Update 2023-03-29: Valdosta Creek Trash Tour 2023-03-29.

Why did Valdosta City Marshalls close this Click’n’Fix ticket when nothing has been cleaned up?

Trash, Two Mile Branch upstream from Ashley Street 2023-03-24

It took nine days for City Marshals to make any response, then they said they would notify the property owner and closed the ticket.

I went there the next day and photographed the same trash in the same locations, plus I took more pictures of more trash upstream.

Today, March 29, 2023, when I asked why the ticket was closed and posted more pictures, the City Marshalls said “The ticket was closed because a citation was written and there is now an open case with the City Marshal’s. We have to legally give the property owner a certain amount of time to address the issue.”

That is new information, and a welcome change from just notifying the property owner.

But why did the City Marshalls again close the ticket? The problem has not been fixed.

In the next big rain, trash will wash down Two Mile Branch into Sugar Creek. If it is not caught by the WaterGoat there, it will wash into the Withlacoochee River. All along the way it is a health hazard to humans, and wildlife eat the trash, especially styrofoam, and cannot digest it.

Filed seeclickfix

Dumping of Trash on Property ▶ Closed
2695 N Ashley St Valdosta, Georgia, 31602 • Show on Map

REPORTER
John S. Quarterman

Tillman/Budd Investments LLC trash into Two Mile Branch upstream from Ashley Street 2023-02-28

Issue ID: 14176554
Submitted To: City of Valdosta
Category: Dumping of Trash on Property
Viewed: 10 times
Neighborhood: Valdosta
Reported: on 03/08/2023

DESCRIPTION
Trash spilling into Two Mile Branch upstream from Ashley Street.
Lowndes County Parcel 0111D 130.
No silt fence. Valdosta trash ordinances would cover this situation.

As you can see, City Marshalls closed the ticket without the problem being fixed.

Closed seeclickfix

Benjamin O’Dowd (Verified Official)
Benjamin O’Dowd assigned this issue to Anetra Riley
03/14/2023 · Flag

Tyren Martin (Verified Official)
Tyren Martin assigned this issue to Carlton Richard
03/14/2023 · Flag

CLOSED Carlton Richard (Verified Official)
Thank you, we will notify the property owner about the violations.
03/23/2023 · Flag

With new pictures from March 24, 2023, I reopened the ticket.

Reopened seeclickfix

REOPENED John S. Quarterman (Registered User)

Trash at Two Mile Branch with Rodeo restaurant in background, 2023:03:24 09:45:45, https://www.google.com/maps/@30.8674982,-83.2861608,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0 in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail.

Why was this ticket closed?

I went by the next day (2023-03-24) and found the same trash in the same locations.
Nothing had been cleaned up.
less than a minute ago · Flag

John S. Quarterman (Registered User)

Deadfall 1 and onshore trash, 2023:03:24 09:49:53, https://www.google.com/maps/@30.8675119,-83.2855139,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0

Trash in Two Mile Branch caught in a deadfall and trash on the subject property, Lowndes County Parcel 0111D 130, which owns both sides of the creek.
less than a minute ago · Flag

John S. Quarterman (Registered User)

Deadfall 2 from upstream, 2023:03:24 09:49:33, https://www.google.com/maps/@30.8675119,-83.2855139,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0

Trash in another deadfall, upstream of the first deadfall.
1 minute ago · Flag

John S. Quarterman (Registered User)

Outfall viewed from upstream, 2023:03:24 09:49:14, https://www.google.com/maps/@30.8675120,-83.2855140,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0

An outfall from the subject property, with trash beside it, upstream from the two deadfalls.
less than a minute ago · Flag

While I was commenting with more pictures, more information came from the City Marshalls.

Citation seeclickfix

CLOSED Carlton Richard (Verified Official)
The ticket was closed because a citation was written and there is now an open case with the City Marshal’s. We have to legally give the property owner a certain amount of time to address the issue.
11 minutes ago · Flag

John S. Quarterman (Registered User)

Trash above shopping carts, 2023:03:24 09:48:54, https://www.google.com/maps/@30.8675030,-83.2855340,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x0

Two shopping carts and trash in Two Mile Branch.
The owner of Lowndes County Parcel 0111D 130 owns Two Mile Branch at this location,
so that owner should clean up this trash.
See Valdosta ordinance Sec. 82-1(b)(5) The owner, occupant and lessee of all property, including, but not limited to, parking lots, not otherwise described herein, jointly and severally are required to remove all litter from any source, from their property and to place same in appropriate containers. Vacant lots, borders, embankments, fences, walls, driveways and sidewalks shall be kept free of litter.

Carlton Richard (Verified Official)
We are aware of the ordinance, the property owner was cited for the violations. Thank you.
5 minutes ago · Flag

And he closed the ticket again.

I would like to congratulate City Marshall Carlton Richards on one year with the City of Valdosta.

Valdosta Today, from Valdosta press release, March 29, 2022 City of Valdosta announces new Marshall

New City Marshall Carlton Richard 2022-03-29
Photo: L to R Back Row: City Marshal Zone 3, Winston Williams; City Marshal Zone 1, Joshua Hunt; Residential Construction Coordinator, Richard Joyner; City Marshal Zone 4, Tom Meyer; City Marshall Zone 2, Brandon Corbitt.
Front Row L to R: City of Valdosta Neighborhood Development and Community Protections Manager, Anetra Riley; Valdosta City Marshall, Carlton Richard and Deputy City Manager of Administration, Catherine Ammons.

VALDOSTA — The newest City of Valdosta Marshall Carlton Richard has been sworn in to improve the communities standard of living.

Release: On Thursday, March 24th Carlton Richard was sworn in as the newest City of Valdosta Marshall. Richard has 12 years of service at a correctional facility. Richard is originally from Albany, Georgia, and has worked in corrections for 12 years. He has served in Georgia and Florida. He is the newest member of the Community Protection Division with the City of Valdosta and now will serve as the city Marshal. His goal is to serve the community positively and focus on educating citizens about various issues and codes. “My biggest achievement thus far, is being a positive influence on my family and community; I look forward to a long career as a City Marshall with the city of Valdosta,” says Richard.

The Community Protection Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with city codes and ordinances relating to the use of property, zoning, sanitation, and housing. Other duties include conducting searches of deed records to locate property owners as necessary, testifying in municipal court proceedings, and verifying that businesses within the city limits have proper occupational tax certificates.

The Community Protection Division strives to improve our community’s standard of living by proactively ensuring compliance with the latest edition (as adopted, amended, and revised by the Department of Community Affairs) of the International Property Maintenance Code and by eliminating structures that are hazardous, unsafe or unsanitary through rehabilitation or demolition.

Map: Ashley Street at Two Mile Branch in the WWALS map of the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail (WLRWT).

 -jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/

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