Category Archives: Health Care

Packet: Five Valdosta rezonings, one Lowndes County, Lake Park Case pulled @ GLPC 2023-05-22

Update 2023-06-11: Videos: Five Valdosta rezonings, one Lowndes County, Lake Park Case pulled @ GLPC 2023-05-22.

These redevelopment rezonings all look unremarkable, although one never knows who will turn out to be in opposition or support.

In addition to the five Valdosta items and the one Lowndes County item on the agenda for Monday evening’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting, there was a Lake Park item, but it was pulled. I have included the packet materials for Lake Park anyway, for comparison in case it turns up in a later meeting.

Rezoning Maps @ GLPC Packet 2023-05-22

The board packet materials, received in response to a LAKE open records request, are on the LAKE website.

Here is the agenda.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission ~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, May 15, 2023 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, May 22, 2023 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia
Continue reading →

Videos: Howell Road Halfway House approved in split vote @ LCC Regular 2023-04-11

Two weeks ago the Lowndes County Commission appointed Brenda Mims to the Board of Health, Victoria Copeland and Marion Ramsey to ZBOA, and Jane Peeples to the Library Board, all unanimously.

Everything else (except one item) also passed unanimously, including 8.b. Amend 2015 Solid Waste Ordinance raising waste collection fees and reducing collection center hours, as requested by the haulers.

Collage @ LCC Regular 2023-04-11

It became even more obvious why they tabled it a month before: All the Lowndes County Commissioners apparently already knew how they were going to vote on the Howell Road halfway house rezoning before they held the Public Hearing.

The vote was the same as Continue reading →

Videos: Recognitions, Extension Office, Raise waste collection rates, Howell Road halfway house rezoning, appointments to 3 boards @ LCC Work 2023-04-10

Update 2023-04-24: Videos: Howell Road Halfway House approved in split vote @ LCC Regular 2023-04-11.

Yesterday the Lowndes County Commissioners had no discussion about what Chairman Bill Slaughter referred to as “One public hearing item that just will not go away.” That’s 7.a. REZ-2022-10 Campus Transitional Care, 2193 Howell Road, E-A to P-D. The Commissioners vote at the Regular Session this evening at 5:30 PM. They can make it go away for at least a year by denying the rezoning.

Collage @ LCC 10 April 2023

On 8.b. Amend 2015 Solid Waste Ordinance, Gretchen remarked: “In my mind, it seems super inconvenient to shorten the hours of the collection sites on Monday and Friday. If someone works 8-5, then getting their recycling there by 6 is not possible.

“Oh, but this isn’t for the health, safety and well being of the citizens, Continue reading →

Packet: Raise waste collection rates, appointments to 3 boards, crop sprayer for wastewater sprayfield @ LCC 2023-04-10

It’s back: the Howell Road halfway house rezoning, after being tabled last time, waiting for a full Commission. The Lowndes County Commission will vote on it tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.

All the same opposition letters and petition signatures are included in the board packet. Staff still recommends approval, although the Planning Commission recommended denial by 7:3.

Collage, LCC Packet 2023-04-10

The Letter of Intent from Redeemed Living includes this: “Redeemed Residents are required to maintain full time employment, attend weekly recovery meetings, and become an active member at a Church of their choosing.” Is that establishment of religion? Continue reading →

Packet: Raise waste collection rates, appointments to 3 boards, crop sprayer for wastewater hayfield @ LCC 2023-04-10

It’s back: the Howell Road halfway house rezoning, after being tabled last time, waiting for a full Commission. The Lowndes County Commission will vote on it tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.

All the same opposition letters and petition signatures are included in the board packet. Staff still recommends approval, although the Planning Commission recommended denial by 7:3.

Collage, LCC Packet 2023-04-10

Videos: Howell Road Halfway House tabled @ LCC Regular 2023-03-28

Update 2023-04-10: Packet: Raise waste collection rates, appointments to 3 boards, crop sprayer for wastewater hayfield @ LCC 2023-04-10.

As suggested by Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker yesterday, the rezoning was tabled until the next Lowndes County Commission meeting: 6.a. REZ-2022-10 The Campus Transitional Care Facility, 2193 Howell Road. It was tabled before the Public Hearing, so I would guess that means they have to send out notice again for a Public Hearing. The motion to table was by Commissioner Wisenbaker, second by Commissioner Scottie Orenstein, and it passed unanimously by the four voting Commissioners present. Commissioner Clay Griner was not there, which was the purpose of tabling: wait until all five Commissioners are there.

Interestingly, most of the people who came for the Howell Road public hearing stayed to the end. They didn’t leave when the item was tabled. This was very unusual.

Collage @ LCC 28 March 2023

The Land Bank Authority appointment was also tabled until the first meeting in April, due to lack of nominations.

Everything else passed unanimously.

On the waste collection franchises by Continue reading →

Packet: Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC 2023-03-27

Update 2023-03-30: Videos: Howell Road Halfway House tabled @ LCC Regular 2023-03-28.

The Lowndes County Commission board packet for this week’s meetings contains no letters supporting the Howell Road halfway house rezoning. It does contain eleven opposition letters plus 31 pages of opposition petition signatures, which at about a dozen a page comes to somewhere around 372 signatures. Commissioners will decide tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM, after a Public Hearing.

Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC Packet 2023-03-27

The packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website.

