Category Archives: VLCIA

Agenda: Dasher 1, Lowndes County 2, Valdosta 7 including VLCDA 2 @ GLPC 2022-09-26

Update 2022-09-29: Packet: 1 Dasher art studio, 2 Lowndes County, 7 Valdosta @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

At the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting this evening at 5:30 PM, the only sizeable rezoning they will discuss will be REZ-2022-16 Townes at 4443, 4443 Bemiss Road, and that one is next to another subdivision, on the county’s main northside drag.

Both pages of the agenda @ GLPC 2022-09-26

It will be interesting to see how this Valdosta rezoning goes, after recent shenanigans involving a Lowndes County halfway house rezoning: REZ-2022-16 Townes at 4443, 4443 Bemiss Road.

The Valdosta Lowndes County Development Authority (VLCDA) wants to rezone and annex into Valdosta an acres at 1349 Old Statenville Road, which is next to one of VLCDA’s existing industrial parks. Continue reading →

Videos: Millage, tax assessment, 3 utilities, ZBOA, Juvenile Justice @ LCC 2022-08-23

They approved all the utilities items, radios, building, and manholes, at the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session of Tuesday, August 23, 2022.

They adopted the FY2022 millage rate (slightly lowered), including the fire district millage rate (same as last year), and they approved a software module for the Tax Assessors to use to facilitate citizen appeals to appraisals.

Collage, Lowndes County Commission Regular Session 2022-08-23

They reappointed John “Mac” McCall to the Valdosta Lowndes Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA), they approved a Juvenile Justice grant, and they approved a subdivision decorative lighting district.

Commissioner Scottie Orenstein is also Chair of the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA).

County Manager Paige Dukes said the Commission’s year-end retreat would be Friday, November 18, 2022, and they would hold it in their offices (not on Jekyll Island this time). The Lake Alapaha drinking water treatment plant is still not finished, and there are ARPA funds available for that and other water projects. Utilities Director Steve Stalvey reported on a sinkhole problem near a lift station that they were dealing with. It was apparently caused by a lightning strike, for which they are seeking insurance reimbursement.

The whole thing took nineteen minutes.

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

Videos: slides @ LCC Millage 2022-08-23

Update 2022-09-14: Videos: Millage, tax assessment, 3 utilities, ZBOA, Juvenile Justice @ LCC 2022-08-23.

They rolled back the millage slightly. Millage rates for Parks and Rec and Development Authority were unchanged, also for the unincorporated county fire district.

Pie and Commissioners

As usual, no citizens showed up for the millage rate public hearing. Gretchen was the only person there who was not a Commissioner or staff, and since she is a Tax Assessor, I guess she’s staff, too, although she was there for LAKE, taking these videos.

Two of the Lowndes County Commissioners also did not show up for that meeting nor for the Regular Session that same evening. But they voted to adopt the millage anyway.

Here’s a LAKE video playlist: Continue reading →

Packet: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22

Update 2022-08-23: Videos: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22.

That’s a lot of subdivisions in the Basic Decorative Lighting District.

Grove Pointe Phase V and Basic Decorative North West Lowndes County 2 Revised

The board packet for this week’s Lowndes County Commission Work and Regular Sessions is on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

The County wrote, “There is no meeting packet for the Millage Rate Meeting.” They did send an agenda for that meeting, which consisted of this:

Call To Order
Public Hearing—Millage Rate
Adjournment

See also the LAKE videos of the Work Session and the agenda.

-jsq

Investigative reporting costs money, for open records requests, copying, web hosting, gasoline, and cameras, and with sufficient funds we can pay students to do further research. You can donate to LAKE today!

Videos: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22

Update 2022-09-14: Videos: Millage, tax assessment, 3 utilities, ZBOA, Juvenile Justice @ LCC 2022-08-23.

Update 2022-09-13: Videos: slides @ LCC Millage 2022-08-23.

A Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Grant was the longest item at yesterday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session, followed by manhole improvements. The manholes will cost $439,836.00, but the grant will provide money to the county.

The two millage items taking no more than 18 seconds each, with presentation deferred to the 5PM Public Hearing today. They vote on all these items at 5:30 PM this evening.

Stills

Two technical items took Continue reading →

Almost a million dollars @ LCC 2022-08-22

Update 2022-08-22: Videos: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22.

Update 2022-08-26: Packet: Juvenile Justice, Manholes, Tax Appeals Module, Subdivision lighting @ LCC 2022-08-22.

The big item involves keeping ahead of sewer system problems to avoid sewage spills: “Lowndes County was awarded a Georgia Environmental Finance Authority (GEFA) loan for lift station and manhole improvements. Staff identified approximately 100 manholes that need rehab and improvements, including structural repairs and coating the interiors. The project was advertised and bids accepted for the work. Two bids were received, one from Gulf Coast Underground for $1,508,450.00 and one from RPI for $439,836.00. Staff recommends approval and authorizes the Chairman to sign the contract with RPI, Inc. for $439,836.00.”

Collage

They will Continue reading →

Videos: Everything unanimously approved in fifteen minutes @ LCC 2022-05-24

The Lowndes County Commission approved everything as fast as they could hear each item read and vote, at their fifteen-minute Regular Session of May 24, 2022.

Some agenda items

Below are Continue reading →

Videos: Two Valdosta items, Walkers Crossing Roundabout, Reports @ LCC 2022-05-23

Update 2022-06-16: Videos: Everything unanimously approved in fifteen minutes @ LCC 2022-05-24.

Not even two minutes on any business item at the most recent Lowndes County Work Session.

Attorney, Utilities, Engineering, Manager

The answer to which roads on the LMIG item is that Continue reading →

$1.6 million road resurfacing, 2 appointments, subdivision streets, Walkers Crossing Roundabout, Valdosta extraterritorial water and sewer @ LCC 2022-05-23

Update 2022-06-02: Videos: Two Valdosta items, Walkers Crossing Roundabout, Reports @ LCC 2022-05-23.

Update 2022-05-23: 9:00 AM Budget Work Session.

They propose to approve $1.6 million for resurfacing some roads, it’s not clear which ones, at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session Monday morning and voting Regular Session Tuesday evening.

Quarterman Estates, Walkers Crossing Roundabout

They will also pretend that this will not cost the county money down the road for street maintenance: Continue reading →

Virtual World, Bimbo QSR, Ace Electric @ VLDA 2022-01-18

Maybe it’s time to go to one of these. It’s tonight at 5:30 PM.

Bimbo QSR “will produce several different types of hamburgers, hot dogs, and sandwich buns for quick-service restaurants” according to WALB, in a 100,000 square foot building on South Saint Augustine Road for a claimed investment of $25 million.

Virtual World Technologies does managed technology services, although curiously it doesn’t seem to update its social media.

Ace Electric has been around here a long time. Evidently they’re doing something new.

Bimbo QSR and Virtual World, VLCIA Agenda

Here is the agenda. Continue reading →

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange