Author Archives: John S. Quarterman

Packet: Rezoning, Roundabout, Abandonment, Subdivision @ LCC 2022-08-08

Update 2022-08-22: Packet: Walkers Crossing @ LCC 2022-08-08

Update 2022-08-22: Videos: Rezoning, Roads, Communications, Water leak @ LCC Regular 2022-08-09.

Here is the board packet for the August 8, 2022, Work Session and the August 9, 2022, Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

Rezoning, Roundabout, Abandonment, Subdivision

The packet is on the LAKE website.

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!

-jsq

Almost a million dollars @ LCC 2022-08-22

Update 2022-08-22: Videos: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22.

Update 2022-08-26: Packet: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22.

The big item involves keeping ahead of sewer system problems to avoid sewage spills: “Lowndes County was awarded a Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) loan for lift station and manhole improvements. Staff identified approximately 100 manholes that need rehab and improvements, including structural repairs and coating the interiors. The project was advertised and bids accepted for the work. Two bids were received, one from Gulf Coast Underground for $1,508,450.00 and one from RPI for $439,836.00. Staff recommends approval and authorizes the Chairman to sign the contract with RPI, Inc. for $439,836.00.”

Collage

They will Continue reading →

Videos: Valdosta City Council 2022-08-11

Council Sandra Tooley brought up some interesting issues in the last five minutes of the August 11, 2022, Valdosta City Council meeting.

Council Sandra Tooley requests Executive Session about personnel and trash

The Mayor said they had a request for an Executive Session, and asked for a motion. Council Tim Carroll wondered why.

Council Sandra Tooley explained, “Citizens have come to me, and they have this thing they like to say, that we do not have enough staff, that we’re short on staff, that we’re not getting things done.”

See for yourself in this excerpt of Valdosta’s own facebook live video of the meeting. Continue reading →

Videos: REZ-2022-09 Flannigan, James Road, Walkers Crossing Roundabout, $516,710 communications @ LCC Work 2022-08-08

Update 2022-08-22: Rezoning, Roundabout, Abandonment, Subdivision @ LCC 2022-08-08.

Some hard-to-see plans were projected for the Flannigan James Road and Smith Street rezoning, but they are merely speculative and would not bind the developer, while they would bind the Commission to the C-G zoning, so you can hear and see in these LAKE videos of yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. They vote this evening at 5:30 PM in the Regular Session.

REZ-2022-09 Flannigan plans

There was little new about the other agenda items. Except Continue reading →

REZ-2022-09 Flannigan, James Road, Walkers Crossing Roundabout, Boring Pond Lane, West Schoolhouse Pond Subdivision @ LCC 2022-08-08

Update 2022-08-09: Videos: REZ-2022-09 Flannigan, James Road, Walkers Crossing Roundabout, $516,710 communications @ LCC Work 2022-08-08.

This morning at the Work Session, for voting tomorrow evening at the Regular Session, the Flannigan James Road rezoning is back on the Lowndes County Commission Agenda, after being tabled May 16, 2022. Looks like county staff have worked around to supporting it this time; don’t know what the neighbors who petitioned against it think.

Flannigan James Road rezoning back again

There’s also a GDOT maintenance agreement for the Walkers Crossing Roundabout, the second reading of the Abandonment of a Portion of Boring Pond Lane, and adopting water and sewer infrastructure for West Schoolhouse Road Subdivision, which “is located in the Lake Park area off of Schoolhouse Pond Road, Payton Place, Burnt Pine Drive, and Timber Wind Circle and has a total of 31 lots.”

The county as usual pretends none of the above will cost anything. The two big budget items are for communications: Continue reading →

Videos: Seven minutes, mostly insurance @ LCC Work 2022-07-25

Update 2022-08-25: Videos: Hunter rezoning, insurance, objections to rejection of Beasley rezoning @ LCC Regular 2022-07-26.

This morning the Lowndes County Commission spent 3 minutes discussing insurance, mostly about defensive driving to get rates down. And 2 minutes discussing the previously-tabled 6.a. REZ-2022-13 Hunter Property, which seems to be really for 2 acres, not 7 acres. Rezoning notice signs are posted on both adjacent roads. The whole meeting took seven minutes.

Library, rezoning, insurance, seven minutes

They vote 5:30 PM Tuesday evening, July 26, 2022.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item of this morning’s meeting, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the Continue reading →

Videos: Hunter rezoning tabled, Beasley rezoning denied @ LCC Regular 2022-07-12

Update 2022-08-25: Videos: objections to rejection of Beasley rezoning @ LCC Regular 2022-07-26.

A very rare meeting: the Lowndes County Commission considered two rezonings, and did not approve either of them!

Rezonings, Juvenile Justice, 40 minutes

Two weeks ago at its Regular Session, the Commissioners tabled 8.a. REZ-2022-13 Hunter Property, Madison Hwy, E-A to C-C, ~7ac, and denied on a split vote 8.b. REZ-2022-14 Ben Beasley, River Rd. R-21 to R-A, ~13 acres. The first rezoning will be decided Tuesday evening, July 26, 2022. The second rezoning took 15 minutes, for a 40-minute meeting, which is very long for this group.

Everything else sailed through.

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 Continue reading →

Videos: Confusing rezonings, Hospital appointments, mosquitos, juvenile justice, road abandonment @ LCC Work 2022-07-11

Update 2022-07-25: Videos: Hunter rezoning tabled, Beasley rezoning denied @ LCC Regular 2022-07-12.

Two weeks ago at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session, there was much confusion about both of the rezonings, mostly about how many acres were being requested to be rezoned, but also about frontage on a road where no rezoning sign had been posted.

Rezoning, Mosquitos, Juvenile Justice, Boring Pond Road Abandonment

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 Continue reading →

Canceled due to lack of business @ GLPC 2022-07-25

The word from the Lowndes County Clerk’s office about today’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting is: “The July Meetings were cancelled due to a lack of agenda items from the Cities and Counties.”

-jsq

Packet: Appointments to ZBOA, Library Board, Hunter rezoning again, alcohol, insurance @ LCC 2022-07-25

Update 2022-07-25: Videos: Seven minutes, mostly insurance @ LCC Work 2022-07-25.

Back this morning on the Lowndes County Commission agenda, after being tabled two weeks ago because of confusion over 2 or 7 acres, and over road frontage without rezoning signs, the packet pages for REZ-2022-13 Hunter Property are the same as last time, except for a better scan of the survey plat.

Rezoning and insurance

John Hogan wants to be reappointed to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA) and J. Elveta Miller wants to be reappointed to the South Georgia Regional Library Board (SGRLB). There’s a beer and wine license.

And the big-dollar item is $898,852.00 to the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) for property and liability insurance.

Here is the agenda. The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. See also Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange