Not on the agenda, discussed for fifteen minutes, then suddenly
approved:
more funding for the Airport Authority,
at the
14 July 2015 Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission.
Which was similar to the previous morning’s transportation study
discussion, except the Commission didn’t vote that time on any possibility
of funding that one.
TSA has reduced the amount of money it gives to small airports like Valdosta and in order to have Continue reading
Tuesday’s surprise report
was on airport funding,
followed by an unscheduled vote for funding.
They also reappointed Dr. Martha Giddens to the Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services Board, approved two well and septic rezonings, passed Lowndes County Road Naming Resolution and Procedure that they haven’t published even though it’s because a Commissioner said citizens requested it, and the latest in the long-running Juvenile Justice Court diversionary program grant contract.
See also Continue reading
The county asked SGRC a bunch of questions about the $15,957 public transit and trucking studies at yesterday morning’s Work Session that they didn’t ask about the $16,915 they spent two weeks ago to upgrade a water main to subsize a developer. Commissioners seemed to think VLMPO hadn’t involved them in planning the study proposals, when in fact their own Chairman and County Manager and Engineer had been involved all along, plus five county-appointed citizens.
County Manager Joe Pritchard said Commissioner Joyce Evans and
Chairman Bill Slaughter had asked him to get the Southern Georgia Regional
Commission (SGRC) to explain its proposed transportation studies.
He also introduced Lisa Crib, whom he said was the new SGRC Executive Director.
Corey Hull spoke for SGRC, saying he first wanted to know their questions. Chairman Bill Slaughter asked: Continue reading
A
surprise report on public transportation trucking by VLMPO Corey Hull
yesterday morning at 8:30 AM.
They vote today at 5:30 PM
on this agenda
for
reappointing Dr. Martha Giddens to the Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services Board, two
well and
septic rezonings,
Lowndes County Road Naming Resolution and Procedure that they haven’t published even though
it’s because a Commissioner said citizens requested it,
and the latest in the long-running
Juvenile Justice Court diversionary program grant contract. Continue reading
At a very well attended June 29th meeting,
the notorious
TXT-2015-01 Moody Activity Zoning Districts (MAZ) ULDC text amendments
got tabled again by the Planning Commission,
but the Lowndes County Commission could take them up anyway at their
meeting a month later.
The Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce did oppose these changes in person
(both their President and Chairman)
after
voting a resolution of opposition.
Meanwhile, LAKE has laid out the board packet item from last time so you can get an idea of what’s going on and why, including links to the LAKE videos of the previous GLPC and Lowndes County Commission meetings where these MAZ changes were discussed.
REZ-2015-12 Martha Russ wants to Continue reading
This morning at 8:30 AM, with voting Tuesday at 5:30 PM, on this agenda, for reappointing Dr. Martha Giddens to the Lowndes County Division of Family and Children Services Board, two well and septic rezonings, Lowndes County Road Naming Resolution and Procedure that they haven’t published even though it’s because a Commissioner said citizens requested it, and the latest in the long-running Juvenile Justice Court diversionary program grant contract.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Continue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 13, 2015 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2015 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Back again: the James Road subsidy for a failed mega-mall that we just keep on paying,
eight years later!
Five companies showed up at the May 27th pre-bid meeting, but only one bid for $71,192 was received from Rountree Construction for the Commercial Driveway for Raceway on James Road, said County Engineer Mike Fletcher at the 22 June 2015 Lowndes County Work Session. The Commission at their 23 June 2015 Regular Session approved that yet another fix-up payment caused by the county’s 2009 widening of James Road “from a two-lane local road with ditches to a five-lane road with curb and gutter” for the never-happened Market Street mall and subdivision project. And local elected officials say bus systems need subsidies? Every road and bridge is a subsidy for private developers. And James Road is a subsidy we just keep on paying year after year.
The county spent SPLOST VI funds and $587,000 in GDOT funds on this subsidy for private developers, some of them from Tampa, while requiring local James Road property owners to Continue reading
$16,915
to upgrade a water main to subsidize a developer,
but no approval of
$15,957 to study public transportation and truck routing.
Speaking of subsidizing private developers, there’s yet more fallout from the failed 2007 mega-mall-and-subdivision Market Street project; see separate post.
And the Chairman gave an excellent demonstration of why elected officials would benefit by interacting and even debating with citizens, instead of jumping to conclusions and preaching at them.
Here’s the agenda, and the LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session and the budget hearing immediately before the Regular Session. Below are the Regular Session LAKE videos with a few comments, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading
Only one citizen spoke at the second Budget Hearing 5PM 23 June 2015:
Gretchen Quarterman asking for approval of the VLMPO request
for funding for a public transportation study.
The Chairman said they weren’t going to, and shortly afterwards
at their Regular Session they didn’t, although they did approve more than that for a water main subsidy for
private developers.
The 5PM meeting was billed on the county’s website as Budget Adoption Meeting and the previous morning by the Chairman as a presentation by the Finance Director. Is it a public hearing if it’s never advertised as a public hearing?
At least the proposed budget is on the county’s website, just not where Continue reading
The Chairman said the Finance Director would make a presentation
about the
Adoption of the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget
Tuesday before they voted; he said nothing about that presentation
being the second Public Budget Hearing.
See LAKE videos of the first Budget Hearing
and of
the second budget hearing.
The Commercial Driveway for Raceway on James Road. is yet more fallout from the failed 2007 mega-mall-and-subdivision Market Street project; see separate post. Also five pre-bidders but only one bid, this one from Scruggs Co., for Widening of a Portion of Old US 41 N.
Why is the county paying the cost to Upgrade Water Main at Lake Alapaha Subdivision from 2 inches to 6 inches? At least we found out where and why for the Engineering and Surveying Services for Water and Sewer.
Here’s the agenda. Below are the LAKE videos of the Work Session with a few comments, followed by a video playlist. Continue reading