Will the County Commission take up Nottinghill even though the Planning Commission tabled it? Is Barrington subdivision now ready to sprawl into the county? Did Commissioners ever get that list of roads for striping? Do we have enough evidence yet for juvenile justice? Or will we continue to concentrate on fining people coming off of I-75? Who was Leila Ellis, anyway? And who will be Vice Chairman (hint: Joyce Evans is now)? All that and a group photo, continuing the tradition of County Commission meetings as content-free photo-ops.

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2^nd Floor

1. Call to Order
2. Invocation
3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
4. Minutes for Approval
   1. Work Session — September 9, 2013
   2. Regular Session — September 10, 2013
5. Public Hearings
   1. REZ-2013-11 Nottinghill, Orr Rd RA-R21, Community Well & Septic, 14.71 acres

      The This rezoning was tabled at the request of developer and county staff at the Planning Commission. The County Commission could choose to take it up anyway, but they probably won’t (this time).

   2. REZ-2013-12 Barrington, Barrington Drive PD Development Plan Amendment, Water & Sewer, ~ 12 acres

      Barrington subdivision was also in that same 23 July 2013 meeting. This time they’re making water and sewer changes to its plan, presumably so in a later meeting they can then accept it into the county’s road, water, and sewer infrastructure so the county can start paying the price of sprawl.

   3. REZ-2013-13 LCBOC on Behalf of the Lester Family Trust-Doug Lester Whitewater Road, I-75, Williams Road, and Belotville Road various to E-A (existing C-H to remain C-H), ~868 acres
   4. REZ-2013-14 Claude G and Kelly H Fletcher, New Statenville Hwy. E-A & C-C to R-A, Well & Septic, 3.26 acres
6. For Consideration
   1. Vice Chairmanship
   2. Leila Ellis Building-Available Space

      Who was this Leila Ellis Building named after? According to Leila Ellis Neighborhood by the City of Valdosta:

      Located just northeast of the Central Business District, the Leila Ellis neighborhood developed during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and is a first generation suburb of Valdosta. The name of this neighborhood is derived from the former Leila Ellis Elementary School located within this neighborhood, which is now the Lowndes County Social Services and LAMP building. The school was named for Leila Ellis, a longtime Valdosta resident and devoted school teacher and principle, who lived in Valdosta from 1865 until her death in 1950. A large portion of this neighborhood is within the East End Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the western half of the neighborhood is also included within the Valdosta Local Historic District. This community is a close~knit and mostly residenfial community with several churches, professional offices, commercial businesses, and community services.

      That Valdosta city document refers to a Character Area Map, but includes the wrong one (of Greer Park). LAMP is Lowndes Associated Ministries to People, 601 N. Lee Sreet, a consortium of dozens of local churches whose facebook page says:

      LAMP is a non-profit organization committed to fighting poverty and homelessness. LAMP has been working to meet the basic physical and emotional needs of impoverished people in the Lowndes County area for 27 years.

      
      View Larger Map

      If it’s this school-looking building on N. Lee across from E. Adair St., the old Leila Ellis school is actually owned by Lowndes County, which would explain why the County Commission is considering available space in it.

   3. Contract with Georgia Department of Transportation for Interchange Lighting at Exit 22
   4. Addendum to Evidence Based Associates Service Agreement

      This long-running juvenile justice project was last seen at the County Commission 13 August 2013.

   5. Clerk of Court Citation Payment Solution

      Apparently more about moving fines coming off of I-75 from the Sheriff’s Office to the Clerk of Court, including funding for three positions along with them. Will County Manager Joe Pritchard overrule County Chairman Bill Slaughter again?

7. Bid-Striping, Signage & RPM’s on 30.79 miles of roadway

   Why is road striping on the agenda? The Commission approved a contract for that 23 July 2013. Did the Commission get that list of roads County Engineer Mike Fletcher promised in the Work Session 22 July 2013?

8. Reports-County Manager
9. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

Immediately after the work session, a group photo has been scheduled with Second Harvest Director, Frank Richards, on the front steps of the building. Mr. Richards will be bringing the CDBG “big check” he was presented in Savannah as a result of the county’s support of the Second Harvest expansion.

It’s great Second Harvest is doing all this worthy work, but maybe we could also work on reducing the poverty that makes it necessary.

-jsq

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