Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Ashley Paulk to be reappointed to Parks and Rec. Any questions? @ LCC 2013-06-24

I guess some things are just not to be questioned, at least at this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session. However, although Commissioners did not, I do have a question.

5.b. Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority

County Chairman Slaughter:

“Lowndes County Parks and Recreation Authority Appointment.”
County Manager Pritchard:
“The term currently held by Ashley Paulk will expire June 30th. Mr. Paulk has expressed an interest in being reappointed if the board so chooses.”
Any questions? --Bill Slaughter @ LCC 2013-06-24 County Chairman Slaughter:

“Any questions?

OK, hearing none, let’s move on to agenda item number 6.”

I have a question. Why isn’t it Continue reading →

Videos: Mostly trash, plus 3 appointments, 1 rezoning, 2 wastewater @ LCC 2013-06-11

Once again the big topic was trash, and it wasn’t on the agenda. The Chairman made up a rule to limit citizen speakers to 15 minutes total. After five citizens managed to speak anyway, all to applause, and the owner of Deep South Sanitation got a standing ovation, the Commissioners offered nothing but excuses.

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

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Paul Alvarado, Attorney, for ZBOA @ LCC 2013-06-10

Another board, another incumbent reappointed. Paul Alvarado, Attorney for ZBOA @ LCC 2013-06-10 Now I’m not saying that’s a bad thing: experience and continuity can be useful. But I do think applicants could say more about why they want the job and Commissioners could ask a few questions about their experience on the board. At least applicants are mostly showing up to speak; that’s an improvement.

5.c. Valdosta/Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

At the 10 June 2013 Work Session, Zoning Administrator Carmella Braswell introduced applicant Paul Alvarado. He said he had been serving since 2007, and was not only a voting member of ZBOA, but also had been providing legal advice.

Now I have used Alvarado as an attorney, and have Continue reading →

Library Board candidates set an example @ LCC 2013-06-10

Three unscheduled candidates for the Lowndes County Library Board set examples for informative applications to an appointed board.

At the 10 June 2013 Work Session the Chairman did clearly say library board appointments were not on the agenda but would be at their next meeting. He didn’t define “next meeting”, but he meant two weeks later, when it is indeed on the agenda for this morning and tomorrow evening. Back two weeks ago, South Georgia Regional Library Director Kelly Lenz said two nominees were present for two vacant positions. Then she named three people: Jack Hartley, Linda Most, and Matt Lawrence.

Jack Hartley’s LinkedIn profile says he is “Franchsie Owner of Home Instead Senior Care, Valdosta, Georgia”. He said: Continue reading →

Emily Macheski-Preston for Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful @ LCC 2013-06-11

As usual, an incumbent on an appointed board asked to be reappointed and was. She did show up and speak, although she said more when she was first appointed.

5.b. Keep Lowndes/Valdosta Beautiful Board

At the 10 June 2013 Work Session, County Manager Joe Pritchard noted Continue reading →

Molly Deese for Convention Center and Tourism Authority @ LCC 2013-06-10

Do we have designated positions for specific local businesses on our appointed boards? It sure looks like it, at least for Wild Adventures.

5.a. Valdosta/Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority

At the Work Session 10 June 2013 County Manager Joe Pritchard said Commissioners had a letter of resignation from Bob Montgomery from VLCCCTA, and a letter (he didn’t say from whom) recommending Molly Deese to replace Montgomery. Pritchard said Deese had been “filling in” for Montgomery at VLCCCTA. Interesting. So Wild Adventures can send someone unappointed to fill in on an appointed board?

He didn’t say who Deese is, but she is Continue reading →

2 appointments, 3 public hearings, 9 considerations, and 2 bids @ LCC 2013-06-24

Who’s applying to be appointed Tuesday evening? The Commission doesn’t tell you. Come to the Work Session Monday morning and maybe you’ll be able to hear the County Manager mumble the names, if he names them. Those library board applicants from two weeks ago are finally on the agenda. Also an appointment to Parks and Rec, three liquor licenses, and many other items, but nothing about solid waste or trash.

Here’s the agenda:

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Now with sound! @ LCC 2013-06-10

After the soundless 10 June 2013 Lowndes County Commission Work Session, Gretchen requested, County Clerk Paige Dukes promised and a few days later delivered, sound recordings on CDs of both that meeting and the next day’s Regular Session. LAKE thanks the County Clerk for those recordings. Gretchen has integrated the county sound with the LAKE video recordings and I have updated the Work Session blog post. But what about state open records law?

Two CDs of sound recordings

These CDs demonstrate the county does make recordings of the Commission meetings, at least of sound. The County Clerk told Gretchen the recordings are erased after the Clerk is finished with them. Hm, since such recordings are records of public meetings, wouldn’t that make them public open records? And if they are, wouldn’t destroying them be illegal?

According to state law on the GA Secretary of State’s website:

Continue reading →

Adjourn into trash excuses @ LCC 2013-06-11

Citizens still wanted to talk about solid waste after the Commission adjourned the Tuesday 11 June 2013 Lowndes County Commission Regular Session. Commissioners offered nothing but excuses.

Page asks for Wright to stay behind Commissioner Page asked for Mr. Wright to stay behind so he could talk to him. The Chairman adjourned; I didn’t hear or see any motion or second or vote. Aren’t those required by state law? Motion to adjourn? --Chairman Slaughter

The subsequent excuses included:

It’s not about right or wrong anymore.

Nevermind that most of the people in the room thought it was, as well as many of the citizens and voters in the county.

We have to follow the process.

Nevermind they didn’t hold Continue reading →

Tipping fees: no contract, no list of fees, no details of expenses

No copy of the contract for tipping fees from the landfill it privatized some years ago, no list of what those fees were, and no detailed accounting of what they were used for: that was the answer from Lowndes County’s Open Records Officer. She also took more than 3 days to produce this non-information, answering the day after the recent County Commission meeting. Here’s her answer:

2008 CAFR page 38 From: pdukes@lowndescounty.com
Subject: Open records requests
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:42:16 +0000

Good Afternoon,

In response to your open records requests of June 6, 2013, please find the following:

For the contract or agreement addressing tipping fees, you may contact Regional Commission Representative, Julia ShewChuk, at 229-333-5277. Lowndes County is not the custodian of this information. You many find fee amounts in Lowndes Countys Comprehensive Annual Reports located on the countys website, www.lowndescounty.com. To access these reports, go to the Government tab at the top of the homepage, then County Manager, then Finance, then Financial Reports. Fees are located on page 38 for 2008, page 38 for 2009, page 38 for 2010, page 39 for 2011 and page 36 for 2012.

To be clear, Continue reading →