What was it that the Lowndes County government didn’t want its citizens to see in the draft it didn’t publish and didn’t provide in response to an open records request, and the hearing it didn’t hold about its updates to the Comprehensive Plan? Could it be the many items the county is deleting, having to do with feeding seniors, health care, transportation, work ethics and life skills, environmental impacts, agriculture, wells, wetlands, and many other topics, some of which Gretchen Quarterman detailed to the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission yesterday?

After Valdosta and Hahira City Planner Matt Martin explained how all the local city governments had or were going to have hearings about their Comprehensive Plan Short Term Work Program updates, the GLPC Chairman asked if any citizens wanted to speak on that topic. One citizen did, Gretchen Quarterman. She apologized for missing the September GLPC meeting because she would have raised some of these issues then.

I have an appointment with [Lowndes County Planner] Jason [Davenport] tomorrow to address some of my questions.

But I want to let you know that at the County Commission did not hold a public hearing after the changes. I was at the [Valdosta] City Council meeting, and the City Council did hold a public hearing, but the County Commission did not.

And I believe that is in violation of DCA’s guidelines. They sent a transmission letter that said they followed DCA’s guidelines. DCA’s guidelines say hold a public hearing. It was on the agenda, the public hearing, but no public hearing was held. So I didn’t have an opportunity to see the document, or to comment, before the county sent it.

She said she would provide written comments to Jason the next morning, and asked if GLPC would like to hear some of them. They said they would, so she read some of them. For example:

In Section 1.3 it was struck from the document:

Ensure supporting senior services such as health care,

transportation, commercial resources that are developed to attract retirees. For example feed the elderly programs senior nutrition centers.

It was my understanding the feed the elderly program was cut from the Lowndes County budget because they didn’t have money for it. I don’t really know why are we cutting out “Ensure supporting services such as health care, transportation, commercial resources that are developed to attract retirees.” We’re a retirement community that’s one of the things we do. So I don’t know why that was struck.

There’s more, about work ethics and life skills, environmental impacts, agriculture, wells, wetlands, etc. She also thanked the City of Valdosta for supplying the county document in response to an open records request.

A GLPC member remarked:

I’m sure Jason looks forward to your meeting.
[laughter]

GLPC member Bill Slaughter also requested of Jason Davenport:

And I would ask that after that meeting that that information that’s gathered, please distribute so we can take a look at that.

Here’s the video:

Don’t we still need farmers to feed us? —Gretchen Quarterman @ GLPC 28 November 2011
Comprehensive Plan,
Regular Session, Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 November 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.

-jsq

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