Category Archives: Water

Packet: Complicated Library Board, ULDC amendments, Boat and RV Storage, Alapaha Plantation Water, Purchases houses by Griner Park, Insurance, LMIG @ LCC 2023-07-10

Update 2023-07-11: Videos: Complicated Library Board, ULDC amendments, Boat and RV Storage, Alapaha Plantation Water, Purchase houses by Griner Park, Insurance, LMIG @ LCC Work 2023-07-10.

Four terms expire on the South Georgia Regional Library Board (SGRLB) and all four people want to be reappointed. Plus another term will be vacant and two people want to be appointed to that: Catherine Ammons and Sarah Fitzgerald.

The Lowndes County Commission will hear these items this morning at 8:30 AM, and will vote on them at 5:30 PM tomorrow evening.

The text amendments to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) are on the agenda, even though the Planning Commission recommended tabling it for 30 days for the public to review. The version in this board packet is different from the version shown to the Planning Commission. Even county staff are asking for more time for the solar amendment.

[Collage, LCC Packet 2023-07-10]
Collage, LCC Packet 2023-07-10

The County Commissioners will vote on more than two and a half million dollars, mostly in road paving and insurance.

Plus they’re buying the houses next to where they want to make Griner Park near the county palace, and only a few blocks from where the City of Valdosta has already made Unity Park with an amphitheater.

And yet more of your tax dollars go to fix the private water system at Alapaha Plantation.

On the bright side, the land formerly rezoned for a biomass plant is now requested to be rezoned for boat and RV storage. Continue reading →

Slides: One Valdosta-Lowndes @ LCC Work 2023-06-26

Thanks to One Valdosta-Lowndes (OVL) Executive Director Mary Beth Brownlee for sending LAKE her slides from Monday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.

[Cover, River Camp, OVL @ LCC 2023-06-26]
Cover, River Camp, OVL @ LCC 2023-06-26

Her slides are on the LAKE website and images of them are below.

Here is LAKE video by Gretchen Quarterman of the OVL presentation:
8. Reports – County Manager – Mary Beth Brownlee from One Valdosta Lowndes
8. Reports - County Manager - Mary Beth Brownlee from One Valdosta Lowndes

Video.

I just noticed Gretchen Quarterman is pictured on Mary Beth’s cover slide. That picture had to be taken at the May 23, 2023, reception for Mary Beth as new OVL Executive Director. Continue reading →

Videos: Surprise One Valdosta-Lowndes presentation, and executive session to discuss personnel @ LCC Work 2023-06-26

Update 2023-07-10: Videos: Adoption of Budget, Appointments to DFACS, VLPRA, Construction Board, Courts, Prison Details @ LCC Regular 2023-06-27.

Update 2023-06-29: Slides: One Valdosta-Lowndes @ LCC Work 2023-06-26.

People might have come to see if they knew One Valdosta-Lowndes was going to present at Monday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. Instead, County Manager Paige Dukes announced it during her County Manager Report, and then OVL Executive Director Mary Beth Brownlee presented. Thanks to Mary Beth for sending LAKE her presentation slides.

[Collage @ LCC 26 June 2023]
Collage @ LCC 26 June 2023

At the end of the meeting, the Commissioners held an executive session to discuss personnel. There is only one personnel directly managed by the Commissioners: the County Manager.

The second longest item at 4 minutes was 5. Fire Officer of the Year – Fire Fighter of the Year Recognition.

Next longest at two and a third minutes was 7.a. Lowndes County Accountability Court Grant Approval and Cash Match.

Everything passed unanimously, including the adoption of the FY 2024 Operating Budget and the reappointments to three boards.

Once the county finishes taking over its own permitting, the 6.c. Valdosta Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals won’t exist, and Lowndes County will have to appoint its own. The new one could have the same county members.

Were you invited to the stakeholder meetings the County Manager announced for “the development community”? Maybe taxpayers and citizens are not stakeholders.

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

Continue reading →

Packet: Adoption of Budget, Appointments to DFACS, VLPRA, Construction Board, Courts, Prison Details @ LCC 2023-06-26

Update 2023-06-29: Videos: Suprise One Valdosta-Lowndes presentation, and executive session to discuss personnel @ LCC Work 2023-06-26.

