2:30 PM today, only one case on the Zoning Board of Appeals agenda:
VAR-2016-01 (CrossPointe Church, Valdosta GA).
Not clear what are the buffer or landscape requirements they want a variance from.
If ZBOA published its board packets online, we all would be able to see that.
Same issue as for Lowndes County Commission, Valdosta City Council, and the other four cities in the county. Continue reading
Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission
Videos: Sold out to Sabal Trail @ LCC 2016-01-26
Thank you Commissioner Demarcus Marshall
for voting no.
Calling it
“a good business decision”, the CEO of Waller Heating and Air
lauded the others for voting to sell county land for a pittance to a company from Houston, Texas, nevermind their resolution of a year ago.
We thought we elected them to represent the people of Lowndes County,
and we thought they did
back in December 2014 when they unanimously voted
“the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners opposes the construction of the Sabal Trail pipeline in any portion of Lowndes County.”
But at least one of them (“Wisenbaker) didn’t even remember that the county voted to oppose Sabal Trail.
Apparently most of them concur with what the County Engineer said about landowners who have not taken
Sabal Trail’s money, “I don’t know who they are.”
Update 2016-01-28: WCTV report, plus Gret chen’s question: “Is less than 50 cents per person in Lowndes County enough to risk drinking water for all?”
Landowners who did take the money mostly did not have Continue reading
The hazardous waste Lowndes County Clyattville landfill is not just another Sabal Trail easement @ LCC 2016-01-26
There is no reason our only county-wide elected government should rush to take a pittance from a company from Houston, Texas for an easement through the closed landfill toxic waste site that would risk our drinking water and enable more easement takings from local landowners. On the front page of today’s VDT the County Clerk contradicted what Lowndes County Chairman Bill Slaughter has written repeatedly to FERC, that he and the Commission represent “Citizens of Lowndes County”. She also didn’t mention the GA-EPD permit for any work within that landfill that the Chairman previously demanded from Sabal Trail, nor the multiple state other and federal permits Sabal Trail does not have. Although it’s still not on the published agenda, the Commissioners have an opportunity tonight to vote to support their own unanimous resolution of December 2014 against Sabal Trail.
The County Clerk tried to roll back the clock to Continue reading
Videos: Board appointments + Sabal Trail easement! @ LCC 2016-01-25
The main Work Session took six minutes this morning,
followed by an executive session,
which turned out to be about
easements for the Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline,
which they’re adding to the agenda to vote on tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.
See also the agenda. Below are links to each video, followed by a video playlist.
Continue readingLowndes County Commission Trailer
A
movie trailer for your local government, the Lowndes County Commission!
No, it didn’t win at
the CAUSES 5 mini-film festival at VSU Saturday night,
but you can, by speaking up at your local government
(and state and federal).
-jsq
Lowndes County Commission Trailer
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Submitted to the
CAUSES 5 mini-film festival at VSU, 23 January 2016,
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.
Appointments to 3 boards @ LCC 2016-01-25
Did you know there were openings on three boards?
Probably not, since the county didn’t post anything in public.
Now the day before they’re appointed, we learn
“Dr. Lynne Feldman resigned from the Hospital Authority, leaving a vacant seat on the board.
Dr. Steven Brian Dawson, Dr. John W. Devine, and Dr. John D. Roan have all been recommended for the position.”
County Manager Joe Pritchard did not say who recommended them, or how they knew to apply.
Similarly, on the
Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services Board (DFCS),
somebody unnamed didn’t want to be reappointed, and “Elsie C. Napier has been recommended for the position.”
And on the
Valdosta-Lowndes County Conference Center and Tourism Authority Board,
David Motley wants to be reappointed.
At least we know how he knew.
There’s more on the agenda.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Chancy R6M, Stallings Road Cemetery, 4 County cases, one to E-A @ GLPC 2016-01-25
The owner of
a parcel on US 41 South wants to rezone
from R-10 back to Estate Agriculture.
