LAKE has obtained the planning revision documents Lowndes County refused,
in violation of the law, to return in response to an open records request.
Here they are for all to see.
The Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning,
established by the Georgia Planning Act of 1989, require updates
to the Short Term Work Projects (STWP) list and the Report of
Accomplishments (ROA) every 5 years.
Lowndes County and the cities in Lowndes County have submitted the
documents to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs
(DCA)
An open records request to Lowndes County for the documents was not satisfied.
However other government agencies were willing to abide by the
Georgia Open Records Law ocga 50-18-70.
Without discussion, the Lowndes County Commissioners at their regular
meeting two weeks ago on 11 October 2011. approved an intergovernmental
agreement with South Georgia Medical Center to guarantee more than $100
million in bonds, for expansion of SGMC facilities, to include 96 new
private rooms in the Dasher Heart Center, the 5 story parking deck,
now under construction and due to be completed in early 2012, and Life
Safety and Generator Equipment updates.
If one had not been at the work session and heard
the presentation at their work session the day before,
one would have no idea what this agenda item was about,
since the Commission does not post such presentations anywhere the public
can see them.
Fortunately, LAKE was there and videoed it.
Lowndes County Commissioners approve intergovernmental agreement with SGMC
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 11 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Commissioners asked some perceptive questions
two weeks ago at their work session,
as well they should, when South Georgia Medical Center
was asking the county to guarantee a hundred million dollars in bonds.
Some questions may remain.
Representatives from SGMC gave a two part presentation
about expansion of SGMC facilities, to include 96 new
private rooms in the Dasher Heart Center, the 5 story
parking deck, now under construction and due to be completed
in early 2012, and Life Safety and Generator Equipment updates.
Additionally, they spoke briefly on the acquisition of Smith Northview
Hospital on September 1, 2011. Smith Northview operates
as a campus of SGMC and all Smith Northview employees are now
SGMC employees.
The second part of the presentation was about the financial
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What does a bill of attainder mean, anyway?
Perhaps Lowndes County should ask their Attorney to look it up.
Here’s an interesting presentation by a group of 4-H people
to the Lowndes County Commission in their Regular Sessino of 11 October 2011.
Hm, first they said the pledge, and what’s that I see?
Why look, it’s a camera!
Here during the 4-H presentation,
she’s moved up to the second row from the front, right side:
Last Monday there was a hearing about
hazard mitigation plan updates
which I, uh, showed up late for.
Ten minutes late, which, given that nobody else showed up at all, meant
that the county staff went home, so as to avoid wasting taxpayer dollars
presenting to an empty room.
That was the second and last public hearing
So if you want to see that presentation, your last chance is
Monday morning at the County Commission Work Session:
4. Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Presentation (work session only)
That is not a public hearing, so you can’t speak.
They did hold two public hearings at which you could have spoken.
Other items include a beer and wine license (these are often controversial),
an employee health care plan renewal (I think that’s what Section 125 is),
and a telephone company site lease agreement.
Plus:
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2011, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Hazard Mitigation Public Hearing (10/17/2011)
PUBLIC HEARING ON
HAZARD MITIGATION
MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2011
6:00 P.M.
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING
327 N. ASHLEY STREET
COMMISSION CHAMBERS – 2ND FLOOR
For more information please contact EMA Director, Ashley Tye, at 671-2790.
The latest Lowndes County Lunch and Learn
was yesterday, with County Clerk Paige Dukes
answering the top 50 questions the county receives.
Code Red! Road paving! Tax Assessment! CHIP grants!
Some of these things affect all of you, and many of them could help you specifically.
Gretchen was there and videoed most of it, as well as asking some followup questions.
Among other surprising answers was that the new Commission districts
as shown on the maps on the county website have still not been approved by the Department of Justice.
All of the Commissioners and several of the staff travelled to Atlanta
a few weeks ago to tweak the lines.
Paige assured us that tweaking would be completed in time for next year’s Commission elections.
Mayor Sonny Vickers said he thought it was important for children
and grandchildren and proper for the City Council to take a stand
against school consolidation, and City Manager Larry Hanson read
the statement (transcript appended).
For:
James Wright
District 1
Hoke Hampton
District 3
Alvin Payton
District 4
Ben Norton
At Large
Didn’t Have to Vote:
Sonny Vickers
Mayor
Against:
Robert Yost
District 6
Tim Carroll
District 5
Missing:
Deidra White
District 2
After very brief discussion, the vote was 4 for
(James Wright of District 1, Hoke Hampton of District 3,
Alvin Payton of District 4, and Ben Norton At Large)
and 2 against
(Robert Yost of District 6 and Tim Carroll of District 5).
Valdosta City Council voted to oppose school consolidationo
education, consolidation, resolution,
Regular Session, Valdosta City Council (VCC),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 6 October 2011.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange.
Here’s the statement transcribed as accurately as I could from the video:
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If Mr. Paulk was a “normal citizen” he would know if you call the
sheriff’s department for a animal problem he would know they call animal
control! And it is up to the animal officer if they want to give the dog
back to the owner… Officers have done it many times. It is under the
discretion of the animal control officer. Poor Ashley should know what
the ordinance says I mean he was the sheriff for many years as he has
indicated many times and since he is the County Chairman now one would
think he would know what the orinance says. This poor guy was given wrong
information by the County Chairman on how to fix the problem… perhaps if
the man caught the dog and brought it to the shelter he would be better
off. The owner would have to show proof of rabies vaccination and pay
impound fees. $25 impound fee, $12 for a voucher if the dog does not
have proof of current rabies vaccination. The prices are not much but it
is incontinent. If it is not sterilized (spay or neutered) it doubles
on each impound… fees can rack up pretty fast $25, $50, $100 and so
on. The sheriff’s office is not going to handle owner involved cases,
if the dog was returned to the owner it was not a stray. Sorry Ashley
Paulk you’re so wrong on this one!
The Standards and Procedures for Local Comprehensive Planning,
established by the Georgia Planning Act of 1989, require updates
to the Short Term Work Projects (STWP) list and the Report of
Accomplishments (ROA) every 5 years.
Lowndes County and the cities in Lowndes County have submitted the
documents to the Georgia Department of Community Affairs
(DCA)
