George Page, Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreational Authority (VLPRA), gave a presentation to the Lowndes County Commission Work Session, 26 March 2012.
Here’s a playlist:
Parks and Rec
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 March 2012.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
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Why is Georgia Power still peddling misinformation about solar power instead of moving ahead with it? What’s happening in Germany could be a clue.
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The first graph illustrates what a typical day on the electricity market in Germany looked like in March four years ago; the second illustrates what is happening now, with 25GW of solar PV installed across the country. Essentially, it means that solar PV is not just licking the cream off the profits of the fossil fuel generators — as happens in Australia with a more modest rollout of PV — it is in fact eating their entire cake.So solar is taking the profits out of coal and natural gas. So sad!
Deutsche Bank solar analyst Vishal Shah noted in a report last month that EPEX data was showing solar PV was cutting peak electricity prices by up to 40%, a situation that utilities in Germany and elsewhere in Europe were finding intolerable. “With Germany adopting a drastic cut, we expect major utilities in other European countries to push for similar cuts as well,” Shah noted.You know, if the utilities got out in front and generated energy from solar and wind themselves, they wouldn’t be having this problem.Analysts elsewhere said one quarter of Germany’s gas-fired capacity may be closed, because of the impact of surging solar and wind capacity. Enel, the biggest utility in Italy, which had the most solar PV installed in 2011, highlighted its exposure to reduced peaking prices when it said that a €5/MWh fall in average wholesale prices would translate into a one-third slump in earnings from the generation division.
Here in Georgia, even Georgia Power could get going and do that, instead of fighting this:
Continue reading 
Andrea Schruijer, Executive Director of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), made a presentation to the Lowndes County Commission at their Work Session 26 March 2012. VLCIA Board member G. Norman Bennett was also present. Congratulations to VLCIA on proactively getting the word out about what they are doing!
Here's a playlist:
Industrial Authority presentation
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 March 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
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Update 21 May 2012: Fixed meeting date. See also Planning Commission discussion of this item.
An issue of conservation records came up at the 28 February 2012 13 March 2012 Lowndes County Commission meeting, regarding a rezoning at Lake Alapaha, in far northeast Lowndes County, near the Alapaha River.
County Planner Jason Davenport described the problem, which came up in a request to rezone a piece of property that was partly zoned RA (Residential Agriculture) and partly Conservation:
We did get help from the clerk’s office to try to clear up when this property was zoned and why it was zoned conservation. I just don’t have anything [unintelligible]. We have minutes that say one thing and a zoning map that says another.
He said they had had limited time to investigate, and had not been able to resolve this issue.
That issue is still on the table. I would just remind you that in the grand scheme it is a minor issue.
Commissioner Richard Raines made the motion:
For my part I’m for rezoning the entire property RA and eliminating the conservation.
And that’s what they did. Which raises issues of what we should do.
Here’s a playlist:
Conservation records
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 February 2012 13 March 2012.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
The issue here is at least fourfold:
Continue readingExcerpts:
It may have been a civil rights violation. But let’s talk about human rights violations. That young man was a human, and he deserved his human rights to be expected. And until we as a people — a people, black, white, Latino — come together and demand our human rights, this will continue to happen.
That young man didn’t deserve this because he was black. He didn’t deserve it because he was a human.
Here’s a playlist:
Human rights and American rights —JC Cunningham
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 March 2012.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
More excerpts:
But they didn’t even respect basic human rights basic American rights….Ladies and gentlemen, we must write, we must continue to march, we must continue to speak, not amongst ourselves. Tonight I ask when you go home look to the right of you, to the left of you. I mean the houses to the right of you, the houses to the left of you. Ask them where they were tonight. Ask them what their thoughts are. What if it would have been their child. They would have been here. They would have been appalled if you were not here….
Don’t be afraid to talk to your white colleagues, don’t be afraid to talk to your hispanic colleagues. There’s nothing to be ashamed of to be out here and to demand, to demand your basic human rights.
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See separate items on the appointment of Sheila Cook to the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive Diseases Region Four Planning Board and “We expect you to run a clean, quiet establishment” —Ashley Paulk.
Other notable parts of this meeting were when
staff
said conservation status was a small detail and
and
Commissioners
proceeded to get rid of it in a rezoning.
At the end of the meeting,
County Manager Joe Pritchard
didn’t listen to Commissioner Powell’s request
and proceede to recount details of
road paving property signatures
until Chairman Paulk nudged him that the question was about
tornadoes, after which Pritchard
gave a recap of
Ashley Tye’s tornado report of the previous morning.
Here’s
the agenda.
Here’s
a playlist:
Videos
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission, (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 13 March 2012.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
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A month ago (28 February 2012), Chairman Ashley Paulk
chastised the VDT for how it reported on recent changes to the alcohol
ordinance.
This month he singled out an applicant for an alcohol license and said:
We expect you to run a clean, quiet establishment. If not, we expect the Sheriff to enforce the law.Sheriff Chris Prine nodded.
Here’s the video:
“We expect you to run a clean, quiet establishment” —Ashley Paulk @ 2012-03-13
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission, (LCC), Lowndes County Commission,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 13 March 2012.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
What’s this about, and what’s the connection with the meeting of a month ago? The Chairman was referring to Continue reading
Previously (28 February 2012),
Sheila Cook introduced herself
as an applicant for appointment to the
Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Addictive
Diseases Region Four Planning Board.
At the 13 March 2012 meeting, the Commission appointed her.
Here’s the video:
Appointment of Sheila Cook,
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 13 March 2012.
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
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A man sent a bird to his mother as a gift….
Here’s the video:
The bird that could speak nine languages —Rev. Floyd Rose
Sanford Florida where 17 year Trayvon was murdered, and the killer has not been arrested,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 March 2012.
Video by George Boston Rhynes for bostongbr on YouTube.
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We know who’s on the Land Bank Authority now: Burke Sherwood, Frank Morman, James Wright, and Joyce Evans, because the Georgia Department of Community Affairs publishes that information (neither the Lowndes County Commission nor the City of Valdosta does so). Which slot is up for appointment? Who is the County Commission considering appointing?5.a. Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee
5.b. Valdosta/Lowndes County Landbank Authority
This is tacked onto the end of the agenda:
Immediately following the Work Session, the Commissioners will receive reports from the Valdosta/Lowndes County Industrial Authority & Valdosta/Lowndes County Parks & Recreation AuthoritySo the Industrial Authority reports to the County Commission! That’s good news.
Also this item:
6.e. Proposals for Groundwater Sampling and Analysis at the Clyattville LandfillAnd did you know they had a Special Called Meeting on 15 March 2012? Approval of minutes for that is on this agenda.
Here’s the agenda for the Monday morning Work Session and Tuesday evening Regular Session.
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LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2012, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Immediately following the Work Session, the Commissioners will receive reports from the Valdosta/Lowndes County Industrial Authority & Valdosta/Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority
- Call to Order
- Invocation
- Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
- Minutes for Approval
- Work Session — March 12, 2012
- Regular Session — March 13, 2012
- Special Called Meeting — March 15, 2012
- Appointments
- Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee
- Valdosta/Lowndes County Landbank Authority
- For Consideration
- Greater Lowndes 2030 Comprehensive Plan Update & Resolution
- Rental Agreement for space occupied by the Department of Human Services, Family and Children Services, located at 206 S. Patterson Street, 2nd and 3rd Floors
- Declaration of Copiers as Surplus
- Copier Leases
- Proposals for Groundwater Sampling and Analysis at the Clyattville Landfill
- Abandonment of unopened Right of Way of Fiveash Road
- Reports-County Manager
- Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address