They approved everything unanimously, the Lowndes County Commission two weeks ago, with another surprise presentation in County Manager Reports.

Collage @ LCC 27 June 2023

They approved the Hotel-Motel Budget Plan and the FY 2024 Operating Budget.

They reappointed Elsie Napier to DFACS, Suzan Garnett to VLPRA, and Tripp Howell to the Construction Board.

They passed a stopgap resolution to delay approving changes to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC). So there’s no need to approve any changes at the July 11th County Commission meeting.

Remember, the public has hardly seen any of the proposed ULDC changes, while the County Manager announced two weeks ago that “tomorrow we have the stakeholder meetings at 12:30 and 2 PM that I mentioned to you yesterday, with permits and inspections, and that is all going fantastically well, and I’m interesting in getting the feedback from our development community so we can make any changes that they may need prior to going live July 1.” Curious how the county government is not so solicitous of feedback from the general public as it is of feedback from “our development community”.

In response to a question by Commissioner Demarcus Marshall, Public Works Director Robin Cumbus clarified that the county since COVID has only been paying for one prisoon detail even though the contract says they can use up to three.

About Reports: County Manager, Gretchen Quarterman remarks: “Again, an unannounced little announcement. I’m happy that maybe someday the regular tax payers will stop paying for the remediation of the Lake Alapaha wells, however we’ve paid a lot and it would be nice if the enterprise fund actually paid for itself.”

County Manager Paige Dukes asked Utilities Director Steve Stalvey to explain the Lake Alapaha water situation:

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

See also:

• the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session,
• the agenda,
• The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, on the LAKE website, and
• the LAKE videos of the preceding GLPC meeting.

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

  Video.

• Chairman Recognitions
  

  Video.

  Again, why don’t they have a regular agenda item for recognitions?

• A wee bit more of recognitions
  

  Video.

• 4. Minutes for Approval
  

  Video.

  4a. Work Session – June 12, 2023, Special Called Meeting – June 12, 2023,
  Regular Session – June 13, 2023, & Budget Public Hearing – June 20, 2023

• 6.a. Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services
  

  Video.

  Elsie Napier was reappointed.

• 6.b. Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Authority
  

  Video.

  Suzan Garnett was reappointed.

• 6.c. Valdosta Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals
  

  Video.

  Tripp Howell was reappointed.

• 7.a. Lowndes County Accountability Court Grant Approval and Cash Match
  

  Video.

• 7.b. Annual Contract Renewal with Georgia Department of Corrections
  

  Video.

  County only pays for what they use.
  They contract for three crews (generally 5-8 prisoners) but have only been using one recently.

• 7.c. Budget Plan for Hotel Motel Proceeds for Fiscal Year 2024
  

  Video.

• 7.d. Adoption of Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget
  

  Video.

• 7.e. Resolution Making Designations Required by OCGA 36-66-5.1(c)
  

  Video.

  I don’t know what this text actually is. Some legaleeze that gets them through until they adopt new language in the ULDC. Well, if it is good enough for a stop gap, why isn’t it good enough for the ULDC? What is the text anyway?

• 8. Reports – County Manager
  

  Video.

  Again, an unannounced little announcement. I’m happy that maybe someday the regular tax payers will stop paying for the remediation of the Lake Alapaha wells, however we’ve paid a lot and it would be nice if the enterprise fund actually paid for itself.

• 9. CWTBH (none) 10. Adjournment
  

  Video.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist:

Videos: Adoption of Budget, Appointments to DFACS, VLPRA, Construction Board, Courts, Prison Details @ LCC Regular 2023-06-27
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).

-jsq

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