Videos: Howell Road Halfway House approved in split vote @ LCC Regular 2023-04-11

Two weeks ago the Lowndes County Commission appointed Brenda Mims to the Board of Health, Victoria Copeland and Marion Ramsey to ZBOA, and Jane Peeples to the Library Board, all unanimously.

Everything else (except one item) also passed unanimously, including 8.b. Amend 2015 Solid Waste Ordinance raising waste collection fees and reducing collection center hours, as requested by the haulers.

Collage @ LCC Regular 2023-04-11

It became even more obvious why they tabled it a month before: All the Lowndes County Commissioners apparently already knew how they were going to vote on the Howell Road halfway house rezoning before they held the Public Hearing.

The vote was the same as Continue reading →

Packet: AB Motorsports withdrawn, Wild Adventures glamping @ GLPC 2023-04-24

The rezoning request for AB Motorsports has been withdrawn by the applicant, and the rezoning is still live for the Wild Adventures Safari Campground, for RVs, cabins, and glamping, at the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) meeting tonight.

We know this because, a day late and a dollar short, Lowndes County late yesterday supplied most of the board packet.

Maps, rezonings @ GLPC 2023-04-24

Just after I posted the agenda and sent them email reminding that it had been four working days sent LAKE sent the open records request and that the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) requires a response in three days, as their own County Clerk web page says: “Once a request is received, Lowndes County will notify the requesting party within 3 days regarding the availability of the information”; a few minutes later the county sent the agenda packet materials for the two rezonings.

But once again they did not satisfy this part of the request: “Including the minutes of the previous GLPC meeting (those are NOT on the lowndescounty.com website).”

Considering that the planners for Dasher, Lake Park, Hahira, and Valdosta responded the same day as the request (saying they had no items), I really do not see what is so difficult for Lowndes County to respond in a timely manner according to state law. They have to have the same materials already available for GLPC, so all they need to do is email a few PDFs.

Even better, why can’t Lowndes County put board packet materials on their own website, as many counties smaller and larger in Georgia and Florida have been doing for years? Why do you, the taxpayers and voters and other interested parties, have to depend on a third party to find out what an elected government is doing?

The materials thus far received from Lowndes County for tonight are on the LAKE website.

-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

Packet: Alcohol, Juveniles, Golf Course, Subdivision infrastructure, and solid waste @ LCC 2023-04-24

Update 2023-05-08: Videos: Juveniles, Golf Course, Subdivision infrastructure, solid waste, and alcohol @ LCC Work 2023-04-24.

Just after I posted the agenda and mentioned that Lowndes County was past the three days limit state law requires for a response (and I also sent them an email reminder), the county sent the board packet.

The board packet is on the LAKE website.

Packet Collage @ LCC 2023-04-24

-jsq

Agenda: Rezonings for AB Motorsports and Wild Adventures @ GLPC 2023-04-24

Update 2023-04-24: Packet: AB Motorsports withdrawn, Wild Adventures glamping @ GLPC 2023-04-24.

Two sports-related rezonings will be considered by the Greater Lowndes Planning Commission (GLPC) Monday evening, for a recommendation by GLPC and a later decision by the Lowndes County Commission (LCC).

Agenda and rezonings @ GLPC 2023-04-24

Here is the agenda.

LAKE has no board packet to show, because Lowndes County has not responded to a LAKE open records request of 8:00 AM Tuesday, four working days ago, even though the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) requires a response within three working days.

As a placeholder, I’ve stuck in a couple of maps of the rezoning areas from the Lowndes County Tax Assessors maps.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
~ Lowndes County ~ City of Valdosta ~ City of Dasher ~
~ City of Hahira ~ City of Lake Park ~ City of Remerton ~
Monday, April 17, 2023 5:30 P.M. Work Session
Monday, April 24, 2023 5:30 P.M. Regular Session
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue, Valdosta, Georgia
Continue reading →

Agenda: Alcohol, Juveniles, Golf Course, Subdivision infrastructure, and solid waste @ LCC 2023-04-24

Update 2023-04-23: Packet: Alcohol, Juveniles, Golf Course, Subdivision infrastructure, and solid waste @ LCC 2023-04-24.

Here’s a rare Lowndes County Commission session where the total amount of taxpayers dollars being considered to spend is zero.

