Category Archives: WWALS

Videos: Budget, Court Grants, Stream Credits, Debris, Insurance, Vac-Trailer @ LCC Regular 2024-06-25

Commmissioner Demarcus Marshall asked what were the criteria for selecting firms for the 5.e. Pre-Event Debris Removal Contracts, at the Regular Session of the Lowndes County Commission, June 25, 2024.

He also wondered about the timeline for 6.a. Bid for a Vac-Trailer for the Utilities Department.

Those and all the other items passed unanimously.

In her report, County Manager Paige Dukes said the Board of Tax Assessors had received 130 appeals for agricultural assessments.

There was one Citizen Wishing to Be Heard, Marcelle Rosbury of Enoch Lake Circle in Lake Park. She seemed to be complaining about road maintenance.

[Collage @ LCC 25 June 2024]
Collage @ LCC 25 June 2024

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 Continue reading →

Videos: Budget, Court Grants, Stream Credits, Debris, Insurance, Vac-Trailer @ LCC Work 2024-06-24

Update 2024-07-07: Videos: Budget, Court Grants, Stream Credits, Debris, Insurance, Vac-Trailer @ LCC Regular 2024-06-25.

Lowndes County Commissioners had a few questions about 5.ef. Pre-Event Debris Removal/Monitoring Contracts, in their Work Session of June 24, 2024. The removal and monitoring items were presented together. FEMA requires a monitoring firm to make sure the debris removal firms do the right thing.

FYI, a Vac-Trailer is like a vac truck, but it’s smaller and can get into more places (for sucking up sewage spills).

At the end the Chairman requested an executive session to discuss personnel. That’s interesting, because as noted years ago in a Commission meeting, the Commissioners only have one personnel. Everybody else reports up to the County Manager.

[Collage @ LCC Work Session 24 June 2024]
Collage @ LCC Work Session 24 June 2024

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 Continue reading →

Videos: ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC Work 2024-02-26

Update 2024-03-09: ULDC Text Amendment Status @ LCC 2024-03-26.

Yesterday morning at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session, they went straight into the ULDC Text Amendment. The changes County Planner J.D. Dillard discussed were not in the board packet. I have filed an open records request to get them. It’s fine that they want to be business friendly for incoming businesses, as he said. A little more friendly to we the taxpayers and voters would also be good, for example by publishing the board packet and proposed ULDC changes on the county’s own website, lowndescounty.com.

They could even put the proposed ULDC Text amendments on lowndescounty.com before they vote this evening at 5:30 PM.

[Collage @ LCC 26 February 2024]
Collage @ LCC 26 February 2024

While discussing minutes for approval, Chairman Bill Slaughter asked when the rezoning cases that were not decided two weeks ago due to the meeting being cancelled due to Commissioner illness: when will those rezoning cases be heard? Answer: March 12 there will be five rezoning cases. So apparently the old ones plus the new ones from yesterday’s Planning Commission meeting. County Manager Paige Dukes further clarified that they had to go back through the process of public announcements of the rezoning Public Hearings. Thank you, Chairman, for asking that question.

Those were the two longest items, at 3 minutes and 30 seconds and one minute and 20 seconds, each. The entire meeting took eleven minutes.

About 6.e. Spring Creek Well Pilot Study, Gretchen noted, “I hope this money comes from the enterprise fund for water and sewer and not the general fund.”

About 7.d. Golden Oaks Subdivision Force Main she noted “$100,500 to service around 30 homes. Again, I hope this is funded by the enterprise fund. Perhaps in the interest of transparency, the source of funds could be mentioned.”

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist.

See also Continue reading →

Packet: Missing ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC 2024-02-26

Update 2024-02-27: Videos: ULDC Text Amendment, new well, force main, and elevator with For Consideration and Bids from previous cancelled session @ LCC Work 2024-02-26.

In the board packet Lowndes County sent this morning in response to yesterday’s LAKE open records request, there is more information on the 6.e. Spring Creek Well Pilot Study and 7.d. Golden Oaks Subdivision Force Main, including bid sheets and a contract. There was nothing additional on the third new agenda item, 7.a. Bid to Upgrade the Main Elevator at the Human Resource Building.

The ULDC Text Amendment (TXT-2024-01) Update Presentation was not included in the board packet. I have filed an open records request to get it.

[Packet: new well, force main, and elevator @ LCC 2024-02-26]
Packet: new well, force main, and elevator @ LCC 2024-02-26

Since no map was included of the Golden Oaks Subdivision, I have added one from VALORGIS. Continue reading →

Packet: Lead Service Line Inventory and MCWTP Micro Screen, Lakeland Ave. Stormwater, New water wells @ VCC 2024-01-25

The board packet for tonight’s Valdosta City Council meeting, full of wastewater, stormwater, and trash items, is on the LAKE website, all 137 pages of it.

The packet includes some details about the proposed Lakeland Avenue Regional Stormwater Facility, which is item 5.c) on the agenda.

