Videos: Hurricane Irma, Register rezoning, Utility Authority @ LCC 2017-09-26

23 minutes last night to approve 3:2 with many conditions rezoning the 6c. REZ-2017-09 Robert A. Register Estate, with no shouting afterwards like there was at at the previous evening’s Planning Commission meeting, yet a lot of grumbling at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, especially since they seem to have forgotten the greenspace condition.

Biggest crowd in a long time, REZ-2017-09 Robert A. Register Estate

I would like to commend the Commission for the amount and depth of discussion in this meeting, especially in the unscheduled 10. Commission Comments and Recognitions and Meeting Adjournment, which was mostly about Clay Griner’s idea of having a county-wide utility authority including all the cities in the county. Update 2017-10-20: moved the rest of this utility authority commentary down to the video item below.

Also not on the agenda was Chairman Slaughter comments on community response to Hurricane Irma (which were mostly about county staff; well-deserved especially for Ashley Tye) and Georgia Power Representative recognizes county hurricane response.

While it’s great that Georgia Power came to compliment the county, does that electric utility rep. reside in or pay property taxes in Lowndes County, and why was he not required to state his name and address? Ditto the software salesman for Continue reading →

Videos: Candidate Forum, AAUW 2017-09-21

Valdosta State University gave the American Association of University Women Powell Hall for this candidate forum last Thursday, September 21, 2017. Why they held it in a dark room with bad acoustics, I don’t know, but at least you can see the candidates and other speakers.

Here are links to each LAKE video, followed by a LAKE video playlist. Yes, you may use one of these videos or clips in your political ad, provided you cite the source: Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE). See also the announcement in the VDT.

Video.

Continue reading →

Videos: Return of Register + Laurel Run, Tucker Road @ GLPC 2017-09-25

There was shouting last night at the end of REZ-2017-09 Robert A. Register Estate, because some people didn’t like a recommendation for rezoning even with numerous conditions attached. That one took almost an hour, far longer than all the rest of the agenda. Tonight at 5:30 PM this rezoning in Lake Park goes to the Lowndes County Commision for the actual decision; they already discussed it yesterday morning.

Below are LAKE videos of last night’s Planning Commission meeting. See also Continue reading →

Videos: HEAT on Lake Park @ LCC 2017-09-25

Yesterday morning, most lengthhy at 6 minutes was 6c. REZ-2017-09 Robert A. Register Estate, followed at 2 minutes by 7 a. Amended Motorized Cart Ordinance.

Below are links to each LAKE video of the Work Session of 25 September 2017. See also the previous notes with the agenda. For the three rezoning cases, see also the LAKE videos of the Planning Commission meetings of 28 August 2017 and 25 September 2017.

Return of Register + Laurel Run, Tucker Road @ GLPC 2017-09-25

Tabled last month, REZ-2017-09 Robert A. Register Estate is back on the Planning Commission agenda for tonight. Meanwhile the Lowndes County Commission already discussed it this morning and is scheduled to vote on this rezoning Tuesday evening.

TRC table of recommendations, REZ-2017-19 Register Estate
TRC Table of recommendations for REZ-2017-09.

Plus REZ-2017-10 Laurel Run Homes, LLC and REZ-2017-08 West Ridge Business Park.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission Continue reading →

Videos: Tiny to large, Lake Park and Lowndes County @ GLPC 2017-08-28

At the Planning Commission,

Below are links to each LAKE video from this GLPC meeting. See also the Continue reading →

HEAT on the agenda @ LCC 2017-09-25

This morning, 8:30 AM, all of the items from the previous cancelled meeting are back on the agenda, for voting Tuesday 5:30 PM. Plus four more:

  1. For Consideration:
    1. Addendum to the Withlacoochee Flood Inundation Mapping Project
    2. USGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge
    3. Public Safety Information Technology Purchase
    4. High Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (HEAT), Document:

      HISTORY, FACTS, AND ISSUES: The certified Lowndes County fatality rate: 2006-14, 2007-14, 2008~19, 2009-16, 2010-18, 2011-15, 2012-11, 2013-7, 2014-14, 2015-19, 2016-20. Any traffic fatality in Lowndes County is too many. For numerous years, the county has been plagued with an unacceptable fatality rate. Consistently for ten years between 2006 and 2016 we suffered with as much as nineteen people dying annually in crashes. In April 2012 the Sheriff created the SPEED team which joined forces with the Valdosta Police HEAT team. Together both agencies diligently fought to reduce the fatality rate. In 2013, Lowndes County recorded an unprecedented lowest rate of the decade with seven fatalities.

      radar gun
      Photo: Valdosta Daily Times

      Soon after, the police department lost their HEAT team which contributed to a Continue reading →

Solar panels at Langboard, Brooks County, GA

What needs no testing or cooling water, no eminent domain, no fuel, and emits only clean electricity? Solar panels, like those built by SolAmerica Energy behind the Langboard plant in Brooks County, Georgia.

Google map,
Behind Langboard OSB, on Langboard Lane, off US 84 just west of the Withlacoochee River in Lowndes County, Georgia.

Drone Video of Langdale Solar Tracker in Brooks County, Georgia

Continue reading →

SGRC Regional Plan Update Workshop in Valdosta 2017-09-21

Received yesterday:

Good Morning,

A quick reminder for our 1st Regional Plan Update Workshop on:

September 21st, 2017 9:30a to 12:30p

Valdosta SGRC Offices at 327 W. Savannah Ave

The first workshop will cover the following topics:

Regional Bicycle Corridors
Regional Bicycle Corridors

  1. Review the existing issues and opportunities within the Region and determine whether Continue reading →