Scottsboro. Alabama - January 27, 2020 - Scottsboro City Council - Work Session and Regular Session

Scottsboro City Hall, photo by G. Morgan

AGENDA - WORK SESSION

AGENDA - REGULAR SESSION

VIDEO OF WORK SESSION AND REGULAR SESSION

Scottsboro, Alabama - January 27, 2020 - Jackson County Commission Regular Session - Claim of Intellectual Property Regarding Contractor Plans to Rebuild County Road 17 - UPDATES - January 28, 2020 - Jackson County Park Marina Dock Fire and Open Meetings Issue, Intimidation

Jackson County Courthouse, North Entrance, photo by G. Morgan

AGENDA

Commission Chair Tim Guffey opened with statement regarding the early morning fire at the Jackson County Park Marina which killed 8 and injured several. WHNT TV Link about the fire - https://whnt.com/2020/01/27/crews-respond-to-fire-at-jackson-county-park-in-scottsboro/

UPDATE - May God Bless the families of those now deceased in the tragic event early yesterday morning. Action must be accomplished to insure there are inspections of Marina's and Boat docks regarding this issue. WHNT TV report link https://whnt.com/2020/01/27/few-regulations-oversee-condition-of-boat-docks-in-alabama/

REGARDING FIRE PROTECTION AND INSPECTIONS OF MARINAS, SUCH AS THE JACKSON COUNTY PARK MARINA AND THE GOOSEPOND COLONY MARINA

Link to appropriate regulation and law. U.S. Coast Guard and the TVA are part of enforcement of this requirement.  "Guidelines for the Safe Operation and Maintenance of Marinas by the National Water Safety Congress."  Note Section 5 of the regulation; quote -  "5.11 Local fire department personnel should be invited to inspect the facility with special emphasis on access to different areas of the marina in order to fight a fire." A public records request was submitted to the City of Scottsboro Fire Department and Mayor regarding Marina Inspection Records. I inquired about this request at last nights City Council meeting, responsible officials reply was, there have been no inspections of the facility by the Scottsboro Fire Department. Further comment revealed that we have no authority to inspect. nor has there been a request to inspect as suggested by 5.11 in the listed appropriate regulation linked.   https://www.usace.army.mil/Portals/2/docs/civilworks/recreation/Water_Safety/tools/guidelines_safe_operation_maint_marinas.pdf?ver=2016-07-25-130937-857 

VIDEO

OPEN MEETINGS ISSUE, INTIMIDATION ATTEMPT, WHEN ARE SECRETS, SECRET - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION DISPLAYED IN A PUBLIC MEETING - ATTEMPT TO STOP RECORDING INFORMATION PRESENTED VIA INTIMIDATION AND THREATS - SIMPLE SOLUTION NOT CONSIDERED BY EXTREMIST POLITICIAN, LAZINESS OR WHAT??

SITUATION REPORT ON THIS ISSUE - January 27, 2020 – Scottsboro, Alabama Jackson County Commission Meeting – Threat by Public Officials regarding recording of so called Intellectual Property displayed during a public meeting regarding repairing of County Road 17, agenda item 4 on the Commission Agenda (There is no indication on the agenda that the information discussed is proprietary or intellectual property). In the 15 years I have been attending, recording and videoing government meetings of municipal, county, state and federal government public meetings, this is the first time I have heard or seen such shenanigans as displayed by public officials of Jackson County Alabama. However, there have been several attempts to have secret meetings and a failure to post meetings as required by law by the Jackson County Commission over the years, including the current commission.

 Chair of the Commission Tim Guffey interrupts the presentation of the County Engineer in the attempt to stop my videoing of the "SECRET" plans (so called intellectual property) of the county and its contractor regarding the repair of County Road 17 and the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars. Guffey addresses me personally, which I reply, then I was called "out of order." 

At the break when the commissioners were going into Executive Session, Chair Guffey makes mention to the Chief Deputy to remove me if this occurs again. I asked the Chief Deputy during the break between the Executive Session and reconvening the meeting if he would have arrested me, he stated I was close to being arrested for disorderly conduct.

What should have been a simple matter of obeying the Open Meetings Law of the State of Alabama by public officials now becomes a threat and intimidation perpetrated by public officials to stop the recording of public information in the public venue of an open meeting under the auspices of "intellectual property," a bogus claim during a public meeting.