Cost	What
$368,179.20	FY2024 Juvenile Justice Incentive Grant
-$368,179.20	Reimbursed 100% by CJCC
$0.00	Total

That of course ignores future road and utility maintenance costs for Quarterman Estates Subdivision Phase 4, Section 1 and Grove Pointe Subdivision Phase 5, Section 3, plus whatever it will cost for the county to run the Quiet Pines Golf Course for Moody AFB. Lowndes County already operates Moody AFB’s wastewater treatment plant.

Agenda @ LCC 2023-04-24

Here is the agenda. We have no board packet to show you, because there has been no response to the LAKE open records request of 8:00 AM Tuesday, four working days ago, even though the Georgia Open Records Act (GORA) requires a response within three days.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2023, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
Continue reading →

Agenda: Lowndes County Commissioners Planning Meeting 2023-04-12

In Lowndes County’s annual Planning Retreat, these items seem especially interesting, for today and Friday:

Wednesday- 2:00 p.m. Unified Land Development Code Ordinance Update

Friday- 8:30 a.m. Ordinance Update Discussion

It’s hard to tell what will be discussed in the other agenda items, since they have labels like “Finance” or “Departmental Updates”.

Agenda
PDF

Not sure when this was posted, but it is under Lowndes County News: 2023 ANNUAL PLANNING MEETING AGENDA. Continue reading →

Videos: Recognitions, Extension Office, Raise waste collection rates, Howell Road halfway house rezoning, appointments to 3 boards @ LCC Work 2023-04-10

Update 2023-04-24: Videos: Howell Road Halfway House approved in split vote @ LCC Regular 2023-04-11.

Yesterday the Lowndes County Commissioners had no discussion about what Chairman Bill Slaughter referred to as “One public hearing item that just will not go away.” That’s 7.a. REZ-2022-10 Campus Transitional Care, 2193 Howell Road, E-A to P-D. The Commissioners vote at the Regular Session this evening at 5:30 PM. They can make it go away for at least a year by denying the rezoning.

Collage @ LCC 10 April 2023

On 8.b. Amend 2015 Solid Waste Ordinance, Gretchen remarked: “In my mind, it seems super inconvenient to shorten the hours of the collection sites on Monday and Friday. If someone works 8-5, then getting their recycling there by 6 is not possible.

“Oh, but this isn’t for the health, safety and well being of the citizens, Continue reading →

Packet: Raise waste collection rates, appointments to 3 boards, crop sprayer for wastewater sprayfield @ LCC 2023-04-10

It’s back: the Howell Road halfway house rezoning, after being tabled last time, waiting for a full Commission. The Lowndes County Commission will vote on it tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.

All the same opposition letters and petition signatures are included in the board packet. Staff still recommends approval, although the Planning Commission recommended denial by 7:3.

Collage, LCC Packet 2023-04-10

The Letter of Intent from Redeemed Living includes this: “Redeemed Residents are required to maintain full time employment, attend weekly recovery meetings, and become an active member at a Church of their choosing.” Is that establishment of religion? Continue reading →

Packet: Raise waste collection rates, appointments to 3 boards, crop sprayer for wastewater hayfield @ LCC 2023-04-10

It’s back: the Howell Road halfway house rezoning, after being tabled last time, waiting for a full Commission. The Lowndes County Commission will vote on it tomorrow evening at 5:30 PM.

All the same opposition letters and petition signatures are included in the board packet. Staff still recommends approval, although the Planning Commission recommended denial by 7:3.

Collage, LCC Packet 2023-04-10

Videos: James Road rezoning and three water projects @ LCC 2023-03-14

The contentious James Road rezoning passed by 3:2, on March 14, 2023. After speakers for and against, and questions from Lowndes County Commissioners, Commissioner Clay Griner made the motion, and Commissioner Mark Wisenbaker seconded. They and Commissioner Scottie Orenstein voted in favor. Commissioners Joyce Evans and Demarcus Marshall voted against.

Collage @ LCC 14 March 2023

Everything else passed unanimously, including the $1.2 million for three water projects, two for subdivisions with golf clubs, and the most expensive one to run a watermain up Val Del Road, enticing more subdivisions up that way.

Cost	What
$980,051.00	Val-Del Water Main Extension
$225,910.30	Francis Lake Sewer Rehab
$26,585.50	Kinderlou Offsite Well Emergency Repair
$1,232,546.80	Total

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

On the LAKE front

Citizen dialog for transparent process by the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange