Category Archives: Government

Videos: New County Agents, VLCIA bonds, Airport Authority, Opioids @ LCC 2018-05-21

Not on the agenda, County Agent Jake Price introduced two new people in his office. The Industrial Authority Executive Director explained the bonds are not new, she just wants to refinance them to reduce payments.

Among items they will vote on tonight at 5:30 PM, the longest item at almost four minutes was the request for an additional Deputy Coroner. Looks like they’re finally going to sign up an attorney for the opoioid litigation. They spent more time on the cleaning bids.

The whole Work Session Monday morning took 13 minutes, including the presentaitons. Below are Continue reading →

Videos: Opioid Attorney, Soccer, Airport Authority, Probation, Ankle Monitoring, Wetlands, Hay, GEFA, Pump @ LCC 2018-05-08

Two weeks ago, they spent the most time (5.5 minutes) on the two sections of 5. Proclamation Presentations for National Drug Court Month.

They spent 2.5 minutes on bids and almost 2 minutes (almost 5.5 total) on the wetland credits for the North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex.

Third most time was 4.5 minutes on recognizing retiring volunteer firefighter Scott Caldwell(?). The speaker was Chief Ashley Tye, so I guess he’s now the regular county Fire Chief.

They tabled the Airport Authority appointment waiting for more information. Maybe they noticed George Page had also asked the City of Valdosta to appoint him.

The alleged County Attorney, with his microphone three feet from his face and pointing 90 degrees away, muttered something about the mysterious Wisconsin bond issue.

The Probation agreement and Electronic Monitoring Contract got more than three minutes total. They spent a bit more than a minute voting on a law form for the opioid litigation.

The Hay Lease Agreement Amendment is a water item, because it’s about the county’s spray field, also known as its Land Application Site (LAS). And the Bevel Creek Lift Station Pump that feeds it. Final water item: dates of completion for the GEFA Loan Agreement; they did provide a clue what that loan was for.

Here are links to Continue reading →

VLCIA bonds for what? Airport Authority, Opioids @ LCC 2018-05-21

What are the Industrial Authority (excuse me, Development Authority) bonds for? Maybe they’re finally going to finance solar power for people here, since VLCIA has a budget surplus?

Steve Everett at LCC 2018-07-14
VLCAA Chairman Steve Everett and Executive Director Jim Galloway asking for the county to fix its shortfall in funding the Airport Authority, July 14, 2015.

Since George Page got appointed to the Airport Authority by the City of Valdosta, I suppose they’re going to reappoint Steve Everett. They last reappointed him May 13, 2014. By the way, he’s the Chair of VLCAA.

Apparently they’ve picked an attorney for the Opioid Litigation in their previous meetings two weeks ago, and now they’re down to signing the agreement.

Here’s the agenda, which has the dates off by one. Continue reading →

Videos: Opioids, Soccer, Airport Authority, Probation, Ankle Monitoring, Wetlands, Hay, GEFA, Pump @ LCC 2018-05-07

Opioid litigation will be added to the agenda for this evening, although not for voting, as 8.i, Selection of Legal Firm for Opioid Litigation: Select legal firm,

The Studstill Law Firm and the Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley Law Firm have both submitted proposals to represent Lowndes County in the opioid litigation.

That was the longest agenda item at the Monday morning Work Session. The Probation Resolution and Services Agreement, which had been tabled two weeks before, got almost two minutes, including questions about cost. Add the minute and a half for the Electronic Monitoring Contract and those two items with the same presenter got the longest total.

The two North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex items, Wetland Credits and Bids, that will massively change Hahira, did not get a total of two minutes. The Hay Lease Agreement Amendment is another water item, because it’s about the county’s spray field, also known as its Land Application Site (LAS). And the Bevel Creek Lift Station Pump that feeds it. Final water item: dates of completion for the GEFA Loan Agreement, whatever it’s for.

The mysterious Wisconsin Public Finance Authority Bond Issue is to finance a project on Old Statenville Road in the Valdosta City Limits.

They’re going to reappoint Steve Everett to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority; he did not speak. And George Page would also like to be considered.

Here are links to Continue reading →

Soccer, Airport Authority, Probation, Ankle Monitoring, Wetlands, Hay, GEFA, Pump @ LCC 2018-05-07

What was on the agenda for yesterday morning at 8:30 AM and for voting this evening at 5:30 PM.

Parcel 0024-003, Tax Assessors Map They’re going to reappoint Steve Everett to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority. At the end, the thing that will massively change Hahira: 4.c. North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex – Bids: five of them, ranging from $6.5 to $8.3 million dollars. From the Invitation to Bid:

The bid package is for construction of North Lowndes Park Soccer Complex including all work shown on the Bid Set of Plans, issue date February 1, 2018, and Specifications, issue date February 1, 2018, to include but not be limited to the following items: Site clearing and other items as noted on the plans in order to construct and install a new 8 soccer field complex with concession and restroom pavilion, and maintenance building. Additional items to be constructed include, entrance road extension from the existing park, parking lot, signage, concrete pavement, fencing, site and field lighting, utilities, storm drainage structures and basins, irrigation, landscaping, and furnishings.

