Tag Archives: Planning

Bill Moyers on ALEC

Bill Moyers takes on ALEC.

Posted yesterday On Bill Moyers’ website,

‘United States of ALEC’ Video Previews

This week, Moyers & Company (check local listings) presents


“United States of ALEC,” a report on the most
influential corporate-funded political force most of America has
never heard of — ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange
Council. A national consortium of state politicians and powerful
corporations, ALEC presents itself as a “nonpartisan
public-private partnership”. But behind that mantra lies a
vast network of corporate lobbying and political action aimed to
increase corporate profits at public expense without public
knowledge.

He said more

on Huffington Post Wednesday,

Continue reading →

SPLOST VII project totals don’t match

It would be easier for people to vote for SPLOST VII if they knew
what they were getting.
So far, that’s difficult to tell from what’s been published.
Many questions remain to be answered.

We’ve already seen

the WCTV story that quotes a total of $35 million for SPLOST VII.
And Jason Schaefer wrote for the VDT 5 August 2012,

SPLOST project list released:
Renewed sales tax would build library, auditorium



The county projects penny sales tax collections through SPLOST VII
to total at least $150 million during a six-year period, a sum that
could fund a library complex, an auditorium, the installation of a
mandated public safety radio system, an array of municipal water and
sewage improvements, new equipment for police officers and
firefighters, and road maintenance projects.

There is not adequate funding for these projects if the SPLOST
referendum does not pass, according to city and county planners.

$150 million is not $35 million.
$150 million divided by six is $25 million, not $35 million.

The mystery deepens.

Continue reading →

Our honest responses to HUD —George Rhynes and John Robinson

Received today. -jsq

September 26, 2012

George Boston Rhynes

5004 Oak Street

Valdosta, Georgia 31605 		TO: U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development

Valdosta City Government

Valdosta Housing Authority

Valdosta Industrial Authority

The following is our honest responses to HUD and in response to the
City of Valdosta’s 8th Year of responding to HUD CPMP
Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report. This includes
Narrative Responses to CAPER questions in relations to and with the
Consolidated Planning Regulations and questions from the general
public as highlighted on page 5, paragraph 1.


CITIZENS VIEW POINT
AND RESPONSES: {GEORGE BOSTON RHYNES AND JOHN ROBNISON}



after reviewing all previous CAPTER’S and the city’s
responses to them, I commend the City of Valdosta for responding to
HUD in an extremely professional manner on paper. One can see and
feel the professional prowess involved in providing these answers
the City of Valdosta has placed on paper over the city’s
(long) historic past. However, when one looks deeper into the
problems facing our beloved community, one will find the following
to be as Paul Harvey would say the rest of——-the story!


GENERAL QUESTIONS: The City of Valdosta’s response on the
issues remains the same as reported in many other CAPERS such as:

  • City attained the goal of:
  • # of homes was brought up to code.
  • Worked in conjunction with——
  • to train, resident
    information sessions were held that yielded nearly 30 attendees etc.
  • Staff continues to…., Overall, the city is pleased with
    the second Consolidated Plan Submission.
  • (3.a) The city hosted
    several Section 3 Information Sessions and will continue to provide
    more information to…. Work with local community and
    faith-based organizations to identify and address.
  • I could go
    on and on with these highly professional lines of what some see as
    solutions to the real problems in the City of Valdosta, Georgia.
    However there is another side and forgive me for not going through
    the complete CAPER in the above manner. I am sure your time is
    valuable; therefore I will cut through the chase and provide the
    following in response to the City of Valdosta RESPONSES. Not only to
    this CAPER but others we have read and taken into consideration:

A recent meeting held in the Valdosta City Annex about Community
Housing etc. perhaps exemplifies

Continue reading →

SPLOST VII campaign kicks off

Update 2012-09-27 8:50AM: Added video, stills, and notes about the County Palace and Internet access.

The seventh Special Local Option Sales Tax, SPLOST,
will be on the November ballot.
Not to be confused with the just-defeated

bogus regional transportation T-SPLOST,
or last year’s successful

educational ESPLOST,
or the

currently renegotiating property-tax-relief LOST,

SPLOST Campaign
SPLOST VII will follow up on SPLOST VI
in supporting local infrastructure projects.

