The Board of Health meets this morning at 7:30 AM,
according to the
VDT calendar.
There’s nothing about this
on
its own web page.
Gretchen is there with the LAKE video camera.
-jsq
Tag Archives: Valdosta
Videos: paving and suing @ LCC 2013-05-14
See how the Commission does “the people’s business” one of the
Christian minister Commissioners mentioned in
his invocation
before another Baptist minister Commissioner
expressed concerns about a different religion’s choice of location.
No explanation for
why county citizens can’t choose their trash service
or
why the county is suing a local business on behalf of New York City investors,
and
half a million dollars for paving without any competitive bid named
while
one man says the county took his property for road right of way.
One more potential board appointee showed up, for 2 out of 3.
Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes. See also the videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.
Continue readingLOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 13, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Fiscal responsibility and legal actions –John S. Quarterman @ LCC 2013-05-14
Chairman Bill Slaughter said “At this time we can’t discuss that issue” of why the Commission thinks its a good use of taxpayer funds to sue a local business with a valid business permit, after the Commission apparently recently didn’t want to defend against a potential lawsuit against itself.
In the
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session Tuesday 13 May 2013,
I spoke in Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, noting
a trust indenture is a legal contract, and since
as building a well often leads to development, as someone
(Commissioner Page a few minutes before)
pointed out, why don’t trust indenture decisions lead to public hearings?
This might be a legal question for the state (although I would guess
the County Commission could hold a public hearing on whatever it likes,
even if the state doesn’t require it).
But a lot of commissions actually let the public speak on any item. For example, the Tallahassee Council lets anyone sign up at the beginning and say I want to speak on X. It’s a thought.Continue reading
But during that particular item I found it particularly refreshing to hear Commissioner Page say that he was concerned about what the majority of the neighbors and property owners think about the use or potential use of the property, and nearby property owners and the majority of people who live in that area.
Now it’s curious how we did not hear much concern about that on an item a few meetings back about Old State Road. The majority of the people who live in that area did not want that road closed. The majority of the property owners, as near as I can tell from the names on the petition, did not, but no one seemed concerned about that. It is a nice concern to have.
Now at that time I heard through various people that the main reason, and correct me if I’m wrong here,
Religious freedom and the neighbors @ LCC 2013-05-14
Apparently concern about a different religion is what it takes to get a Lowndes County Commissioner to speak up for the majority of the neighbors.
After Utilities Director Mike Allen outlined the case again
at the
Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 14 May 2013
Commissioner John Page
elaborated on his question of
the previous morning:
But the trust deed that we have in our notebook says it’s for the Valdosta Islamic Center Corporation, so this is a, uh, I know they’re calling it the Mercy Community Center, but isn’t this going to be a Muslim worship center instead of a subdivision?
County Planner Jason Davenport responded:
Continue readingKevin McCraney for Airport Authority: Nope @ LCC 2013-05-14
The applications are in their Commissioner packets,
and you don’t get to see them.
The other of two applicants showed up to speak at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 14 May 2013. Chairman Bill Slaughter said:
Commissioners in your packets you should see applications from two potential appointees. You’ve had a chance to review those.
The public, as usual, did not see those applications. Nor do I recall seeing a list from the county of available appointments. At least we sometimes get to see the applicants speak, which, if I recall correctly, was Joyce Evans’ idea.
I believe we had an opportunity to hear from Mr. Sykes yesterday; is that correct. The other applicant is Mr. Kevin McCraney. I think at this time I’d like to call on Mr. McCraney if he’d like to come forward and make a statement.
Here is
video of Jeff Sykes the previous morning.
At the Tuesday Regular Session,
Kevin McCraney said Continue reading
Canadian nuke nearly melted down in February
A senior plant official happened to spot a human-caused cooling shutdown at a Canadian nuclear reactor, narrowly averting a meltdown.
Ian McCleod wrote for ENENews 15 May 2013, ‘Significance Level 1′ incident at nuclear reactor — “The highest order” — Public not alerted by officials — Characterized as ‘near miss’
[…] a Chalk River nuclear operator mistakenly closed a vital pumping system that cools the immense heat generated within the NRU reactor’s core […]
[…] the Crown corporation said the Feb. 27 event — which the official report characterized as a “near-miss” — needs to be taken very seriously. […]
[Randy Lesco, vice-president of operations and chief nuclear officer for Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd] said that further categorizing the incident as at “Significance Level 1,” the highest order, means AECL is treating it with appropriate importance […]
CNSC President Michael Binder questioned why AECL and CNSC staff did not alert the public to the incident, which the Citizen first reported on May 8. […]
And why didn’t the reactor have automatic alerts? Ian MacCleod wrote for the Ottawa Citizen 7 May 2013, Human error blamed for “near-miss” at Chalk River reactor
Continue readingSolar Fedex in Buffalo
How many of the distribution centers here have solar panels on top?
Or schools?
Or government buildings?
Or businesses?
None.
But sunny far-north-next-to-Canada Buffalo has them.
David Robinson wrote for Buffalo News 14 May 2013,
FedEx groundbreaking gives region bragging rights:
FedEx Trade Networks breaks ground on a new distribution center that development officials hope will lure more companies, jobs
FedEx Trade Networks began construction Tuesday on its new distribution center in the Town of Tonawanda, giving hope to local development officials that the company’s expansion will boost the Buffalo Niagara region’s efforts to become a distribution and logistics hub.
“It really drives home the value of this region as a center for logistics in the global economy,” said Kenneth Adams, president and chief executive officer of Empire State Development, the state’s main economic development agency.
“It plays to the inherent strength of the region,” Adams said. “There could be no better seal of approval for a logistics business in this location.”
We’ve got transportation and logistics and distribution centers here, but we don’t have this:
Fred Schardt, president of FedEx Trade Networks, said the environmental benefits of the company’s 14-acre site within the Riverview Solar Technology Park off River Road also were a selling point. “We understand the importance of doing business in an environmentally sustainable way. It’s very, very important for us,” he said. “This park allows this to happen.”
The FedEx building will include a 100-kilowatt solar array that will be integrated into the design of the structure. Those solar panels are expected to generate 1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity during the term of the company’s lease, reducing the company’s consumption of fossil fuels by the equivalent of 80,000 gallons of gasoline, Montante said.
If Buffalo, a thousand miles to the north with much less sun, can do this, we can, too. Maybe if we did this, maybe in some of VLCIA’s industrial parks, maybe it would attract more businesses….
-jsq
San Onofre Off Forever Soon
People standing up for safety and sanity may yet stop big business nukes. After San Onofre is finally off for good, how about let’s cancel Plant Vogtle? -jsq
Harvey Wasserman wrote for nukefree.org 16 May 2013,
San Onofre at the No Nukes Brink,
Continue readingIn January, it seemed the restart of San Onofre Unit 2 would be a corporate cake walk.
With its massive money and clout, Southern California Edison was ready to ram through a license exception for a reactor whose botched $770 million steam generator fix had kept it shut for a year.
Edison billed southern California ratepayers roughly $1 billion for San Onofre in 2012 even though it generated no juice. But a funny thing has happened on the way to the restart: a No Nukes groundswell has turned this routine rubber stamping into an epic battle the grassroots just might win.
Indeed, if ever there was a time when individual activism could have
So popular it’s every Saturday and a street is closed: Valdosta Farm Days
Demand has ramped up in only a few years so that already Valdosta Farm Days has expanded its days and pedestrianized a street.
City of Valdosta PR 15 May 2013, City Announces Road Closure for Downtown Valdosta Farm Days,
In anticipation of the large number of vendors expected for the Downtown Valdosta Farm Days this Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the City of Valdosta is announcing an expected road closure to help citizens plan their travel downtown.
Valley Street will be closed between N. Ashley and N. Patterson Streets, from 7 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m. Adequate traffic safety measures will be in place to alert the traveling public, as the closure will prohibit traffic traveling east and west on Valley Street during this time.
Farm Days takes place on the sidewalks around the historic courthouse in downtown Valdosta, on the first and third Saturday of every month, rain or shine, through the end of October. By popular demand, the market will take place every Saturday during the month of June.
Citizens are invited to enjoy the activities associated with the Downtown Valdosta Farm Days. For more information about Main Street events, contact the Main Street office at (229) 259-3577. For information about street closures, call the Engineering Department at (229) 259-3530.
There’s no mention of any of this on the Lowndes County Commission website.
-jsq
Georgia missing out on solar jobs behind New Jersey and Michigan
Other states, even New Jersey and far-north Michigan,
are beating Georgia to solar jobs.
Why isn’t sunny Georgia leading in one of the fastest-growing industries in the country that is deploying rural jobs everywhere else?
Hint: who’s
holding a shareholder meeting this month?
Carin Hall wrote for energydigital 13 May 2013, Solar Jobs Outnumber Texas Ranchers and US Coal Miners: New statistics show that solar is one of the fastest growing industries in the US, creating thousands of jobs across the country
There are now more solar energy workers in the state of Texas than there are ranchers, according to solar research group The Solar Foundation.
The group’s data mapping out solar jobs across the nation also showed that there are more solar jobs in California than actors, and more solar workers than coal miners nationwide. Sunny states like California and Arizona topped the list. Wyoming came in last, with just 50 workers, while Utah showed a mere 290 solar workers despite being one of the country’s sunniest states.
Even the states with less sunshine like New Jersey and Michigan showed a high number of solar jobs—thanks to favorable tax and regulatory policies that help attract developers to cope with high electricity prices.
New Jersey is #9 and Michigan is #15 according to
The Solar Foundation’s map of State Solar Jobs.
Where’s Georgia?
Number 41 in solar jobs per capita.
Yet Michigan is #47 by maximum solar resource and New Jersey is #36,
while Georgia is #18: much sunnier than those northern states.
Why is Georgia so far behind?
LEGAL STATUS OF THIRD-PARTY OWNERSHIP: NOT ALLOWED
Because of Continue reading