Tag Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Spectra Sales Pitch, Nothing about Nottinghill, etc. @ LCC 2013-12-09

Given dozens of questions submitted by citizens and every opportunity, Commissioners asked only four perfunctory questions after Spectra Energy’s Sabal Trail pipeline sales pitch. Chairman Bill Slaughter repeatedly let multiple Spectra reps speak from the audience without having them come to the podium, or even identify themselves before they spoke. They were pointed at by the chief Spectra speaker when he named them, but they did not stand up or raise their hand at the time, so it was quite hard to tell which was which. The Chairman never allows that sort of behavior from local citizens. Why is he granting extra courtesies to a company from Houston that wants to exercise eminent domain on local citizens’ lands? Who does the Lowndes County Commission represent?

At least WALB and WCTV let a landowner speak: that’s more than the County Commission did.

Nottinghill is back yet again. A Commissioner did ask staff whether it was really ready, and it isn’t, but no Commissioners asked any such probing questions of the Spectra reps.

The three beer licenses, a liquor license, the contracts, and the bids were glossed over in almost as perfunctory a manner. There were some questions from Commissioners about costs to the county government. But there were none from Commissioners about costs to landowners from gashing a pipeline through their property.

Given that there’s a settlement for back pay for some county employees, it appears that the employees maybe had to sue to get paid.

Staff did express concern about “customer service” for a decorative special tax lighting district, but none about service to the landowners of the county whose land Spectra proposes to run through, or for that matter to the taxpayers of the county to whom the Commission and staff cannot be bothered to show what they’re voting on before they vote.

Here’s the agenda plus links to the videos and a few notes.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED-AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

90 percent approval? Larry Rodgers doubts that @ LCC 2013-12-09

WCTV isn’t just publishing Spectra press releases or sales pitches, unlike the Lowndes County Commission.

Winnie Anne Wright for WCTV today, Sabal Trail Addresses Lowndes County Commission,

“Gas needed to come from one point and end up at another. We looked for those existing corridors that are already in place, to be able to run adjacent and parallel to those so we are lessening the impact on stake holders and the environment and this path that we are currently on, is over 80% adjacent or parallel to those types of things”, says Andrea Grover, Director of Stakeholder Outreach for Sabal Trail.

Well, no it doesn’t need to. Some fat cats in Houston and Juno Beach, Florida want to pump methane through here for their profit and our hazard, but that’s not the same as “needed to”.

But not everyone believes Sabal Trail has Lowndes County’s best interest at heart.

The proposed pipeline would run through Larry Rodgers’ property. He says he gave Sabal Trail access Continue reading →

Frack Off Spectra, We Want Solar @ LCC 2013-12-09

Some citizens spoke up before the Lowndes County Commission meeting, even if the Commission didn’t want to hear from them during.

Continue reading →

A huge impact on land values, not to mention the safety factor –Larry Rodgers on WALB @ LCC 2013-12-09

WALB did what the Lowndes County Commission did not after Spectra’s sales talk this morning: let local citizens speak.

Robert Hydrick on WALB today, Sabal Trail gives information on pipeline project, quoted Spectra rep. Brian Fahrenthold (one of five Spectra sent) about Spectra’s feint of a former route through Valdosta, now aimed through rural Lowndes and Brooks Counties instead:

This updated route, Fahrenthold pointed out, reduces the amount of the city of Valdosta that would be affected as well as reduces the overall area of Lowndes County that would be affected.

“The first route was 31.3 miles and the [new route] is 15.6. That’s a fifty percent reduction in our proposed route,” said Fahrenthold.

Well, no, it’s a shift in Spectra’s proposed route for their Sabal Trail Pipeline to go farther west, past Clyattville and through Brooks, Colquitt, Mitchell, and Dougherty Counties. How does it feel to be expendable, rural landowners?

Fahrenthold also emphasized Continue reading →

Check your Pipeline, Dollar General, 3 special tax lighting districts, and mosquitos @ LCC 2013-11-12

Sabal Trail pipeline presentation is December 9th like the front page of the VDT said. The online agenda is still incorrect a month later about Green Lane which is still listed as “For consideration” when it should be listed as a Public Hearing. Alapaha Water Treatment Plant was voted on this time, as was mysteriously appearing “Consideration of Back Pay for 911 Employees”.

Like the the Planning Commission, they tabled Nottinghill. With much less discussion than the Planning Commission, they approved yet another Dollar General. Plus three decorative special tax lighting districts, mosquito control, pump replacement, the annual MIDS bus service contract, a beer license, something about NOAA, and an agreement with the Lowndes County Board of Elections for paying employees.

Here’s the agenda. See also the videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
AMENDED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Pipeline and Nottinghill, VLMPO, lawyers and alcohol @ LCC 2013-12-09

The proposed Sabal Trail pipeline presentation is really on this time, with citizen questions asked by the Commissioners. Nottinghill is back yet again. Two appointments to the VLMPO Citizens Advisory Committee. All that plus three beer licenses, a liquor license, and a bunch of contracts and a couple of bids.

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED-AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2013, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor

  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation

    Only in the Regular Session, Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

    Only in the Regular Session, Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

  4. Minutes for Approval
    1. Work Session — November 11, 2013
    2. Regular Session — November 12, 2013
  5. Appointment
    1. MPO Citizens Advisory Committee (2)
  6. Public Hearings
    1. REZ-2013-11 Nottinghill, Orr Rd R-A to R-21, Community Well and Septic, 14.71 acres
    2. Decorative Special Tax Lighting District – Windstone Subdivision (Orr Rd)
    3. Beer and Wine License — Twin Lakes Ventures, LLC — 4878 HWY 41 South
    4. Liquor License — Big Al’s — 4991 HWY 41 S. Lake Park
  7. For Consideration
    1. Approval of the 2014 Commission Meeting Schedule
    2. 2014 Public Defender Services Contract & 2014 Operating Contract
    3. Land Application Site (LAS) Bar Screen Replacement
    4. Budget Calendar FY 2014-2015
    5. Beer and Wine License — Parnish Corporation — 3119 Madison HWY
    6. Beer and Wine License — Jay Brahamani, LLC — 2601 Madison HWY
    7. Back Pay for 9-1-1 Center Employees
    8. Second State Court Judge — Resolution & Act
  8. Bids
    1. Repair of Damaged F150- LCSO
    2. Repair of Damaged Fire Tanker- LCFR
  9. Reports-County Manager
  10. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

    Only in the Regular Session, Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

  11. Sabal Trail (Work Session)

-jsq

Hear Sabal Trail Transmission answer questions from the Lowndes County Commission

PDF

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Valdosta, December 5, 2013 —Representatives from Spectra Energy or its LLC Sabal Trail Transmission will speak at the Monday morning Lowndes County Commission Work Session and answer questions from Commissioners.

When:  8:30 AM
Monday, December 9th, 2013

Where: Commission Chambers
327 North Ashley Street, 2nd Floor
Valdosta, GA 31601
229-671-2442

Questions:
commissioner@lowndescounty.com

Why: Spectra Energy proposes a hundred-foot-wide gash through our lands for their huge 36 inch Sabal Trail gas pipeline from Alabama through Georgia to feed Florida Power and Light (FPL) for no benefit to local citizens. A one-time payment is nowhere near adequate for permanent destruction and hazards when FPL and Spectra would continue to profit forever.

Property values: A pipeline through your property isn’t Continue reading →

Lowndes County can’t make a monopoly –Judge Harry J. Altman on DSS in VDT

Maybe filing the lawsuit in the first place was “premature”, to use Chairman Bill Slaughter’s word in the VDT yesterday about a possible appeal. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall had the common courtesy on WCTV to apologize to DSS for the unnecessary lawsuit. How much did the Commission spend on that waste of time and effort?

Editor Kay Harris wrote on the front page of the Valdosta Daily Times yesterday, Company wins fight to stay in business: Deep South wins case brought by County,

Southern Circuit Judge Harry J. Altman issued a ruling Monday in the civil action filed by Lowndes County against Deep South Sanitation, LLC to enjoin Deep South from continuing its garbage business. Advanced Disposal Services was later added as an intervenor plaintiff in the case against Deep South as well.

In the ruling, Altman denied the County’s request for an injunction to put Deep South out of business. The order addresses the County’s ordinance passed in 2012, saying that to “simultaneously invoke an exclusive franchise agreement with one company would, in effect … permit Lowndes County to construct a monopoly while simultaneously putting pre-existing companies out of business.”

Well, it appears the judge thought it was about right or wrong.

