“We apologize for any inconvenience.”
No Sabal Trail pipeline presentation this time;
yes it really is December 9th like
the front page of the VDT said.
So the online agenda was incorrect, and
it’s still incorrect
about
Green Lane
which is still listed as “For consideration” when it should be listed
as a Public Hearing.
And another item was listed so obscurely on the
agenda that a Commissioner had to ask “exactly where is this?”
A report turned into an agenda item for the
Alapaha Water Treatment Plant,
and an item for
“Consideration of Back Pay for 911 Employees”
has appeared on
the amended agenda with no public discussion.
How are citizens to know what their elected officials are going to
vote on tonight at 5:30 PM if the agenda changes all the time
yet is still incorrect?
Plus they could take up Nottinghill even though the Planning Commission recommended tabling, there’s yet another Dollar General proposed (see Planning Commission video, three decorative special tax lighting districts, mosquito control, pump replacement, the annual MIDS bus service contract, a beer license, the return of Green Lane (why isn’t that one a pubic hearing as promised last time?) something about NOAA, and an agreement with the Lowndes County Board of Elections: will they stop changing the precincts every year?
Here’s the agenda.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
AMENDED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
- Call to Order 4. Minutes for Approval
- Invocation
Only in the Regular Session.
- Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
Only in the Regular Session.
- Minutes for Approval
- Work Session — October 21, 2013
- Regular Session — October 22, 2013
- Public Hearings
- REZ-2013-11 Nottinghill, Orr Rd R-A to R-21
Video. Still not enough signatures, said County Planner Jason Davenport, who asked to give the developer yet another opportunity by asking the Commission to table it again.
- REZ-2013-15 Teramore Development, Old US 41 N PD to C-G
Video. How many Dollar Generals do we really need?
- Decorative Special Tax Lighting District-Grove Pointe Phase 4
Video. TRC asks for approval.
- Decorative Special Tax Lighti ng District-Barrington Phase One
Video. TRC asks for approval.
- Decorative Special Tax Lighting District-Ivy Gate
Video. TRC asks for approval.
Commissioner John Page asked:
Mr. [County Planner Jason] Davenport, exactly where is this?Answer:
Just north of the old school on Cat Creek Road.He was unsure what school that was, but guessed correctly that it’s the closed Pine Grove Elementary.
I pointed out to the County Planner later that if the agenda had the address on it, people would be able to tell where these subdivisions were, and we just had a demonstration that even Commissioners were confused. He said that information was in the board packet, which he had in front of him. I noted that even so, we just had a demonstration that even Commissioners didn’t always find that information in the board packet (which is actually a three ring binder of materials with tabs for each item), and nobody else got to see that packet before the meeting. While I didn’t object to a special tax lighting district near the old Pine Grove Elementary, anybody who had concerns might not know that they should be concerned. He said he had noted my point.
- For Consideration
- Agreement between Board of Elections and Board of Commissioners
Video. County Manager Joe Pritchard said Commissioners “have before you” an agreement based on a conversation between the Chairman and the Board of Elections for hours worked, “no more than 24 hours but not to exceed 29 hours” (so which is it?).
Commissioner Joyce Evans wanted to know how many full time employees the Board of Elections has. Pritchard said he believed the number is seven. She wanted to know if that was for the entire year. He said except for poll workers.
Chairman Bill Slaughter clarified that more than 30 hours would make them full time employees. Commissioner Evans wanted to be sure they were talking about temporary workers during the election. Chairman said they were.
- Mosquito Control Contract
Video. Commissioner John Page wondered didn’t they have something about that a couple of months ago. Public Works Director Robin Cumbus said yes, she gave an overview of the program. Here it is:
Mosquito trapping and spraying @ LCC 2013-04-23.
County Manager Joe Pritchard said this was the first time they had contracted with VSU; previously they had contracted with the Health Department, but the Health Department had recommended the contract with VSU.
Commissioner Page asked if the $44,290 would come out of the budget for Public Works. Cumbus said yes.
- Pump Replacement and Repair for two Lift Stations
Video. Utilities Director Mike Allen asked to replace Pombroke(?) Lift Station for $13,132 and to repair Foxborough Lift Station for $16,723.
- Contract for 5311 Public Transport
Video. County Engineer Mike Fletcher said it’s the usual renewal for MIDS, Inc. to run the county’s on-call bus system. Nobody else responded to an RFP.
I will have copies in the room for everyone tomorrow night.- Abandonment of a Portion of Green Lane
Video. County Engineer Mike Fletcher noted that last Regular Session they had agreed to hold a Public Hearing. Chairman Bill Slaughter said they’d move this item to the Public Hearing area on the agenda if there were no objections; there were none.
The online agenda is still incorrect, still listing this item as “For consideration” when it should be listed as a Public Hearing.
- Agreement to purchase Geospatial Services NOAA
Video. Emergency Services Director Ashley Tye said after flooding in February there had been several meetings with cities and counties, the Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, etc. Why yes, those would be the meetings that no citizens or watershed groups have been invited to attend. He said updating flood maps was a goal and LIDAR for elevations would be useful. Lowndes County could maybe get LIDAR data from NOAA coastal services, which already does the contracting and has high quality data, so setting up as a vendor with them would get the data at a much reduced cost and with less time. Specifically, a reduction from about $450/square mile to about $275/square mile. The current agreement wouldn’t obligate any payment, merely to reserve the right to contract at a later date if that seemed to be in the county’s best interests.
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if it was an annual renewal. Answer: yes, with required review every three years.
Commissioner Richard Raines wanted to know if, when they ever used these services, they would be sharing costs with other municipalities within the county. Answer: would have to work that out at the time. City of Valdosta had already indicated they were going to do something in a smaller area anyway. Doing the whole county would be sensible, due to setup cost involving an airplane, etc.
- Beer License-Bacon Bunker-4644 Bemiss Rd, A
Video. Finance Director Stephanie Black presented. Commissioners joked about bacon and beer for breakfast.
- Alapaha Plantation Subdivision Water System Consent Order
Added to the agenda for the Regular Session. See below.
- Consideration of Back Pay for 911 Employees
This item has appeared on the amended agenda for the Regular Session with no public discussion.
- Reports-County-Manager
- Reports: Alapaha Water Treatment Plant
Video. County Manager Joe Pritchard called on County Utilities Director Mike Allen to talk about a document that came in on Friday. A consent order from EPD for the Alapaha Water Treatment Plant. This formalizes an agreement between the county and the state to upgrade the facility, as previously discussed. They decided to add it to the agenda for the Regular Session.
This one actually did get added to the amended agenda as of this writing.
- Reports: 4-H Bus
Video. County Manager Joe Pritchard showed a picture of the 4-H Bus they approved back in January.
Commissioner John Page wanted to know where it would be stored. Answer: at the extension service.
- Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address
Only in the Regular Session.
- Meeting Adjournment to Executive Session to Discuss Personnel – LCC Work 2013-11-11
Video. County Manager Joe Prichard asked for an executive session, and they decided to adjourn into it.
- Sabal Trail — Oh, not at this meeting
Video. Quoth the Chairman:
We apologize for any inconvenience.
The Chairman and at least two other Commissioners (John Page and Demarcus Marshall) did stop after the Executive Sesstion and talk to the two people who took off work to come to this Work Session, Don Brotherton and Carol Singletary.
Here’s a video playlist:
No Sabal Trail, Dollar General, 3 special tax lighting districts, and mosquitos
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 11 November 2013.
-jsq
Short Link:
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