Only one emergency expense this time, and it’s not for a road or water treatment!
It’s for
security video monitors for their own palace.
Presumably those are different from
the big monitor behind their podium
that very rarely we see in use.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS PROPOSED AGENDAContinue reading
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
I talked about the Water Trail that WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.
is developing on the Alapaha River with a tiny grant from the
Georgia River Network, and how that was a plus for local economic
development that wouldn’t cost VLCDA a dime.
They seemed to like that, at the
19 August 2014 Regular Meeting of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Development Authority.
Here’s the video, followed by some pictures, links, and notes:
Continue reading
The Commission awarded no-bid contracts to Lovell Engineering (for
Zipperer Road
and
Boring Pond Road)
and
ASA Engineering
(for
Coppage Road).
Three of the seven board appointees showed up and spoke:
Sam Allen and Penelope Schmidt for
Library Board,
and
and Russell Mast for
VLPRA.
The Commission appointed all of them unanimously, including
no-shows
Terri Lupo to VLCIA,
Martha Cunningham and Matt Lawrence to
Library Board,
and
Susan Prince to
VLPRA.
Chairman Bill Slaughter consistently omitted the “Valdosta”
from the names of all these boards, even though the reason VLCIA
and VLPRA exist is a state law requirement for no overlap between
uninincorporated and incorporated area taxation for such services.
There was no public hearing for Whitewater Road because the applicant withdrew it, and half of Nelson Hill was withdrawn while the other half was tabled.
Four of the nine contracts were approved all at once. Mr. Anti-Grant Commissioner Richard Raines actually made the motion to approve the EPMG grant request.
They finally posted an agenda after the Work Session. And they added another item to an amended agenda between the Work Session and the Regular Session.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 7, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Here are links to the videos in the order they actually held the meeting. See the videos of the previous morning’s Work Session for more detail on many of these items.
Video. Minister Commissioner Crawford Powell gave his usual Ivory Billed Woodpecker invocation.
Video. Unanimously appointed: Martha Cunningham (not present), Sam Allen (retired Valdosta Schools Superintendent), Penelope Schmidt (10-year educator from Hahira), and Matthew Lawrence (not present).
Video. Terri Lupo, Georgia Power regional VP, was still out of town on vacation, but they appointed her anyway.
Video. They unanimously appointed Susan Prince (not present) and Russell Mast (Chairman; he said VLPRA had a positive fund balance) They didn’t appoint Dan Deaver (not present).
Video. The applicant withdrew the first part of the request, for a 75-foot high communications tower for high-speed Internet access. The second part County Planner Jason Davenport said “dealt with some of the rezoning conditions that were ultimately approved back in 2006”; they tabled it until August. I wonder how much of that second part involves retroactively approving staff variances that were made in 2009 and 2011 without any public hearings?
Video. Commissioner Richard Raines started his stint on this Commission disapproving a grant for weather radios, but he made the motion for this grant application.
Video. Commissioner Joyce Evans made the motion.
Video. The Chairman didn’t even bother to mention Citizens Wishing to Be Heard.
Here’s a video playlist:
Videos: a few appointees spoke
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 8 July 2014.
-jsq
Terri Lupo
(Georgia Power regional VP)
for the
Industrial Authority;
Martha Cunningham,
Sam Allen,
Penelope Schmidt,
Matt Lawrence for the
Library Board,
and
Dan Deaver,
Susan Prince, and Russell Mast (Chairman) for two positions on
Parks and Rec.
Apparently the public was supposed to guess about the two
public hearings
(one about the frequently-staff-varianced
subdivision
Nelson Hill)
or the nine contracts,
since
the county didn’t post an agenda before the meeting.
Commissioner Joyce Evans did ask if the applicants would be
at the Regular Session Tuesday evening, and was told they would.
Will they speak this time, unlike
the applicants two weeks ago?
They finally posted an agenda after the meeting.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSContinue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JULY 7, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Remember, you don’t even have to live in Valdosta to apply
to serve on one of the many appointed boards or authorities
(you do have to live in Lowndes County).
Details:
CITY OF VALDOSTA
APPOINTMENTS FOR BOARDS, COMMISSIONS,
AUTHORITIES & ADVISORY COMMITTEESIn accordance with the City of Valdosta’s Appointment Policy and to provide an opportunity for qualified citizens to be made aware of opportunities to serve on various Boards, Commissions, Authorities, and Advisory Committees, the City of Valdosta announces the following openings: Continue reading
Here’s Lowndes County’s
list of Boards, Agencies & Commissions.
Unfortunately,
unlike
Valdosta’s list,
most of the names in the county’s list have no links to further information,
and there’s no indication of which positions might be open
or how to apply for them.
Update: 4:30 PM 24 April 2014: And there’s the Board of Elections which is decided by a completely different process with a quicker deadline of 28 April 2014.
We do know there’s a vacancy on the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), which presumably will be filled after the upcoming Special Election May 20th, but the county has given no indication of when. The only way the county usually announces open positions is when they appear on the County Commission’s agenda, which usually shows up online Friday for voting on Tuesday. For example, the county has appointed: Continue reading
You can apply to be appointed by Valdosta to a local board or authority that
decides or recommends on issues that affect everyone:
do interesting work and serve your community.
Dealine: April 30th.
You don’t even have to live in Valdosta: anybody in Lowndes County can apply.
If you want to run for a city council or county commission
seat someday, this is a good way to start.
And if you want to run for the state legislature or higher office,
that’s the most common path to get there.
Update: 4:30 PM 24 April 2014: And there’s the Board of Elections which is decided by a completely different process with a quicker deadline of 28 April 2014.
Winnie Wright wrote for WCTV 23 April 2014, City Of Valdosta Looking To Fill 15 Vacancies In Boards, Authorities, and Commissions, Continue reading
They talked in detail about the
Naylor boat ramp and park.
The discussed
animal shelter renovations for 2015 and 2016.
And of course their paving list.
Surprisingly, they actually considered whether ownership
along the road right of way should be taken into account
in deciding whether to pave or not.
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall said he had been surprised
to learn that many county citizens did not want their roads paved.
Here’s the agenda and some still pictures. Here are the raw videos so you can see for yourself.
Videos, Retreat, first day
Annual Retreat, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 27 February 2014.
They’re back at it this morning, and Gretchen is there videoing.
-jsq
Unanimous approval for
a third no-bid contract this month for Lovell Engineering, this time for
for a sports complex in Hahira,
but surprisingly
the
opaque pest control bids
were tabled indefinitely.
Also unanimously approved were
three new fine-processing positions for the Clerk of Court,
the
Little River stream gauge,
The special presentation was for
the retirement of Gene Roberts from Public Works.
No mention of the previous morning’s presentations by
Judge John Kent Edwards Jr.
asking for a new State Court Judge
or
about fines moving from Sheriff to State Court.
Dr. Michael Noll said
Moody AFB once again couldn’t get access
to the site for the Moody Family Housing the Commission already approved,
despite the sinkhole on the adjoining land.
Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes. See also videos of the previous morning’s Work Session.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSContinue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Received yesterday on VSU professors write to USAF consultant about Moody Family Housing @ LCC 2013-08-27. -jsq
Thanks for posting this John.
One should note that the VDT was absent at the LCBOC meeting on August 13, when the county commissioners approved the rezoning request. This approval came after we presented our concerns and before the period given by AFCEC for public comments in regard to the Environmental Assessment (EA) expired. No mention in the VDT on August 14 about any of it, since no VDT reporter was present.
In regard to the EA and the possibilities to submit comments, it should also be noted that the phone number listed in the public announcement was incorrect. Thus, any attempts to contact Mr. Allen Richmond, the AFCEC representative, with this published phone number were unsuccessful. We eventually received the correct phone number with the help of Moody AFB personnel. While we were able to speak once with Mr. Richmond and establish email contact, his ability (or willingness?) to communicate was limited.
Moreover, we asked Mr. Allen Richmond on August 12 if we Continue reading