. Sands said staff recommendation is to award the bid to Scruggs Company for $495,845. No other bids were mentioned. County Engineer Mike Fletcher said the money was already received from the LMIG program.

LMIG is Continue reading →

Two appointments, a rezoning, 2 alcohol, an indenture, a building, and bids for paving LCC 2013-05-13

Where is the Lowndes County Commission getting the money for paving parts of nine roads? Who are they appointing to the Airport Authority and the South Georgia Community Service Board?

Here’s the agenda:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Make sure people in my age group know who they’re voting for —Brett Huntley @ LCC 2013-02-26

Brett Huntley responded to the Commission's mysterious ruling against the public at the 26 Febuary 2013 Lowndes County Commission meeting, to close the only public access to the Alapaha River in Lowndes County. Neither County Manager Joe Pritchard nor County Engineer Mike Fletcher were paying any attention.

I would like to publicly say that I am shocked with the decision. I feel the decision was in favor of a sole person, and not in the interests of the community and the citizens. We tried to speak and explain our side of the story. And the county road has not ceased to be used. It's been being used in our county for over 100 years. I feel your guys just made a decision that will have an impact on our culture and heritage in the community that is not good. It's a bad decision, I feel.

I kind of feel hurt. I feel it's a personal thing for our community. That whole road abandonment idea stems from one sole person

Continue reading →

Really, really, shocking and surprising that this road would be closed as much public purpose that it serves —April Huntley @ LCC 2013-02-26

April Huntley responded in shock to the Commission’s mysterious ruling against the public at the 26 Febuary 2013 Lowndes County Commission meeting, to close the only public access to the Alapaha River in Lowndes County. The County Attorney and the County Manager appeared to be busy working on something else and paying no attention.

I don’t know there’s a whole lot more to say. Really, really, shocking and surprising that this road would be closed as much public purpose that it serves.

[long pause]

I’ve done so much research on it and it’s in the best interests of the public to have this access that’s been there for over 100 years.

The 2030 plan that the county has, this would cause less destruction

to that area; less change. There’s already a road there. It only needs parking, and signs, and rules and regulations that people can abide by. And the county, after the last time when it was denied, should have worked with the landowner to mediate things, to get a decent set in place where this could kept for hundreds more years for our county.

And I hope there will be a way to open it back up.

Here’s the video:

Really, really, shocking and surprising that this road would be closed as much public purpose that it serves —April Huntley
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 February 2013.

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