Category Archives: Ethics

Chamber of Commerce vs. County Commission Re: Moody AFB @ LCC 2012-12-11

Received today (yes, I’m a Chamber member). -jsq

From: “Tim Jones, Chairman of the Board ” <chamber@valdostachamber.com>
Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:47:01 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Alert: Chamber needs your help to protect Moody!

Dear Chamber Member,

Our Chamber recognizes the $448 million economic impact Moody Air Force Base has on our regional economy each year. We meet with Air Force officials at the Pentagon annually and ask them, “What else can our community do to protect MAFB from the next BRAC?” The answer, every year: prevent encroachment, and the best way to do that is by protecting the Military Activity Zone (MAZ).

Today (Tuesday, Dec. 11) at the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners meeting there are two agenda items that could put Moody at risk.

Spot zoning for a proposed densely settled subdivision in the MAZ is an invitation to other developments and inherently sets a precedent. It’s a very slippery slope. How will the County tell the next one “no”?

The second agenda item would change the zoning ordinance to allow even more densely settled neighborhoods in the MAZ.

One of the reasons we’ve been able to keep MAFB here

for more than 70 years is because MAFB can be utilized for a number of types of missions, largely because of the protected activity zone. Both agenda items, if passed, could increase encroachment into the MAZ and could very well limit MAFB’s future mission possibilities.

Another Georgia community (Warner Robins) is actually using taxpayer dollars to buy back residential properties in their military activity zones as a result of their failure to prevent encroachment.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny this subdivision, and to deny the proposed changes to the MAZ that would allow more dense residential development. The County Commission should vote to deny, too.

The Chamber’s GAC Executive Committee voted unanimously to oppose actions that allow encroachment and weaken the MAZ. The Chamber encourages our members to contact our County Commission members to let them know how you feel about protecting MAFB. The Chamber encourages our members to attend the County Commission meeting at the Dec. 11 meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Administation Building.

Please respond to this email to share your thoughts.

Sincerely,
Tim Jones, Chairman of the Board
Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce

I added the links above. All that Tim Jones said, plus Crawford Powell’s discovery that the proposed subdivision would be a fire code violation, plus according to Forbes Valdosta MSA housing prices are still dropping, so do we even need any more housing, anyway?

-jsq

Videos @ LCC 2012-12-10

A surprising amount of discussion at yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, on ZBOA appointment, alcohol Sunday sales, rezoning next to Moody, and more. They said nothing about the solid waste ordinance, however; maybe they’ll table that loser again. They vote tonight:

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor

Here’s a video playlist of the Work Session, followed by the agenda with the videos linked into it.

Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 December 2012.

Here’s the agenda, this time with links to the videos and some notes.

Continue reading →

Refinancing Bonds and the Public Facilities Authority @ LCC 2012-12-10

More than a million dollars will be saved by refinancing county bonds, the Chairman and staff indicated at yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. Congratulations! But who is this shadowy Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority that is responsible for that?

8.i. Refunding Revenue Bonds

County Manager Joe Pritchard said the county was refinancing two bond packages, for the Public Facilities Authority and for the Central Valdosta Development Authority. County Attorney Walter Elliott said the Public Facilities Authority was meeting 4PM tomorrow (now today 11 Dec 2012) to approve an ordinance similar to what the County Commission was being asked to approve Tuesday night. There’s also a purchase agreement with the underwriter, in the packet only the board gets to see. Chairman Ashley Paulk said he spoke Friday to somebody named Mr. Bucky Kensey(?) who wouldn’t tell him a number but said the bond market had moved in the county’s favor. The Chairman also said:

I want the public to understand these are not new bonds these are old bonds that are at a higher interest rate that are going to be refinanced at a lower rate, and I believe the last savings was close to a million dollars.

The Chairman indicated Mr. Kensey(?) thought there would be a pleasant surprise with even more savings than that.

At their 12 June 2012 Regular Session the Commission appointed to the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority Joseph Stevens (they didn’t say, but maybe Joseph G Stevens CPA), Steve Gupton (presumably J. Stephen Gupton, Attorney for the Lowndes County Industrial Authority), and Lowndes County Commissioner Crawford Powell (to the seat previously held by Commissioner Richard Lee). Who are the other Authority board members? The VDT claimed “Powell abstained from the vote.” Neither he nor the Chairman said that when they voted. According to the Commission’s minutes of 25 May 2010, they appointed Harry B. Sullivan and Antonio Henderson. The VDT reported 22 May 2007 that:

The Commissioners reappointed Antonio Henderson and Harry Sullivan to the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority. Their terms will expire May 31, 2010. Joseph Stevens was appointed, and his term will expire May 31, 2009.

