Tag Archives: Economy

Videos: Subdivisions, solar, and alcohol @ LCC 2018-11-12

The same Val Del Road subdivision

on today’s agenda for the third time
was tabled the second time it came up,
a month ago.
Here

it is in the LAKE videos
in the Work Session of November 12, 2018,
when the applicant hadn’t even responded to the Commissioners’ previous request to consider 1.5 acre lots.


By far the longest thing that day, at half an hour,
was

7. Reports – Special Presentation ABM Industries Inc..

Below are links to each LAKE video of the 12 November 2018 Work Session,
with a few comments.
See also Continue reading →

Generators and communications for sewer system lift stations @ VCC 2018-12-06

Nothing is on

the agenda
about the recent major spill at the Withlacoochee Wastewater Treatment Plant for tonight’s Valdosta City Council meeting.


However, there are three other sewage-related Utility Department items:
bids for

ten emergency standby generators and for


water treatment chemicals, and

Consideration of a request to purchase a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system for Lift Stations and Water Treatment Plants.

Those are all good steps, so lift stations won’t fail due to lack of power,
so Valdosta Utilities can know what’s going on in real time (SCADA),
and so they can continue testing.

Maybe you’d like to come compliment Valdosta on that much
and ask them what they’re doing to prevent WWTP spills,
in

Citizens to be Heard.

Also tonight, appointments to KLVB, VLCDA, and Valdosta Tree Commission.

AGENDA

REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL

5:30 PM Thursday, December 6, 2018

COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL

Continue reading →

Subdivisions, solar, and alcohol @ LCC 2018-11-12

Back on
the agenda
for Monday morning
is

the subdivision that does not match any of the criteria
the Lowndes County Commission is supposed to consider,
so will they approve

REZ-2018-17 The Settlement North, 5999 Val Del Road?

The Planning Commission recommended denying that one, but has since

recommended approving this one:

REZ-2018-18 Knights Landing, Phase III, 3982 Bemiss Knights Academy Road.

County staff want

ABM to help reduce energy costs.
How about add some solar panels to the roof of the county palace
and over its parking lot, while you’re at it?


On the roof, A Year of Firsts, ABM

As ABM says:

With the cost of solar installations rapidly declining, and the
number of government and utility incentives increasing, solar has
undergone a radical evolution from a feel good environmental story
to a source for businesses to gain a financial advantage over their
competitors.

See
ABM Energy Vice President Ted O’Shea,

Leveraging Solar to Gain a Competitive Financial Advantage:
Why go Solar at Your Facility: White Paper.

The rest of the agenda is Continue reading →

Tax Assessors Special Called Meeting, Lowndes County, Georgia 2018-10-25

In the

VDT Community Calendar:

Board of Assessors Special Called meeting, 9 a.m. Oct. 25, 1st
floor, Lowndes County Governmental Building, 302 N. Patterson St.


302 N Patterson, Street View

There’s no agenda, and nothing about this on Continue reading →

Videos: farewell Jason Davenport, approval limits, CALEA, personal care home @ LCC 2018-09-11

The county held

a ceremony for departing Lowndes County Planner Jason Davenport.
I asked the person sitting in his former seat,

Engineering/Planning Technician Molly Stevenson,
if she was confirmed yet.
She would only say it was confirmed that she was sitting there right then.


They also had a

911 CALEA Re-Accreditation Presentation
and the Chairman recognized

Leadership Lowndes.

Citizens

Bob Harlan
and

Fred E. Blanton Jr
complained about road conditions.
I

thanked Utilities Director Steve Stalvey for sending
information about recent Lowndes County sewage spills (two in July),
and I thanked him advance for sending the NPDES-permit-required followup testing
(not yet received).

On
the REZ-2018-16 Stovall rezoning,
the applicant revealed the reason for the previous restriction
when Continue reading →

Videos: Naylor Boat Ramp, approval limits, CALEA, personal care home @ LCC 2018-09-10

News about
the Naylor Boat Ramp in

an Engineering Projects Report!
Chad McLeod also reported about the 911 center,
the North Lowndes Soccer Complex,
the fire warehouse classroom,
the animal shelter,
and
the courthouse renovation project,
all still to be completed from SPLOST VII funds, which run out next year.
Even with that three-and-a-half-minute special engineering report, the whole meeting took ten minutes Monday morning.

Also not on the agenda,
HR has a new employee.
Also there will be a new traffic signal.


Should

the County Manager and the Finance Director
be able to approve Continue reading →

CALEA, personal care home, and county manager approval limit @ LCC 2018-09-10

Should

the County Manager and the Finance Director
be able to approve

2.5 times as much in dollar value
on budgeted items as they currently can?