Detail Map, Tax Assessors Map
Map: Lowndes County Tax Assessors, of Parcel 0024-003, Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Authority.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 7, 2018, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 8, 2018, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Senior living, pool, Hahira food trucks @ GLPC 2018-04-30

Yes, it was food trucks Hahira wants to change in its Zoning Ordinance, and that was the long item, at 42 minutes in Monday’s Planning Commission meeting. Neighbors Barry Robinson and Gretchen Quarterman spoke about it at the Planning Commission, as did the food truck owner, and I bet on all of them being at the Hahira City Council tonight, especially given that the Planning Commission recommendation was not favorable.

The Planning Commission spent less than 18 minutes on the two rezonings for a senior living residential housing complex in Valdosta. The request for a Planned Development on Gornto Road took about as long.

Below are Continue reading →

Senior living, pool, food trucks @ GLPC 2018-04-30

Could it be food trucks Hahira wants to change in its Zoning Ordinance? In Valdosta, a request for a Planned Development on Gornto Road, and two rezonings for a senior living residential housing complex which would have access on Ashley Street, Emory Street, and University Drive, based around the site of China Garden.

China Garden, Ashley, Emory, and University
Map: Lowndes County Tax Assessors.
Red outline of affected parcels: drawn by John S. Quarterman for LAKE.

All on the agenda for 5:30 PM tonight at the Planning Commission.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA
Monday, April 30, 2018 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing Continue reading →

Videos: No Opioid No Probation Military Utility @ LCC 2018-04-24

They would have managed less than four minutes, even with chatting with Leadership Lowndes in the audience, including 45 seconds on the only substantial agenda item, 6 a. Grant Of Easement for Utility Right of Way Moody-Azalea Commons (aka Moody Family Housing).

2013-07-29 GLPC Packet-007 REZ-2013-09 Moody Family Housing
2013-07-29 GLPC Packet-007 REZ-2013-09 Moody Family Housing
Note the big sinkhole in Phase 2.

But citizen Jacinta Howell talked about traffic safety. Let’s remember the immortal words of former Chairman Ashley Paulk during a rezoning near Bemiss Road:

I’m not going to argue Bemiss Highway, it’s not a pertinent fact.

Below are Continue reading →

Videos: Opioid Vaginal Mesh, Military Utility, No Probation @ LCC 2018-04-23

Yesterday morning Chairman Bill Slaughter looked straight at the LAKE video camera and said: “We’ll have a record-setting short meeting tomorrow, with one agenda item.” Then he chuckled.

The Work Session was 17 minutes and 35 seconds, because of 12 minutes on the Special Presentation by Andrew Hill on Opioid Litigation (Work Session).

The longest other item was 3 minutes on 6 b. Lowndes County Government Probation Plan and Resolution, which wasn’t ready yet, and is what the Chairman removed from the agenda for tonight.

Indeed it didn’t take five minutes, not even half a minute, for them not to discuss 6 a. Grant Of Easement for Utility Right of Way Moody-Azalea Commons.

Below are Continue reading →

Opioid Military Utility Probation @ LCC 2018-04-23

Maybe 15 minutes because of the Special Presentation by Andrew Hill on Opioid Litigation (Work Session).

It won’t take them five minutes to discuss a water and sewer easement for the sinkhole-prone recently-renamed Moody Family Housing Housing, now called Azalea Commons, which is in a recharge zone for the Floridan Aquifer from which we all drink. That subdivision only has water and sewer lines running by it up Val Del Road because the county ran those lines to enable the Nelson Hill subdivision, for which the county permitted razing wetlands, and which then mysteriously got staff variances to avoid building condominiums, mixed elevations, or becoming a gated community.

WRPDO Site Map, Moody Family Housing, REZ-2013-09
WRPDO Site Map, Moody Family Housing, REZ-2013-09.

It’s unlikely to take longer for them to discuss the Lowndes County Government Probation Plan and Resolution.

Here’s the agenda. Gretchen is on her way there with the LAKE video camera.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation
  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  4. Special Presentation by Andrew Hill on Opioid Litigation (Work Session)
  5. Minutes for Approval
    1. Work Session- April 9, 2018
    2. Regular Session- April 10, 2018
  6. For Consideration
    1. Grant Of Easement for Utility Right of Way Moody-Azalea Commons
      ACC Group Housing, LLC desires to Grant Lowndes county an easement and right of way to provide access to service and maintain the water and sewer lines serving the Azalea Commons residential area.

      Documents:Grant of Easement for Utility Right of Way Moody-Azalea Commons.pdf

    2. Lowndes County Government Probation Plan and Resolution
      Approval of probation plan and resolution

      Documents:Lowndes County Government Probation Plan and Resolution.pdf

  7. Reports – County Manager
  8. Citizens Wishing to be Heard-Please State Your Name and Address
  9. Adjournment

-jsq

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