So that’s five members; is that all of them? Apparently yes. In Preliminary Official Statement Dated November 29, 2012

LOWNDES COUNTY PUBLIC FACILITIES AUTHORITY (GEORGIA)
$8,965,000*
Refunding Revenue Bonds
(Lowndes County Judicial/Administration Complex)
Series 2012 		$7,145,000*
Refunding Revenue Bonds
(Lowndes County Water and Sewerage Project)
Series 2013

So, we’re paying more for the county palace than we are for county water and sewer. Anyway, on page 4 we find:

LOWNDES COUNTY PUBLIC FACILITIES AUTHORITY
Members
Antonio Henderson
Harry B. Sullivan
J. Stephen Gupton, Jr.
Joseph G. Stevens
Crawford Powell

That Authority met 8 October 2012 in Room 248 at the Lowndes County Administrative Building (no street address given):

The primary purpose of the meeting is for the Authority to consider a Bond Resolution to provide for the issuance of Refunding Revenue Bonds for the purpose of refunding in part Public Facilities Authority Revenue Bonds (Lowndes County Water and Sewerage Project), Series 2005, and Central Valdosta Development Authority Revenue Bonds (Lowndes County Judicial/Administrative Complex), Series 2003, to authorize and approve the execution and delivery of an Intergovernmental Contract with Lowndes County, and related purposes. The meeting will be open to the public in accordance with the Georgia Open Meetings Act.

They do not have a meeting listed in the same calendar for today.

Bond rating agency Moody’s reported 15 November 2012

NEW YORK, November 15, 2012 —Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a Aa2 rating and a stable outlook to Lowndes County’s (GA) $9.1 million Refunding Revenue Bonds (Lowndes County Judicial/Administration Complex), Series 2012 and $7.2 million Refunding Revenue Bonds (Lowndes County Water and Sewerage Project), Series 2013, both issued by the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority. At this time, Moody’s has also affirmed the Aa2 ratings to $15.5 million of general obligation bonds and $193.7 million of bonds issued through the Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County, the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority, the Central Valdosta Development Authority and the Lowndes County Public Facilities Authority…

You know, the county could just tell us all this stuff, so we wouldn’t have to try to google it. It is our tax money they are spending, after all.

Here’s the video:

Refinancing Bonds and the Public Facilities Authority
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 December 2012.

-jsq

County proceeding on a fixed library line @ LCC 2012-12-10

Scoring for library architect selection seems more rigorous now, at yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. But where are the scores? And what are the names of the two finalists? They vote or table tonight at 5:30 PM.

8.h. New Main Library — Construction Manager At Risk Selection

Project Manager Chad McCleod said proposals had been received from nine firms, and “using a score sheet with certain grading criteria” staff narrowed them down to three offers. Each firm gave a one-hour presentation last Friday to the selection committee which again “used certain grading criteria to score each firm”. The top two scorers were Coffee[?] Construction and Quillian Powell Construction.

I applaud actually using scoring, instead of what appeared to happen for the main library architect selection, with a relatively elaborate selection process including a scoring sheet that then apparently wasn’t actually used in the architect selection. But where are these filled-out score sheets for the applicants this time, so we the taxpayers can see them?

The Commission could have staff Continue reading →

Additional license fee for Sunday alcohol sales? @ LCC 2012-12-10

Why should businesses have to pay an additional license fee for Sunday alcohol sales, if the only justification is to raise money to pay for administering that license? That was a topic at yesterday morning's Lowndes County Commission Work Session for agenda item 6.a. Revision to the Lowndes County Alcoholic Beverage Ordinance.

Finance Director Stephanie Black mentioned the things we already heard from the staff, brown bagging, social hosts (serving alcohol at private events to underage drinkers), and the Sunday package sales. She said for the voter-approved Sunday alcohol sales the license fee would be $250, plus a requirement for an immigration affidavit. Commissioner Powell took exception to that additional license fee, which would be on top of a license fee already necessary for the rest of the week. Black and Chairman Paulk defended it as necessary to collect money to administer the license fee. Powell wondered if they'd need the money if they didn't have the license fee. Paulk said the city of Valdosta charges $1000 for a Sunday license. Powell said he disagreed with that, too.

Here's the video:

Additional license fee for Sunday alcohol sales?
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 December 2012.

-jsq

Dollar General or not? @ LCC 2012-12-10

Is Naylor maybe going to get a Dollar General or something else, if the unnamed applicant or applicants get their rezoning with or without conditions? None of that is clear from yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session for agenda item 7.c. REZ-2012-19 Naylor Dollar General, US Hwy 84 East, E-A to C-G, Well & Septic, ~2 acres.

County Planner Jason Davenport said:

The applicants have mentioned trying to do a Dollar General at this site. We believe that’s what they’re going to do, but however whatever uses are allowed in C-G would of course be allowed if it is approved without any conditions.

He said they had the recommendations from the TRC and the Planning Commission, but he didn’t say what they were. The Planning Commission recommended for, apparently with the understanding that it was for a Dollar General. Davenport said there had been no further input since the Planning Commission meeting.

The Commission could have staff submit written reports that go in the agenda and minutes, like the Library Board does, and then put those online as PDF or HTML linked to an HTML agenda, like Glynn County and Richmond County do, and we wouldn’t have to guess the names of applicants or the details of rezoning requests.

Here’s the video:

Dollar General or not?
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 10 December 2012.

