On the closed landfill across from Valdosta State Prison on Val Tech Road, what looks like maybe a megawatt of solar panels by the City of Valdosta.
Pictures by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange, 1 September 2017
Tag Archives: Withlacoochee River
Video: Solar panels, heck yeah! –Tom Fanning, CEO, at SO stockholder meeting 2017-05-24
Tom Fanning, our genial CEO host, said some things I’ve never heard him say before like Southern Company is “pivoting towards wind” and SO’s board soon has to decide whether to go forward with Plant Vogtle “or not” probably by August. Fanning gets the first and last word in this blog post, plus a complete transcript of what I asked and Tom Fanning’s response, along with summaries of the other questions and answers.
Please hear me!
I think renewables are exceedingly important in the future.
— Tom Fanning, CEO, Southern Company
In SO’s own meeting video of the 25 May 2017 Stockholder Meeting, you can see much praise about solar power and wind and R&D and a smart grid, along with stockholders wondering: Continue reading
Videos: Sewage, Coal Ash, Historic Preservation, a dead cat, and turkeys @ VCC 2016-03-09
The Valdosta City Council heard from citizens about coal ash, wastewater, and toxic waste in the landfill. Mayor John Gayle offered to answer later in his office Eric Howard’s question about wastewater in his yard. The Mayor expressed his opinion that he and the council couldn’t do anything about the landfill, and read for yourself what he said about the Florida county resolutions about Valdosta wastewater. George Boston Rhynes told a droll tale about a dead cat and turkeys.
The Historic Preservation appeal was long and contentious, with the Mayor twice breaking a tie because only four City Council members were there: the appeal was approved. A citizen spoke about that afterwards, as did Council Tim Carroll.
Council Robert Yost recommended all the Hospital Authority Board should resign.
They unanimously approved both of the rezoning items; ditto the right of way maintenance bids.
And Firefighter Michael Penland is employee of the month.
Below are links to the LAKE video of each item, with a few notes (some drawn from Valdosta’s own SUMMARY OF ACTIONS), followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda.
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1. Call to Order, Invocation Pledge
Video. SUMMARY OF ACTIONS: Continue reading
Brief agenda plus Water @ VCC 2016-03-09
No water on the agenda, but there’s a WWALS event for those who want to speak about water issues.
AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, March 9, 2017
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
- Opening Ceremonies Continue reading
Sabal Trail protests continue –VDT 2016-09-23
Front page today in the newspaper of record in the largest city in the Suwannee River Basin: the WWALS protest against DAPL and Sabal Trail at the US 84 Withlacoochee River bridge last Saturday, between Quitman and Valdosta, GA.
Desiree Carver, Valdosta Daily Times, Friday, September 23, 2016, front page,
Sabal protests continue,
The WWALS Watershed Coalition stood on the bridge between Brooks and Lowndes County Saturday to show solidarity with Dakota Access Pipeline opponents in Dakota and to continue its battle against the Sabal Trail natural gas pipeline.
That’s the US 84 bridge over the Withlacoochee River, on the Continue reading
Flood map funding on Valdosta agennda @ VCC 2016-08-11
It’s Valdosta’s turn, after
Lowndes County approved up to $40,000,
tomorrow (Thursday 11 Aug 2016),
it’s on the
Valdosta City Council agenda
for the city to approve a similar amount,
adding up to matching what USGS is willing to supply.
It was Valdosta’s idea in the first place, and maybe this
interactive flood map for a small part of the Withlacoochee River through Valdosta will help prevent, or at least provide early warning for,
the types of
road closings and other floodings that happened in 2009.
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
Continue reading
5:30 PM Thursday, August 11, 2016
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
Videos: funded flood map, Behavioral Health Board still vacant, Rezoning also on GLPC Monday, road abandonment, land exchange @ LCC 2016-07-26
On July 26th 2016,
they
approved up to $40,000
for the
Withlacoochee River Flood Inundation Map Project, and
I thanked them for that and for considering my modest suggestion.
The County Manager,
unlike
the previous morning,
did not mention it’s time for
scheduling meetings to set millage rates.
Still no applicant for the
Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Board, but Commissioner Joyce Evans thought she had a prospect for later.
They approved the event center rezoning which also sailed by the previous night’s Planning Commission.