[Collage, Valdosta City Council Packet 2024-01-25]
Collage, Valdosta City Council Packet 2024-01-25

If you can’t attend in person, you can watch it on facebook live on Valdosta, A City Without Limits.
https://www.facebook.com/CityofValdosta

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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

Agenda: Lead Service Line Inventory and MCWTP Micro Screen, Lakeland Ave. Stormwater, New water wells @ VCC 2024-01-25

Update 2024-01-25: Packet: Lead Service Line Inventory and MCWTP Micro Screen, Lakeland Ave. Stormwater, New water wells @ VCC 2024-01-25.

Tonight’s Valdosta City Council agenda is full of wastewater, stormwater, and trash items.

[Agenda, Valdosta City Council, 2024-01-25 and Lakeland Avenue map]
Agenda, Valdosta City Council, 2024-01-25 and Lakeland Avenue map

If you can’t attend in person, you can watch it on facebook live on Valdosta, A City Without Limits.
https://www.facebook.com/CityofValdosta

Here is the agenda.

[Agenda, Valdosta City Council, 2024-01-25]
Agenda, Valdosta City Council, 2024-01-25
PDF

AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, January 25, 2024
CITY HALL, COUNCIL CHAMBERS

Continue reading →

Videos: Wild Adventures and Weather Report @ LCC Work 2023-02-13

Update 2023-03-13: Firefighters grant, Madison Highway rezoning, Webster Street purchase, Wild Adventures expansion, Peterson Road Sewer Main Open Cut @ LCC Regular 2023-02-14.

Wild Adventures wants to make a 50 space short term RV park on their property. Their General Manager Jon Vigue gave a slide presentation.

[Collage @ LCC 13 February 2023]
Collage @ LCC 13 February 2023

Commissioner Scottie Orenstien wanted to know did they own the land: yes. Would they connect to county water and sewer? yes. Lowndes County Utilities Director affirmed that the county already has the necessary infrastructure for them to connect to.

Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to be sure Continue reading →

Videos: Leadership Lowndes, Rezonings, Lift Station, Pictometry, SDS, Suwannee Riverkeeper, Bethany Drive @ LCC 2022-10-11

Update 2024-01-24: Why the traffic light: The Towns at 4443 (Bemiss Road @ Studstill Road) letter of intent and Conceptual Plan @ GLPC 2022-09-26.

Lowndes County Commissioners were still not happy with the City of Valdosta about the Service Delivery Agreement, with Chairman Bill Slaughter reciting a litany of recent extraterritorial water and sewage decisions and a change in funding for county roads for the upcoming “physical” year, at their Regular Session of October 11, 2022. Commissioners Clay Griner and Scottie Orenstein complained about the agreement, with some threats to go back to the 2008 agreement if signatures were not gotten from the Valdosta immediately. It passed 4:1, with Griner voting against.

They spent 25 minutes on 5.a. REZ-2022-16 4443 Bemiss, ~14.1 acres, from C-G \u0026 R-A to P-D \u0026 C-G, finally agreeing for the applicant to add a fence between it and the nearby church.

County Manager Paige Dukes in her report said the county was only doing their river cleanup because it is required by the county’s stormwater permit, so it’s a checkbox they are checking. Also, she was asking Public Works to have the county’s litter crew stand down beforehand, so volunteers would have something to pick up at the boat ramps.

Two citizens spoke, Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman proposing a grant application about water quality, and Matthew and Debra Williams of Bethany Drive back again after a year about a county drainage easement draining onto their property.

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 LAKE videos of the previous morning’s Work Session, the agenda and board packet, and the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting. Continue reading →

Videos: Rezonings, pictometry, lift station @ LCC 2022-10-10

Update 2022-10-31: Videos: Leadership Lowndes, Rezonings, Lift Station, Pictometry, SDS, Suwannee Riverkeeper, Bethany Drive @ LCC 2022-10-11.

An executive session involving the fire chief and an extra attorney was the most unusual thing at the Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission on October 10, 2022.

[Collage @ LCC 2022-10-10]
Collage @ LCC 2022-10-10

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item, with a few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the agenda and board packet, and the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting. Continue reading →

Packet: Two rezonings, Pictometry, Lift Station quit claim, Val Del Estates subdivision infrastructure 2022-10-10

Update 2022-10-31: Videos: Rezonings, pictometry, lift station @ LCC 2022-10-10.

The two subdivision rezonings won’t cost anything, according to the Lowndes County Commission, even though on the same agenda there’s a resolution to adopt infrastructure for another subdivision that the county will then have to maintain, and a quitclain of a sewage lift station in another subdivision.

The only thing for which they do detail costs is aerial mapping of the county as requested by the Tax Assesssors’ office.

Cost What
$39,979.33 years 1-3Eagleview Pictometry Agreement between the Lowndes County Board of Assessors and Pictometry International Corp.
$40,310.67 years 4-6Eagleview Pictometry Agreement between the Lowndes County Board of Assessors and Pictometry International Corp.
$80,290.00Total

All that plus a beer license at the Work Session this morning, to be voted on in the Regular Session at 5:30 PM Tuesday.

[Maps, LCC Packet 2022-10-10]
Maps, LCC Packet 2022-10-10

Here is the agenda. The board packet, received in response to a LAKE open records request, is on the LAKE website. For the two rezonings, see also the Continue reading →