Tag Archives: Valdosta

Taking water for granted? –Matthew Richard

This LTE appeared in the VDT today. -jsq
In the aftermath of Valdosta’s recent water calamity, it might be a good time to ask whether residents of Lowndes County are taking things like plentiful water for granted? Apparently, the Valdosta City Council is already thinking ahead, for on the agenda of their January 20, 2011 meeting, was a “Consideration of an Ordinance to establish standards for outdoor watering for the City of Valdosta.” One wonders if they’re worried about people watering their lawns in the summer? If that’s the case, it’s good that they acknowledge that the South is in the midst of a long-term drought.

Or perhaps I’m giving Council credit where it’s not due?

Continue reading →

the myth that biomass constitutes a “health benefit” –Dr. Noll

A followup to his presentation at LCC last Tuesday. -jsq
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:59:50 -0500
From: noll_family
To: apaulk@lowndescounty.com, jevans@lowndescounty.com, rraines@lowndescounty.com, cpowell@lowndescounty.com
CC: kay.harris, “John S. Quarterman”
Subject: Last Night’s Meeting

Dear Chairman Paulk and Commissioners.

Thanks for providing my wife and I and others opposed to the biomass plant the opportunity to address you last night. As a follow-up to last night’s meeting, let me share some thoughts with you, including reflections on a comment made about other “biomass incinerators” in our county and the continuing myth that biomass constitutes a “health benefit”:

Continue reading →

Wrapup –Ashley Paulk

Chairman Paulk notes the sheriff has a very difficult job in trying to find the younger Eunice in the Ocean Pond. He asks people also to keep the Eunice family and Joyce Evans in mind since her niece was recently murdered.

The Commission adjourns.


Video by Gretchen Quarterman
of the regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 25 Jan 2011
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

This second version is both noisier and perhaps somewhat easier to hear. Continue reading →

County Manager’s Report –Joe Pritchard

He remarks that the county has contracted with an arborist to prune a tree on the courthouse property the next day, but don’t be alarmed; they’re not cutting any trees down. He thanks volunteers and agencies throughout the state who have participated in searching for the missing person in the lake.


Video by Gretchen Quarterman
of the regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 25 Jan 2011
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Industrial Authority and the general welfare –Dr. William Fuller

First time speaker Dr. William Fuller refers to a paper copy he got from the City of Valdosta of the charter of the Industrial Authority. He says it allows them to make contracts, and he asks for someone to check to see the unelected members of the Industrial Authority don’t contract with relatives. He notes that the charter says their main purpose is to promote the general welfare of the people of Lowndes County, and the proposed biomass plant won’t do that.


Video by John S. Quarterman
of the regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 25 Jan 2011
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Thanks for Susan Wehling’s email –Ashley Paulk

Chairman Paulk says he got a very good email from Susan Wehling, who said she could not be here tonight.


Video by Gretchen Quarterman
of the regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 25 Jan 2011
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Environmental interest –Bobbi Anne Hancock

She says she has asked the Industrial Authority who in our local community has done studies on the environment and our health? She says she understands that they have constituents who are not from here, but who locally can do some investigating that specifically cares about Lowndes County, who has the environmental expertise?

Chairman Paulk thanks her for their earlier conversation, and says: “I will seek an answer.”


Video by John S. Quarterman
of the regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 25 Jan 2011
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Two cameras and the sound is bad in both, although for other speakers it’s fine. I attribute it to the microphone being too far away from her, and when Chairman Paulk speaks to the audience he leans around his laptop and thus away from his microphone.

-jsq

More against biomass –Karen Noll

Karen Noll, co-presiden of WACE, notes that the proposed biomass plant would burn human waste, which is animal waste, so there may be a conflict with the requirements the County Commission made when it rezoned the land for the plant. She asks biomass oponents to stand; many do.


Video by Gretchen Quarterman
of the regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 25 Jan 2011
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Other biomass plants in the county –S.W. “Frenchie” DePasture

Frenchie points out that there are other biomass plants in the county, and he even helped set one of them up. He wonders if biomass opponents know that. (Yes, VLCIA has mentioned it enough times.)


Video by Gretchen Quarterman
of the regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 25 Jan 2011
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

Transparency and celebrating citizen participation –John S. Quarterman

I thank County Clerk Paige Dukes for making the text of the new Policies and Procedures available, and refer it to as as sterling example of local government transparency. Then I remark that I can’t be quite as complimentary about their content, which is in some parts too vague and in others too strict. I offer to provide written comments. And in my personal opinion local government should not suppress but rather celebrate citizen participation!


Video by Gretchen Quarterman
of the regular meeting of the Lowndes County Commission, 25 Jan 2011
for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Since at least one commissioner did ask for them, I sent them the written comments yesterday; they will follow in a separate post.

-jsq