Category Archives: Government

Videos: Finally, Wright Road RR Bridge @ LCC 2016-09-12

They vote 5:30 PM this evening on finally fixing the railroad bridge over Old Quitman Highway. As you can see in the videos below of yesterday morning’s Work Session, County Engineer Mike Fletcher said it’s taken long negotiations with CSC and GDOT, ending up with realigning the road to go across the railroad at 90 degrees.

Way back in 2011 this Old Quitman Road bridge was on the T-SPLOST list. Old Quitman Road itself was announced on a striping and citing list 2013-10-08 and on an LMIG resurfacing list 2014-03-24 and 2014-03-25. It was said to be the only road for which the speed limit is being changed 2015-03-23 and 2015-03-24. And they fixed a culvert on private Carter Way before they got to this RR bridge on Old Quitman Road. But now they’re doing it, and they didn’t need T-SPLOST for that after all.

See also Continue reading →

Two subdivisions, 3 road abandonments, 2 bridges, MIDS @ LCC 2016-09-12

This morning at 8:30 AM at the Lowndes County Commission, the two subdivisions from the previous Planning Commission meeting, REZ-2016-16 Livingston Properties, Bemiss Knights Academy Rd and Merriman Ct.

What’s with all the road abandonments these past many months? REZ-2016-17 Grove Pointe Ph 6, Dasher Grove Rd, a public hearing on Abandonment of Strong Road, probably scheduling of one for Abandonment of Unopened Right of Way off of Pikes Pond Road, and finishing up with a Quit Claim Deed for Abandoned Right of Way on Old Miller Concrete Property.

Surveying and engineering for two bridge replacements, on Old Quitman Road and Jumping Gully Road. And the annual renewal of Section 5311 Rural Transportation Program Capital Contract, which is the MIDS on-call bus service, in case you can’t tell from the obscure agenda item.

Plus lots more on the agenda. Will they speed through it all in their usual 15 minutes? They vote tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 5:30 PM.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2016, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

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Videos: More northern subdivision rezonings + 6 Valdosta @ GLPC 2016-08-29

A third Lowndes County Case in west Valdosta near James Road, REZ-2016-15, was pulled from the agenda until next month to be sure it will be ready for review (but not withdrawn). One Valdosta case, CU-2016-02, was announced as withdrawn at the beginning of the meeting. The stormwater LDR changes apparently were mostly to remove description of very old previous material and various housekeeping including reflecting a rate increase the Valdosta City Council already approved back in June after a series of public hearings. Expect the Comprehensive Plan back next month: they didn’t examine it this time because the agenda was already very long. Continue reading →

More northern subdivision rezonings + 6 Valdosta @ GLPC 2016-08-29

Still more subdivisions planned in what the county calls Central Lowndes County and near Hahira, and a bunch of stuff in Valdosta. including stormwater revisions to the LDR. Here’s the agenda, and see the LAKE videos of the meeting.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Monday, August 29, 2016 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing

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Videos: Welcomes, Millage, 5 minutes 30 seconds @ LCC 2016-08-23

3.5 minutes of actual meeting after a minute of invocation and pledge and a minute of welcomes.

First they welcomed Cub Scout Pack 400 and Troup 410, a member of the Lowndes County Explorer Program, for their interest in the gubmint. Also a Valdosta City Council member (Sandra Tooley, although Chairman Bill Slaughter didn’t name her), and Carl Smith. Plus Tax Commissioner Felicia Williams. He didn’t name any of the regulars in the room, yet the welcomes took more than a minute which, plus the minute for the invocation and prayer, that was two minutes of non-business in the entire 5 and a half minute meeting, so that was only 3 and a half minutes of actual meeting. Which was more than 2.5 minutes of the previous morning’s Work Session. It does make you wonder: where and when do they actually discuss the county’s business, and why isn’t it in the public meetings?

Below are links to each of the LAKE videos of the August 23nd 2016 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission. See also Continue reading →

Millage Public Hearing @ LCC Millage 2016-08-23

People showed up and asked questions!

Finance Director Stephanie Black said they were having public hearings because they were required to when raising the millage. She said some of the reasons for the raise were a decline in the Local Option Sales Tax revenue, “because of the TATV” a decline in motor vehicle revenues, and a decline of 1.88% or $56 million in the property tax digest. TATV appears to be Ad Valorem Title Tax, which changed with HB 386 becoming law 1 March 2013, changing annual TATV to a one-time tax at vehicle purchase, and that new tax goes to the state, not the local government. As you can see in the Millage History slide pictured, they did Continue reading →

Videos: 2 minutes 39 seconds, plus new county agent @ LCC 2016-08-22

That’s 2:39 for all business in Monday’s Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission, except for a report at the end about a new county agent. The whole thing took less than 5 and a half minutes, according to their own clock. Valdosta City Council Sandra Tooley showed up at 5:35, just before they adjourned, and wondered what happened. You ever get the feeling they discuss business somewhere other than in public m eetings?

Tonight there’s a third millage hearing at 5PM, followed by their voting Regular Session at 5:30 PM. See previous post for some background on the millage and the agenda.

Below are links to each of the LAKE videos of the August 22nd 2016 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission. They vote tonight. Continue reading →

Videos: Jerry Wallace reitrement, ZBOA, Verizon, abandonment, landfill @ LCC 2016-08-09

The engineering department utlity player, Jerry Wallace, is retiring. Jerry Wallace

They approved everything they discussed at the previous morning’s Work Session. See also the LAKE video of the Zika and mosquito control report from that Work Session.

Below are links to the LAKE videos plus a few notes for the Regular Session, August 9th 2016, of the Lowndes County Commission. They vote again tonight.

Here’s a video playlist:


Videos: Jerry Wallace reitrement, ZBOA, Verizon, abandonment, landfill
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, August 9, 2016.

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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!

Millage, grants, computers, and land bank @ LCC 2016-08-22

This morning the county will discuss raising the millage rate, and they will vote on it Tuesday evening, with a third millage hearing half an hour before the voting session.

Michael Praats, Valdosta Daily Times

As County Manager Joe Pritchard reminded them July 25th, it’s time for the annual millage rate setting. As usual, their agenda doesn’t say what they’re setting it to. There’s a number in Continue reading →

Again no new business prospects @ VLCIA 2016-08-16

That could be good because it makes them focus on existing industries.

Here’s the agenda.

Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority
Tuesday, August 16, 2016 5:30 p.m.
Development Authority Conference Room/103 Roosevelt Drive
Monthly Meeting Agenda

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