Category Archives: Water

Videos: Alcohol, Transportation, Water, and Safety @ LCC 2014-09-22

Update: Board packet.

They took a little longer than ten minutes, because Commissioners had questions about the right of way abandonment and even more questions about rent, tenants, and services at the Leila Ellis Social Services Building, and about the Public Safety Radio System System Upgrade: Commissioners actually want to see what they’re voting in; fancy that! Plus a substantial presentation about the USGS water level gauge on the Little River and an unscheduled request for approval for a continuation of a Victims Assistance grant.

Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes, followed by a playlist.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Alcohol, Transportation, Water, and Safety @ LCC 2014-09-22

Will they take ten minutes to consider all these agenda items? They’re meeting right now.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation

    Only in the Regular Session.

  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

    Only in the Regular Session.

  4. Minutes for Approval
    1. Work Session — September 8, 2014
    2. Regular Session — September 9, 2014
  5. Public Hearing
    1. Beer, Wine and Liquor License — Cowboys Fire Pit Grill, LLC — 1088 Lakes Blvd
  6. For Consideration
    1. Abandonment of Unopened Right of Way off Water Oak Drive
    2. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Operating Contracts
    3. Leila Ellis Social Services Building-Approval of Lease Agreements
    4. GEMA Performance Partnership Agreement (FY 2014)
    5. USGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge
    6. Public Safety Radio System Upgrade
  7. Reports-County Manager
  8. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

    Only in the Regular Session.

-jsq

Videos: GP Investments, Hahira, Pipeline, Alapaha Water Trail @ LCC 2014-09-09

Five citizens spoke, on topics including the “horrible wretched smell” from ADS, the Sabal Trail pipeline, the proposed local charter school, and the board packet and the Alapaha River Water Trail. Chairman Bill Slaughter asserted there had been nineteen applicants for the Planning Commission appointment and seemed to think the public should be happy about that, having learned it presumably by telepathy. He didn’t divulge who those applicants were, and the only one in the board packet (charming young white guy Brad Folsom) 300x450 2014-09-09-uldc-map-001, in wndes County Zoning Map, by Lowndes County Planning and Zoning, 9 September 2014 was appointed after somebody reminded the Chairman to at least get a motion first. They also appointed Commissioner Joyce Evans to the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. On the GP Investments water rezoning, County Planner Jason Davenport didn’t know whether there had been a dump site there or where the well would go, but they approved it anyway. They also approved the bookkeeping ULDC updates for Special Events, Zoning Map, Fees and they have since put the new zoning map online!

They approved unanimously the annual prisoner work detail contract without even mentioning the cost. And unanimously with no discussion they approved the Hahira extratorial request.

Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and some notes. See also the board packet, obtained for you by LAKE through an open records request, and the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, which have quite a bit more information, including applicants for appointment speaking.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Duke Energy and Sabal Trail at Suwannee County Commission 2014-09-02

300x219 Swearing in speakers, in Duke Suwannee new turbine resolution sails through Suwannee County Commission, by John S. Quarterman, 2 September 2014 Duke Energy reps couldn’t answer any questions beyond their canned presentation, not about water use, not about their permit application to FL-PSC for a new site, and not about Sabal Trail pipeline routing. But the Suwannee County Commission passed their requested resolution anyway for a pair of new natural gas turbines.

Update 16 September 2014: Here’s video of Debra Johnson’s find:

Mr, Oxendine (chairman) announced at the end of the meeting that “they are not ignoring the Sabal Trail Pipeline and its threat to Suwannee County. Mr. Oxendine also stated “he has instructed Mr. Harris and Mr. Prevatt (County Attorney) to evaluate the situation and consider doing something similar to the other counties that have passed resolutions and ordinances against The ST pipeline in their counties.” Next meeting tomorrow night Tuesday 09-16-2014 at 6pm.

300x223 Duke application: introduction, in Duke Suwannee new turbine resolution sails through Suwannee County Commission, by John S. Quarterman, 2 September 2014 Someone (apparently county staff) introduced the Duke item in the agenda below:

for the construction of two new simple-cycle combustion turbines and associated equipment as well as a 40 by 100 administrative building. The turbines will be fueled by natural gas….

It’s Duke’s existing land plus a bit more they’ve bought.

300x222 Debra Johnson, Suwannee County resident, in Duke Suwannee new turbine resolution sails through Suwannee County Commission, by John S. Quarterman, 2 September 2014 Local resident Debra Johnson asked Duke to withdraw their plans.