Below are links to each LAKE video with a few notes, followed by a video playlist. See also Continue reading
Videos: Vacant seat Behavioral Health Board, Rezoning also on GLPC Monday, road abandonment, land exchange, and flood map project @ LCC 2016-07-25
They didn’t have an applicant for the
Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
at Monday morning’s Work Session;
Chairman Bill Slaughter invited anyone who wanted to apply to speak up.
The
Withlacoochee River Flood Inundation Map Project
had the longest discussion,
and the County Manager reminded everyone
it’s time for
scheduling meetings to set millage rates.
They vote tonight at 5:30 PM; see Continue reading
Vacant seat Behavioral Health Board, Rezoning also on GLPC Monday, road abandonment, land exchange, and flood map project @ LCC 2016-07-25
Public hearings for the
event center rezoning
and the
Abandonment of a Portion of Worthington Triangle are
on the
agenda
for the Monday morning Work Session and for voting
in the Tuesday evening Regular Session.
That rezoning is also (back) on
Planning Commission agenda
for Monday evening.
And back on the County Commission agenda is the Withlacoochee River Flood Inundation Map Project; see LAKE videos from the previous County Commission meetings, and a modest suggestion.
Also in water, another LAS Pump Motor Repair and a Foxborough Pressure Reducing Valve/Vault. It was actually an LAS pump control panel last month.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 25, 2016, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Videos: 3 appointments, 1 well public hearing, Withlacoochee River Flood Map @ LCC 2016-07-12
They tabled the
Withlacoochee River Flood Inundation Map Project,
which is better than rejecting the idea of spending $40,000 to match Valdosta
for a composite 50% match for a USGS grant.
As expected from the previous morning, they appointed Chairman Bill Slaughter to the South Georgia Community Service Board, after he got that board to change the time of its meetings to be different from this Commission’s time.
They approved the REZ-2016-12 Salami, 3320 Bemiss Rd community well for a home school science facility.
Below are links to each LAKE video of the Monday June 12th 2016 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, followed by a video playlist. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, and the agenda.
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1. Call to Order 2. Invocation 3. Pledge
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4. Minutes for Approval
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5.a. Appointment – South Georgia Community Service Board
Video. A Commissioner after the vote appointing Chairman Slaughter asked what this board did. Chairman’s answer: mostly behavioral health, and they used to hold their meetings the same time as the Lowndes meetings, but they have moved them to Adel at 1PM presumably also on Tuesday.
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5.b. Appointment – Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals
Video. They reappointed Randall Crews.
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5.c. Appointment – Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)- County Appointment
Video. They reappointed Paul Alvarado.
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6.a. REZ-2016-12 Salami, 3320 Bemiss Rd, R-21 to C-G,
Video. Nobody spoke against. The applicant spoke for, summarizing what had already been said in the LAKE video of the June 27th 2016 Planning Commission review of this rezoning request. The County Commission unanimously approved the rezoning.
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7.a. Beer Wine & Liquor License Holiday Market Liquors 3954 Old US Hwy 41N
Video. “The old country store location which has been out of business for a few months.” They unanimously approved.
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7.b. Grants Management Policy and Procedures
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7.c. Evidence Based Associates Service Agreement
Video. See the LAKE videos from the previous morning’s Work Session for more background.
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7.d. Withlacoochee River Flood Inundation Map Project
Video. For quite a bit more background, see the LAKE video from the previous morning’s Work Session. Chairman asked for timeline. Ashley Tye said federal year starts October 1st, so Valdosta would like to have and agreement ready to sign before then. Also they could come back at a later time, but could lose out on the federal funding match.
Chairman asked for timeline to get agreement ready by then. Tye said agreement with USGS would be with Valdosta, and he would check back with them for a more firm date, and would probably be best to decide at next Lowndes County Commission meeting.
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked confirmation that waiting until the next meeting would work. Answer: tabling until next meeting would work. And that’s what they did.
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8.a. Bid for Pest Control Services
Video. Same summary as in Work Session. They unanimously approved the low bid from Astro Exterminating Services.
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9. Reports – County Manager
Video. “No additional report.”
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10. CWTBH (none) 11. Adjournment
Video. No citizens wished to be heard, so they adjourned.
Here’s a video playlist:
Videos: 3 appointments, 1 well public hearing, Withlacoochee River Flood Map
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, July 12, 2016.
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