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Residents urge southside revitalization, question enforcement and call for data-center readiness at Valdosta meeting
Summary
During public comment residents raised an unpaid-tax allegation and ethics complaint, urged revival of a 69-page southside revitalization plan, requested a signage-variance review for a small business, proposed a community unity celebration, and urged the city to prepare an ordinance for data centers.
Several Valdosta residents used the citizens-to-be-heard period on April 23 to press the council on neighborhood revitalization, enforcement practices and readiness for potential data-center projects.
Jay Perryman told council he had sent letters and open-records requests alleging a city employee operating a side business failed to pay proper property taxes and claimed he was targeted with ordinance and zoning complaints after raising the issue. Perryman said he filed an ethics complaint and that "so far nothing's happened" and asked staff for follow-up; staff asked him to stay after the meeting for further contact.
Christina Cheek, a candidate for state House District 177, urged council to revive a 69-page southside revitalization plan that she said lays out implementation phases and funding sources and to form a community-input committee to move the plan forward. "Downtown Valdosta should not stop at the train tracks," Cheek said, calling for mixed-use housing, parks and trails to reconnect the southside.
Business owner Larry Johnson asked for a variance from a storefront-signage enforcement action after spending about $2,000 on signage he said is essential for customer recognition; staff asked him to meet with planning staff after the meeting and referred variance procedures and the ZBA.
David Jonathan Davis proposed a communitywide celebration this fall to recognize civic progress and unity and asked leaders and citizens to help plan an event that would acknowledge the city's work confronting historic racial injustice.
Michael Null urged the council to prepare ordinances and guardrails for potential data-center projects — including energy and water impacts — and said he would forward a draft ordinance used in other counties for staff consideration.
Why it matters: the comments highlighted local concerns about enforcement transparency, small-business regulations, southside economic opportunity and the need for proactive ordinances if data centers become a local issue. Councilmembers and staff promised follow-up with individual speakers where appropriate.
Provenance: public-comment statements recorded at SEG 820–1230.