If the information referenced and displayed in the public meeting was intellectual property it could have been distributed by diagrams to each commissioner and discussed in the meeting. If members of the public or press wanted to request the information discussed a Public Records request could be submitted. For the Chair to act in such a fashion in this instance not only was ridiculous, the end result was that of a threat and intimidation for attempting to follow the Alabama Open Meetings Law and replying to a direct comment made to me by the Commission Chair during the meeting, then directing the Chief Deputy to have me removed if it occurs again. This attempt at intimidation is typical of ideological extremists, in this case an elected public official.

Ladies and Gentleman of Jackson County, know who you are electing before marking your ballot.

VIDEO SEGMENT REGARDING AGENDA ITEM 4

Scottsboro, Alabama - January 13, 2020 - Scottsboro City Council Regular Session

Scottsboro City Hall, photo by G. Morgan

AGENDA

VIDEO

Scottsboro, Alabama - January 13, 2020 Jackson County Commission Regular Session - TVA Mission Failure and Diversion of Funds from Environmental Management - When is WET, WET?

Jackson County Courthouse, north side, photo by G. Morgan

Mr. Rick Roden, Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce made a presentation regarding the need to raise $400,000 - $500,000 dollars for the purpose of controlling invasive aquatic species and maintenance of Lake Guntersville. His presentation was titled "My Lake Guntersville," more info:  https://mylakeguntersville.com/

WET vs WET

Is this the same WET Foundation, or is the Lake Guntersville WET Foundation different?

https://www.projectwet.org/  I sent a request to the Project WET Foundation to ascertain if the Lake Guntersville WET Foundation is a project of the WET Foundation water education program which has education programs all over the United States of America. This is the reply from the WET Foundation representative. "Thanks for asking about the Alabama W.E.T. Foundation. We do not have a relationship with this organization and were not aware of them until your email. I hope that is helpful."

TVA Mission Statement regarding this issue: "Recreation. Part of TVA's mission is to make life better for the people of the Tennessee Valley, and we do that through maintaining beautiful reservoirs, campgrounds, trails, whitewater streams and 293,000 acres of developed and undeveloped lands for you to play on. Further information on TVA's mission:  https://www.tva.gov/Environment  

TVA is failing in this mission statement and is now requiring business and private citizens to pick up the cost for TVA's diversion of funds for environmental management. OR - is "My Lake Guntersville." organization's purpose to promote Bass Fishing and not environmental education or river environmental management?

Mr. Roden stated that cormorants are eroding islands, a questionable comment. The following information is from the Wildlife Society regarding cormorants and the "cormorant debate." "For centuries, people have viewed cormorants negatively. In classical literature, the word cormorant represented greed and gluttony. However, natural resource professionals have long recognized the ecological value of all wildlife, and cormorants are no exception. For example, as an upper trophic-level predator in aquatic systems, cormorants are useful indicators of environmental pollution and may contribute to limiting invasive prey populations."  https://wildlife.org/the-rise-of-double-crested-cormorants-too-much-of-a-good-thing/ Outdoor Alabama has this to say about the Great Cormorant: https://www.outdooralabama.com/tropicbirds/great-cormorant  Personally, I have witnessed Alabama Department of Conservation employees utilizing harassment methods to disperse cormorants. Bassmasters story on cormorants: https://www.bassmaster.com/conservation-news/cormorants-impact-fisheries

AGENDA

VIDEO

Scottsboro, Alabama - January 6, 2020 - Scottsboro City Council Work Session - UPDATE: January 9, 2020 Special Call Meeting of the Scottsboro City Council

Scottsboro City Hall, photo by G. Morgan

UPDATE: Special Call Meeting of the Scottsboro City Council on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at 5 PM at the Scottsboro City Hall. Approval of  Ordinance 611 regarding General Obligation Warrants. Presentation by Brad Green of Raymond James Financial.

SPECIAL CALL MEETING AGENDA

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VIDEO SPECIAL CALL MEETING

AGENDA

VIDEO

Scottsboro, Alabama January 6, 2020 - Jackson County Commission Work Session

Jackson County Courthouse, North Side, photo by G. Morgan

- - Issues - -

Storm damaged road repair reports.

Holiday Shores Issue, most of Holiday Shores is in Marshall County, however a small part is in Jackson County; all services are provided by Marshall County. The 60 acres in Jackson County may be transferred to Marshall County, this will require a Legislative Act. A Community Meeting will be held on the 21st of January at the former Broken Arrow Golf Course (time unknown, to be announced next week).

AGENDA

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VIDEO