Category Archives: VLCAA

Sabal Trail contractor yard at end of Valdosta Airport runway

300x388 Lowndes County, GA, next to Valdosta Airport, in Sabal Trail Contractor Yards aerial maps, by John S. Quarterman, for SpectraBusters.org, 20 February 2015 The same company that sued Lowndes County in 2007 to try to put a tall building above the 30-foot height limit in Valdosta’s Runway Protection Zone now appears to want to put a contractor yard for Sabal Trail’s fracked methane pipeline in the same location. Will this involve any tall cranes? What about Moody’s flights off of that runway at Valdosta Airport? And what about those aquifer recharge zones?

Among the contractor yard maps Sabal Trail filed with FERC 20 February 2015, there’s this one: Continue reading →

Videos of votes: James Road fallout, airport, water, sewer, alcohol @ LCC 2014-05-13

In a Special Presentation to Thomas Smith on retiring from the 911 center, we saw a rare use of the county’s video camera to display the podium at the front of the room. Escalated from contingency fund to SPLOST payment (we still don’t know how much): fixing the James Road 10-inch drop in 48 hours in front of Westside Elementary School due to faulty road construction in 2008. Also due to that same hasty 2008 James Road widening and realignment for the James Road second mall and massive subdivision mega-project that never happened, they scheduled a Public Hearing for abandoning Excess Right of Way on James Rd & Riverside Dr. And they voted to fix three discrepencies MIDS, Inc. found in its contract of last year. They voted for the low bid on the lift station pump without ever saying what the other bids were.

They reappointed Airport Authority Chairman Steve Everett for another four-year term; he did not appear. They approved the 911 Center surplus item sale. They scheduled a Public Hearing to abandon part of Old Statenville Road SE because they say only seven cars a day, no, now it’s ten cars a day, use it and there are no houses on it. Nobody had any questions about the a beer license.

And the County Manager said a quarantine on the Animal Shelter was being lifted and the next Work Session would be Tuesday (27 May 2014) because of the holiday (Memorial Day).

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Videos: airport appointment, water, sewer, alcohol, and surplus right of way @ LCC 2014-05-12

They vote tomorrow evening on paying for an emergency road fix and several discrepencies. James Road dropped 10 inches in 48 hours in front of Westside Elementary School, due to faulty road construction in 2008. Also due to that same hasty 2008 James Road widening and realignment for the James Road second mall and massive subdivision mega-project that never happened, there is Excess Right of Way on James Rd & Riverside Dr. that the County Engineer wants to quit claim and give back to the neighboring landowners. In other discrepencies, MIDS, Inc. found three in its contract of last year and wants a Transportation Service Contract Addendum to fix the work the county didn’t check. A Commissioner wanted to know why the three bids for a lift station pump varied so much.

Airport Authority Chairman Steve Everett wants to be reappointed for another four-year term. The 911 center has surplus items out back it wants to sell off. County staff want to abandon Old Statenville Road SE because they say only seven cars a day use it and there are no houses on it. Nobody had any questions about the a beer license.

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Airport Authority appointment, water, sewer, alcohol, and surplus right of way @ LCC 2014-05-12

If anybody knew about upcoming appointments, like this one to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority, they might want to apply, or suggest a likely applicant. Which surplus items? Which Transportation Service needs a Contract Addendum? Why is the Commission considering abandoning Old Statenville Road SE and Excess Right of Way on James Rd & Riverside Dr.? Does this mean the infamous 2007 James Road second mall and massive subdivision mega-project is finally really dead and gone? Or something else? Is it comforting to know the only thing that is clear on your Lowndes County Commission’s agenda for tomorrow morning is a beer license?

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
    PROPOSED AGENDA
    WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 12, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
    REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
    327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Board appointments by Lowndes County

Here’s Lowndes County’s list of Boards, Agencies & Commissions. Unfortunately, unlike Valdosta’s list, most of the names in the county’s list have no links to further information, and there’s no indication of which positions might be open or how to apply for them.

Update: 4:30 PM 24 April 2014: And there’s the Board of Elections which is decided by a completely different process with a quicker deadline of 28 April 2014.

We do know there’s a vacancy on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), which presumably will be filled after the upcoming Special Election May 20th, but the county has given no indication of when. The only way the county usually announces open positions is when they appear on the County Commission’s agenda, which usually shows up online Friday for voting on Tuesday. For example, the county has appointed: Continue reading →

You can apply to serve on a board or commission

You can apply to be appointed by Valdosta to a local board or authority that decides or recommends on issues that affect everyone: do interesting work and serve your community. Dealine: April 30th. You don’t even have to live in Valdosta: anybody in Lowndes County can apply. If you want to run for a city council or county commission seat someday, this is a good way to start. And if you want to run for the state legislature or higher office, that’s the most common path to get there.

Update: 4:30 PM 24 April 2014: And there’s the Board of Elections which is decided by a completely different process with a quicker deadline of 28 April 2014.

Winnie Wright wrote for WCTV 23 April 2014, City Of Valdosta Looking To Fill 15 Vacancies In Boards, Authorities, and Commissions, Continue reading →

Suddenly an agenda! @ LCC-Budget 2014-03-10

You can go to the rest of the budget meeting, which is tomorrow. Some time after this morning when I looked for it, today’s budget meeting magically appeared on the calendar and in Current Events on the Lowndes County front page. It shows most of the day tomorrow also as budget meetings. And at 5:30PM tomorrow (Tuesday) there’s still the County Commission Regular Session.

Plus in the middle of all that, the Airport Authority is having a Board Meeting at the Commission Chambers. Only a little more than a year ago, Continue reading →

Videos: SPLOST VII open up, Prisoners, Water, Roads, and Costs @ LCC 2013-07-23

The closest we’re apparently going to get to a town hall or public hearing about the county’s SPLOST VII list: Chairman said “we’re going to open up” for comments. The only taker was Airport Authority Executive Director Jim Galloway. Confusion about the minutes continued. They appointed Ellen Golden to the Department of Family & Children’s Services Board. They hired prisoners again to compete with local labor. They approved a letter from Lovell Engineering to GA EPD on behalf of the county; it wasn’t clear whether any of the Commissioners knew about all the previous violations at the same water treatment plant. They accepted Barrington subdivision infrastructure, whereever that is, saying it wouldn’t cost the county anything, except, of course, maintaining those roads as county development sprawls outwards. They approved their their Directors and Officers insurance. This was all with a bare 3 of 5 quorum, because Commissioners Raines and Powell didn’t show up for work. A citizen thanked the Commission for increasing library funding.

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

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Airport Authority Director pled for SPLOST VII funding @ LCC 2013-07-23

The Executive Director of the Airport Authority pled for runway funding at the 23 July 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

5. SPLOST VII request from Executive Director of Airport Authority

The one public speaker when County Chairman Bill Slaughter “opened up” the SPLOST VII item was Jim Galloway, Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority, who noted SPLOST VII included nothing for the airport from the county or any of the cities. The long runway is federally funded, but the shorter runway is not. He asked for county funding. which I see now lists its board members on its website:

Steve Everett – Chairman
Jeff Sikes
Nathaniel Haugabrook
Dr. James Sinnott
Anthony Payton
Jane Shelton
Jim Galloway – executive director/airport manager (229) 333-1833

Here’s Jim Galloway in a Valdosta CEO video explaining what the Airport Authority is and does, for example Continue reading →

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 →