Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Where is law enforcement? —Jane Osborn

Received 27 July on

Shouldn’t the people running the facilities … be held accountable? -jsq

And I continue to ask, since my email of a couple of months ago to
the Sheriff never received an answer, where is law enforcement when
there clearly are illegal acts of animal cruelty occurring here? We
made a big deal (appropriately) several years ago about a dog that was
intentionally set on fire by local people, but these violations are all
the more difficult to understand since they appear to be happening at
the hands of the very people sworn to protect our county’s animals.

-Jane Osborn

Shouldn’t the people running the facilities … be held accountable? —Susan Leavens

Received yesterday. -jsq



From: SUSAN LEAVENS

To: gary.black@agr.georgia.gov

Sent: Tue, July 26, 2011 2:31:16 PM

Subject: Your attention would be grateful in regaurds to the Lowndes
County Animal Shelter

To the Honorable Agriculture Commissioner Mr. Gary
Black,

July 26, 2011

I would like to introduce myself, my name is Susan Leavens I currently
live in Quitman Georgia and I am an employee with Lowndes County,
formally as an animal control officer with Lowndes County Animal
Services. In June of last year I turned in three statements to Pat
Smith who is no longer with the animal protection division she is
currently running the Thomasville Animal Control. After speaking with
Ms. Pat an advising her of the situations that have occurred and are
currently occurring in the Lowndes County Shelter; she advised me to
have statements written by individuals that were willing and not afraid
of retaliation. Two current employees myself and Ronnie Ganas wrote
statements, one previously employee Amanda Jordan. The issues were
heard before Vinessa Sim-Green and several other animal protection
employees along with Ms Cora Potter. An administration hearing took
place an several “options” were offered to the Lowndes County
Manager Joe Prichard. These were things that would help the shelter run
more efficiently and perhaps come up to date with the Georgia Dept. of
Ag. standards; but the issues of animal cruelty, inhumane treatment and
practicing veterinarian medicine (surgery by castration of a 2 young
adult pot belly pigs). My concern is that the director was never
charged in any criminal court of law for her actions regarding the
animals at the shelter.

Continue reading →

These are crimes —Susan Leavens

Received 28 June 2011. -jsq

John,

I am so sorry you had to see these offenses, it should have been
investigated/viewed by the Sheriffs Dept. or GBI, these are crimes not violations like the GDA says!

I will not give up on this; crimes should
be punished as such. I have written many citiznes of lowndes county
citations and they have been charged with these crimes by a court of
law. No one is above the law including Linda Patelski, but the GDA
recognizes these crimes as violations, not crimes or they would have
been handled as such. No person should be covered under the umbrella of
GDA. After statements have been lost by them (GDA) and then resubmitted
it just seems like these crimes are no more important then losing a
receipt for gas.

I find that



Joe Prichard involving my character in this matter
irrelevant and my convictions in court cases involving
animal cruelty inhumane treatment and other ordinance violations
and state laws speak of my character, over 400 cases brought before
magistrate court, municipal court and state court out weigh his
personal opinion(s) and one case lose in five years of employment as
animal control officer for Lowndes County and I was told to write that
citation by my director Linda Patelski for nuisance dog. I have not
discredited any employee who works for Lowndes County in these
matters… I have told the truth and

have documentation to back what I say.

Because I said I have no respect for Joe Prichard in my statement

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Millage and Budget

What will Lowndes County do with

that millage it’s going to adopt Tuesday?
That would be in the budget.

Maybe they think they sufficiently discussed that
at the budget hearing

where no citizen questions were entertained.
About the budget

they refused to post online until after they approved it.

So, did they post it by that Friday, 1 July 2011,
as County Manager Joe Pritchard promised?

Continue reading →

Appt. to DBHDD Community Service Board —Jane Osborn

Received yesterday on LCC: work session cancelled, regular meeting Tuesday 26 July 2011. -jsq

Another item that was tabled at the last meeting was the selection of the second person from the county to be a member


of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Community Service Board. I have asked to be appointed, but the item did not get put on this week’s agenda. In this critical period while new systems are going to be put in place for consumers of DBHDD’s services, it is important that people be at the table to hear and react to what is planned by Atlanta for Region IV in which we reside. Linda Floyd, RN from the VSU Nursing program will be re-appointed, but another place is empty.

-Jane Osborn

Confusing humane care and euthanasia —Susan Leavens

Received 28 June 2011. -jsq


Back in 09 a horse was found down and could not get up, the sheriffs

office helped, lake park fire rescue and Dr. Ali Thornihill was also on

the scene, the horse was euthenised, and the owner Clinton Miller also
a registered sex offender was written citations it was later

Continue reading →

LCC: work session cancelled, regular meeting Tuesday 26 July 2011

County to adopt tax millage Tuesday; cancels work session about that.
See next post for more. Now: the agenda for Tuesday.

According to
lowndescounty.com,
the Monday morning work session is cancelled,

“Due to the lack of items on the agenda that require additional information”

but the
Lowndes County Commission meets Tuesday evening as scheduled.
The
agenda
does not
contain

the formerly tabled Nottinghill rezoning proposal for Cat Creek Road.
Since rezonings are usually considered once a month (every other meeting),
presumably the Commission will take that one back up in August.

The rest of
the agenda
is the shortest I’ve ever seen, so unless lots of citizens

sign up to be heard,
don’t blink or you’ll miss Tuesday’s meeting.


LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

PROPOSED AGENDA

WORK SESSION CANCELLED

REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 26, 2011, 5:30 p.m.

327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

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Motion to table and vote, Nottinghill on Cat Creek @ LCC 13 July 2011



Newsflash: Lowndes County Commission does right thing about rezoning!

Commissioner Raines expressed puzzlement as to what to do
about rezoning for Nottinghill on Cat Creek since he thought
the previous day that there was a deal between

the developer
and the neighbors, but it turned out

there was not.
Commissioner Powell recommended tabling until next meeting so the
developer and the neighbors could try again to work something out.

Commissioner Powell made a motion

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Nottinghill on Cat Creek by Mr. Nijem and discussion @ LCC 12 July 2011



Speaking for the Nottinghill rezoning request on Cat Creek Road,
Bill Nijem said it was nothing like

Glen Laurel.
Nothing like repudiating your work of last year….

Commissioner Richard Raines thanked Nijem for sitting down with the
neighbors.

As David Rodock wrote in the VDT the next day,

Citizens speak against Cat Creek crowding:
Disapprove of the proposal to build residential areas

Bill Nijem, representative of the applicant, brought forward information
demonstrating his client’s willingness to work with neighbors, in
that lot sizes were increased by 20 percent and that the average lot
size would range from a minimum of 12,000 square feet to 20,000 square
feet. Nijem also reminded commissioners that the applicant was willing to
install any necessary buffers or fences to prevent children from playing
in the neighboring fields and would have water and sewer installed with
his own financial resources.

Carolyn Selby reminds me that Mr. Nijem didn’t say

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shelter cat Miss Kitty —Susan Leavens

Received 28 June 2011. -jsq


Miss Kitty was Lowndes County’s “shelter cat” she free roamed our
shelter for more then 7 years, around the beginning of 2010 she started
loosing her hair and chewing holes in herself.. and hiding from
everyone. She was loosing more hair and bleeding all over paper work
and counter where people came to ask about adoptions, she then was
stuffed in a dog create with towels

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