The county Chairman’s view now? Continue reading →

Tybee Island will not scan tourist license plates

Maybe Lowndes County could also welcome tourists instead of using them as a ticketing revenue stream that’s costing us $200,000 to process. And maybe both Lowndes County and Valdosta could put their agenda packets online like tiny (population 3,067) Tybee Island does.

Jim Galloway wrote for the AJC today, Your daily jolt: Tybee Island nixes license plate surveillance,

Tybee Island has decided that the National Security Agency isn’t a model worth following. On Monday, The coastal city’s council retracted its approval of a pair of license plate scanners intended to greet tourists. From the Savannah Morning News:
Citing mostly negative feedback from the public and concerns over how the information from the scanners would translate to a tourism study being conducted by a local professor, the council instead voted to purchase a higher quality model of the current hose-like vehicle counter the city has stretched over U.S. 80.

Meanwhile, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s office last year was Continue reading →

Agenda! yes Nottinghill and new chair and vice-chair, 1 Hahira, 4 Valdosta @ GLPC 2013-11-25

Agenda page 2 @ GLPC 2013-11-25 How would you as a citizen have known Nottinghill is on the real agenda they’re using right now in the Planning Commission meeting? What if you wanted to speak for or against in that public hearing? The one in the last post wasn’t the real agenda, and even some people who work for local governments didn’t know that.

Here is the real agenda, photographed by Gretchen just now, followed by text version. It also contains an additional item about election of a new Chair and Vice Chair.

Agenda page 1 @ GLPC 2013-11-25

Update: I had the date of this meeting wrong in the transcription; fixed now to November 25, 2013. If the county published the agendas and minutes of the Planning Commission, nobody would have to be transcribing by hand….

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission

Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park

REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING

AGENDA

Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue

Monday, November 25, 2013* 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

CALL TO ORDER, INVOCATION, PLEDGE

  1. Approval of the Minutes: October 28, 2013

CITY OF HAHIRA CASE:

FINAL ACTION by the City of Hahira Mayor-Council
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Hahira City Hall, 102 S. Church Street, Hahira, Georgia
7:30 p.m.
  1. HA-2013-05 Wendy Black
    Property Location: 7495 Union Road
    Request for Variance from Section 10-6 of the Hahira Zoning Ordinance pertaining to size requirements for signs

CITY OF VALDOSTA CASES:

FINAL ACTION by the City of Valdosta Mayor-Council
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Valdosta City Hall, 216 E. Central Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia
Council Chambers, 2nd Floor
5:30 p.m.
  1. CU-2013-04 Cynthia McDougle
    Property Location: 808 Bethune Street
    Request for a Conditional Use Permit to establish a personal care home for 4-6 residents in a Single-Family Residential (R10) zoning district
  2. CU-2013-05 Jessie Marshall, III
    Property Location: 625 East Gordon Street
    Request for a Conditional Use Permit to establish a church in a Single-Family Residential (R-6) zoning district
  3. CU-2013-06 Theresa Patterson
    Property Location: 108 East Adair Street
    Request for a Conditional Use Permit to establish a personal care home for 4-6 residents in a Residential Professional (R-P) zoning district
  4. VA-2013-16 Mac Mackey
    Property Location: 103 B Avenue
    Request to rezone 2.2 acres from Manufacturing/Distribution (M-2) to Wholesale Light Industrial (M-1)

Agenda page 2 @ GLPC 2013-11-25

LOWNDES COUNTY CASES:

FINAL ACTION by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Lowndes County Judicial and Administrative Complex
Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor
327 North Ashley Strcet, Valdosta, Georgia
5:30 p.m.
  1. REZ-2013-11 Nottinghill
    Location: Orr Road, Valdosta, Georgia
    Request to rezone 14.99 acres from R-A (Residential Agricultural) to R-21 (Medium Density Residential)
    *Note: This case was tabled from the GLPC’s September 29th and October 28th, 2013, regular mtg.

    REZ-2013-11 Nottinghill was tabled by GLPC 30 September 2013 and again 28 October 2013. REZ-2013-11 was also tabled by the Lowndes County Commission 8 October 2013 and 12 November 2013, specifically until the County Commission’s 10 December 2013 meeting.

OTHER BUSINESS

  1. Attendance policy for appointed Boards
  2. Election of 2014 GLPC Chair and Vice Chair
  3. GLPC 2014 Meeting Schedule

ADJOURNMENT

-jsq