Received today, a notice that the Middle and Lower Suwannee River and Withlacoochee River Task Force will be meeting next Thursday:
When: 4PM, Thursday, January 23, 2020
Where: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 213 Southwest Commerce Boulevard, Lake City, Florida
How to get there: Continue reading
Update 2020-01-27: Videos: FL state Sen. Montford in Madison about Valdosta sewage 2020-01-08
Update 2020-01-06: Well testing results, Madison County, FL, after Valdosta sewage spill 2020-01-03.
Florida state Senator Bill Montford has scheduled “a meeting concerning the Valdosta sewage spill issue” this Wednesday afternoon, the same day and before the meeting of the Florida Counties Rivers Task Force with the Valdosta City Council. We have some questions (see below). You probably do too, and you can ask them at one or both of these Wednesday public meetings.
When: 1 PM, Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Where:
Madison County University of Florida
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Office
184 Northwest College Loop, Madison, FL 32340
Event: facebook
I have confirmed that this Madison meeting is a public meeting. The venue is small, but that’s no reason for the public not to come.
Sen. Montford held a Continue reading
Update 2020-01-30: Videos.
Update 2020-01-05: Earlier this same Wednesday: Florida Sen. Bill Montford hosting Valdosta sewage public meeting in Madison, FL 2020-01-08.
A Special Called Meeting of the Valdosta City Council, about Valdosta’s record-largest raw sewage spill in December 2019, and what to do going forward. Attendees will include the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council (presumably its Task Force on this subject), and apparently GA-EPD, EPA, FDEP, SRWMD, and of course Suwannee Riverkeeper. It is a public meeting, so anyone can attend. If it’s run like previous such meetings, anyone can ask questions. We have plenty. I hope you do, too.
When: 6 PM, Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Where: General Purpose Room, Valdosta City Hall Annex, 300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, GA 31601
Event: facebook
Continue readingLast Thursday, NCFRPC E.D. Scott R. Koons noted that Appointments to the task forces for each of the toll road corridors would start soon. Among the types of representatives that are supposed to be appointed, are environmental organizations (two of those listed in the bill are on record opposing it).
Koons also discussed approved funding for a hurricane evacuation study. Why, you may wonder, was the toll road bill, supposedly largely about hurricane evacuation, passed before that study was even started?
Ken Cornell of Alachua County noted “There’s a lot of election cycles before this is going to be done.” Indeed, a new governor could decline to implement this toll road boondoggle, and if enough elected officials on the task forces oppose it, that might even stop it. He also said:
![[Planning, Ken Cornell, Alachua County]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-05-23--ncfrpc-videos/2-4-planning-ken-cornell.jpg)
Planning, Ken Cornell, Alachua County
Cornell asked for new Executive Committee members to get together before the next Council meeting,
So we can have some discussions at this Council like what we’re doing for Valdosta, and have a united front. Alachua County and I know many others will stand in support of this issue.
Suwannee Riverkeeper stands in support of the counties opposed to the toll roads.
Below are the WWALS videos from that North Central Florida Regional Planning Council meeting in Lake City, FL, with more details. Continue reading
Update 2019-05-28: See also Videos: toll road planning –E.D. Scott R. Koons & Ken Cornell @ NCFRPC 2019-05-23.
Eight citizens from across the region spoke Thursday against the toll road boondoggle, at the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council meeting in Lake City, FL.
Below are links to each WWALS video of each speaker, followed by a WWALS video playlist.
See also Continue reading
There will be a meeting of the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council tonight in Lake City. Citizen Comments would be a good opportunity to ask what are they going to do to stop the Suncoast Connector toll road boondoggle from crossing the Suwannee River, and promote water quality testing and solar power instead.
When: 7PM, Thursday, May 23, 2019
Where: Lake City Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 213 Southwest Commerce Boulevard, Lake City, Florida
Event: facebook
X. CITIZEN COMMENTS
This agenda item provides an opportunity for citizens to address the Council on any matter not included on the agenda. The comment period is limited to three minutes for each individual.
-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®
You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!
Update 2019-03-17: Valdosta has agreed to meet with the dozen downstream Florida counties, elected officials to elected officials, 6PM, Wednesday, April 10, 2019, at Valdosta City Hall Annex, and “the public will have an opportunity to speak.”
