Tag Archives: Economy

Emergency road repair, grandfathered business, water, and Rural Land Agricultural Improvement Schedules @ LCC 2014-10-27


Bailey’s back
after
much discussion last time.


This time they’re

actually going for multiple bids for a water item,
unlike the
single-source price-not-quoted pump replacement last time.
And they’re buying some property (at some place unnamed)

for a booster pump.

What’s this mysterious

Rural Land Agricultural Improvement Schedules?
Why does

Shiloh Road need emergency repairs?
Nothing about that on

the new county Lowndes411 twitter account,
and the county still doesn’t publish its own board packets.

I can understand why the Commission needs to approve

a juvenile justice grant,
a

GEFA loan application,
to

accept quit claim deeds for a subdivision’s detention ponds,
and to

accept infrastructure for a subdivision, not to mention

a CDBG agreement.
But to

replace batteries in a UPS?

Here’s

the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Too bad about the Nichols House –Jim Parker @ VCC 2014-10-23

Received 23 October 2014 on

Alfred Willis comments at Valdosta Historic Preservation 2014-10-06.
I added the [vote correction] and the links. -jsq



I attended tonight’s City Council meeting, and heard
Dr Willis’ impassioned advocacy
of the Council approving the historical
preservation of the Nichols’ House. Our Historic Preservation
Commission

reviewed this and request recommended approval by a vote
of five to one. Dr Willis sold me on the merits. Unfortunately, the
Council must not have heard what I did, and unanimously
voted against
[actually
all but one against]
approving the designation. It looks to me, that as it
stands, demolition of the house could commence tomorrow, and the
replacement construction of the apartments for VSU students can
commence.

A huge number of apartment buildings have been built over the past
few years. First with the large complexes of Blanton Commons, The
Gardens, and The Grove, to the numerous buildings along West Mary,
Baytree Drive, Boone Drive and Oak Street, among others. Plans are
still on tap for the major development of the entire city block just
south of campus (one that I can actually appreciate). The question
was mentioned to me tonight whether Continue reading →

Videos: Nichols House, Turner Brooks, Scintilla Charter School, sidewalk, street lights @ VCC 2014-10-23



If it’s old, it’s no good: tear it down!
Despite

Alfred Willis saying the

Nichols House was not just

historic like he presented in his October 1st lecture,
but perhaps the most historic,

a lawyer spoke against it,
and
the Valdosta City Council voted against preserving it
and thus in favor of demolishing it for the

Turner Brooks subdivision next to VSU.
Only Council Robert Yost, in whose district the Nichols House remains
for the moment,

voted for preserving it.
We’re told the

water issues noted by WWALS for that subdivision
are permitting issues, so we’ll see what happens with those.
See also

Alfred Willis’ comments to the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission.

And the Council approved

Scintilla Charter School’s conditional use,
perhaps not coincidentally after local attorney Bill Langdale spoke for it.
Plus a

sidewalk,

streetlights, and other matters.

See
the agenda.
Here are videos of events as they transpired at the 23 October 2014 Regular Session of the Valdosta City Council.

Continue reading →

Protest at Valdosta Sabal Trail office 2014-10-21

Joe Adgie wrote for the VDT 22 October 2014,

Residents protests Sabal Trail,



VALDOSTA — A group of around 40 Valdosta and Lowndes County
residents went to the Sabal Trail’s Valdosta office on Tuesday
afternoon in protest of the group’s proposed pipeline.

The group, many of which carried signs displaying their opposition
to the pipeline, discussed the impact of a pipeline on the area.

Dr. Michael Noll, president of Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy,
discussed wanting to educate the community about the dangers of a
natural gas pipeline.

“We also want to Continue reading →

Nichols House, Turner Brooks, Scintilla Charter School, sidewalk, street lights @ VCC 2014-10-23



The historic nature of the

Nichols House
in the proposed

Turner Brooks subdivision next to VSU,
which also has

water issues noted by WWALS,
will be considered at the Valdosta City Council tonight; the picture is of people at a previous Planning Commission meeting about this.
See

Alfred Willis’ comments to the Valdosta Historic Preservation Commission.
Also Scintilla Charter School’s proposed rezoning, a sidewalk,
streetlights, and other matters.

Here’s the agenda.

AGENDA

REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL

5:30 PM Thursday, October 23, 2014

COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL

Continue reading →

Videos: Update on Economic Development meeting @ VLCIA 2014-09-16



Here’s the
agenda,
and here are videos of the meeting as it proceeded.
They meet again tonight at 5:30 PM.

Existing Industry Spotlight @ VLCIA 2014-10-21



Local candidates for office who think the Development Authority
should promote existing local industry should maybe look at

Existing Industry Spotlight,
Existing Industry —Allan Ricketts,
and

Existing Industry Coordinator position to be posted
in tonight’s
agenda.

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 5:30 p.m.

Development Authority Conference Room

103 Roosevelt Drive

Monthly Meeting Agenda

Continue reading →

Georgia Power plans to change all streetlights to LEDs

Terri Lupo. South Region Vice President at Georgia Power,
has provided further information on

Valdosta converting to LED streetlights.



She said on the telephone yesterday that
Georgia Power met with Valdosta City Manager Larry Hanson last week.
Georgia Power plans over next four years to change out all the streetlights
in Georgia, from high pressure sodium (or whatever they’re currently using)
to LED lighting.
She says that will be more efficient, and will provide more
light, with a better pattern of coverage.
Valdosta had already expressed interest, so they were one of the first
to join this LED streetlight program.

She said it’s not surprising

Tim Carroll was a little vague on the details,
since Georgia Power is Continue reading →

Videos: Transportation, Water, Safety, and Alcohol @ LCC 2014-09-23


300x255 2100 East Hill Avenue, in GDOT option at Clay, Hollywood, and US 84, by John S. Quarterman, 23 September 2014
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall recused himself
in the Regular Session of 23 September 2014,
for the

Public Safety Radio System System Upgrade,
in case anybody thought a Motorola VP with the same last name was related. (Update 11:10 AM: added transcription of the three-part motion.)
Rental leases for the

Leila Ellis Social Services Building
got more discussion.
They added

VOCA-funded VWMAP
and

GDOT at Clay and Hollywood (from the previous morning’s Executive Session), that the Tax Assessor’s database says is owned by the School Board,
to the

amended agenda.
Everything else,
including

the USGS water level gauge on the Little River,
was breezed through with no discussion,
so fast the Chairman almost forgot to ask for speakers
in

an alcohol license public hearing,
and he didn’t bother to mention
before they adjourned that

nobody had signed up for Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.

Here’s the

amended agenda
with links to the videos and a few notes,
followed by a playlist.
See also the
LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session
and

Board Packet.

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 →

Valdosta converting to LED streetlights

Council Tim Carroll says that City Manager Larry Hanson
announced at the City Council meeting Tuesday


that Valdosta will be converting all its streetlights to LEDs.
This conversion is at least partly funded through a pilot program
with

Georgia Power.
Apparently Georgia Power keeps the savings until they recoup the
expenses.
Valdosta was one of only four or five cities in the state selected
for this program.

More detail when the approved minutes are available in two weeks.

-jsq