Greg Gullberg reported for WCTV today,

Campaign Kicks Off For Valdosta Tax

(no video appears to be available):

The text story link has vanished, but

video has appeared.

There is a campaign in Lowndes County to rally for the tax called
SPLOST, or the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. It could
bring in as much as $35 million, but that is only if voters say it’s
worth the extra pennies.

Continue reading →

Georgia Power inches towards more solar, trailing New Jersey

If you’re quick, you may be able to sell solar from your roof
to Georgia Power.
If the PSC approves a pending request.
If you get in before that new quota gets filled.
And if you’re a Georgia Power customer.
The rest of us?
Not until the
1973 Georgia Electric Territorial Act
is changed.
Until then, Georgia will continue to lag way behind New Jersey in solar power.


210 MW is more than 50 MW but way less than 3,000 MW

Walter C. Jones wrote for the Augusta Chronicle today,

Georgia Power plans to triple solar power use,

Georgia Power filed Wednesday seeking permission from state
regulators to more than triple the amount of solar power it uses to
generate electricity for its 2.4 million customers by swapping it
for what was already planned from other renewable sources.

What “other renewable sources”?

The Georgia Power plan won’t affect rates because it is based on
paying the solar providers what it would have paid the biomass
provider, 13 cents per kilowatt hour, which is already figured into
customer’s rates.

OK, that’s good, because it means biomass is well and truly
dead in Georgia.
But it also means Georgia Power isn’t very serious about solar,
if all it’s doing is fiddling with accounting for the small amount
of power biomass might have produced and not going for the real
numbers solar can produce.
OK, how many solar megawatts?

Continue reading →

Video Playlist @ LCC 2012-09-24

A parade of speakers not on the agenda extended yesterday morning’s
Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.
They spoke about the

conference center,
about

South Georgia Partnership for Homelessness,
and about

health
and

life insurance.
Commissioners heard from staff about

repairs to a sewage lift station
and

laptops for the Sheriff’s office.
They vote on all these things at their Regular Session
tonight at 5:30 PM.

Here’s

the agenda,
annotated below with links to the videos and a few notes,
and followed by

a video playlist.



  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation
  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  4. Minutes for Approval

    1. Work Session — September 10, 2012
    2. Regular Session — September 11, 2012



    The Chairman announced guests not on the agenda.

  5. For Consideration




    1. Bevel Creek Lift Station Repair

      MR Systems’ quote for
      SCADA control panel was $13,775,
      plus another control panel $25,194, for a total of $38,969.
      Utilities Director Mike Allen said making an addition (presumably
      of the $25,194 control panel) would save four weeks of downtime.

    2. Dell Lease Agreement for Sheriff’s Office Laptops

    3. Contract with Corporate Health Partners



      County Manager Joe Pritchard said they had achieved
      $260,000 in savings towards projected $300,000 savings
      in health care expenses.
      He introduced
      Chris Park(?) with Park(?) Group and
      Jack Curtis with

      Corporate Health Partners      .
      Pritchard said the county Wanted to add a wellness program to improve
      employee quality of life and wellbeing.
      Chris Park(?)

      spoke first.
      He introduced Jack Curtis,
      who spoke about

      a wellness program proposal.

    4. Agreement with Basic Life

      Chris Park(?) spoke again, saying what he was proposing would save
      $10,000 or 23% over the current plan while preserving all the current benefits.

  6. Reports-County Manager

    Joe Pritchard had no report, so they adjourned.
  7. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

    That’s only for the Regular Session.


Video Playlist

Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),

Videos by Brandon Livingston for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 24 September 2012.

-jsq

Video Playlist @ LCC 2012-09-11

After
briefly discussing or at least hearing items at

the previous morning's Work Session,
the Lowndes County Commission voted on them at its Regular Session of
Tuesday 11 September 2012.

Here's

the agenda,
and the copy below has links to the corresponding videos or
previous blog posts.
Here's a

video playlist.




