{"id":510,"date":"2012-09-09T17:56:58","date_gmt":"2012-09-09T21:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/09\/industrial-authority-goes-solar-broadband-and-conversational.html"},"modified":"2012-09-09T17:56:58","modified_gmt":"2012-09-09T21:56:58","slug":"industrial-authority-goes-solar-broadband-and-conversational","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/09\/industrial-authority-goes-solar-broadband-and-conversational.html","title":{"rendered":"Industrial Authority goes solar, broadband, and conversational!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nThe Industrial Authority apparently listened to its focus groups,\nand discovered that broadband and solar energy are important\nto attract industry.\nAndrea Schruijer even recommends conversation,\nwhich has been sorely lacking in recent years.\nCongratulations, Industrial Authority!\n<\/p>\n

\nJason Schaefer wrote for the VDT today,\n\nAuthority analyzes Valdosta business:\nBroadband, solar power, professional services targeted for growth,<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n

\n\n<\/a>\nThe Authority also plans to work toward the availability of more\nbroadband Internet service and solar power in Valdosta and\nsurrounding communities. These amenities would help support local\nindustries as well as draw new ones to the greater Valdosta area for\nthe creation of new jobs.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nThat’s a good start. Although it’s not clear from the writeup that VLCIA quite got it about\nInternet access.\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nAs part of presenting Valdosta as an attractive package for\n\n<\/a>\nprospective industries, the Authority attempts to ready the land set\naside for development before beginning the recruitment process. This\nmeans investing in infrastructure, including broadband internet.\n<\/p>\n

\n\u201cIt’s not that we don’t have broadband,\u201d Schruijer said.\n\u201cWhat we’re looking at is the technology behind the broadband.\nWe have it in certain areas, but in order for us to grow some of\nthese core targets, such as professional services, we need that\ninfrastructure.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nWell, actually, no,\n\n<\/a>\n\nwe don’t have broadband.<\/a>\n6Mbps is the fastest most people can get around here,\nand 30Mbps is the slowest you can even buy in many countries.\nPlus, it’s not just fast Internet to industrial sites that’s needed:\n\nit’s fast Internet access everywhere knowledge-based employees\nmay want to live.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nBut they’re on the right track:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nBecause the Authority can’t \u201cbuy\u201d industries into coming\nto Valdosta\u2014though it can offer tax abatements\u2014it is\nnecessary to make sure that new businesses have what they will need\nbefore ground is even broken, Schruijer said. To this effect, the\nAuthority will \u201cstimulate the conversation\u201d to actively\nattract more broadband companies to the area.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nA conversation!\nNow there’s something we’ve been needing around here.\nAnd it’s a refreshing change from only\na year ago when all we heard was\n<\/p>\n\n<\/a>\n

\n\n“Debate is not allowed.”<\/a>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nMaybe the Industrial Authority will be the organization that will show the\nrest of us how to hold civil discussions about things that affect all of us!\n<\/p>\n

\nThe VDT’s writeup skips quickly over another big change:\n<\/p>\n\n\n

\n

\nAn investment in solar energy\u2014a plant as well as the\nmanufacturing of parts to build it\u2014could bring jobs to\nValdosta as well, Schruijer said.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nFrom hints they’ve been dropping in their last two board meetings,\nand from \ntheir attempts to get clear title to the former biomass site\nnext to the present solar field<\/a>,\nthere may be more to it than that. We’ll see.\n<\/p>\n

\nAnd this is also a sizeable change in strategy:\n<\/p>\n

\n

\nThe sub-category of \u201cprofessional services\u201d joins the\ntarget areas of logistics and advanced manufacturing which the\nAuthority has already targeted as an opportunity for growth. This\ncategory includes sub-areas such as computer systems design and\nmanagement, architectural and engineering services, administrative\nsupport services and advertising and public relations services.\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nThis is all a huge change from less than two years ago when\nI asked about house refitting for insulation and efficiency,\nas well as rooftop solar,\n\nand was told:<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n“That really would be the city… we’re industrial development.”\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nThat was a very limited interpretation of\nVLCIA’s charter,\nthe 1960\n\nValdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority Act<\/a>,\nwhich actually names a number of other things VLCIA should do, including:\n<\/p>\n

