Category Archives: Lowndes County Commission

Videos: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC Work 2025-02-10

Update 2025-02-13: Videos: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC Regular 2025-02-11.

A meeting so long it had to be interrupted by the scheduled Public Hearing on opting out of the state homestead exemption law: yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.

They vote on the regular items this evening at 5:30 PM.

The longest items yesterday morning were the same that had had opposition in the Planning Commission:
5.a. REZ-2025-01 Hurtado Property, Bethany Dr., ~6.4ac, R-A to R-1 and
5.d. REZ-2025-04 River Run Farm, 6490 River Run, ~27ac., C-C to R-21.

Collage @ LCC 10 February 2025

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda and the Lowndes County Commission board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request:
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2025/02/four-rezonings-mobile-home-decals-lift-station-pump-tax-refunds-lcc-2025-02-10.html

For the separate homestead exemption opt-out Public Hearing, see:
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2025/02/lowndes-county-considers-opting-out-of-house-bill-581-lcc-public-hearing-2025-02-10.html

For the rezonings, see also the preceding Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) board packet materials, its agenda, and the LAKE videos of the GLPC meeting. Continue reading →

Lowndes County Considers Opting Out of House Bill 581 @ LCC Public Hearing 2025-02-10

Update 2025-02-13: The second one: Videos: Lowndes County Considers Opting Out of House Bill 581 Public Hearing 2025-02-11.

Here are LAKE videos of yesterday’s Public Hearing about Lowndes County considering opting out of the statewide homestead exemption legislated last year by HB 581, effective January 1, 2025.

There will be another Public Hearing this evening, Tuesday, February 11 at 6:00 p.m.

A final Public Hearing will be Monday, February 24 at 9:00 a.m.

The Lowndes County Commission will vote on the subject on Tuesday, February 25.

So go to one of these public hearings and speak up, or call or write your Lowndes County Commissioner.

Collage @ LCC Public Hearing 10 February 2025

After the videos below, with a few notes by Gretchen Quarterman, there is a LAKE video playlist.

Plus a link to the LAKE video of the Lowndes County Commission decision on January 28, 2025, to hold these Public Hearings, and a copy of the Lowndes County press release announcing these Public Hearings.

As well as the text of the referendum that appeared on the November 5, 2024, general election ballot, the text of HB 581, and links to guidance by ACCG and GMA,

Personally, I find this point alone convincing:

Lowndes County already has a $6,000 homestead exemption for homeowners up to 65 years of age and a $10,000 homestead exemption for homeowners 65 and older. These exemptions are significantly more than the state statutory exemptions.

FYI, I have reason to believe the City of Valdosta is equally concerned about HB 581. Continue reading →

Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Regular 2024-01-28

Update 2025-02-11: Lowndes County Considers Opting Out of House Bill 581 @ LCC Public Hearing 2025-02-10.

Commissioner Joyce Evans will rotate back into the Vice Chair position. On January 28, 2025, the Lowndes County Commission also reappointed to the Valdosta-Lowndes County Land Bank Authority.

Collage @ LCC 28 January 2025

In a break with tradition, the incumbent was not reappointed as a Tax Assessor. Gretchen Quarterman, the incumbent (although technically not, since the County Commission did not do reappointments before her term expired at the end of 2024) got a nomination and two votes. James Michael (Mike) Tanner also got a nommination and two votes. Commissioner Scottie Orenstein was not present for that item, since he came in late. That left Chairman Bill Slaughter to break the tie, and he voted for Tanner.

The previous morning, Commissioner Demarcus Marshall said he wanted to ask questions of the applicants for 6.a. Appointment to the Board of Tax Assessors. Chairman Bill Slaughter said they weren’t doing that in the Work Session because both applications were not there, but they can do it in the Regular Session Tuesday.

Mike Tanner did not attend the Regular Session. Gretchen Quarterman was there as usual, videoing the meeting.

The voted on the added agenda item, 8.d. Publish the intent to opt out of HB 581, to do that. That item and all the others were approved unanimously, except as noted above.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few comments by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

Packet: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC 2025-02-10

Update 2025-02-11: Videos: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC Work 2025-02-10.

Lowndes County Commission staff has discovered that The Crescent has its own 1975 local constitutional amendment and 1978 resolution by the County Commission making it tax exempt.

Monday morning the County Commission will review and Tuesday evening it will decide the Bethany Drive rezoning for which the Planning Commission recommended denial 8:1 and the River Run Road rezoning near the Alapaha River for which GLPC recommended approval with a condition 6:3, as well as the other two rezonings.

Collage @ LCC Packet 2025-02-10

The Lowndes County Commission board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. Images of each page are below.

Here is the agenda.

See also the preceding Continue reading →

Packet: 4 Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-02-10: Packet: Four rezonings, mobile home decals, Lift Station Pump, Tax Refunds @ LCC 2025-02-10.

The Lowndes County board packet materials for the January 27, 2025, Planning Commission meeting are on the LAKE website.

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) merely advises. The actual decision will be at the Tuesday, February 11, Lowndes County Commission meeting.

Collage: Lowndes County Rezonings, Packet @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Lowndes County sent these materials on February 4, 2025.

I responded on February 7:

As mentioned in response to your other message, in the thread about the January 27, 2025, Lowndes County Commission packet, you sent the packet items for the GLPC meeting to that thread.
Thanks for sending them.
However, the previous GLPC meeting minutes are missing from this Lowndes County response.
Please send the minutes of the previous GLPC meeting, which I think was November 25, 2024.
Also, the county could avoid this confusion by publishing the GLPC packet items and the previous GLPC meeting miinutes on lowndescounty.com along with the GLPC agenda. -jsq

LAKE still has not received those minutes. It is now February 10, which is 16 calendar days and ten business days after LAKE sent the open records request on January 25. That request was three days before the GLPC meeting, to allow time for response within the three-day statutory limit of the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA). Lowndes County is now more than a week late.

Packet: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-02-10: Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Regular 2025-01-28.

Finally received on February 6, 2025, the board packet materials are on the LAKE website for the January 27 and 28, 2025, Lowndes County Commission meetings.

Packet: Collage @ LCC 2025-01-27

See also the agenda and the LAKE videos of the Work Session; Regular Session up soon.

Lowndes County included this note with the board materials:

The January 27-28, 2025 meeting packet is attached. We did not receive the email on January 25th. Thank you for resending it.

As I mentioned in response: Continue reading →

Videos: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-02-10: Packet: 4 Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-01-27.

The most contentious item at the recent GLPC meeting, at almost half an hour, was 8. CU-2025-02 Perma-Fix of South Georgia 1612 James P Rodgers Circle. Several people spoke against it, including Gretchen Quarterman at 14 minutes. The Planning Commissioners voted 4:5 to recommend denying that Conditional Use application, but then they voted 5:4 to recommend approving.

Collage @ LCC 27 January 2025

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) merely advises. The actual decision will be at the Thursday, February 6, Valdosta City Council (VCC) meeting. Valdosta has no agenda posted yet for that meeting:
https://www.valdostacity.com/city-council/agendas-minutes

LAKE has sent in an open records request for the VCC board packet.

Another long Valdosta City case was Continue reading →

Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Work

Update 2025-02-10: Videos: Tax Assessor and Land Bank appointments, Assessment rate, VAWA, alcohol @ LCC Regular 2025-01-28.

Update 2025-01-28: Added back the inadvertently omitted video of the 8.c. Approval of the Solicitor General’s FY2025 VAWA Grant Application.

At this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, Commissioner Demarcus Marshall said he wants to ask questions of the applications for 6.a. Appointment to the Board of Tax Assessors. Chairman Bill Slaughter said they weren’t doing that in the Work Session because both applications were not there, but they can do it in the Regular Session Tuesday evening.

Collage @ LCC 27 January 2025

The Chairman asked to add an agenda item: Consideration for discussion of opting out of new homestead exemption law. Deadline to decide and paperwork to Department of Revenue is March 1, 2025. He noted he voted for this law, but he isn’t sure he completely understood it. For the county consider opting out, they first need to announce that possibility and ask the public for input. They discussed this for almost eight minutes.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few comments by Gretchen Quarterman, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also the agenda. Continue reading →

Packet: Valdosta and Hahira Cases @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Update 2025-02-10: Packet: 4 Lowndes County rezonings @ GLPC 2025-01-27.

Update 2025-02-04: Videos: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-01-27.

Thanks to Matt Martin, City Planner for Valdosta and Hahira, for sending their board packet materials for tonight’s Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting at 5:30 PM.

Valdosta and Hahira Cases, Packet @ GLPC 2025-01-27, Perma-Fix approved by, GA-EPD to resume operations

This Valdosta case, 8. CU-2025-02 Perma-Fix of South Georgia (1612 James P Rodgers Circle) CUP for a Solid Waste Transfer Station in M-2 zoning, is for Perma-Fix to resume processing hazardous waste like it was doing seven years ago when it burned. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD) has already approved it.

And is there a rare case for which staff recommends denial: 9. VA-2025-01 James Warren (202 Denmark Street) Rezone 0.73 acres from R-6 to C-C.

These board packet materials, received in response to a LAKE open records request, are on the LAKE website. Images of each page are below.

See also the agenda. Continue reading →

Agenda: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira @ GLPC 2025-01-27

Lowndes County posted this agenda on lowndescounty.com/AgendaCenter at 8:23 AM this morning, after Gretchen asked the County Planner when it would be posted.

The meeting is this evening at

Agenda: 4 county rezonings, 5 Valdosta, 2 Hahira, Posted 8:23 AM the meeting day @ GLPC 2025-01-27

One of the county cases is for a subdivision by the Alapaha River: REZ-2025-04: River Run Farm, 6490 River Run, Naylor, Ga, Map/Parcel# 0259-029C, 27.12 acres.

Here is the agenda:

Lowndes County Cases
PDF

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, January 27, 2025 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia
Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange