Update 2022-05-23: 9:00 AM Budget Work Session.
They propose to approve $1.6 million for resurfacing some roads, it’s not clear which ones, at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session Monday morning and voting Regular Session Tuesday evening.
![[Quarterman Estates, Walkers Crossing Roundabout]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-05-23--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
Quarterman Estates, Walkers Crossing Roundabout
They will also pretend that this will not cost the county money down the road for street maintenance: Continue reading
Update 2022-06-23: Videos: Process for non-profit applications for ARPA funds 2022-05-27.
Update 2022-06-21: Valdosta Watergoat installed in Sugar Creek 2022-06-21.
Council Sonny Vickers was welcomed back warmly after abscence due to illness (I welcomed him before the meeting). Later, he thanked staff and council for their assistance.
Mayor Scott James added two council members each as observers to each of the ARPA fund disbursment committees, for non-profits and for for-profit businesses.
After Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman asked for action about trash, Council Andy Gibbs and Mayor James vied for who would get to announce what the city had already done. Mayor James in Council Comments announced the city had ordered Continue reading
At their Regular Session, Chairman Bill Slaughter pulled 7.a. One Valdosta Lowndes Community-Wide Initiative up front on the Lowndes County Commission agenda, because at least one of the OVL VIPs had another meeting: One Valdosta-Lowndes Co-Chairs VSU President Dr. Richard Carvajal and Georgia Power’s Scott Purvis, as well as Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber President Christie Moore. At least one of them left immediately after the Commissioners approved $200,000 total over five years to the Chamber to support OVL.
The County’s audio feed in the back of the room was again not working, so audio is whatever the LAKE video camera could pick up.
Commissioners discussed the one rezoning, Continue reading
Update 2022-05-02: One Valdosta-Lowndes funding, Hayden Park rezoning @ LCC 2022-04-26.
At the Lowndes County Commission Work Session this morning, by far the longest at six minutes: 7.i. Historic Lowndes County Courthouse Rehabilitation Project GMP.
![[Courthouse, Hayden Park, OVL, TEqBID]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-04-25--lcc-videos/many.jpg)
Courthouse, Hayden Park, OVL, TEqBID
Second longest at four minutes was the back-again contentious 6.a. REZ-2022-07 Hayden Park, ~149 acres, from R-1 to C-G, P-D, and R-10.
Third at two minutes was the $200,000 to 7.a. One Valdosta Lowndes Community-Wide Initiative, presumably mostly for hiring an Executive Director, though one hopes also some funding towards projects like the Troupville River Camp that was top of the list OVL presented to the County Commission back in November. Not clear whether the $200,000 is per year or for the entire five-year project. Vice-Chair Scottie Orenstein said VSU President Dr. Carvajal and Georgia Power’s Scott Purvis will be present at the Regular Session tomorrow evening. Nothing was said about the Chamber, to whom OVL is being handed, being present tomorrow evening.
Commissioner Scottie Orenstein chaired the meeting in the absence of Chairman Bill Slaughter. If the Chairman is back at tomorrow evening’s Regular Session, let’s hope Commissioner Orenstein recuses himself on the appointment of his wife to 5.a. Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) Board. This morning Commissioner Orenstein appeared to speak for the developer on 6.a. REZ-2022-07 Hayden Park, ~149 acres, from R-1 to C-G, P-D, and R-10. Meanwhile, answering a question from Commissioner Demarcus Marshall, Orenstein said nobody had met with the opposition.
Below are Continue reading
Update 2022-04-25: Videos: $9 Million Courthouse renovations, Subdivision at N. Valdosta Road & Val Del @ LCC 2022-04-25.
Still listed as “BUDGET IMPACT: N/A” on the Lowndes County Commission agenda for this morning and voting tomorrow evening: REZ-2022-07 Hayden Park, Camelot Crossing & Val Del Rd. Nevermind that the county has spent untold funds on a Lowndes County Traffic Engineering Report: N. Valdosta Road and Val Del Road and will spend more on actually constructing those turn lanes on Val Del Road. Nevermind that just up Val Del Road the county proposed to Adopt Resolution Accepting Infrastructure for Val Del Estates Subdivision Phase III, meaning the county will have to pay to maintain those streets, just like it will eventually for streets in this other Val Del Road subdivision.
For sure, subdivisions should be inside existing water and sewer infrastructure. But it would be nice if the county would tell the public the real costs of every subdivision. Continue reading
They spent the most time discussing the several court funding cash match requests, two weeks ago at the Lowndes County (GA) Commission Work Session. At the end, Project Manager Chad McLeod had updates on the Courthouse renovation and the Commission Chambers audio and video restoration.
Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item,
followed by a LAKE video playlist.
See also
the agenda.
The board packet is on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-06-21–lcc-packet
Continue reading
The biggest item on this week’s Lowndes County Commission agenda, for voting this eventing, is Grounds Maintenance. Planting some native shrubbery, flowers, and trees instead of all that lawn would reduce that cost.
Three sewage system items add up, for Whitewater Lift Station Control Panel Emergency Repair, Bemiss Low Pressure Sewer Main Replacement Change Order, and the $2,500,000.00 GEFA Loan for the Sewer System Rehabilitation Project. That last does not show up in the agenda sheet as BUDGET IMPACT, but county taxpayers will pay for it over time. However, proactive sewer system fixes are lot better than reactive sewage spill repairs.
Four courts in three agenda items require cash match. Plus a road work truck and pest control round out the dollar figures.
There’s a reappointment to Children’s Services and a new appointment to the Library Board.
And there’s a beer license, which brings in fees of $250 Off Premises + $150 Administration = $400.
Here is
the agenda.
The board packet is on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-06-21–lcc-packet
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Four million dollars in tax money discussed this morning, to be voted on at 5:30 PM tomorrow (Tuesday) by the Lowndes County Commission.
Yet their video cameras seem to be broken and I haven’t seen anything about paying to fix them or buy new ones. Meanwhile, Valdosta City Council started online through an iphone, and numerous other counties in Georgia and Florida have made their meetings accessible online.
We don’t know where are the lift stations or manholes to be financed through a GEFA loan for $1,875,000, but I’d say that’s a good use of funds. Not so sure about the $1,974,139 for relocating utilities for widening Lake Park Bellville Road, because I’m not clear on why that road needs widening. I do wonder why sewer and drinking water improvements have to be funded through loans while road building gets tax funds.
Here is the agenda. The board packet is on the LAKE website, received Friday in response to a LAKE Open Records request.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Video has appeared on lowndescounty.com of the May 12, 2020 Regular Session, and the minutes. It is 11:48 long, of which 10:48 was actual business. The video reveals there is a new County Planner, J.D. Dillard. We also learn from the video (but not from the minutes) the extent of the Old US 41 widening.
Below are a few notes with timestamp links into the county’s video. See also the agenda and the board packet. Here again is what they said they spent:
| Cost | What | |
|---|---|---|
| $330,854 | CJCC Funding | FY 2021 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant Application Regular Session DATE OF MEETING: May 12, 2020 |
| $20,000.00 | FEMA | Lowndes County Hazard Mitigation Request for Proposal Regular Session DATE OF MEETING: May 12, 2020 |
| $350,854 | Total |
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, May 12, 2020, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
*To comply with the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in regard to the Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic and social distancing, face coverings (masks) are required for all meeting participants.
- Call to Order
At 0 minutes. Chairman and all five Commissioners were present and sitting up front. Staff, including the County Manager, were sitting in the audience, where they could hardly be heard when they spoke. Portable microphones would be useful for this arrangement. Continue reading
Update 2020-06-05: Lowndes County video has appeared, revealing several things not in the minutes.
LAKE did not video the May 12, 2020, Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, due to pandemic. There was no telephone dial-in and no facebook live. The last Lowndes County Commission video of its own meeting was February 25, 2020. So the only record will be the Minutes, which we may or may not see before their next meeting, which is this Tuesday.
We get a location map but no indication of future county tax-paid costs of upkeep for the infrastructure for Two Oaks at Bemiss.
Yet we get evaluations by three different people of three proposals for the Lowndes County Hazard Mitigation RFP; winning bid $20,000.
The packet contains only the agenda sheet and a signature page for a resolution for the GDOT TIA Old US 41 Widening; the actual Resolution is missing. Continue reading
![[Collage]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/valdosta/2022-05-19--vcc-videos/many.jpg)
![[OVL, Hayden Park rezoning]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2022-04-26--lcc-videos/many.jpg)
![[Beer, Lawns]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-06-21--lcc-packet/many.jpg)
![[Table: Four Million Dollars]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2021-02-22--lcc-packet/four-million-dollars.jpg)
![[Location Map]](http://www.l-a-k-e.org/govt/loco/2020-05-12--lcc-packet/May-12-2020-Meeting-Packet-0042.jpg)