Tag Archives: John S. Quarterman

Anti-pipeline ordinance resolution + 3 more ordinances @ VCC 2014-12-09

As promised, item 5.c) on the agenda for Thursday’s Regular Meeting and Tuesday’s Work Session of the Valdosta City Council: 300x352 Page 1, in Agenda, Valdosta City Council, by John S. Quarterman, 9 December 2014

Consideration of a Resolution in support of the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners regarding the Sabal Trail Project.

Has staff found the digital copies of the maps for CU-2014-11 Normal Life of Georgia? If the county put agenda packets for the Planning Commission online, staff wouldn’t have to worry about that.

Here’s the agenda, thanks to images from Council Member Tim Carroll.

3:26 PM
120514 Agenda Packet.pdf
AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, December 11, 2014
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Valdosta proposes resolution against Sabal Trail pipeline @ VCC 2014-12-09

A draft resolution in support of Lowndes County’s resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline will be discussed by the Valdosta City Council at their Work Session Tuesday 9 December and very likely voted on at their Regular Session Thursday 11 December. This is according to Valdosta City Council Tim Carroll, who has seen the draft resolution.

This would be a very good idea, not just since Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, but also because three alternative routes would go right down I-75 through Valdosta.

Both Valdosta City Council meetings are at 5:30 PM at Valdosta City Hall, 216 E Central Ave, Valdosta, GA 31601. Yes, that means the City’s Work Session is at the same time as the County’s Regular Session when the county proposes to vote on their own resolution Tuesday 9 December 2014.

Another very bad PR week for Spectra, what with Continue reading →

Spectra backtracks on eminent domain in VDT

Sabal Trail tries to teach us how to read, plus redefining centuries of common law.

Joe Adgie wrote for the VDT today 3 December 2014, Sabal Trail: Accusations ‘lack any substance’,

Two representatives with Sabal Trail Transmission disputed complaints from property owners in correspondence with The Valdosta Daily Times and with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Lisa Connolly, general manager of rates and certificates for Sabal Trail, said that letters sent to property owners should be read in a different light than was presented.

“A fair reading of these letters Continue reading →

Sabal Trail disappointed in GWC Dirty Dozen; locals disappointed in Sabal Trail –WCTV

Spectra’s Andrea Grover is “disappointed” in Sabal Trail being on the Georgia Water Coalition Dirty Dozen; does she also find it “hard to believe” like Sabal Trail’s well-documented eminent domain threats?

300x166 Harm --Chris Manganiello, in GWC Dirty Dozen Sabal Trail on WCTV, by John S. Quarterman, for WWALS.net, 26 November 2014 Winnie Wright, WCTV, 26 November 2014, Sabal Trail Pipeline Environmental Concerns Cited In Annual ‘Dirty Dozen’ Report,

Recently, The Georgia Water Coalition put the Sabal Trail Pipeline on their Dirty Dozen Report for 2014.

300x167 Winnie Wright of WCTV, in GWC Dirty Dozen Sabal Trail on WCTV, by John S. Quarterman, for WWALS.net, 26 November 2014 You can see Cherry Creek sinkhole behind her as she reported. She was navigated there by VSU professor Can Denizman.

She also interviewed several locals, including me at the Withlacoochee River.

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Videos: 9 consideration, 6 tax lighting, 4 appointments, 2 rezonings, 1 proclamation @ LCC 2014-10-27 LCC 2014-11-10

REZ-2014-17 Grand Bay Estates, in Lowndes County Commission Work Session, by John S. Quarterman, 10 November 2014 They vote tonight on what they discussed yesterday morning in these videos. A subdivision rezoning gets no objections while a rezoning for agricultural use gets massive objections. Also few if any of those objectors have said anything about the Sabal Trail pipeline. Do priorities around here seem odd?

The emergency security monitor replacement is, you guessed it, a no-bid contract with the same company that originally installed them. Which fits with the no-bid Alapaha Water Plant Expansion, back this time for property acquisition after twice failing to get a setback variance at ZBOA.

The state changed the qualifications Continue reading →

Videos: Existing Industry Spotlight @ VLCIA 2014-10-21

They’re hiring an Existing Industry Coordinator to start in October or November. They granted an easement on Madison Highway to Valdosta for a rechlorination booster station.

No citizens spoke at the 21 October 2014 Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority meeting. Nobody there but Greg Justice of Regal Marine (presented a framed copy of the VDT article about his company), VDT reporter Stuart Taylor (here’s his report), and Gretchen (who took these videos). Roy Copeland wanted to know about numbers of new jobs and reporting to the community.

Here’s the agenda, and below are the videos of events as they transpired.

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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
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Rosalynn Carter at Lowndes County Courthouse, 6PM Thu Oct 9th 2014

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter will here tomorrow, 6PM October 8th 9th, at the Lowndes County Courthouse, to support her grandson Jason Carter for Governor of Georgia, the Lowndes County Democratic Party announced today.

Incumbent Gov. Nathan Deal’s campaign took $10,000 from Spectra Energy, which wants to build the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline through south Georgia. Deal’s campaign also accepted contributions from three other pipeline companies, adding up to at least $21,300.

Jason Carter’s campaign accepted no dollars ($0) from any of those companies. And as his campaign website says, State Senator Jason Carter “has twice received Environmental Leadership awards from Georgia Conservation Voters”.

Former President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter visited Valdosta in 2003, when they helped Habitat for Humanity build a house. Tomorrow she will be back, this time at the Courthouse.

-jsq

Solar project underway at Robins Air Force Base

WCTV via AP 5 October 2014, Solar project underway at Robbins Air Force Base,

The Telegraph reports that land has been cleared on a 57-acre tract near Georgia Highway 247 to make room for solar panels.

Wayne Crenshaw wrote for the Telegraph 3 October 2014, and spelled Robins Air Force Base correctly, Solar array project changes landscape south of Robins,

Previously the 57-acre tract next to Ga. 247 just south of the Museum of Aviation was forestland, but those trees have been cut down over the past month to make way for the solar array….

But what would probably catch people’s eye the most is Continue reading →