  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation
  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

  4. Minutes for Approval

    1. Work Session — August 13, 2012
    2. Regular Session — August 14, 2012
  5. Resolutions




    1. Adopt Resolution Appointing an Open Records Officer
    2. Resolution Regarding Review & Approval of Minutes of Executive Sessions

    3. Adopt Resolution accepting infrastructure for Glen Laurel Subdivision Phase II

    4. Adopt Resolution accepting infrastructure for Crestwood Subdivision Phase IV

  6. Appointment — Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful
  7. Public Hearings




    1. REZ-2012-12 Parker Place, 4842 Parker Place Rd., 0070 015;       3.4 ac., 3 lots, E-A to R-1,
      well/septic

    2. REZ-2012-14 Harris, 6926 Jones Dr., 0139 023,       6.8 ac., 1 lot, E-A to R-A, well/septic

    3. TXT-2012-01 — Primary Intent: Appendix A Land Disturbance & Clean Version of ULDC

    4. Public Hearing Renaming Sandy Creek Drive (CR #1118)

    5. Beer License — Lin's Hibachi — 1078 Lakes Blvd.
  8. For Consideration




    1. Letter of Understanding — Bond Refunding

    2. USGS Funding Agreement for HWY 122 Stream Gauge

    3. Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Operating Contracts

    4. Declaration of Surplus Vehicles



    5. Brown Bag Ordinance

  9. Bid – Rescue Pumper for Lowndes County Fire Rescue
  10. Reports-County Manager
  11. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

-jsq

Rezoning denied: REZ-2012-12 Parker Place, 4842 Parker Place Rd. @ LCC 2012-09-11



After no changes since

the previous morning's Work Session,
the Lowndes County Commission

at its 11 September 2011 Regular Session
did the right thing and denied a rezoning
that would have put many houses in a wet area next to many people
who did not want it.
One speaker against the rezoning said some of the adjoining land
had been in his wife's family since her Indian ancestors.

Here's

a video playlist:


Rezoning denied: REZ-2012-12 Parker Place, 4842 Parker Place Rd.

Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),

Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 11 September 2012.

-jsq

Sewers, laptops, and insurance @ LCC 2012-09-24

Repairs to a sewage lift station, laptops for the Sheriff’s office,
and health and life insurance.
I’ll bet this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session will be brief.



What’s this about a
Bevel Creek Lift Station Repair?
That sewer line station seems to have last been mentioned in a Commission
meeting

11 February 2003:

Mr. Clark stated that the Bevel Creek Lift Station rehab came in
under budget enough to cover the additional $26,000.00 from the Exit
22 project.

The Commissioners (of whom only Joyce Evans is still or again on the Commission)
proceeded to approve one of their famous transportation change orders.



But what is Bevel Creek?
According to

Watershed Assessment:
The Watersheds Associated with
Lowndes County, Georgia, May 2001,

Bevel Creek discharges into the Withlacoochee River in north-central
Florida.

Since Bevel Creek doesn’t join the Withlacoochee River in Georgia,
it’s considered as a separate watershed basin for Lowndes County.

Here’s

the agenda.



LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2012, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor

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Southern Company: let’s do the renewable energy study for Georgia

Mark Z. Jacobson's study shows

offshore wind is plentiful from Virginia to Maine
Let's

do the study for Georgia!
Southern Company

brags about its private R&D:

Research & Development (since the 1960s)


  • Awarded more than $1.3 billion to conduct more than $3.8 billion of research and development.
  • Qualified for $412 million of investment tax credits for a 21st century coal plant being built in Mississippi.

OK, SO, let's see you do the study to show what we can really do with



conservation, efficiency, wind, sun, and less natural gas than we have now.
Sure, in the Georgia Bight we do have to contend with hurricanes.
But a

"great, big company"
like SO should be able to focus its vaunted private R&D on that problem and solve it.

Maybe SO doesn't want to do that because the result might show there is no need for
any coal plants, nor new natural gas plants, nor any nuclear plants, which would mean
Georgia Power would have to give up its nuclear-funding rate-hike stealth tax
and SO would have to give up its $8.3 billion loan guarantee.
Hey, we might even need to

change the 1973 Georgia Electric Territorial Act,
and that might damage Georgia Power's guaranteed profit!
Nevermind that Georgia Power and SO might make more profit if they got out
in front on solar and wind power and a smart grid.

If SO won't do it, how about we elect some Public Service Commissioners and legislators who will?
For

jobs, energy independence, and profit, oh, and clean air and plenty of water!

-jsq