\n4.F. To encourage and promote the expansion of industry, agriculture,\ntrade, commerce and recreation in the City of Valdosta, County of Lowndes,\nand to make long-range plans therefor.\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nAs\n\nDr. William Fuller reminded the Lowndes County Commission,<\/a>\nthat Act concludes:\n<\/p>\n

\nThis act, being for the purpose of developing and promoting the public\ngood and the welfare of the County of Lowndes and the City of Valdosta\nand their inhabitants, shall be liberally construed to effect the\npurposes hereof.\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nI’d still like to see the Industrial Authority explicitly take\n\n<\/a>\n\nstewardship of water and air and other resources into account<\/a>,\nlike\n\nBen Copeland recommended<\/a>,\nin its developing and promotion of the public good and the general welfare.\nBut let’s congratulate them for turning in the right general direction!\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nHow did this happen?\n<\/p>\n

\nMaybe it took a whole bunch of us nagging them; here’s\n\nDr. Noll asking them for cooperation with the citizens.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nMaybe it took\n\nrepeated anti-biomass demonstrations.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nMaybe it took\n\nletters to the editor.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nMaybe it took\n\nthe VDT turning against them.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nMaybe it took\n\n<\/a>\n\nanother series of protests starting up against the private prison.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nMaybe it took Ashley Paulk pointing out they were\n\nlying out in the road in front of the anti-biomass bus<\/a>\nand\n\nthat the private prison was like the biomass plant<\/a>\nin that neither one had a business plan.\n(I’m not making any attempt here to name everyone, since so many\npeople have and are participating, and any list would omit someone.\nFeel free to add whoever you like in comments.)\n\n<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nOr maybe\n\ncommunity activism had nothing to do with it.<\/a> (OK, that one still makes me laugh.)\n<\/p>\n

\nMaybe it took\n\nBrad Lofton lighting out<\/a>\nfor South Carolina\n\nbefore even telling his then-current employers, VLCIA.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nMaybe it took\n\nRoy Copeland being elected Chairman.<\/a>\n\n<\/a>\nMaybe Andrea Schruijer took one look at this place and recognized\nher opportunity.<\/a>\nI don’t know.\n<\/p>\n

\nHey, maybe it was all of the above and more?\nMaybe it was the community starting to act together!\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nWhatever it was, I congratulate VLCIA on all these very encouraging\nnew developments.\n<\/p>\n

\n-jsq\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Industrial Authority apparently listened to its focus groups, and discovered that broadband and solar energy are important to attract industry. Andrea Schruijer even recommends conversation, which has been sorely lacking in recent years. Congratulations, Industrial Authority! Jason Schaefer wrote for the VDT today, Authority analyzes Valdosta business: Broadband, solar power, professional services targeted for […]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[97,202,120,40,14,15,264,265,16,266,2,132,21,22,32,23,24,3,133,178,55],"tags":[8736,8750,193,187,679,8738,1747,506,8717,1748,1363,8704,8705,8754,8755,8706,8756,801,8701,8699,1746,507,8741,1458,8702,12,7,799,8711,8712,8715,1745,8713,183,8714,1457,8700,6,8742,8749,8727],"class_list":["post-510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-activism","category-agriculture","category-biomass","category-community","category-economy","category-education","category-energy-conservation","category-energy-efficiency","category-environment","category-festivals","category-government","category-internet-access-speed","category-planning","category-politics","category-pollution","category-renewable-energy","category-solar","category-transparency","category-vdt","category-vlcia","category-water","tag-activism","tag-agriculture","tag-allan-ricketts","tag-andrea-schruijer","tag-ashley-paulk","tag-biomass","tag-brad-lofton","tag-broadband","tag-community","tag-conversation","tag-debate","tag-economy","tag-education","tag-energy-conservation","tag-energy-efficiency","tag-environment","tag-festivals","tag-generations","tag-georgia","tag-government","tag-infrastructure","tag-internet","tag-internet-access-speed","tag-knowledge-based","tag-lake","tag-lowndes-area-knowledge-exchange","tag-lowndes-county","tag-opportunity","tag-planning","tag-politics","tag-pollution","tag-professional-services","tag-renewable-energy","tag-roy-copeland","tag-solar","tag-stewardship","tag-transparency","tag-valdosta","tag-vdt","tag-vlcia","tag-water"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p585fK-8e","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}