The board packet to go with the agenda for this week’s Lowndes County Commission meetings is on the LAKE website, received in response to a LAKE open records request.

[Collage, Board PacketT @ LCC 2023-06-26]
Collage, Board PacketT @ LCC 2023-06-26

LAKE videos of the meetings will follow.

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Videos: Project Viking, Reports, and CWTBH @ LCC Regular 2023-06-13

The Project Viking rezoning included an introduction to the new Public Hearing format: 10 minutes for each side, then 2 minutes of rebuttal. This method is in the draft ULDC changes. Nobody spoke against. The rezoning passed unanimously. So did all the other agenda items.

[Collage @ LCC 13 June 2023]
Collage @ LCC 13 June 2023

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:

Continue reading →

Agenda: Adoption of Budget, Appointments to DFACS, VLPRA, Construction Board, Courts, Prisoners @ LCC 2023-06-26

Update 2023-06-27: Packet: Adoption of Budget, Appointments to DFACS, VLPRA, Construction Board, Courts, Prison Details @ LCC 2023-06-26.

Monday morning at 8:30 AM the Lowndes County Commission will review at its Work Session items that it will vote on in its Regular Session Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC Agenda 2023-06-26]
Collage @ LCC Agenda 2023-06-26

Items include the Adoption of Fiscal Year 2024 Operating Budget, and a Budget Plan for Hotel Motel Proceeds for Fiscal Year 2024.

A stopgap resolution is proposed until the changes to the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC) are ready.

Also on the agenda are re-appointments to three boards,

Plus two items that the agenda says cost money:

Cost What
$147,954.007.b. Annual Contract Renewal with the State of Georgia Department of Corrections
$25,139.007.a. Lowndes County Accountability Court Grant Approval and Cash Match
$173,093.00Total

Here is the agenda.

LAKE has sent an open records request for the board packet. However, when Lowndes County someday puts its board packets on its own website, as many counties larger and smaller, in Georgia and Florida, have been doing for years, nobody will have to play this silly open records game just to get board packets.

Meanwhile, for the ULDC changes, see the Planning Commission board packet.

For the budget, see the LAKE videos from the Budget Work Session, the slides from that meeting, and Videos: Not a Public Hearing, even though advertised as one, Presentation @ LCC Budget 2023-06-20.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Packet: Airport Authority appointment, Project Viking rezoning, 2 court, 3 water including a tractor @ LCC 2023-06-13

Update 2023-06-26: Videos, Project Viking, Reports, and CWTBH @ LCC Regular 2023-06-13.

Update 2023-06-16: Draft Proposed Lowndes County Land Development Code changes 2023-06-13.

Lowndes County Utilities did actually get two bids for the Oak Hill Drive Water Main Extension.

But apparently only one quote for the Stone Creek Onsite Well Pump.

[Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-06-13]
Collage @ LCC Packet 2023-06-13

The packet materials are on the LAKE website.

LAKE looks forward to Lowndes County publishing the packet materials on its own website before the meetings, as many other counties larger and smaller already do in Georgia and Florida.

See also the agenda and the LAKE Videos: surprise ULDC update, DUI Court grant, Project Viking @ LCC Work 2023-06-12.

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Videos: surprise ULDC update, DUI Court grant, Project Viking @ LCC Work 2023-06-12

Update 2023-06-13: Packet: Airport Authority appointment, Project Viking rezoning, 2 court, 3 water including a tractor @ LCC 2023-06-13.

Once again Lowndes County sprung ULDC changes not on the agenda. They took up more than half of the Work Session yesterday morning.

This time County Manager Paige Dukes asked former County Planner and current consultant Jason Davenport to explain to the Commissioners those changes to the Unified Land Development Code. LAKE has sent in an open records request for those changes.

[Collage @ LCC 12 June 2023]
Collage @ LCC 12 June 2023

Second longest was 7.d. Lowndes County DUI Court FY 24 Grant Award. We don’t know why a judge has to come justify a grant that is working, yet applicants for boards do not have to show up before they are appointed.

The mysterious Project Viking conservation rezoning got two minutes.

The water main and well raise interesting questions about who is paying. The county got a local deal on the LAS tractor.

They vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

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

See also the agenda. LAKE will publish the board packet after the county sends it to us in response to the LAKE open records request. Continue reading →

Packet: Airport Authority appointment, Project Viking rezoning, 2 court, 3 water including a tractor @ LCC 2023-06-12

Update 2023-06-13: Videos: surprise ULDC update, DUI Court grant, Project Viking @ LCC Work 2023-06-12.

Tuesday evening after the Monday morning Work Session, the Lowndes County Commission will decide whether to reappoint the incumbent Anthony Payton to the Airport Authority (as it usually does), or to apoing David Westberry.

Also on the agenda are two court grant cash matches, three water projects including a tractor for the county sewer system Land Application Site (LAS), and Project Viking.

[Airport, Courts, Water, and Project Viking by Knights Creek @ LCC]
Airport, Courts, Water, and Project Viking by Knights Creek @ LCC

The wetlands of the Project Viking rezoning are next to Knights Creek in the Alapaha River Basin. The agenda does not seem to mention who this rezoning is for, but according to the Tax Assessors maps it’s BASSFORD N L JR. Those maps show the acreage as 80.0, not 69. I don’t know why the discrepency.

It appears that none of the water projects went out for bids. Two of them are for private wells.

Cost What
$96,095.22Kubota M6-141 Tractor
$64,095.00Stone Creek Onsite Well Pump
$30,750.00 Oak Hill Drive Water Main Extension
$19,509.00Lowndes County DUI Court FY 24 Grant Award
$8,857.00 Lowndes County Juvenile Accountability Court (LCJAC) FY24 Budget & Grant Award
$219,306.22Total

Here is the agenda.

See also the LAKE Videos: Five Valdosta rezonings, one Lowndes County, Lake Park Case pulled @ GLPC 2023-05-22.

LAKE does not have the board packet for this County Commission meeting, because I forgot to file an open records request before today. However, the Project Viking board packet materials from the Planning Commission will probably mostly be re-used for the County Commission meeting.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

  1. Call to Order
  2. Invocation
  3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
  4. Minutes for Approval
    1. Work Session – May 8, 2023, Regular Session – May 9, 2023, & Budget Work Session – May 31, 2023
  5. Appointment
    1. Valdosta-Lowndes County Airport Authority

      Documents:Valdosta Lowndes County Airport Authority Appointment.pdf

  6. Public Hearing
    1. REZ-2023-07 Project Viking, ~69 acres, Hunt Road, M-2 & CON to M-2 & CON, City Utilities

      Documents:REZ-2023-07 Project Viking.pdf

  7. For Consideration
    1. Oak Hill Drive Water Main Extension

      Documents:Oak Hill Drive Water Main Extension.pdf

    2. Stone Creek Onsite Well Pump

      Documents:Stone Creek Onsite Well Pump.pdf

    3. Kubota M6-141 Tractor

      Documents:Kubota M6-141 Tractor.pdf

    4. Lowndes County DUI Court FY 24 Grant Award

      Documents:Lowndes County DUI Court FY 24 Grant Award.pdf

    5. Lowndes County Juvenile Accountability Court (LCJAC) FY24 Budget & Grant Award

      Documents:Lowndes County Juvenile Accountability Court FY24 Budget Grant Award.pdf

  8. Reports – County Manager
  9. Citizens Wishing to be Heard-Please State Your Name and Address
  10. Adjournment

-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!
http://www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/donate

Videos: Animals, Juveniles, Golf Course, Subdivision infrastructure, solid waste, and alcohol @ LCC Regular 2023-04-25

The Lowndes County Commission breezed through approving everything unanimously two weeks ago.

There was some further discussion in Reports about the county taking over management of the Moody AFB golf course and some other items.

[Collage @ LCC 25 April 2023]
Collage @ LCC 25 April 2023

Then in Citizens Willing to Be Heard, Veterinarian Dr. Amanda Hall spoke about changes in state law regarding animal control, including about what counts as a breeder. And it is now unlawful to tether animals during inclement weather or mental distress, but that is not being enforced. She recommended Lowndes County revise its local animal control ordinance to be in line with the noise ordinance.

She recently learned the county was budgeting $7 million for a new animal shelter. She said there was much lower hanging fruit than that, such as updating the ordinance to use ideas that work elsewhere.

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 Continue reading →