Category Archives: Valdosta City Council

Riverview development next to Withlacoochee River? @ GLPC 2014-07-28

A flood plain rezoning next to the Withlacoochee river came back from 2011, at the 28 July 2014 Planning Commission meeting, which voted unanimously for, as did the Valdosta City Council later.

7. VA-2014-05 Riverview Development LLC

Video. This is parcel 0074 088 on North Valdosta Road behind Music Funeral Home, next to Langdale Park, on the other side of the Withlacoochee River from Foxborough.

City Planner Matt Martin said only a tiny part of the property was in the floodplain of the Withlacoochee River. Continue reading

Videos: Hahira rezoning and annexation, two Valdosta CUP @ GLPC 2014-04-28

Tabled at applicant’s request: the Hahira rezoning and annexation; see also the Lowndes County Commission letter of objection of 22 April 2014. The proponents to establish a recycling center didn’t show up to answer questions, and due to lack of information (noise, hours, odors, vermin, expansion, etc.), GLPC unanimously voted to recommend tabling. GLPC voted to recommend approval with selected conditions for Langdale Ford’s minor automotive repair facility.

Remember, Lowndes County answered an open records request for the agenda 47 hours after this Planning Commission meeting started. Here’s the actual agenda by other means.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue

Monday, April 28, 2014* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Here are videos of what GLPC did. Continue reading

USACE presentation online at City of Valdosta

Emily Davenport, Valdosta Stormwater Manager, sent a letter 2 June 2014 to attendees of the 6 May 2014 Army Corps of Engineers presentations, with paper materials attached, and a note that they are also online at Stormwater Division, Regional Flooding. [Not there anymore, but see updated first bullet item below. 2018-01-28 -jsq]

Valdosta boards and authorities openings

Remember, you don’t even have to live in Valdosta to apply to serve on one of the many appointed boards or authorities (you do have to live in Lowndes County). Details:

CITY OF VALDOSTA
APPOINTMENTS FOR BOARDS, COMMISSIONS,
AUTHORITIES & ADVISORY COMMITTEES

In accordance with the City of Valdosta’s Appointment Policy and to provide an opportunity for qualified citizens to be made aware of opportunities to serve on various Boards, Commissions, Authorities, and Advisory Committees, the City of Valdosta announces the following openings: Continue reading

Videos: Against Hahira annexation, for 2 county and 4 Valdosta @ GLPC 2014-05-27

Almost unanimous against the Hahira rezoning and annexation, even though the reduction from 66.1 to 58.09 acres was to exclude Hagen Bridge Road and obviate the paving issue. A county ULDC amendment request for Special Events and such and a Valdosta LDR amendment request. A county rezoning to agricultural and three Valdosta use changes: daycare, fraternity, and commercial office.

Here’s the agenda, with some notes and links to the videos.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue

Tuesday, May 27, 2014* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading

Valdosta Budget Hearings @ VCC 2014-06-11

He also called to be sure LAKE got this, and the Public Hearings Tuesday and Wednesday at 5:30 PM are in the City of Valdosta’s online calendar, plus there’s a much briefer story in the VDT today, and see the millage table from last year’s budget hearings. -jsq

From: Tim Carroll <tcarroll@valdostacity.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2014 14:33:35 +0000
Subject: FY 2015 Budget

Hey everyone,

It is that time of year when your city government prepares its’ budget for the upcoming fiscal year. As we have experienced over the past four years, this year’s budget presents many challenges. Revenues continue to decline while expenses keep going up. Fuel alone for the city now runs around $1.7M per year and the power bill to run the city for a year is now at $3.4M. Like you have seen in your homes and businesses, these and other costs continue to rise. Major revenue sources such as the LOST tax (our largest revenue source for the General Fund) continue to decline. And the list goes on. The city has now tapped over the past several years all the reserve funds in or der to balance the budget. Those reserve funds are now gone.

I say all this to illuminate the difficult choices that are present in this year’s proposed budget. While Continue reading

Videos: Regional water council meeting in Valdosta @ SSRWPC 2014-05-21

Anticipating water and wastewater needs, coordinating with Florida and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, comparing water usage to available resources in the face of droughts, floods, and climate change, Georgia’s regional water management council for this area considered all this and more when it met in Valdosta to finalize a document: Regional Assessment of Implementation Status. Here are videos of the whole meeting.

Insurers suing for lack of preparation for record floods

What if, in addition to the record floods of 2009 and 2013 and 2014 apparently caused by local lack of planning in our watersheds, what if we got 15 inches of rain in one 24 hour period like Pensacola did a few weeks ago? Local governments might get sued by insurers for lack of planning, like 200 communities in the Chicago area already got sued. Maybe we should plan ahead for greater weather variability caused by climate change.

Eric Holthaus wrote for Future Tense on Slate 30 April 2014, The Calamitous Climate Responsible for Florida’s Record Rainfall, Continue reading

Hahira annexation again, two county, and four Valdosta w. Phi Sigma Kappa @ GLPC 2014-05-27

Return of the Hahira rezoning and annexation, down from 66.1 to as 58.09 acres, even after the Lowndes County Commission letter of objection of 22 April 2014, and on Tuesday next week, same time as the County Commission meeting. A ULDC amendment request for Special Events and such and an LDR amendment request for unspecified reasons. A county rezoning to agricultural and three Valdosta use changes: daycare, fraternity, and commercial office.

Here’s the agenda, which arrived as a PDF actually convertable to text!

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Tuesday, May 27, 2014* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

Continue reading

Study before Levee –Tim Carroll @ VCC 2014-05-06

Comment on facebook 10 May 2014 and he told me the same by telephone.

It is clear a full watershed wide study must be completed before any decisions can be made. As established in this first study—The City of Valdosta is the recipient-not the origin- of the flood waters. While it confirms what we already knew, my job is to try and keep the ball rolling forward. Engage congressional leaders, secure funding and find long term, sustainable solutions that benefit all communities within the watershed basin. A levee by itself is not the answer.
–Tim Carroll

This was a comment on Continue reading