Update 2024-01-24: Why the traffic light: The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road) letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

Lowndes County Commissioners were still not happy with the City of Valdosta about the Service Delivery Agreement, with Chairman Bill Slaughter reciting a litany of recent extraterritorial water and sewage decisions and a change in funding for county roads for the upcoming “physical” year, at their Regular Session of October 11, 2022. Commissioners Clay Griner and Scottie Orenstein complained about the agreement, with some threats to go back to the 2008 agreement if signatures were not gotten from the Valdosta immediately. It passed 4:1, with Griner voting against.

They spent 25 minutes on 5.a. REZ-2022-16 4443 Bemiss, ~14.1 acres, from C-G \u0026 R-A to P-D \u0026 C-G, finally agreeing for the applicant to add a fence between it and the nearby church.

County Manager Paige Dukes in her report said the county was only doing their river cleanup because it is required by the county’s stormwater permit, so it’s a checkbox they are checking. Also, she was asking Public Works to have the county’s litter crew stand down beforehand, so volunteers would have something to pick up at the boat ramps.

Two citizens spoke, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman proposing a grant application about water quality, and Matthew and Debra Williams of Bethany Drive back again after a year about a county drainage easement draining onto their property.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, the agenda and board packet, and the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

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

  Video.

• Recognitions from Leadership Lowndes
  

  Video.

  Again, why don’t they have a standing agenda item for this?

• Agenda item addition
  

  Video.

  Maybe modifications/approval of agenda should be added as a standing item also. Second meeting in a row that items were added to the agenda at the beginning of the meeting.

• 4. Minutes for Approval
  

  Video.

• 5.a. REZ-2022-16 4443 Bemiss, ~14.1 acres, from C-G \u0026 R-A to P-D \u0026 C-G
  

  Video.

  Personally, I’m not for the fence that they required between the C-G and C-G property of the church. If the church wants a fence, they should be the one to put up the fence between the commercial properties. Properties of similar zoning need not have required buffers. And, on commercial corridors, like Bemiss Road, parallel drive paths between and among commercial properties makes less entry and exits on to the busy road, making the road safer.

• 5.b. REZ-2022-17 Seckinger Road, ~3.7 acres, E-A to R-1, Well \u0026 Septic
  

  Video.

• 6.a. Laurel Run Subdivision Lift Station Quitclaim Deed
  

  Video.

• 6.b. Beer License – Bemiss Quick Mart – 4357 Bemiss Rd.
  

  Video.

• 6.c. Eagleview Pictometry Agreement for Lowndes County Board of Assessors
  

  Video.

• 6.d. Accept Infrastructure for Val Del Estates Subdivision Phase II
  

  Video.

• 6.e. SDS Agreement
  

  Video.

  SDS the never-ending “make lawyers rich” process.

  Vote was 4-1. Commissioner Griner voted against.

• 7. Reports – County Manager
  

  Video.

• 8. CWTBH – John S. Quarterman – Suwannee Riverkeeper
  

  Video.

• 8. CWTBH – Matthew and Debra Williams – Bethany Drive
  

  Video.

  The Williams, of 4775 Bethany Drive, have been to the commission before (2021-08-10) asking for help about the county drainage easement on their property. More than a year has passed and nothing has been done to help them.

• 9. Meeting Adjournment
  

  Video.

  A long one by some measures.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:

Videos: Leadership Lowndes, Rezonings, Lift Station, Pictometry, SDS, Suwannee Riverkeeper, Bethany Drive @ LCC 2022-10-11
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission, October 11, 2022, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-jsq

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