On the LAKE Front

When will the Wiregrass Solar plant be expanded? —John S. Quarterman @ VCC 9 June 2011

Compliments to Mayor Fretti for saying we will competitively expand the Wiregrass Solar plant!

Responding to George Rhynes' point, I said that while I had recommended moving Citizens to be Heard to the end of the agenda, it never occured to me that it might get moved after Council Comments, which did lead to an impression that Council did not want to hear and did not plan to respond. I noted that if Council videoed its own proceedings and put them on the web, that would help make the problem moot. I'm thinking videos distributed by the City Council itself would probably get more citizens viewing them than ones distributed by bloggers like me and George and by LAKE.

My main point was that, even though Brad Lofton and Col. Ricketts apparently never told Mayor Fretti, there was a larger solar array in

Citizens to be Heard will get moved back earlier —George B. Rhyne s

George Rhynes said he's positive Citzens to be Heard will get moved back earlier in the agenda. The VDT quoted that part, in a story that doesn't appear to be online yet. He also criticized the VDT for printing more about animals than about jail deaths.

Here's the video:

Citizens to be Heard will get moved back earlier —George B. Rhynes
Regular Meeting, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 June 2011.
Videos by Barbara Stratton for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

Here's George's own video and writeup of what he said.

-jsq

Economic opportunity and cooperation —John Robinson @ VCC 9 June 2011

Discussing the VSEB program, John Robinson remarked:

We need the council up here to show us interest in this program.

He recommended everybody work together, including city and county.

Here's the video:

Economic opportunity and cooperation —John Robinson @ VCC 9 June 2011
Regular Meeting, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 4 June 2011.
Videos by Barbara Stratton for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

The Council of Hamlets meets tonight in Valdosta!

The Valdosta City Council regular meeting is tonight. You remember them, the council that may or may not be able to say whether or not they can or cannot speak during, at the end of, or after their council meetings. Tonight they appoint people to boards that decide who can put up how big a sign, and that spend millions in your tax money.

I want to see if Mayor Fretti will keep to his word to expand the Wiregrass Solar plant.

Also, maybe now this city council can do what Gretna, Florida, did: put out a proclamation saying there will be no biomass plant. Or they could sit on their hands some more and wait until some Sonny finds a way to do it anyway.

They have lots of other stuff on their agenda for tonight, including an appointment to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA), and an appointment to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority.

ZBOA decides on variances to Valdosta's LDR and Lowndes County's ULDC, including sign variances, much to the annoyance of some local entitled rich people and of McDonald's.

Parks & Rec receives 1.5 mil of tax money, about $4.5 million dollars a year, more than the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA). Parks and Rec board members get to spend that tax money that you pay.

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, June 9, 2011
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL