Videos: trash, appointment, GEMA, juveniles, mowing, and wellness @ LCC 2013-05-28

Trash wasn’t on the agenda, but it was the biggest issue. Like last Regular Session a Commissioner who happens to be a Christian minister prayed for one thing while the Commission does the opposite. Commissioners and staff also seemed confused about a mowing contract but we don’t know why, since none of us have seen what they were looking at. A Board incumbent was reappointed without discussion. In good news, county employees have lost 600 pounds.

Here’s the agenda, with a few notes and links to the videos. See also the Work Session of the same morning.

Lowndes County Commission LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation

    Commissioner Richard Raines prayed for “the freedoms we enjoy”, even as the County Commission still plans to sue a local business, depriving local citizens of the freedom to choose who disposes of their trash, as Steve Parker pointed out later.

    Raines also prayed “that unity would prevail among citizens and their government”. Is that code for “suck it up people; we decided frog and you need to jump now”? like in that unsigned letter to taxpaying former customers of the county’s waste collection centers or like unnamed “representatives” of the county told the VDT back in January?

  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  4. Minutes for Approval

    No discussion; unanimous approval.

    1. Work Session — May 13, 2013
    2. Regular Session — May 14, 2013
  5. Appointment – Valdosta/Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals

    County Manager Joe Pritchard repeated more or less what he said that same morning, that Randall Crews had asked to be reappointed. This time Pritchard said there were “several” other names, but he still deign to tell the public who they might be. With no discussion, and as predicted, the Commission unanimously reappointed Crews.

  6. For Consideration
    1. GEMA Sheltering Memorandum of Agreement

      Emergency Director Ashley Tye said it was about renewing an agreement of 2011 to provide a place for evacuees from the coast to go. He added GEMA had provided some equipment.

      Q: Commissioner Demarcus Marshall asked about the equipment, was it 20 cots between 4 facilities?

      A: Yes

      Q: What if more people than that show up?

      A: American Red Cross is the lead agency, and these cots are specialized ones (oversized, etc.) in addition to the ones Red Cross provides. And GEMA can send more.

      Unanimous approval.

    2. 2013 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Program Application

      Emergency Director Ashley Tye said he had been working on this grant proposal with Judge Council, applying to the Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Program: Judge Council did not speak this time. Unanimous approval. See previous separate post for longer discussion in the morning’s Work Session.

    3. Department of Transportation Right of Way Mowing

      Perhaps due to Commissioner Crawford Powell’s question of the morning, County Manager Joe Pritchard said there was a breakdown of costs and miles in Commissioners’ packets, plus an update to the contract, with a change of reference from city to county.

      Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wondered about $57,200 to be reimbursed, when Exhibit A he said said $180,925, or $15,000 per month for fiscal year 2014.

      County Clerk Paige Dukes said that was to be sure Commissioners would be aware there was money, but the actual amount would depend on the number of cuts required.

      County Manager said the numbers were estimates.

      County Clerk said the $180,000 was in case the maximum cuts were used.

      County Chairman Bill Slaughter referred to the morning’s discussion (which was actually much less extensive than the discussion they were having right then).

      They approved unanimously a contract with Georgia Department of Transportation for mowing; a contract none of us have seen, and that seems to have vague dollar figures in it.

  7. Reports-County Manager

    HR Director Kevin Beals reported on the county’s wellness program, for example employees have collected lost about 600 pounds.

Then they adjourned; no Executive Session this time, unlike in the Work Session that morning.

Here’s a video playlist of the the evening Regular Session:


Videos: trash, appointment, GEMA, juveniles, mowing, and wellness
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 May 2013.

-jsq