Category Archives: VLCoC

Videos: Meet the Candidates –VLCoC 2016-09-27

Here are LAKE videos of the candidates running in the November general election at “Meet the Candidates” by the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce September 27th 2016. It seemed less attended than usual, but that may have been due to the larger venue of Mathis Auditorium dwarfing the audience. Each got a few minutes to say something, and nobody took questions. There were tables with information before they spoke.

James Neil Harris said he was curious about the Sabal Trail pipeline, Teresa K. Moffit said she was against it, Clay Griner voted to sell Sabal Trail an easement through the closed Lowndes County landfill, and Dexter Sharper voted in the Georgia House against river-drilling easements for Sabal Trail.

Below are links to the LAKE video of each candidate speaking, followed by a video playlist. See also Continue reading →

Meet the Candidates –VLCoC 2016-09-27

“Come meet and hear from the candidates running in the November general election,” says the Chamber, and this is usually the best-attended candidate forum. This is not a debate. Each candidate gets a few minutes to say something, and nobody takes questions. However, they also have tables with information and you can usually catch them before or after.

When: 5-7PM Tuesday September 27th 2016

Where: Mathis City Auditorium
2300 North Ashley Street
Valdosta, GA 31602

Organized by: Continue reading →

Senator Perdue at Valdosta Rotary and Chamber 2016-08-24

Mostly what the assembled rotaries and homebuilders seemed to be interested in was getting the Senator to defend Moody Air Force Base against closure, which makes sense, since Moody is still by far the largest economic engine of the entire central south Georgia and north Florida region.

Maybe you can hear where he says anything about defending us from the invading Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline; I must have missed that part. He ended by saying it wasn’t about rich vs. poor, and quoting from the Declaration of Independence about “we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” There’s no mutuality in the federal government giving eminent domain to a pipeline company from Houston, Texas to take our lands so they can profit by exporting fracked methane.

Below are links to each LAKE video, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading →

Why people don’t speak up: they owe their soul to the company store

Some of our elected officials wonder few people ever speak up around here. It’s simple: they owe their soul to the company store. If you don’t go along, you don’t get business.

As Tennessee Ernie Ford sang in that old Merle Travis song:

You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me ’cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store

Continue reading →

Videos: MAZ, Tillman Crossing, Withlacoochee River WWTP, 7 * Valdosta @ GLPC 2015-11-30

Still invisible: the change to Valdosta’s Withlacoochee River Wastewater Treatment Plant. Documents related to all the other items are inked into the agenda in a previous post.

Moody AFB speaking about proposed Lowndes County MAZ ULDC text amendments
Moody AFB speaking about proposed Lowndes County MAZ ULDC text amendments

Continue reading →

MAZ comparison table: TRC, Chamber, GLPC –Jason Davenport @ GLPC 2015-11-30

Contested County Planner Jason Davenport sent email to the Planning Commission yesterday noon before their evening meeting:

In light of the comments from the Chamber of Commerce from last week related to TXT-2015-01 I have prepared a document that helps show the amendments and various TRC and Chamber recommendations/comments side by side. The amendments are overall organized into two groups, those that are recommended for approval and have no objection and those that have opposition and/or other comments. I will plan to provide physical copies of the attached document at tonight’s meeting. Thank you.

Maybe this is a precedent for the county taking citizen comments more seriously; one hopes it doesn’t apply only to the Chamber.

Here’s the table (PDF on LAKE website), Continue reading →

MAZ, Tillman Crossing, Withlacoochee River WWTP, 7 * Valdosta @ GLPC 2015-11-30

An invisible change to Valdosta’s Withlacoochee River Wastewater Treatment Plant. Already a subdivision rezoning after the old US 41 N widening. And still going in its third year, the Moody Activities Zones (MAZ) Text Amendments, with updates last week, including the Chamber’s latest position, all on top of the previous updates. Those are just the Lowndes County cases on the agenda tonight for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC).

The six Valdosta cases include a funeral home, a radio station, a church accessory, a community commercial rezoning, an amendment to a Planned Development, and City of Valdosta sign regulations changes.

All that plus Continue reading →

MAZ and Tillman Crossing Packet Updates @ GLPC Work 2015-11-23

Updates about Moody, Tillman Crossing, and the Withlacoochee River Wastewater Treatment Plant, Non-Conforming Lots, MAZ Map, 2015-11-03 (1 of 2: New Bethel Road) for tonight’s Planning Commission meeting, received after last week’s GLPC Work Session. I would post tonight’s GLPC agenda, but it’s not on the county’s website.

See the surprise addition in this update of REZ-2015-20 City of Valdosta WWTP, about which details were not included: “The proposed site plan is the same one that was presented to you with your paperwork last night.” So if you’re not a Planning Commissioner, you don’t get to see what the City of Valdosta is proposing for its new Withlacoochee River Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Another item is apparently known by several names: Continue reading →

Updated Packet for Moody Activitiy Zones (MAZ) @ GLPC Work 2015-11-23

Details of massive revisions to the proposal for changes to the Moody Activity Zoning Districts, sent by County Planner Jason Davenport to the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) and the Lowndes County Commissioners on 11 November 2015, in advance of the GLPC’s 23 November 2015 Work Session and 30 November 2015 Regular Session. He copied LAKE due to an open records request from Gretchen Quarterman. The whole thing is on the LAKE website.

Especially interesting are two slides apparently intended to finally the question on everyone’s mind of which developers are these changes for?

Why are we here?

  • To improve the MAZ Regulations
  • 2012 Rezoning Case & Text Amendment
  • County Leadership (Direction)(lnitial Goal June 2015)
  • County Planner (Implementation and Support)
  • Response to Continue reading →

Brief agenda at unusual time and day @ VLCIA 2015-09-08

The only named existing industry project is Smith Drug, which according to the VDT, showed up here in 2009.

Tuesday 8 Sep 2015 at 10AM (no reason given for the odd date and time), the Development Authority is preparing for the Chamber Economic Summit 2015-010-08 and various other events, plus the usual reports. Here’s the agenda.

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, September 8, 2015 11:00 a.m.
Development Authority Conference Room/103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda

Continue reading →