Update 2022-04-13: Floating trash in cypress swamp below VLPRA HQ in Valdosta 2022-04-13.

As previously mentioned, there are two acres of trash on land owned by the City of Valdosta, just south of VLPRA headquarters, at the corner of Barack Obama Blvd. and Ricardo Street, Behind the Pepsi Adopt-A-Spot sign, near the top of One Mile Branch.

In Valdosta’s own Seeclickfix map, you can see the site just across Barack Obama Blvd. from a drainage canal that runs into One Mile Branch just upstream from Vallotton Park.

Map: Seeclickfix VLPRA HQ, One Mile Branch, Vallotton Park https://seeclickfix.com/issues/12055148

This water quality and public health problem was first reported through Valdosta’s Click ‘n’ Fix smartphone app on March 9, 2022, it got some acknowledgement after another report on March 21st, but no cleanup seems to have happened.

Some of the city officials named in these comments are scheduled to be at a meeting with WWALS this afternoon. Maybe they’re waiting on that meeting to schedule a cleanup. We shall see.

Meanwhile, notice the variety of commenters who do not work for the city. First, all the comments from the March 21st report:

8 COMMENTS

Johnny (Registered User)
That is a mess right there
03/21/2022 · Flag

Mary Hay (Registered User)
This is terrible! C’mon Valdosta! Please do something.
03/21/2022 · Flag

Anetra Riley (Verified Official)
Anetra Riley assigned this issue to City Marshal-Tom Meyer
03/21/2022 · Flag

Anetra Riley (Verified Official)
Anetra Riley assigned this issue to Winston Williams
03/21/2022 · Flag

Angela Bray (Verified Official)
Anetra, this is on City property. I have reached out to the City’s Sustainability Coordinator and she will look into and discuss options with upper management in putting together a team for cleanup.
03/21/2022 · Flag

City Marshal-Tom Meyer (Verified Official)
I left a message with Teresa Turner to determine how the city wants to organize this clean up.
03/21/2022 · Flag

Angela Bray (Verified Official)
Thank Tom. I can spare a few men from cutting ditches one day, if needed.
03/21/2022 · Flag

Dave (Registered User)
Thanks for finally acknowledging this! Here’s a tip though…if you don’t deliberately ignore this for years on end your own property, you would have to scramble to pull people to fix an embarrassment. Hopefully you’ll keep a better eye on this in the future.
03/21/2022 · Flag

Ricardo St., Obama Ave, VLPRA HQ, One Mile Branch

And people are still commenting on the March 9th report; here are some of those comments:

Mary Hay (Registered User)
That’s horrible! Please fix this,
03/10/2022 · Flag

Phyllis (Registered User)
I agree! There are many areas in the city that are covered with trash!!! I try to pick up trash in my neighborhood, but I can’t do it all over Valdosta!
03/10/2022 · Flag

Dave (Registered User)
Wow! How can the City enforce something that they themselves are not taking care of on their own property?
03/10/2022 · Flag

Anetra Riley (Verified Official)
Anetra Riley assigned this issue to City Marshal-Tom Meyer
03/21/2022 · Flag

CLOSED City Marshal-Tom Meyer (Verified Official)
This issue is now being addressed within the city. Thank you for presenting this to the city.
03/21/2022 · Flag

REOPENED Phyllis (Registered User)
I live on the corner of Lakeland ave and Barack Obama Blvd and everyday I have to walk over the stores on East Park Ave or down Barack Obama Blvd and pick up trash! I usually fill up a bucket! I complain about this ALL the time and it is a temporary fix! The stores or their owners need to be fined for the trash that is left outside the dumpsters! I know and see people going behind the stores putting their personal trash in the dumpsters….The city needs to step up and prosecute people who throw their trash in and around the dumpsters!!! The trash blows over into the ditch, street and my yard! It is a constant battle to keep the trash picked up!!! You would not believe what people have thrown in the dumpsters!!!! (Old furniture, bags of clothes, microwaves, wood, bikes, and just household trash, etc) THIS NEEDS to STOP!
03/23/2022 · Flag

Mary Hay (Registered User)
What??? They STILL haven’t done anything???
04/02/2022 · Flag

Mary Hay (Registered User)
Who is this “Teresa” the city assigned this to?
04/02/2022 · Flag

An anonymous SeeClickFix user (Registered User)
I think “Teresa” is code for “somebody hurry up and archive this click fix because we aren’t going to do anything about it”
04/03/2022 · Flag

Notice the city closed out that ticket without saying what the actual fix would be. But it’s back open. And apparently there still is no fix.

Thanks to all the citizens, including Bobby McKenzie, Mary Hay, Dave, Phyllis, who have kept after this problem.

For more on the Valdosta trash situation, see: https://wwals.net/issues/trash

You can help by reporting any trash or litter problem you see in Valdosta with Valdosta’s Click ‘n’ Fix smartphone app.

For trash or other problems elsewhere, here’s how to report: https://wwals.net/report/.

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

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