Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Video playlist @ LCC 2012-11-12

The Lowndes County Commission invited a developer to speak about his proposed rezoning at a Work Session without inviting any opposition to speak. Plus another rezoning, a proposed solid waste ordinance with exclusive franchise agreement, and proposed appointments to five boards and authorities. And at the end an animal event report.

Here’s a video playlist:

Video playlist
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 12 November 2012.

Here’s the agenda again, this time with links to the videos plus a few notes.

Continue reading →

Agriculture alive and well in Lowndes: even Kay Harris says so

The VDT went out and did some research and discovered that agriculture is not only still here in Lowndes County, it’s one of the biggest industries here, and by some measures it’s increasing. What if the local elected and appointed and self-appointed boards and authorities helped promote agriculture as a local industry?

Kay Harris wrote for the VDT yesterday, South Georgia agriculture alive and well,

Agriculture and forestry remain among the strongest economic engines in South Georgia, including Lowndes County.

A look at the recent farmgate value for 2011 for Lowndes County shows a $70 million effect on the local economy, making it one of the strongest private-sector industries in the county following South Georgia Medical Center.

The popularity of The Times’ bi-monthly sister publication Ag Scene led this newspaper to look at the ag/forestry industry to see if it has diminished in economic importance over the years.

Actually, the number of farms in Lowndes County has slightly increased in recent some recent years.

The VDT proceeded to do som research, asking Jake Price, Lowndes County Extension Agent, who noted there are actually more farms in Lowndes County than in some surrounding counties, because they tended to be smaller here, with quite a few people farming on the side. That and agriculture-based events have become more popular, such as last week’s Hog Show. (And he didn’t mention the new last year Valdosta Farm Days.) He continued:

Continue reading →

Appointments to five boards, two rezonings, and a solid waste ordinance @ LCC 2012-11-12

Monday morning the Lowndes County Commission considers and Tuesday evening votes on members of five appointed boards. Who are the candidates? The agenda doesn’t say. The two rezonings are the same ones the Planning Commission recently considered. Presumably the solid waste ordinance has something to do with the recent privatization decision.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2012, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor Continue reading →

What people are interested in having their pennies spent on —Gretchen Quarterman

Received yesterday on Allocate resources in a yearly budget? -jsq

As I was out campaigning, it was interesting what people are interested in having their pennies spent on. Many want better sidewalks and safer places to ride their bikes. One Valdosta police officer particularly commented on the dangerous bike riding conditions (especially on North Oak Extension). Many in the un-incorporated areas want increased fire protection and it seems that everyone better drainage (and I don't mean simply open ditches for rain water) and still others would like to see some soccer fields.

It seems like we should be able to do some prioritizations and then save up for these things. I guess that will be up to the new commission chairman and members and they will have to figure out how to move forward without a SPLOST immediately in 2014.

Personally, I'd like to see a public accounting of how the previous SPLOSTS were spent. And not in big categories, but the actual details… But that's just me.

-Gretchen Quarterman

-jsq

County Commission Chair Results

Gretchen's summary:

Thank you to everyone who voted for me, to everyone who helped me in so very many ways. I was not successful in winning my campaign, but I was successful in raising issues and have a lot of fun.

Final Score: GQ:16,752 BS:19,531

When the VDT called, she added:

If the chairman-elect is for good communications, I challenge him to be transparent.

-jsq

Precincts on Election Day 2012 in Lowndes County, Georgia

Naylor There’s an election going on! Here are some pictures of precincts around Lowndes County today. I’ve seen no lines, and everything seems to be flowing smoothly. Except there are multiple reports that when people call the Board of Elections to ask where they vote they’re getting a “this number disconnected” message. Apparently there are ten phone lines down there but only three people answering them, and the phone is not rolling over properly. Given all the recent changes in precincts, this is a problem.

Ready for you to vote at Pine Grove Sara Crow voted at Pine Grove (Clerk of Court, Lowndes County) Around 1PM Sara Crow said she heard at Pine Grove that about 900 people had already voted there today.

Rainwater I’m not blogging much today because I’m out helping Gretchen for Lowndes County Commission Chair. If you’ve got something interesting, send it in; I’m checking in frequently.

Here’s a slideshow:

Everyone Matters, so go vote!
Pictures by John S. Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Lowndes County, Georgia, 6 November 2012.

Everyone Matters, so go vote! Everyone matters, so go vote!

-jsq

Library Architect Submissions (part 3)

Here are the submissions from the final four architects that were considered for the new Five Points Lowndes County Library. This continues the series with Library Architect Selection Documents (part 1) and Library Architect RFP and “Bible” (part 2) which presents documents received by LAKE from SGRL in response to an open records request.

The four architect submissions are linked on this LAKE web page. Here they are separately:

If we missed anything please let us know.

Architects: feel free to put your submissions on your own web pages and send us a link.

-jsq

Most Early Voting Ever in Lowndes County, Georgia

Backed up onto the street More people have voted early in Lowndes County than ever before, with cars often backed up onto the street waiting to get into the Board of Elections.

Eames Yates wrote for WCTV Friday, Record Breaking Number of Early Voters in Lowndes County,

More people have now voted early in Lowndes County than any time in history. Sherrie Luther was voter 22,00[0]… People waiting to vote making her ballot the one that broke the previous record set four years ago.

In the 2008 presidential election, there were 45 days of early voting in Lowndes County. In this year’s election there were just 16 days. Nevertheless the record was broken.

Sherrie was rewarded

Continue reading →

Fair bidding practices and community public input —Barbara Stratton

Received today on County trash plan already failing. -jsq

Yet another example of government contracting not following the fair bidding practices or allowing community public input. Even if you attend government meetings no bid information is made public & even if bids are referred to the amounts are always in those elusive "packets before you" that only the members have access to.

In a recent Hahira City Council meeting the city attorney ruled that the city council did not have to put out the garbage service for bids & that it did not even have to have a contract. As of December 31, 2012 the city collection services will not be under contract at all so who knows what the rates may be or if a lower bid would have saved citizens money?

Barbara Stratton I've been involved in government contracting for years & I can tell you that the recent path government bodies have endorsed is leading further & further away from the bidding procedures that were enacted to prevent good old boy politics & kick backs & is opening the door wide for public/private partnerships that never answer to the citizens.

The state attorney general's office which should regulate bidding practices will not interfere with county or municipal issues unless a citizen is willing to pay $500 to a lawyer to present the case to them. They justify this as catering to "home rule" but in actuality they are turning a blind eye because it is within their jurisdiction to rule on non-adherence to proper bidding practices.

If the state believes in "home rule" why is Governor Deal pushing a state charter school board amendment that will take away local rule? The state seems to pick & choose its standards.

-Barbara Stratton

-jsq

County trash plan already failing

The recently adopted-by-stealth Lowndes County waste disposal plan is already failing.

Jason Schaefer wrote for the VDT yesterday, Garbage carts vanish,

VDT picture of bag of solid waste Some residents in unincorporated Lowndes County have complained that their garbage cans have been taken up, leaving them without a way to dispose of their trash until Jan. 1.

Allgreen Services, one of the waste management companies ousted out of unincorporated Lowndes County with the Oct. 9 Commissioners decision to award a waste contract bid to Veolia Environmental Service, has begun picking up the waste carts in anticipation of the holiday season.

“We hate to have to remove them, but we have to,” Allgreen General Manager Sam Sullivan said. “We thought about waiting a month, but the problem is if we wait until the end of the year, we would be removing the carts around Christmastime. We didn’t want to be out there then.”

I don't think it could get any easier, said Richard Raines Funny how there was no mention of this possibility in the County Commission meeting that adopted this new solid waste plan. “I don’t think it could get any easier,” said Commissioner Richard Raines. It looks like it’s not getting easier for county residents who want to dispose of their trash.

This is currently on the county’s own front page:

Continue reading →