Also a rezoning
to reconfigure for two parcels
and another
to permit personal care homes,
plus a
911 CALEA Re-Accreditation Presentation
are
on

the agenda for 8:30 AM this morning at the Work Session
and tomorrow evening’s voting Regular Session.


2015-03-09 rezoning for Stovall property

The rezoning
REZ-2018-16 Stovall, 6002 N. Oak St. Ext.
to permit personal care homes is

“as a result of a potential buyer’s interest in developing the property into an assisted living facility”.
This same Tuesday, the same property is on

ZBOA’s agenda
for a variance on the buffer condition.

The 2015-03-10 agenda for the earlier rezoning from R-21 to C-G, Well & Other did not say anything specifically about private care facilities,
nor did the Continue reading →

Church, manufacturing, subdivisions, Hahira annexation @ GLPC 2018-08-27

The

Hahira annexation and rezoning
from the Lowndes County Commission meeting two weeks ago (and see comment below)
was on the

agenda for the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) last night,
along with another subdivision, a church expansion, and some industry,
in Valdosta and Lowndes County.
I did not go, and Gretchen is out of the county, so there is no LAKE video.

You may ask yourself, as I do: why doesn’t the county video GLPC meetings?
Or the city of Valdosta?
Both have the facilities to do so.


Hahira annexation and rezoning HA-2018-03, HA-2018-02

On the

LAKE website,
Hahira annexation and rezoning HA-2018-03, HA-2018-02.

LAKE received this comment yesterday on the Hahira case:

Here is more info on this project which I am proud to bring to the community and which I believe will be a wonderful addition to it that all will feel proud to have. It ties into the community roots, it honors those that came before, and it meets a need today in north Lowndes County and does so in a wall all can feel proud of. I am a concerned citizen like anyone else and that is a big part of why I have gone out of my way with my engineer and planners to create something not only compliant, but that goes well above the line to bring something truly beautiful, that reflects both my family and my community in a way I can hold my up about when I walk around the community. Thank you for your interest. Sincerely, Chris Connell http://www.mcnealestates.com

LAKE does not have a position on this case.
We will be happy to publish other comments for or against.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission


Lowndes County


City of Valdosta


City of Dasher


City of Hahira


City of Lake Park



REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA



Monday, August 27, 2018 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing


Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office

325 West Savannah Avenue

Continue reading →

Lowndes County rolled back millage @ LCC 2018-08-17

As Lowndes County Finance Director Stephanie Black always reminds everybody,

of
the total 8.814 county millage, 1 mil goes to the Development Authority,
and 1.25 mils to Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreational Authority.
Here is a table from the

PDF of her presentation slides.

Property Tax Example
City of Valdosta Resident Unincorporated Resident
Property Value $200,000 $200,000

Assessed Value (40%) $80,000 $80,000

Homestead Exemption $(6,000) $(6,000)

Net Taxable Base $74,000 $74,000

Tax Calculation:

Lowndes County — 8.814 PY 8.974 $652 $652

Development Authority — 1.00 $74 $74

Parks

& Recreation Authority — 1.25 $93 $93

Lowndes County Schools — 16.541 PY 16.839 $1,224

City of Valdosta — 8.001 PY 8.001 $592

Valdosta City Schools — 16.980 PY 16.980 $1,257

Total Estimated Taxes $2,668 $2,043

Since she made that table, Valdosta actually lowered its millage to 7.916, which in the above example would mean $50.32 less per year, for an example of how little difference
these minor millage rollbacks or increases actually mean to taxpayers.
The

Valdosta Board of Education wants to increase its tax rate (but not its millage).

Last year the Lowndes County Commission voted on the millage during a Regular Session,

Tuesday, August 22, 2017.


This year Continue reading →

Solar and wind can power Georgia

Solar power is here right now. Georgia is #10 in the nation (up from #22 in 2017)
by solar deployed (1,552.98 MW) and #7 in projected growth,
according to

the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
That’s ahead of Florida, but still behind much farther north New Jersey and Massachusetts, which have less sun.


Graph: Top 10 Solar Power States, SEIA, Paul Horn, Inside Climate News


Graph: Top 10 Solar Power States, SEIA, Paul Horn, Inside Climate News

This Georgia solar improvement is despite Southern Company and Georgia Power cutting back on
renewable energy investment last year and a hostile federal administration.


Graph: Georgia's Solar Boom, SEIA and Paul Horn, InsideClimateNews


Graph: Georgia’s Solar Boom, SEIA and Paul Horn, InsideClimateNews

Sheer economies of scale continue decreasing solar prices and driving
more solar installations, with more jobs. Continue reading →