Continue reading →

Water issues in rezoning near VSU, appointments to Hospital and Tree Authorities @ VCC 2014-09-11

WWALS adds some water issues about that Turner Brooks rezoning, and there are appointments to the Hospital and Authorities at tonight’s Valdosta City Council meeting.

Here’s the agenda.

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, September 11, 2014
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
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Board packet @ LCC 2014-09-08

232x300 Survey plat REZ-2014-15, in Board Packet, Lowndes County Commission, by John S. Quarterman, 8 September 2014 Here is the board packet for this morning’s Work Session and Tuesday evening’s Regular Session. First time I’ve ever seen one before they vote on it. I thank the county for that, and you can all see what they are considering.

Hoever, it cost me $33.50, because staff included all 385 pages of the ULDC, even though that (unlike the rest of it) is online on the county website.

They also delivered it only on paper, and only in black and white, even though the Planning Department produces all the land use maps electronically and in color. And they didn’t deliver before the Work Session as I asked, even though obviously the board packet was assembled Continue reading →

Videos: GP Investments and Hahira’s Extraterritorial Request @ LCC 2014-09-08

Update 2014-09-09: Board packet via LAKE open records request.

Twelve minutes. When do they actually talk about things? They vote Tuesday at 5:30 PM. “Hahira’s Extraterritorial Request” is for water and sewer for John Bailey. “Rezoning case REZ-2014-15” is also about water and sewer. The other obscure public hearing is to fix something county staff didn’t do correctly back in June.

Yes, it’s the old white guy to replace the young black woman on the Planning Commission, and it’s Commissioner Joyce Evans for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. And yes, it’s the annual renewal of hiring prisoners from Valdosta State Prison.

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

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

County back at Lake Alapaha, Hahira dwelling, Solar maybe solved in Valdosta @ ZBOA 2014-09-09

Back again: the county’s never-ending no-bid Alapaha Water Treatment plant. And Dr. Urbonas may withdraw his solar parking variance because if he connects the structures to his building they don’t need a variance.

New cases: a single-family design variance near Hahira an accessory structure near Valdosta, and a sign variance in Valdosta.

Here’s the agenda for Tuesday 9 September 2014. The City of Valdosta puts ZBOA agendas and minutes online in real PDFs. Continue reading →

Videos: ULDC Lake Alapaha, house, design; LDR solar parking lot @ ZBOA 2014-08-05

ZBOA postponed Lowndes County’s Lake Alapaha water treatment plant variance so the county could think about it some more, presumably related to that no-bid contract for equipment upgrade.. Two other county Lowndes County variances ( minimum side yard setbacks (approved), lot access (denied). Both of Dr. Urbonas’ solar parking lot Valdosta cases were tabled for a month so he could figure out a revised way to do it, probably involving connecting the supports to the building so they wouldn’t be accessory structures. Plus some sentiment that Valdosta City Council needed to address this issue that solar parking shouldn’t be classed as accessory structures.

The county cases are variances from the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) and the city cases are variances from Valdosta’s Land Development Regulations (LDR), and both the ULDC and LDR are supposed to be consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.

Here’s the agenda with links into the videos and some notes. All ZBOA members were present: Paul Alvarado, Laverne Gaskins, Nancy Hobby, Dr. Willie Houseal, Mac McCall, Scott Orenstein, Gretchen Quarterman, and Chairman Allan Strickland. The City of Valdosta puts ZBOA agendas and minutes online in real PDFs.

Valdosta -Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

Continue reading →

Nova Scotia banned fracking; will southeast U.S. ban fracked methane pipelines?

Yesterday Nova Scotia announced a ban on fracking. Will local or state governments in the southeast, now threatened by the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline, ban such pipelines? Especially since FERC has now directed Sabal Trail to examine routes through Americus, Cordele, Ashburn, Tifton, Adel, Valdosta, and even Thomasville, in addition to the ones it already proposed through Dougherty, Colquitt, Brooks, and Lowndes Counties?

Sierra Club Canada wrote about public meetings in its Media Release of 28 August 2014, Government of Nova Scotia Needs to Ban Fracking,

“Public meetings held by the panel were attended by an overwhelming majority of well-informed citizens who had deep concerns about fracking,” according to [Gretchen] Fitzgerald, “Those concerns should be met with the type of leadership they deserve: an immediate, legally binding ban.”

And the Nova Scotia government listened. Bruce Erskine wrote for The Herald Business 3 September 2014, Nova Scotia to ban fracking, posting a video in which you can hear Energy Minister Andrew Younger say: Continue reading →