Category Archives: Transportation

Videos: Rezonings on Val Del, Great North Road, US 41 N @ LCC 2019-10-07

Eight minutes with no questions from Commissioners is all the Lowndes County Commission took to consider the peoples’ business at yesterday morning’s Work Session. Two minutes each for the rezonings for Natco on Val Del Road and Wisenbaker on Great North Road. One minute for Hogan on US 42 N. The Chairman noted there was a request by the applicant to table that one. A commissioner joked a motion to approve. The Chairman said they might take that action the next day. They vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

The biggest news was after adjournment, when the Valdosta Daily Times editor introduced a new reporter.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also Continue reading →

Packet: Rezonings on Val Del, Great North Road, US 41 N @ LCC 2019-10-07

The second Natco subdivision on Val Del Road sailed through the Planning Commission, and probably will through the Lowndes County Commission. Where is that wetlands study GLPC took for granted somebody conducted?

[Exhibit 1: subdivison plan]
Exhibit 1: subdivison plan

The rezoning of the Wisenbaker property on Great North Road also sailed through GLPC 7:0.

[WRPDO Site Map]
WRPDO Site Map

The third rezoning, for heavy manufacturing on the Hogan Property at US 41 N and Wellman Place, was requested to be tabled by the applicant, and GLPC Continue reading →

Videos: Jury, Paving, and GEFA in Work Session @ LCC 2019-09-23

The Lowndes County Commission spent nine minutes yesterday morning discussing spending $124,454 and borrowing $1,734,000. They vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

The county has now gotten up to not just demanding landowners give road right of way to the county, but also condemning property if they don’t get it donated.

The longest item at less than two minutes was 6.d. Request for Professional Engineering Services Proposals – CDBG. As Gretchen remarks in the notes, apparently this is in support of Arglas, the Japanese glass products manufacturer locating on Rocky Ford Road.

Second longest was 7.b. Bid for a Breathing Air System for the Fire Department, due to a question by a Commissioner.

Below are Continue reading →

Videos: Bonds, Val Del Road, GLPC appointments, 1/2 million to Motorola @ LCC 2019-09-10

The longest item at 2:23 was the Val Del Road rezoning case, for which one Commissioner recused himself. The others passed it unanimously.

Second longest was the GLPC appointments. No surprise, Ed Hightower was reappointed, and the second appointment was….

Third longest was the Chairman’s unscheduled recognition of Leadership Lowndes and advertisement for a 9/11 ceremony. If he’s going to do this every time, maybe it could be put on the agenda.

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with Continue reading →

Jury, Paving, and GEFA in LCC Packet @ LCC 2019-09-23

Lowndes County staff are proposing to spend $124,454, according to all the “BUDGET IMPACT”s board packet: $48,500 for a Jury Management System, $1,469.00 for Condemning ROW for Howell Lane Paving Project, $3,500.00 (approx.) for Second Modification of GEFA Loan Agreement, and for the Fire Department $29,195.00 for a 1/2 Ton Truck and $41,790.00 for a Breathing Air System.

[Survey plat: Revised County RoW for Howell Lane]
Survey plat: Revised County RoW for Howell Lane

They propose to borrow $1,734,000 from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).

The Lowndes County Commission discusses Monday morning at 8:30 AM. They vote 5:30 PM Tuesday.

[Project Budget]
GEFA Loan Agreement Project Budget

For the first time ever! Lowndes County has returned the board packet before the Work Session.

LAKE sent an open records request Tuesday, and the county actually supplied the packet Friday, with this note: Continue reading →

Videos: Surprise Bonds, Val Del rezoning, GLPC appointments, 1/2 million to Motorola @ LCC 2019-09-09

Apparently more was shown on the screen yesterday morning that we finally received this morning in the board packet, such as this picture of the Nelson Hill subdivision on Val Del Road.

They also added 7.b. Refunding Revenue Bonds by South Region Joint Development Authority for VSU ASRE, which makes no sense until you can see details in the board packet.

After the agenda items, the Chairman made unscheduled announcements of a Continue reading →

Packet: Surprise Bonds, Val Del Road rezoning, GLPC appointments, 1/2 million to Motorola @ LCC 2019-09-10

After four days, but before the Commission votes at 5:30 PM in its Regular Session this evening, the county sent the packet, at 10:50 AM this morning. Three is more than the statutory 3 days in the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA). The packet is on the LAKE website.

Now we can see who are the applicants to the Planning Commission.

[Survey Plat]
Survey Plat

Now we can see where is the Val Del rezoning: from the trailer park south to the power line. There’s also this interesting flood map: Continue reading →

Val Del Road rezoning, GLPC appointments, and half a million to Motorola @ LCC 2019-09-09

Two new GLPC members, half a million dollars to Motorola for some unexplained acronym, and the Val Del Road rezoning, which breezed through the preceding Planning Commission meeting with no opposition, is on the agenda for the Work Session Monday morning and the voting session Tuesday evening of the Lowndes County Commission.

[Notice of Public Hearing]
Notice of Public Hearing

The Greater Lowndes Planning Commission will have two new members soon: Continue reading →

Videos and packet: Millage, SPLOST VIII, Wastewater, roads, bridges, mosquitos, Construction Board @ LCC 2019-08-12

County Manager Joe Pritchard said Finance Director Stephanie Black has received a millage report from the Tax Commissioner. He and she will prepare something from it for the Lowndes County Commissioners for a later meeting.

The board packet is on the LAKE website, in response to a LAKE open records request.

Below are Continue reading →

Videos: SPLOST VIII, Grassy Pond Sewer, and Hospital Authority funding @ LCC 2019-07-23

Five and a half minutes of the Regular Session fifteen minutes was on the county guaranteeing refinancing Hospital Authority debt, due to County Manager Joe Pritchard reciting what’s in the agreement, and Hospital Authority CEO Bill Forbes speaking, and Chairman Bill Slaughter thanking him. The agreement is in the board packet on the LAKE website from a LAKE open records request.

Hospital Authority

Citizen Michelle Williams of Hahira asked for a spay and neuter ordinance, noting Macon and Dalton have those already. County Clerk Paige Dukes praised Michelle Williams and other volunteers.

Second at almost two minutes was Continue reading →