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Videos: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC Work 2023-03-27

Update 2023-03-27: Packet: Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC 2023-03-27.

Commissioner Wisenbaker asked this morning whether they could table 6.a. REZ-2022-10 Campus Transitional Care Facility 2193 Howell Road, E-A to P-D. He was concerned that Commissioner Clay Griner will not be present, so once again the Chairman may have to break a tie, as happened last year in the vote that they later had to rescind because they did not give proper notice of the Public Hearing.

Answer from Chairman Bill Slaughter and the Attorney: yes, Commissioners can move and vote to table.

Does this mean they’ve all already made up their minds before they even listen to the Public Hearing tomorrow evening?

Collage @ LCC 27 March 2023

Both DSS and ADS asked for a trash pickup fee increase from $20 to $25/month, and deposit center hours changed from 7AM to 7PM to 8AM to 6PM. According to the Chairman, those things will not change yet, rather they will be addressed in the retreat. Also, Deep South Sanitation has 6,900 customers and Advanced Disposal Services has 9,000.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

Agenda: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC 2023-03-27

Update 2023-03-27: Packet: Howell Road rezoning, Trash colleciton centers, Windstream Broadband map @ LCC 2023-03-27.

Update 2023-03-27: Videos: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC Work 2023-03-27.

The controversial halfway house on Howell Road is back for its final Public Hearing Tuesday evening, with review this morning at 8:30 AM.

Agenda, The Campus @ LCC 2023-03-27

$22 million is a lot of money, but almost all of it is incoming grant funds.

Cost	What
$21,853,779.00	A New Headquarters for Second Harvest of South Georgia
$116,286.00	PowerPhone Emergency Medical Dispatch with CAD Integration
$86,266.00	Acceptance of the FY2023 VAWA Continuation Grant Award
$500.00	Lowndes County DUI Court Technology Supplemental Grant Award
$250.00	Adult Accountability Court Technology Supplemental Grant Award
$22,057,081.00	Total

Here is the agenda. The agenda sheets from the county’s website are also on the LAKE website.

We do not have the board packet because I didn’t send the GORA request until this morning. LAKE will publish it after we get it.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Halfway house rezoning has Public Hearing date 2023-03-28

Update 2023-03-27: Agenda: Howell Road Halfway House @ LCC 2023-03-27.

The halfway house rezoning on Howell Road is back for its final Public Hearing, on March 28, 2023.

Second Public Re-Hearing, Zoning Location Map

Back in May 23, 2022, the Greater Lowndes Planning recommended denial by 7:2. Nonetheless, the Lowndes County Commission approved this rezoning on 2022-06-16 with the Chairman breaking a tie.

After an attorney for opponents dug in, that vote was determined invalid, because the county had not advertised the Public Hearing according to state law specific to Transitional Care Facilities. The first of two new Public Hearings was held 2022-09-13.

See also the Lowndes County Commission board packet 2022-06-16, the board packet 2022-09-12, and the GLPC board packet 2022-05-23.

In the Valdosta Daily Times, March 5, 2023:

PUBLIC NOTICE TO THE CITIZENS OF LOWNDES COUNTY

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing to consider the following rezoning request. The location, date and time of the public hearing are as follows:
Tuesday, March 28, 2023 – 5:30 p.m.

Lowndes County Board of Commissioners (official public hearing) Lowndes County Judicial and Administrative Complex Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia

The Board of Commissioners of Lowndes County will hold a public hearing pursuant to OCGA § 36-66-4(A) at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in the Lowndes County Judicial and Administrative Complex, Commission Chambers, 2nd Floor, 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia, in Case Number REZ-2022-10 regarding all or part of Tax Map 0186 Parcel 107 and Tax Map 0187 Parcel 082 on the application by Redeemed Living, c/o Charles B. Moore, Jr., on behalf of Parkerson Properties, LLC/Thomas A. Parkerson, to amend the Zoning Map of Lowndes County, Georgia, to rezone 23 acres located at 2193 Howell Road, Valdosta, Georgia, from E-A (Estate Agriculture) zoning district to PD (Planned Development) zoning district for uses to include a Transitional Care Facility. The Lowndes County Unified Land Development Code defines Transitional Care Facility to mean “A building or buildings in which is provided long-term but not permanent living accommodations for one or more persons who are in need of short term or long-term housing assistance, and in which may also be provided meals and social services including physical therapy, social therapy, emotional therapy, counseling, rehabilitation, or substance abuse recovery assistance.” The legal dictionary definition of halfway house is “A transitional housing facility designed to rehabilitate people who have recently left a prison or medical-care facility, or who otherwise need help in adjusting to unsupervised living.” The proposed zoning decision relates to or will allow the location or relocation of a halfway house, drug rehabilitation center, or other facility for the treatment of drug dependency.

Any comments may be presented at the public hearings, or filed in writing prior to the public hearings. Also, review of the above applications is available in the Office of the County Planner located at 327 North Ashley Street.

Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 36-67A-3, any opponent of this proposed rezoning who has made campaign contributions aggregating $250.00 or more to a local government official of Lowndes County Board of Commissioners, within two years immediately preceding the filing of the application, is required to file a disclosure statement, at least five days prior to the hearing, with the Zoning Administrator or County Planner, stating the name and position of the local official to whom contributions were made, the amount, description and date of each campaign contribution.

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