Tag Archives: Brad Lofton

Col. Ricketts responds on solar rooftops and house refitting

The VLCIA board

directed Col. Rickets to respond
to

a couple of my questions.
Here’s his response. -jsq



From: “Allan Ricketts” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>

To: John S. Quarterman

Cc: Brad Lofton

Subject: Response to Your Questions to the VLCIA Board of Directors on 18 January 2011

Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 18:01:35 -0500

Hello John,

This e-mail is in response to the questions you directed to the VLCIA Board
of Directors during the “Citizens to be Heard” portion of the VLCIA Board
Meeting on Tuesday, 18 January 2011.

Continue reading →

“We’re industrial development” –Mary Gooding

After some some other things,


I

asked the VLCIA board (18 Jan 2011)
about my

previously submitted questions about house refitting for insulation and efficiency,
and about rooftop solar,
such as have been successful in Austin and Houston, Texas.

Mary Gooding answered:

“That really would be the city…
we’re industrial development.”

She didn’t say which city.
There is more than one city in the county.
The question as sent to them in writing refered to Hahira; maybe
that’s the city she meant.
Should Hahira not expect any help from VLCIA?

And what about us who don’t live in any of the cities?


So far, all the new solar rooftop installations are in unincorporated
parts of the county, although

both are in Hahira’s 31632 ZIP code.

Col. Ricketts, at the direction of the board, has since sent me a response,
which will lead off tomorrow morning.

VLCIA seemed somewhat confused as to what their protocol is
as to answering questions:

Continue reading →

Jerry Jennett answers Bobbi Anne Hancock



Bobbi Anne Hancock asked a question at the VLCIA board meeting 18 Jan 2011,
and Chairman Jerry Jennett explained that he’s a businessman,
not a scientist, he has to trust the experts, and he’s not prepared
to answer questions.
He says she can state a position, though, and she does so.
See it for yourself:

Apologies for missing the first part, and for the muddy sound.
Professional staff of a tax-funded organization could probably
do a far better job of taking and publishing videos than
a tiny all-volunteer activist organizations such as LAKE.
Video by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

“we got off on the wrong foot.” –Russell Anderson

See also his letter to LAKE. -jsq



From: Russ Anderson

Date: Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 10:11 AM

Subject: Mr. Paulk. My apologies and clarifications

To: apaulk@lowndescounty.com

Dear Commissioner Paulk,

It seems that we got off on the wrong foot. I have recently been
notified that some of the content within the email I sent to you and
other commissioners January 3rd 2011 regarding the biomass Plant were
taken as a personal attack towards you and perceived as having “veiled
threats”. I’m sorry about that and I apologize for the perceived
hostility.



I was also told that in a private conversation, after the {1/11/11}
commission meeting, you referred to me by name as a threat similar to
the “Virginia Tech Shooter.” That is a very personal (and misinformed)
attack and I would appreciate/request a retraction of that statement.
Like everyone, I was absolutely appalled when that tragedy occurred as
I am anytime I see senseless violence committed against anyone.

My motives are to simply attempt to help support the health of Lowndes
County residents and our environment. To compare me to the person that
committed this atrocious crime is slanderous and a defamation of my
character. Such words and perceptions

Continue reading →

Who is “we”? -jsq asks VLCIA



Did the VLCIA board just back off from its staff’s very close association with Wiregrass Power LLC’s biomass plant?

After pointing out that

LAKE posted videos of the entire previous VLCIA board meeting
as a proof of concept that if it could be done by a tiny volunteer
activist group it could be done by a tax-funded professional staff,
and complimenting VLCIA on finally posting videos of their 6 Dec 2010
event a month after LAKE posted videos of the Q&A and
the rest of that meeting,
I asked the VLCIA board

who is going to buy the electricity from the biomass plant.
Chairman Jerry Jennett answered:

“That’s not our problem.” [waves hands]
“You see, industry comes and
it’s his job to sell whatever his output is…
the manufacturing plant…
the output is electricity…”

So I asked how does that match with Col. Ricketts in the previous
board meeting referring to a public/private partnership between
VLCIA and Wiregrass Power LLC and frequently saying “we”.

Col. Ricketts responded that he was only referring to the solar plant
and the GEFA grant.
Well, yes he said that then, but he also said…

Continue reading →

Russell Anderson Responds

Received this morning; see
What is Fiery Roots? and
Paulk interrogates Noll
for backstory. -jsq



From: Russ Anderson

Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:18:02 -0500

Subject: Russell Anderson responses to article about Fiery Roots and
Commissioner Paulk Accusations

Dear L.A.K.E.,

My name is Russell Anderson. Thank you for taking an interest in the
Wiregrass LLC Biomass incinerator issue and my affiliated organization

Collectiveprogression.org.
I am writing today with hopes of clarifying a few things.