That Lowndes County case is the opposite of the Hahira case that wants
rezoning
from single-family to multi-family,
and there are many other cases in between, plus
another cemetery case!
Here’s the agenda for Monday’s Regular Session, and also for last Monday’s Work Session, even though it doesn’t say that.
Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Continue reading
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue
Tuesday, January 25, 2016 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Video: Project Max rezoning public hearing @ LCC 2016-01-12
The secretive Project Max container company
better not be like when the Industrial Authority bragged about a prospect that would bring in 300 clean jobs and it turned out to be
a private prison,
which fortunately (after much public opposition) never happened.
At last Tuesday’s Lowndes County Commissioner Regular Session, nearby landowner Mike Paine said he is afraid of many things, because it’s a rush job
and nobody has told him anything concrete.
The Industrial Authority, now called the Development Authority, says we should
trust them.
It would help if they wouldn’t say things like no emissions but steam,
when burning natural gas produces CO2,
and if they would admit that methane often leaks, and then it’s a far worse
greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
5.a. REZ-2016-01 Project Max, Rocky Ford Rd, E-A to M-2 123 acres
Video. About the public hearing for rezoning from Estate Agricultural (E-A) to heavy-duty manufacturing (M-2) for the hush-hush Project Max, the big-fish container manufacturing plant proposed for Rocky Ford Road, next to the protected watershed of Mud Swamp and near Valdosta Airport, see Continue reading
5 cities & Lowndes County: Community Planning Meeting @ LCC Planning 2016-01-19
It’s a good idea. It would be an even better idea if there was time scheduled for citizen input and responses from the assembled elected officials.
On the Lowndes County Commission calendar:
On Tuesday, January 19, 2016, Lowndes County and the cities of Valdosta, Hahira, Lake Park, Remerton and Dasher, will meet at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center for the purpose of identifying and discussing solutions related to community wide issues. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. and the public is encouraged to attend.
When: 9AM-10AM Tuesday 19 January 2016
Where: James H. Rainwater Conference Center, 1 Meeting Place, Valdosta, GA 31601
Contact: County Clerk, Paige Dukes, 229-671-2400
County Chairman Bill Slaughter announced this meeting at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 12 January 2016: Continue reading
Videos: Why Emergency bridge fixes? Appoint Tax Assessors? Rush Project Max? @ LCC 2016-01-12
Citizen Billy Rowland complained about poor road grading,
his dogs being shot, and misuse of Knights Ferry Landing on the Withlacoochee River.
Maybe the Commission will listen to what he said this time, at last Tuesday’s Lowndes County Commissioner Regular Session.
Apparently G. Norman Bennett wants Hall Web Road paved for the mile to his house at the Little River, but
Julia Bass,
Ralph Niehenke,
and
Diane Guess
spoke up saying they don’t want it paved.
Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker tried to ask them questions,
but Chairman Bill Slaughter cut him off.
Slaugher did have time earlier fo
an extra announcement of a joint governmental meeting Tuesday morning.
It’s not clear citizens will even get to speak there, much less get questions answered.
See
separate post.
They passed the resolution to ask the legislature to start the proecess to appoint rather than elect Lowndes County Tax Assessors.
They already did emergency repairs to Clyattville Nankin Road Bridge (problem discovered by a local citizen) and Jumping Gully Road Bridge (found by GDOT), and the Commissione approved payment after the fact. So two more no-bid contracts were let, this time without even a Commission vote before the work was done.
They agreed to the North Lowndes Park Quitclaim and Custodial Agreement by which Valdosta-Lowndes Parks & Rec. Authority (VLPRA) takes charge of some land west of I-75 north of Hahira for a soccer field.
A few citizens spoke about rezoning for the mysterious Project Max, but of course they passed the rezoning anyway, even though apparently none of the Commissioners know who the prospective tenant is.
The Lowndes County Commission agenda contained quite a few other items as the Commission caught up after the holidays. See also the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session. Below are links to each LAKE video of the Tuesday evening 12 January 2016 Regular Session, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading