Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Videos: Tabled Hotchkiss Landing Road Closing but Trash Co. Apology @ LCC 2013-02-12



Tabled! The applicant requested and the Commission unanimously voted
to table

the proposed closing of Old State Road to Hotchkiss Crossing
on the Alapaha River
until their next meeting, which is in two weeks, Tuesday 26 February 2013.

A waste company executive suddenly rescheduled so he could come back
and apologize to the public.
All this and 3 rezonings and 3 contracts at the Lowndes County Commission
Regular Session Tuesday 12 February 2013, plus people haven’t forgotten
about animal shelter issues.

Here’s

the agenda,
with links to the videos, and a few notes.
See also the videos of the

Work Session of the previous morning.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013, 8:30 a.m.

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Repeat trash talk, plus map @ LCC 2013-02-12



Dave Shepler, regional manager of Advanced Disposal,
suddenly decided he didn’t have to be in Biloxi after all,
and reappeared at

Tuesday evening’s Lowndes County Commission Regular Session
for a more public (and more polished) version of

what he said at the previous morning’s Work Session.


Trash day map
There was a bit of new information, which included
that his company had delivered a map of on which day to expect
waste collection pickup, which is now

on the Lowndes County website
and he said it was published as an advertisement in the VDT.

Here’s

the video:

He also got into a TV news station’s website report.
Eames Yates wrote for WCTV yesterday,

Company Apologies for Problems with Trash Collection.

Thanks to Commissioners Demarcus Marshall and John Page for getting some public
explanation out of this company granted by the Commission before those two
Commissioners were elected.

-jsq

Video of Tabling of Abandonment of Old State Road to Hotchkiss Crossing at the Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-02-12

First the Chairman talked about how many people could speak and
for how long in the public hearing; then
at

Tuesday evening's Regular Session
the Commission tabled it
for two weeks, so closing the only public access to the Alapaha River
in Lowndes County will be up for a vote again Tuesday 26 February 2013.




6.a. Public Hearing: Abandonment of a portion of Old State Road (CR 16)

You can see in the video that the room was packed, which is very unusual.
The great majority were there to oppose closing the road.
As Chairman Bill Slaughter
remarked, about nine people signed up for Citizens Wishing
to Be Heard to speak about this item; as he noted, anyone can speak
in a public hearing without signing up.
To my knowledge, only one person was there to speak for closing the road,
and that was the applicant who had just agreed to ask for it to be tabled.
The Chairman said:

Continue reading →

Tabled for two weeks: proposed Old State Road to Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-02-12

The good news: they didn’t close the road to Hotchkiss Crossing
at the Alapaha River.

Lowndes County Water Resource Protection Districts Ordinance (WRPDO) Overlay Map
They tabled it until their next meeting, which is in two weeks,
26 February 2013. Video will follow tomorrow, in which you will
see the room was packed, mostly with people opposed to the road closing,
some from as far away as Tifton.
All concerned now have two weeks to absorb all the new information
and work out a solution.

Below is what I sent to the Lowndes County Commission at
Commissioner Joyce Evans’ request before the meeting tonight,
followed by a bit more information.

Subject: River Corridor Protection Plan

Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:49:50 -0500

Dear Commissioners and County Planner,

When I was talking to Joyce Evans just now, I mentioned the
100 foot natural vegetative buffer state law requires
local governments to establish next to perennial rivers.
Here is a summary of the state law, the definition it contains,
the GA EPD rules, and some notes on the relevant parts of
the Lowndes County Comprehensive Plan.

Continue reading →

No list of who bought waste collection center cards? @ LCC 2013-02-12

How can Lowndes County not have a list of who it
sold waste collection center cards to?
How can it not provide it in response to an open records request?

In the

9 October 2012 Regular Session, Lowndes County Manager Joe Pritchard
said:


Just under 5,000 residents who have purchased the cards

That was in his curiously redacted summary of the history of
solid waste handling in the county, and he was referring to the
access cards to the waste collection centers.


Paige Dukes to April Huntley 2013-01-28
Yet when April Huntley submitted an open records request asking
for the names of the 5,000 people who would be affected by the
waste collection centers, this is what County Clerk Paige Dukes
replied:

In regards to your open records requst for a copy of the 5,000 residents
in unincorporated Lowndes County who will be affected by the closing of
the recycling centers, the document you have requested does not exist.

Maybe this explains part of why

Veolia, excuse me, ADS, seemed so confused yesterday morning.
Come tonight to see if any Commissioners ask about this.

-jsq

Letters against closing Old State Road to the Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-02-12

Here is a list of the letters I have copies of that oppose
closing Old State Road to the Alapaha River; probably more have been sent.


The

vote is tonight 5:30 PM
12 February 2013 at 327 North Ashley Street 2nd Floor,
Valdosta, GA.

According to state law and the public hearing notice,

Any citizen of Lowndes County or any person wherever residing may be
heard by the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners during the
aforesaid public hearing.

That means anyone from anywhere may speak.

Here’s the list.

Continue reading →

Proposed abandonment of the only public access to the Alapaha River in Lowndes County —April Huntley

Received Monday; she sent it to all the Commissioners; I added a few links. -jsq

To the Lowndes County Commission:

My name is April Huntley, and I have lived in Naylor for over 13
years. I have used the boat ramp at the end of Old State Rd. that

April Huntley
gives access to the Alapaha River for most of those years. Until
yesterday, when I spoke to Phillip Connell, I didn’t know I was
trespassing when I swam in the river. I thought this was public
access. I thought this belonged to Lowndes County.

I thought about this some more and questions rose up in my mind. Why
hadn’t the game wardens and sheriff deputies that came to check the
area at times notified me and others we were trespassing? Why would
Lowndes County not claim their ONLY boat ramp to the Alapaha River
for the benefit of their residents?


Commisioners Raines and Powell
Ok, so I had these questions, but then I started thinking about the
Commission work session I attended yesterday morning, and when

I talked to Commissioner Powell and Raines afterward. They told me

that despite what the tax assessor has on their website and in their
records, their attorney viewed the deeds showing Phillip Connell
bought the property from Dr. Acree 2 or 3 years ago. His lawyer (I’m
assuming Mr. Connell’s) filed something wrong and that’s why it
isn’t showing up with the tax assessor. The story when

Chairman Bill Slaughter

I spoke to
Bill Slaughter, Commission Chairman, Friday afternoon was that we
need to prove ownership because he and Commissioner Evans had walked
the property with Phillip Connell. Mr. Connell says he owns both
sides of the road.

So from Friday afternoon to
Monday morning deeds have been found to
prove ownership of the land? And these deeds contradict tax records?
So is it 2 or 3 years? Doesn’t a deed have an exact date on it? Who
has been paying the taxes for the last 2 or 3 years? Wouldn’t
somebody notice if they were paying taxes on land they didn’t own
for 2 or 3 years?

In light of these new discoveries, the people immediately request
information on what exactly the lawyer filed wrong which caused
Phillip Connell’s supposed property along Old State Rd. not to show
up in the tax assessor’s records, the exact date Mr. Connell
purchased the property from Dr. Acree which gives him ownership of
the land on both sides of Old State Rd. and the deeds. Most
importantly the people request to know when and why Lowndes County
lost the boat ramp to private property.

Oh, one more question, did the state of Georgia build the boat ramp
with prison labor?

Commissioners, I respectfully request this information and that you
deny the proposed abandonment of .17 miles of County Road 16, Old
State Rd., leading to the Alapaha River.

Sincerely,

April Huntley

Please deny abandonment of Old State Rd. leading to the Alapaha River —Brett Huntley

Received Monday; he sent it to all the Commissioners. -jsq

To the Lowndes County Commission:

My name is Brett Huntley. I have lived in Naylor Georgia for 13
years. I am also a business owner in Lowndes County.

Brett Huntley

In the past 13 years I have used the location at the end of Old
State Rd. as an entry point to the Alapaha River for all kinds of
outdoor recreation. An example of these things are fishing, camping,
boating, hiking, canoeing and family get togethers.

This location is the only public access point to the Alapaha River
in Lowndes County. It would deeply sadden me to lose this place that
I have grown to love over the years.

I would also like to not only suggest keeping this location open to
the public, but ask the county to consider spending money on it. It
would benefit the county to fix this location so it can be easier
maintained and the public can access it.

I would also like to point out that this time the idea of shutting
down the entry point to the river has been a lot more under the
radar. I would like to know why a counter has not been placed across
the road to show proof of how many people use this location. Also
why was the sign notifying the public of this matter not put up
until the last minute?

Thank you!

Brett Huntley

Please deny abandonment of Old State Rd. leading to the Alapaha River —Travis Bennett

Received Monday; he sent it to all the Commissioners; I added a few links. -jsq

To the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners:

My name is Travis Bennett, and I’ve lived in Naylor for 9 years. One
of the reasons I moved to Naylor was the river.

Travis Bennett
When I moved here
there were picnic tables and trash cans down there. It was really
nice to have a picnic and family get together!

I live less than a mile from the boat ramp. My step son, Levi
Giddens, and I go down and fish all the time. He loves fishing that
river!

I’ve worked with

the local DNR officer, Keith, on the litter and
unruly people. In the past couple of years the river has stayed a
lot cleaner. So I’m not sure why it is being said it is trashed down
there.



I am disappointed that it took until late last week to get the
public hearing sign up. I was at

the last hearing on this and spoke
with Joyce Evans. She stated the river should remain open. I hope
she still thinks the same thing. I just wanted to state a few things
I was thinking about.

Thanks!

Travis Bennett

Speak at the work session? —April Huntley

Received Friday; she sent it to Chairman Slaughter.
He didn’t let her speak at the Work Session, but he did talk to her. -jsq

Dear Mr. Slaughter,

I am writing you to follow up on a message I left with your office
this morning. I would like a chance to speak at your Monday morning
work session about the matter of the proposed abandonment of a
portion of Old State Rd. leading to the Alapaha River and also have
Mr. Connell present. I have been circulating paper and online
petitions to the community to display the public use and enjoyment
of this area. I do understand the concerns of some of the
surrounding land owners about trash and trespassing. I am working on
a project to get the community, individuals in the public, to make
donations to purchase a portion of Dr. Acree’s land which will be
donated to Lowndes County Parks and Recreation. The community would
also like to work to resolve issues on trespassing and the trash
dumping. I hope that we can work together on this issue and keep
this beautiful, historic area an asset to Lowndes County. Thank you
for your thought and consideration!

Sincerely,

April Huntley