Since we posted the
Reapportionment maps
obtained Tuesday evening,
the county has posted PDF versions
of this same information on their own website.
Copies are
on the LAKE website and appended
below.
I’ve added HTML tables of the statistics.
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Here are
the new County Commission District maps
that the Commission
just agreed on tonight for reapportionment due to the new census
and population changes in the county.
These are the districts that will be used for next year’s County Commission elections.
These documents were obtained by John S. Quarterman for LAKE from County Manager Joe Pritchard by asking the County Commission during Citizens Wishing to Be Heard at their Regular Session of 13 December 2011.
I made a little list of requests, and the County Manager fulfilled all of them. I’m convinced this demonstrates that Joe Pritchard is indeed typecast as Santa Claus.
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Visiting CCA HQ in Nashville, Tennessee the other day, Gretchen said:
Here we are at CCA, Corrections Corporation of America. They think that they’re patriotic; they have a U.S. flag. And they have a Corrections Corporation of America flag and it says Excellence in Corrections. We don’t think too much of private prisons.Here’s the video.No private prisons.
No CCA.
You can help stop CCA right here at home.
We don’t need a private prison in Lowndes County, Georgia.
Spend those tax dollars on rehabilitation and education instead.
Follow
this link
to petition the Industrial Authority.
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The
Zoning Board of Appeals decided unanimously at its 6 December 2011 meeting
to publish its agendas and minutes on the City of Valdosta’s website.
This item was not on the agenda, but members of such a board can make motions
anyway.
Member Gretchen Quarterman suggested it.
Valdosta City Planner Matt Martin said they could do it no problem.
Discussion ensued.
They all agreed to post agends before their meetings,
and to post minutes after they are approved (usually at the next meeting,
a month later).
Maybe other local boards and authorities will follow this example.
Left to right: Laverne Gaskins (V), Gretchen Quarterman (L), Paul Alvarado (V), Allan Strickland, Chair (V), Nancy Hobby (V), Dave Kirk (L), Carmella Braswell (Lowndes County Zoning Administrator), Matt Martin (Valdosta City Planning and Zoning Administrator). Absent: Scott Orenstein, Vice-Chair (V), Dr. William Houseal (L). L: Lowndes County appointee. V: Valdosta appointee.
Here’s the video:
ZBOA decides to publish agendas and minutes on Valdosta website
Agendas and Minutes,
Regular Session, Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 6 December 2011.
Videos by John S. Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
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Unfortunately I missed this meeting as well, and not by choice.I vaguely remembered that Roy Copeland mentioned after the October
meeting that the December date might be changed to December 6. Thus, I called Tuesday shortly after 5pm to verify if a meeting was indeed scheduled. I only got the answering machine (indicating to me that the office was closed) and the IA website (as so often) was no help.
Thus I, too, was assuming the meeting would be later this month … only to find out the next day in the VDT that there had been a meeting after all.
Our community has gone through so much these past couple of months,
highlighting more than ever the need to communicate and cooperate. I was hoping after all this that we could finally start working together, despite any differences we might have. That would, however, not only require a certain amount of transparency but also communication of such simple matters as meeting agendas and calendars. How difficult can that be?
Communication is, and always will be, the key to success. Whether this is about your children’s education, such matters as energy efficiency and energy conservation, or a Strategic Planning Process which can only benefit the community … if that very community (not just the same old status quo) is actually included in the process.
Michael G. Noll, President
Wiregrass Activists for Clean Energy (WACE)
Frequent attendees told me the audience was much larger
than in previous years, and one attributed that to the recent
school consolidation referendum.
Sitting side by side were Chamber Chair Tom Gooding and
FVCS President Sam Allen.
Jeff Hanson introduced the legislators.
He’s the Chair of the Chamber’s
Government Affairs Council (GAC).
He said they are seeking more participants.
Hm, they have an Energy and Environment Policy Committee that’s chaired
by someone from Georgia Power….
Tim Golden announced that the local delegation’s highest priority
was to get $32 million for a Health Science Center for VSU.
VSU Interim President Dr. Levy was there, as was former president
“Dr. Z” as Tim Golden called him.
I was just talking to someone from SGMC in the food line about how it would be nice if the Industrial Authority would promote healthcare industries more. It’s good that the legislators are doing that, although it’s not clear that there are not other things that should be even higher priority.
Tim Golden also wants to remove a sales tax Continue reading
Sam Allen,
as he has before,
called for
reconciliation of opponents on the recent school consolidation referendum,
and support of the two school systems,
financially and otherwise.
In addition to FVCS regulars such as JC Cunningham, Chamber Chair Tom Gooding was there, as were current Valdosta Mayor Sonny Vickers and Mayor-Elect John Gayle, plus re-elected Valdosta City Council At-Large Ben Norton. Valdosta School Superintendent Cason was there. I didn’t see Lowndes Superintendent Smith, although various members of Continue reading
After apologizing for setting off a flash earlier,
I recommended the county video their own meetings,
so they wouldn’t have to depend on amateurs.
Lowndes County Board of Education had an open forum about school consolidation. and they had their own person videoing the whole thing, and it ended up on the web in a day or two, which means that everyone in the county could see what was going on….Chairman Paulk:
We get enough of that for free.
jsq:
I’ll send you a bill!The Chairman nodded, so I’ll take that for approval of billing by LAKE.
Here’s the video: Continue reading
George Rhynes complimented Ashley Paulk for having provided
information about people in jail when Paulk was Sheriff,
and noted that unfortunately that had not been the case since.
He asked if someone could point him to where he could get such
information.
Chairman Paulk reminded him that the Sheriff is a constitutional
officer, and the Commission did not direct him.
George Rhynes responded:
Everywhere I go, I hear that. I go to Brooks County, and they inform me of the same thing.Chairman Paulk noted:
… by state law.They agreed on that, and George said he thought nonetheless:
Seems like somebody in the state of Georgia would know how to get that information, if it is open.
George also said: Continue reading
As
previously noted,
Chairman Ashley Paulk last night told Matt Portwood
he didn’t think the Lowndes
County Commission should be meddling in school affairs.
Here’s the part the VDT didn’t quote:
And I feel like there’s somebody meddling in their affairs; I wish they wouldn’t have.That’s pretty interesting considering that Brittany D. McClure reported for the VDT 4 November 2011 that FVCS makes campaign contributions public:
Ashley Paulk, Lowndes County Commission chairman contributed $200So it’s not like the public doesn’t already know Ashley Paulk’s opinion on this subject, and it seems he was reminding us of it: he contributed money to FVCS, a group actively lobbying to prevent the school consolidation promoted by CUEE.
Chairman Paulk also noted:
We do have county residents who live in the city.Seems like he’s confusing two excuses for the Commissioners not speaking about school consolidation: Continue reading