{"id":747,"date":"2012-06-19T16:21:51","date_gmt":"2012-06-19T20:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/06\/video-playlist-vlcia-2012-05-22.html"},"modified":"2012-06-19T16:21:51","modified_gmt":"2012-06-19T20:21:51","slug":"video-playlist-vlcia-2012-05-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/06\/video-playlist-vlcia-2012-05-22.html","title":{"rendered":"Video Playlist @ VLCIA 2012-05-22"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\nThe first 100% VSEB contract, local industry expansion, new prospects,
\na bank lost a bond, and new Georgia sunshine laws require attention.
\nHere are videos of the entire 22 May 2012 meeting
\nof the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA) board.
\nHere’s
\nthe agenda.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nGuests included
\na camera crew from VSU<\/a>, one of whom was Cameron Copeland,
\nChairman Roy Copeland’s son.\n<\/p>\n

\n
\nCPA Tom Davis<\/a>
\nsaid the county told him revenues were flat, so VLCIA would get about
\nthe same amount as last year.
\nTom Call asked if revenues would catch up over 6 months or 8 months.
\nCall said they would eventually.\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a>
\n
\nTom Call reported<\/a> for the budget committee and said
\nexpenses were projected to be down for the coming year,
\nplus the budget would be more specific about where revenues
\nwere being spent.\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a>
\nMeghan Duke
\n
\nreported<\/a>
\nthey had gotten an article in the newspaper,
\nand they had held an OSHA training meeting at Wiregrass Tech.
\nThey plan to hold further courses and will send out a survey about that.
\nShe also
\n
\nexpected updates<\/a> to the land-searching
\n
\nValdosta Prospector website<\/a>
\nto be ready in a few weeks.
\nShe and Andrea Schruijer had
\n
\nselected 3 finalists<\/a>
\nout of 10 proposals to redo the VLCIA website.
\nHer only stated criterion for picking one was\n<\/p>\n

\n“I just have to go with my gut.”\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\nWebsite completion had been scheduled for September,
\n
\nbut had been deferred<\/a>.
\nRoy Copeland wanted to know when.<\/p>\n


\nMeghan Duke said as soon as they had selected a developer,
\nthey could start on it.
\nAndrea Schruijer said
\n
\nMeghan Duke had completed all her courses and
\ngraduated from the Georgia Academy of Economic Development.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nRoy Copeland said
\n
\nSteeda was very appreciative.<\/a>
\nHe could have just stopped there,
\n
\nbut he added:<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nI get for one week a 700 horsepower Mustang to ride around in.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\nI wasn’t the only one wondering afterwards: what was he thinking?
\nThe VLCIA board and staff, however, found it hilarious,
\nand nobody questioned the propriety of a board member
\naccepting gifts from a company that benefits from VLCIA.
\nHe added that the gift included a life insurance policy.\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/a>
\nAllan Ricketts refered to growth in existing industries as
\n
\n“our home team”<\/a> and said three of them were mulling expansion.
\nHe also said they had
\n
\nmet with several potential new industries.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nCol. Ricketts said
\n
\ntwo VLCIA board members (Jerry Jennett and Mary Goodman)<\/a>
\nhad gone the
\n
\nNational Defense Industrial Association (NDIA)<\/a>
\nmeeting
\n(Georgia Chapter<\/a>).\n<\/p>\n

\nSee other post about
\nthe first 100% VSEB contract,<\/a> for landscaping Westside Business Park.\n<\/p>\n

\nJerry Jennett
\n
\nsaid he was very impressed with the scale of work and capabilities<\/a>
\nof
\n
\nHunt Industries.<\/a>
\nHe also said he liked the idea of making wood pellets
\nto be sent overseas to be burned in wood furnaces in Sweden and Texas.
\nNaturally Col. Ricketts liked that to.
\nAh, the biomass idea will never die….\n<\/p>\n

\nThe customer bank First Union, now merged with Wells Fargo,
\n
\nmanaged to lose some 1996 VLCIA revenue bonds<\/a>
\nand asked for a reissue.
\nThe amount has also been reduced from $5 million to $2,350,000
\n(I’m guessing because the rest of it has already been paid off.)
\nThe board agreed to the request.\n<\/p>\n

\nVLCIA attorney
\nJ. Stephen Gupton also
\nexplained the recent changes
\nto Georgia’s open meetings and open records laws;
\n
\nsee separate post.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nJerry Jennett accidentally talked himself into being on
\n
\na nominating committee<\/a> with Tom Call to nominate
\nnew officers for the coming year.\n<\/p>\n

\nTwo citizens were heard.
\n
\nJohn S. Quarterman<\/a>, who was embarrassed at saying nothing
\nbut compliments, and then recommended fast Internet access to
\nattract knowledge-based jobs and workers.
\nJody Hall
\n
\nintroduced himself<\/a> as running for County Commission District 5,
\nand said he was in favor of growing our local community properly.\n<\/p>\n

\nHere’s
\n
\na video playlist:<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n