{"id":21388,"date":"2019-10-17T08:44:13","date_gmt":"2019-10-17T12:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=21388"},"modified":"2019-10-17T08:49:28","modified_gmt":"2019-10-17T12:49:28","slug":"valdosta-city-council-town-hall-2019-09-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2019\/10\/valdosta-city-council-town-hall-2019-09-30.html","title":{"rendered":"Valdosta City Council Town Hall 2019-09-30"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\nMost people missed a chance to ask whatever they wanted of the Valdosta City Council,\r\nwithout time limits or fear of ejection from the room.\r\nThis town hall, hosted by Council members Andy Gibbs and Eric Howard,\r\napparently was not announced on Valdosta’s own website nor in the Valdosta Daily Times.\r\nBut Gretchen Quarterman was there for LAKE and videoed it, and provided the notes below.\r\nThe few people who did attend were interested enough to take an hour and a half of their time to participate in the community and local government.\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nGeorge Boston Rhynes noted that\r\npeople might fear even coming to this kind of meeting<\/a>,\r\nbecause of fear of retaliation, by being blackballed for jobs, or in other ways.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nLowndes County Commissioner Scottie Orenstein was there, and occasionally answered,\r\nas did Valdosta City Council Tim Carroll<\/a>.\r\nCity Council Sonny Vickers was also there.\r\n

\r\nSidewalks<\/a> were a major topic.\r\nGretchen wondered why every street doesn’t have one.\r\nInstead, the city thinks it will improve\r\ntraffic on Bemiss Road<\/a> by making it wider.\r\n

\r\nNaturally, Taxes in County and City and property values<\/a> were a major topic.\r\nValdosta City Council Sandra Tooley said she thought sidewalks make property values go up, so why should the county get any of that tax money when the city paid to put the sidewalks in?\r\nOthers misunderstood that, and more discussion ensued.\r\nPeople remain confused about how SPLOST works between city and county<\/a>.\r\n

\r\nBack on transportation, a final speaker spelled out how Valdosta is not bicycle-friendly<\/a>,\r\nso children can’t ride bicycles to school, students to VSU, employees to work, or people to see friends, because it is not safe. Same for Lowndes County: not safe for this healthy, family-friendly activity and transportation method.\r\nAndy Gibbs said this is one of the topics being gathered into the Parks and Rec. Master Plan, currently in progress.\r\n

\r\nBelow are links to each LAKE video, followed by a LAKE video playlist.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n