-jsq

No T-SPLOST means 30% match for LMIG, and what else? @ LCC 2012-12-10

To pave or not to pave? That is the question that was danced around by County Engineer Mike Fletcher and County Manager Joe Pritchard, with interest, at yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, on agenda item 8.d. Georgia Department of Transportation Local Maintenance & Improvement Grant.

County Engineer Mike Fletcher said Lowndes County was receiving from GDOT a Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) of $746,984.75 for FY “two thirteen”. Because T-SPLOST didn’t pass, the county has to come up with a 30% match, which is $224,095.43. He said there was a work sheet and project list in the board packet (which the rest of us don’t get to see).

County Manager Joe Pritchard said with change from LARP (Local Assistance Road Projects, primarily for resurfacing) to LMIG the county could now use these funds for any purpose, and had planned to use LMIG for Continue reading →

Rezoning near Moody: fire code would prohibit a single entrance @ LCC 2012-12-10 @ LCC 2012-12-10

Commissioner Crawford Powell may have found solid grounds to deny the proposed rezoning for a development near Moody AFB, he revealed at this morning’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

County Planner Jason Davenport explicitly linked this rezoning case,

7.a. REZ-2012-17 Lowndes Development, LLC, Davidson Rd MAZ II and MAZ III to R-10, County Water & Sewer, ~23.49 acres

to the zoning text code amendment on the same meeting agenda.

7.d. TXT-2012-02 MAZ II Residential Density

He also mentioned the TRC (the Technical Review Committee composed mainly of Lowndes County and Valdosta staff) had a split vote on this item, although he didn’t say how it was split. And he said the Commissioners had the Planning Commission recommendation before them, although he didn’t mention the Planning Commission recommended against.

Commissioner Crawford Powell brought up a good point:

The fire department and the TRC say in the notes that it fails to comply with fire rescue ingress-egress requirements.

Fire Chief Guyton appeared to confirm that was the case, although since he wasn’t at a microphone, it’s hard to hear. Commissioner Powell continued:

Continue reading →

Glimmers of open discussion about Moody AFB zoning by the County Commission @ LCC 2012-12-10

Lowndes County Commissioners had a small amount of open discussion about the proposed changes to the zoning code related to Moody Air Force Base at their Work Session this morning. However, most of the discussion was not about the changes currently proposed, which the County Planner once again explicitly linked to a rezoning case on the same agenda. At least they discussed tabling the zoning code changes until there could be more discussion. They did not, however, say they would make drafts available to the public or invite the public to discuss those drafts.

County Planner Jason Davenport introduced agenda item 7.d. TXT-2012-02 MAZ II Residential Density:

This text amendment is part of the response to some of the questions that were raised with the additional rezoning. At the end of the day what this text amendment is going to do is to take that very outer blue color, the lightest color, which is the MAZ-3, and recommend change the zoning to 1 acre. Currently it’s 2 and a half acres.

He mentioned they missed the 30 day requirement to inform Moody AFB by about a week, but Moody responded anyway. Hm, that’s not what he said to the Planning Commission; there he said they had allowed 31 days.

Commissioner Richard Raines said he’d prefer to table this amendment until next year, because:

I think there are other issues that we’ve discussed related to MAZ. If you have a mobile home and it becomes unlivable, under the restrictions you can’t replace it….

Chairman Ashley Paulk responded that he didn’t have a problem with that, and:

Continue reading →

More developer favors at the County Commission Work Session this morning? @ LCC 2012-12-10

At the 8:30 AM Work Session this morning, will the Chairman

Clint Joyner and J.D. Yeager of Joyner Realty
Clint Joyner (speaking) and J.D. Yeager (seated on right)
of Joyner Realty at LCC Work Session 2012-11-12

invite Clint Joyner of Joyner Realty to speak like he did last month, without inviting anybody else? Will Chairman Ashley Paulk invite J.D. Yeager of Joyner Realty (and formerly Sheriff Paulk’s lieutenant at the Sheriff’s office) to speak? That plus solid waste (if privatization is bad for Moody, why is it good for a county public health and safety service like solid waste collection?), Dollar General (where’s the marketing plan to indicate whether tiny Naylor needs the area’s nineteenth Dollar General?), Library, (Houston County’s SPLOST passed in a landslide after they held public hearings; maybe Lowndes County should try that), and Alcohol (county staff say they’re coalescing previous changes into the body of the ordinance), all at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning; here’s the agenda.

When he spoke 12 November 2012, Clint Joyner started by referring to a nearby subdivision “In 2007”. 2007 was the year Mr. Joyner got (according to the Commission’s minutes of 26 June 2007) $130,000 in road construction labor from the Commission because of “an unforeseen Department of Transportation requirement regarding a costly intersection improvement.” Why couldn’t the County Engineer or Mr. Joyner forsee such a requirement?

This time many people do forsee that rezoning to develop in the Moody Activity Zones would be a bad idea. Houston County is using state and local tax money to buy up houses in similar zones around Warner Robins Air Force Base. Doubtless Houston County would love it if Lowndes County encroached enough on Moody AFB that Moody’s missions moved to Robins AFB.

-jsq