A dozen downstream Florida counties want to meet with the Valdosta City Council, elected officials to elected officials, to present a resolution they passed urging the states of Florida and Georgia to do something about Valdosta’s sewage, and to discuss raising funds to help Valdosta fix its sewage infrastructure, so the Florida counties can restore their eco-tourism on the Withlacoochee, Alapaha, Suwannee, and Santa Fe Rivers. Restoring eco-tourism came up again and again. It’s not just the actual sewage, which never gets to Taylor or Alachua Counties. It’s the stigma of sewage in the rivers. Fixing Valdosta’s spills and regular testing to find other sources are needed.
Valdosta said no. So delegates from all dozen counties are going to come to the March 21, 2019, Valdosta City Council Regular Session and speak in Citizens to Be Heard, three minutes each, some time after 5:30 PM that Thursday evening.
![[Movie: Approval of Resolution (115M)]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-02-28--fl-rivers-task-force/MVI_0525.jpg)
Movie: Approval of Resolution (115M)
Task Force, clockwise from front:
Scott R. Koons (NCFRPC),
Ken Cornell (Alachua County),
Anthony Adams (Lafayette County),
Don Hale (Suwannee County),
Gene Higginbotham (Dixie County),
Kenrick Thomas (Gilchrist County),
Danny Riddick (Bradford County),
Thomas Demps (Taylor County),
Beth Burnam (Hamilton County),
Rick Davis (Chair, Madison County)
Apparently Valdosta told them that Valdosta doesn’t do workshops or joint meetings, which is curious, since Valdosta’s city council members a month earlier met with council members from all the other Lowndes County cities and the Lowndes County Commissioners about their Service Delivery Strategy, which includes wastewater. Last year, members of Valdosta Mayor and Council met with elected officials Continue reading
Received Thursday. The Rivers Task Force of the dozen downstream Florida counties will be voting next Thursday on a resolution asking the State of Florida (FDEP, SRWMD, etc.) to do something about Valdosta’s sewage spills.
![[4PM Thu 28 Feb 2019, Holiday Inn, Lake City, FL]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-02-28--river-task-force/compositenotice.jpg)
4PM Thu 28 Feb 2019, Holiday Inn, Lake City, FL
When: 4PM, Thursday, February 28, 2019
Where: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, 213 Southwest Commerce Boulevard, Lake City, Florida
What: A meeting of the Middle and Lower Suwannee River and Withlacoochee River Task Force
Directions: From the intersection of Interstate 75 and U.S. Highway 90 (exit 427) in the City of Lake City turn, East onto U.S. Highway 90, travel approximately 450 feet to SW Commerce Blvd, turn right (South) onto SW Commerce Blvd, travel approximately 720 feet and the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites is on the left.
The agenda, after the customary introductory items, has only a resolution and Next Steps.
Not on the agenda, but mentioned in the minutes of the previous meeting:
The Task Force agreed that the next steps should be to request a meeting with the Governor and Commissioner of Agriculture. Chair Davis informed the Task Force that the next meeting will be held on Continue reading
The biggest asset any of us, all together, will ever own, is water.
Phosphate mining is complicated, but your choice is not.
Please choose wisely and make your moratorium on phosphate mining permanent.
Sent to Union BOCC this afternoon as PDF along with copy of previous letter to Bradford BOCC.
August 21, 2017
To: James Tallman, Chairman
Union County Board of County Commissioners
15 NE 1st Street, Lake Butler, FL 32054
(386) 496-4241
ucbocc@windstream.netCc:
Scott R. Koons, Executive Director
North Central Florida Regional Planning Council
2009 NW 67th Pl, Gainesville, FL 32653
(352) 955-2200
koons@ncfrpc.orgRe: Phosphate Mine zoning and land use
Continue reading
![[Agenda]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2020-01-23--fl-rivers-task-force/Jan2020-0003.jpg)
![[Scott R. Koons, E.D., NCFRPC]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-05-23--ncfrpc-videos/2-2-scott-r-koons.jpg)
![[Resolution and Next Steps]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2019-02-28--river-task-force/agenda.jpg)