Two weeks ago, they spent the most time (5.5 minutes) on the two sections of 5. Proclamation Presentations for National Drug Court Month.

They spent 2.5 minutes on bids and almost 2 minutes (almost 5.5 total) on the wetland credits for the North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex.

Third most time was 4.5 minutes on recognizing retiring volunteer firefighter Scott Caldwell(?). The speaker was Chief Ashley Tye, so I guess he’s now the regular county Fire Chief.

They tabled the Airport Authority appointment waiting for more information. Maybe they noticed George Page had also asked the City of Valdosta to appoint him.

The alleged County Attorney, with his microphone three feet from his face and pointing 90 degrees away, muttered something about the mysterious Wisconsin bond issue.

The Probation agreement and Electronic Monitoring Contract got more than three minutes total. They spent a bit more than a minute voting on a law form for the opioid litigation.

The Hay Lease Agreement Amendment is a water item, because it’s about the county’s spray field, also known as its Land Application Site (LAS). And the Bevel Creek Lift Station Pump that feeds it. Final water item: dates of completion for the GEFA Loan Agreement; they did provide a clue what that loan was for.

Here are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session and the agenda.

• 1. Call to Order 2. Invocation 3. Pledge

  Video.

• 4. Retirement Recognition- Volunteer Firefighters

  Video.

• 5. Proclamation Presentations for National Drug Court Month

  Video.

• 5. Proclamation Presentations for National Drug Court Month (pt 2)

  Video.

• Chairman recognitions of Leadership Lowndes

  Video.

• 6. Minutes for Approval

  Video.

• 7 a. Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority

  Video. Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker asked “How long has Mr. Everett served?” Nobody knew. Maybe 12 years. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if this George Page is the one who is Executive Director of VLPRA. Yes. Commissioner Scottie Orenstein moved to table to get more information. Motion passed 3:2. Maybe they knew George Page had also applied to the City of Valdosta to be appointed to the Airport Authority. And Valdosta did appoint him at their next meeting, which I know because he told me; while Valosta’s agenda is online, they do not have a Summary of Actions online for their May 10, 2018 meeting.

• 8 a. Probation Resolution and Services Agreement

  Video.

• 8 b. Electronic Monitoring Contract

  Video.

• 8 c. Purchase of Wetland Credits for North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex

  Video.

• 8 e. Wisconsin Public Finance Authority Bond Issue

  Video. Who knows what the alleged County Attorney said with his microphone far away from him. According to the agenda packet it’s to finance a project on Old Statenville Road in the Valdosta City Limits. They approved it unanimously.

  The agenda sheet says:

  The project is a 204-unit multi-family affordable housing development known as Brittany Woods & Park Chase Apartments.

  That’s at 1150 Old Statenville Road.

  
  Parcel 0159D 014, 1150 Old Statenville Road; see also Parcel 0159D 013, 1110 Old Statenville Road.

• 8 d. Adopt a Procurement Policies and Procedures Manual

  Video.

• 8 f. Hay Lease Agreement Amendment

  Video.

• 8 g. Bevel Creek Lift Station Pump

  Video.

• 8 h. Modification of GEFA Loan Agreement

  Video. Utilities Director Steve Stalvey said they took out the loan October 24, 2017, and the modifications do not change the financial burdens to the county. He didn’t say what the modifications are. Naturally they approved them unanimously.

  At their Work Session of October 23, 2017 Stalvey said Utilities applied to GEFA for the loan last December and the GEFA board approved it. The agenda for that last October meeting said “This loan will be utilized for upgrades at the LAS and lift stations.” Transcribing that into the current agenda would have clarified to the tax-paying citizens what the county is spending the $1,734,000 cited on the agenda sheet for today’s meeting. That agenda sheet also says the modifications are “due to changes in certain project schedule dates”. Presumably those dates are in “the attached Resoution of Governing Body,” which the tax-paying citizens did not get to see before said Governing Body voted on it.

• 8 i. Selection of Legal Firm for Opioid Litigation

  Video. Between the Studstill Law Firm and the Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley Law Firm they chose Studstill. Look at the names of early settlers of Lowndes County….

• 9 a. Bid for Coffee Services

  Video.

• 9 b. Bid of Water Services

  Video.

• 9 c. North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex – Bids

  Video. This is the last project to use any SPLOST VI funds ($3 million). It also will get SPLOST VII funds (another $3 million). Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker moved to award the bid to Standard Contractors. Commissioner Clay Griner nudged him to add the amount: $5,833,957. Motion passed unanimously. Hm, it’s in Griner’s superdistrict, but it’s not in Wisenbaker’s district. Why didn’t Orenstein make the motion?

• c. North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex – Bids – Chairman Comments

  Video.

• 10. Reports (none) 11. CWTBH (none) 12. Adjournment

  Video.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:

Videos: Opioid Attorney, Soccer, Airport Authority, Probation, Ankle Monitoring, Wetlands, Hay, GEFA, Pump
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, May 8, 2018.

-jsq

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