Category Archives: Law

Directors and Officers Insurance: ACCG IRMA for Lowndes County

With almost $22 million in liability coverage, why do Lowndes County Commissioners and staff express such apprehension about lawsuits? This is what Lowndes County returned in response to an open records request for its contract for Directors and Officers insurance: paperwork about its ACCG IRMA subscription. IRMA is Interlocal Risk Management Agency, and ACCG is Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

ACCG IRMA as D&O Insurance for Lowndes County
[Open Records Request]
Open Records Request 		[Summary of Insurance]
Summary of Insurance 		[Contribution Breakdown]
Contribution Breakdown 		[Contributions by Coverage]
Contributions by Coverage 		[Renewal Contribution Worksheet]
Renewal Contribution Worksheet

Copies of these documents are on the LAKE website.

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Videos: SPLOST, Children’s Appointment, Prisoners, and Water @ LCC 2013-07-22 @ LCC 2013-07-22

Valdosta Mayor Gayle attended, apparently because of the SPLOST VII presentation. Emily Golden for DFCS. Prisoners for wastewater, another wastewater problem, insurance for liabilty, and I’m not the only one who makes jokes at Joe Pritchard’s expense. They vote tonight at 5:30 PM, and apparently they’re going to give the SPLOST presentation again, too.

Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
  1. Call to Order

    Chairman Bill Slaughter recognized Valdosta Mayor John Gayle, who was sitting in the back.

    County Chairman Bill Slaughter noticing Mayor Gayle County Chairman Bill Slaughter recognizing Mayor Gayle Valdosta Mayor John Gayle
  2. Invocation

    Only in the Regular Session.

  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

    Only in the Regular Session.

  4. Minutes for Approval
    1. Work Session — July 8, 2013
    2. Regular Session — July 9, 2013

      Pritchard asks for clarification of minutes County Manager Joe Pritchard was also confused as to what did the Commissioners approve regarding the “conjoined” items in the 9 July Regular Session:

      1. For Consideration
        1. Video Arraignment for Magistrate and Juvenile Court Contract
        2. Enterprise and Backup Storage Solution Scope of Work

      Commissioner Crawford Powell cracks a joke Pritchard noted County Attorney Walter Elliott referred to the purchase orders for item 6.a., saying purchase orders item 6.b. were “not present”. Pritchard wanted to know if Commissioners approved both of them.

      County Attorney Walter Elliott gets the joke Commissioner Crawford Powell said he thought the way “Walter” stated it they didn’t approve either one of them. Little joke. “Walter” got it, and eventually Pritchard did, too, after everyone else laughed. Then Powell clarified that they had approved both items. County Manager gradually catches on Which anyone can see in the LAKE video of those items. Hm, if the Commission kept their own videos, Pritchard could have just looked at those and seen.

  5. Special Presentation & Consideration — Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VII

    There was something new in what Joe Pritchard said:

    Commissioners each had an opportunity for independent review and evaluation.

    For that and more, including the slides, see separate post.

  6. Ellen S. Golden raising her hand Appointment – Department of Family & Children’s Services Board

    Emily Golden is the candidate; see separate post for much more.

  7. For Consideration
    1. Prison Detail Contracts

      Three details at $39,500 each, no increase from last year, said Public Works Director Robin Cumbus; see other post for what Commissioners Marshall, Slaughter, and Powell had to say.

    2. Lake Alapaha subdivision Letter to Environmental Protection Division concerning Alapaha Water Treatment Plant Upgrade

      It’s because of a notice of violation from GA EPD, said Utilities Director Mike Allen, and he’d been working with Lovell Engineering on a letter to say the problem of disinfection byproducts would be fixed by the end of March 2015.

      Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if Lovell Engineering would be submitting “on our behalf, or would we be submitting it?” See separate post for more.

    3. Contract with GA Department of Transportation for Off System Safety Action Program

      The county has received a grant from GDOT for striking, signs, and raised pavement markers for 30.79 miles of road, for $142,491.75.

      I will also give you a copy of the roads that will be restruck under this contract. Commissioners had no questions.

      Why wasn’t that copy in the board packet and online with the agenda? How can you find out if your road is on that list? File an open records request.

    4. County Engineer Mike Fletcher Adopt Resolution accepting infrastructure for Barrington Subdivision Phase I

      Engineer said it was mostly complete but they were waiting on a punch list from the developer before signing off on it. Commissioners had no questions.

      Barrington Subdivision off Bemiss Road

    5. ACCG IRMA Liability Program Renewal

      So the county does have liability insurance that covers Commissioners, and all other employees, too. See separate post.

    6. Resolution for ACCG-GEBCorp Retirement Eligibility Amendment

      Couple of new employees missed being in county’s retirement plan, and this deals with that. See separate post.

  8. Reports-County Manager

    No report, but he asked for an executive session “for purposes of attorney-client communications”.

    In this video of them returning from that executive session, you can see local attorney Tom Gooding coming out of the side room with them.

    Tom Gooding coming out of the Executive Session room

    Then they adjourned the Work Session.

    Tom Gooding at Adjournment

  9. Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address

    Only in the Regular Session, which is tonight at 5:30 PM.

Here’s a video playlist:


Videos: SPLOST, Children’s Appointment, Prisoners, and Water @ LCC 2013-07-22
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Videos by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 22 July 2013.

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Wastewater violation on the Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-07-22

The County has another wastewater violation, this time at the Alapaha River, and is late in doing something about it. Don’t be surprised if we see an emergency change order in a future session. This was at the Monday 22 July 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session; they vote tonight.

Mike Allen, Utilities Director 7.b. Letter to Environmental Protection Division concerning Alapaha Water Treatment Plant Upgrade

It’s because of a notice of violation from GA EPD, said Utilities Director Mike Allen, and he’d been working with Lovell Engineering on a letter to say the problem of disinfection byproducts would be fixed by the end of March 2015.

on our behalf, or would we be submitting it? --Demarcus Marshall Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know Continue reading →

Prisoners with Guards @ LCC 2013-07-22

State prisoners deal with water issues for Lowndes County said Public Works Director Robin Cumbus Robin Cumbus at the Monday 22 July 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session; they vote tonight.

7.a. Prison Detail Contracts

Three details at $39,500 each, no increase from last year, said Public Works Director Robin Cumbus.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know if that was three times a year. Continue reading →

SPLOST VII county list @ LCC 2013-07-22

Not quite most of the money for roads, streets, and bridges (none of them named to the public), plus everything from animals to public safety, in the county’s SPLOST VII list. But don’t be alarmed: it contains no new library and no new auditorium, and the Chairman referred to it as a “back to basics” list. It also contains nothing about Internet access; more on that in a separate post. You can be told about this list tomorrow night or at a forthcoming joint county-cities public telling: no town hall meetings have yet been scheduled. These videos and slides are from this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.

5. Special Presentation & Consideration — Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax VII

There was something new in what Joe Pritchard said:

Commissioners each had an opportunity for independent review and evaluation.

That’s better than the county tradition of the staff write down the list and Commissioners rubber-stamp it. However, where are those town hall meetings Commissioner Joyce Evans promised? She reminded me afterwards that she had said “hopefully”. Mayor Gayle told me afterwards the problem was they were too close to the deadline for turning in the lists for the election. He indicated that was because the county was late. Remember Valdosta already presented its list 9 July 2013. Rumor has it the delay was in some Commissioners insisting on actually having input. That’s a good thing, but if the county planned ahead, there still would have been time for the rest of us to provide input before the lists were finalized.

The slides presented say they’re also available on the county’s website, but I don’t see them there, so I’m posting stills from the LAKE video here.

Continue reading →

Ashley Paulk’s Guardian Bank sues Hahira

Hahira declared a moratorium on water and sewer taps in a subdivision financed by Guardian Bank, apparently in hopes of getting the bank to do something about a drainage problem there. Instead, the bank is suing Hahira, echoing a lawsuit the county is pursuing about a contract let when the bank’s Chairman was Lowndes County Chairman.

According to Stuart Taylor in the VDT Friday, Guardian Bank’s chairman said, perhaps using the royal “we”:

“We’re a little disappointed with Hahira,” said Ashley Paulk, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Guardian Bank. “We’ve actually helped them build up their tax base up there…Over the years, we’ve encouraged builders to be up there.”

Me, I think Hahira should have Continue reading →

Videos: Attorney set different prices, Commissioners set millage date @ LCC 2013-07-09

The most interesting developments were not on the agenda. Commissioners approved dollar amounts for two purchase orders that were completely different from the ones they were quoted the morning before, with no discussion: the County Attorney quoted the new figures, asked for approval, and immediately got it. Commissioner Richard Raines still didn’t want to enforce a neighborhood covenant yet it was Commissioner Raines who made the motion last fall to let an Exclusive Franchise with Advanced Disposal Services; a covenant the county is now trying to enforce by having the County Attorney sue local business Deep South Sanitation. They said nothing about that 100 foot wide pipeline barrelling through the county. They could have the County Attorney investigate that, but they aren’t. They approved meeting for millage rate approval 8:30 AM Friday 26 July 2013: that’s for the property taxes they collect, which presumably partly go to pay the County Attorney. And the Chairman refused to let a citizen speak on a technicality.

Here’s the agenda with links to the videos and a few notes. See also videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 8, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Millage rate to be set 8:30 AM 26 July 2013 @ LCC 2013-07-09

They approved setting millage rates 8:30 AM Friday 26 July 2013 that’s for the property taxes they collect, at the 9 July 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

7. Reports-County Manager
County Manager Joe Pritchard on millage

County Manager Joe Pritchard reminded Commissioners they were required to set a date to set tax millage. Finance Director Stephanie Black said:

Finance Director Stephanie Black You can have it as early as the 26th of July, but it has to be done and ready for the tax commissioner by July 31st.

County Manager wanted to know if there would be a quorum present for 26 July 2013 at 8:30. Chairman asked for a show of hands, and got two, which is not a quorum. Commissioner Demarcus Marshall checked his calendar and said he could also attend, and three is a quorum. Commissioner John Page asked if this was the day they previously had been advised in an email. Answer: no, that was Thursday, and this date is a Friday. County Manager also clarified that they couldn’t set their millage until the School Board did. Commissioner Marshall noted he had previously been told the 25th, and once again staff admitted that was so. Three days later, there is still nothing on the county’s online calendar for 26 July 2013.

Video is here.

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Attorney declares prices @ LCC 2013-07-09

Commissioners approved dollar amounts for two purchase orders that were completely different from the ones they were quoted the morning before, with no discussion: the County Attorney quoted the new figures, asked for approval, and immediately got it at the 9 July 2013 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.

County Attorney Walter G. Elliott
  1. For Consideration
    1. Video Arraignment for Magistrate and Juvenile Court Contract
    2. Enterprise and Backup Storage Solution Scope of Work

Chairman Slaughter said they would “conjoin a and b together”.

What we have at this time are the work orders and what we would like to get at this time is a motion to approve and ratify the purchase orders.

County Attorney Walter G. Elliott asked to clarify: Continue reading →