First, I’m glad to see there is such an effort as L.A.K.E. in the Lowndes
area. L.A.K.E appears to use strategies that could be modeled by other
communities seeking a more informed population. Information sharing is
critical to achieving a more just and equitable world. The objective of our
organization is simply to share the narratives of community struggles,
solutions, and efforts in hopes of creating better channels of communication
and resource sharing between communities dealing with justice issues. Any
similarities to LAKE’s efforts to

“Cover the planners to connect the dots”
are nothing more than pleasant coincidence.

Hopefully, as our website develops from its infancy, our mission will become
more apparent in the content. We have interviewed people across the country
to uncover ways that people working for justice can be more connected and,

Continue reading →

“the answers remain the same.” –Brad Lofton

Lofton’s response to
my latest.
He gets the last word for today. -jsq



From: Brad Lofton

Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:01:28 -0500

Cc: [see below]

M. Quarterman,

We have responded to your questions on multiple occasions. You are
welcome to continue asking, but the answers remain the same. We have a
very active and successful renewable energy program that exceeds the
biomass/solar project. You have been told this a number of times. As
for existing projects that are in the pipeline, we told in last month’s
board meeting that we are not at liberty to share specifics of any
active recruitment for your blog, or your neighbor’s. We’ll be happy
to share the specifics with the general public at the appropriate time.

Thanks,

BL

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

Cc: “Michael G. Noll”,
“Mary B. Gooding”,
“Ricketts, Allan” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>,
“Copeland, Roy”,
“‘John S. Quarterman'”,
“Susan R. Wehling”,
Kay Harris

“Once again you ignore suggestions” –John S. Quarterman

I just sent this. -jsq

From: “John S. Quarterman”

To: Brad Lofton

Cc: [see below]



Responding to

Brad Lofton’s message,
actually

Dalton, Georgia already has a 365kW solar array installed and in use.
That’s larger than the 350 kW array VLCIA has “about to break ground”,
and Dalton got theirs without having to take a biomass plant with it.

As for wood-sourced biomass,

Rayonier Jesup Mill produces around 78 MW,
which is more than the 40MW biomass plant VLCIA is thinking about starting.
Jesup also got high air and water pollution and high crime.

Meanwhile, Dublin is already hiring for 350 jobs for the MAGE SOLAR manufacturing
plant, while VLCIA’s biomass plant would only bring 25 jobs.

Once again you ignore suggestions for clean energy projects
and reiterate the biomass plant and its bag-on-the-side solar plant
as the whole of VLCIA’s plan.

Fortunately, I have confidence that such experienced developers as
the VLCIA board can do better than that.

Continue reading →

“a great plan!” –Brad Lofton

Brad Lofton replies to my message to the VLCIA board.
I’ll respond in a separate post. -jsq



To: John S. Quarterman

From: Brad Lofton

Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:47:04 -0500

Cc: [see below]

John! Good morning. Always good to hear from citizens so interested in
economic development. I’ll be happy to forward your correspondence to
the other members of our board. I also appreciate your comments in
acknowledging our recent success in the renewable energy cluster. With
a 350 Kw solar array about to break ground, and a 40 Mw biomass, no
community in Georgia has been more successful in the green, renewable
energy sector.

Speaking of Dublin, their recently hired economic development director
(a friend of mine named Cal Wray) recently requested a meeting with us
in Valdosta this month to study our program and evaluate how we’ve been
able to create 1,700 new jobs and nearly half a billion dollars in new
investment over the past four years even in the midst of a painful
recession. It’s a tribute to good leadership, and a great plan!
Have a nice day,

BL

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

Cc: “Michael G. Noll”,
“Mary B. Gooding”,
“Ricketts, Allan” <aricketts@industrialauthority.com>,
“Copeland, Roy”,
“‘John S. Quarterman'”,
“Susan R. Wehling”,
Kay Harris

VLCIA Board Meeting tomorrow, 18 Jan 2011

The next VLCIA board meeting is

5:30 PM tomorrow, 18 January 2011
at

their offices:

2110 North Patterson Street

Valdosta, GA 31602-2580

(229) 259-9972

Here is your VLCIA Board:


Roy Copeland

Roy Copeland
Tom Call

Tom Call
Mary B. Gooding

Mary Gooding
Norman Bennett

Norman Bennett
Jerry Jennett

Jerry Jennett,

Chairman

I expect to be there.
Will you?

-jsq

PS: Maybe I’ll get an answer
to my question.