Budget Public Hearing @ LCC Budget 2019-06-11

If the Commissioners are so proud of their proposed budget, why do they make it so hard for the taxpayers and voters to see?

All we have on lowndescounty.com is Public Hearing on the Proposed FY 2020 Budget,

Date: June 11, 2019
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: Board of Commissioners
Administration Building
Address: 327 N. Ashley Street
2nd Floor
Valdosta, GA 31601

A slide from a 2011 Lowndes County budget presentation.
Maybe the proportions are the same this year; maybe they’re not; who can say?

See also the announcement of this June meeting in an unannounced May meeting. Back then Commissioners said the $108 million proposed budget includes a new litter collection division which they’re considering using to replace Keep Lowndes-Valdosta Beautiful (KLVB).

Which is more than we know from the agenda of today’s budget meeting, because no agenda is posted.

The proposed budget is not on Continue reading →

Unannounced special session on budget and litter @ LCC 2019-05-29

The Lowndes County Commission said there will be a public hearing on their proposed $108 million budget at 5PM, Tuesday, June 11, 2019 (today). That public hearing is on the county’s online calendar. They also said the budget included a new trash collection division, and they were considering using that to replace Keep Lowndes-Valdosta Beautiful (KLVB).

But the meeting at which that Tuesday Budget Public Hearing was announced, which was some time Wednesday afternoon, May 29, 2019, is nowhere on lowndescounty.com that I can find, not in the calendar, news, or agendas, and they said nothing about it the previous day in their Work Session and Regular Session, both on that Tuesday. Also, I received no notification of the Wednesday meeting, even though I’m signed up for such things. We only know of it because of Continue reading →

Videos: 2 appointments, Tower, GDOT Utilities, various agreements @ LCC Regular 2019-05-28

Animal welfare was the topic of the one Citizen wished to be Heard: Ed Barr, a former VSU faculty member, who said he spoke for a group of people who want a better-designed animal shelter, with better accessibility, as in closer to a residential area, or maybe redesigned like Miss Kitty Feline Sanctuary in Thomasville; he never said quite what features that meant.

The Regular Session was double-booked at the same time as the Planning Commission, so Gretchen went to the Planning Commission. The county’s own video was not available yesterday, but it appeared after I inquired.

They appointed Continue reading →

Videos: Tower, GDOT Utilities, 2 appointments, various agreements @ LCC Work 2019-05-28

The Work Session was at 4PM on Tuesday. The longest item was 7d. Corrections Software Solutions Probation Tracking System.

On the 6 a. TWR-2019-01 US Hwy 84 E. E-A, New 300′ Telecommunications Tower, tabled last time, staff did hear from Moody AFB that the tower was no problem for helicopter pilots, and the FAA has said no hazard. But they didn’t say whether Moody had issued its TERPS report.

Berinda Nwakamma did introduce herself very briefly as an applicant for the 5a. Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD). County Manager Joe Pritchard said “her information is in your agenda,” but it was not among the board packet documents the county sent LAKE in response to an open records request. What we dug up about her is below.

The Chairman had to speak for the one applicant for the 5b. Appointment – Southern Georgia Area Agency on Aging, since Commissioner Joyce Evans declined to say anything.

They had an Executive Session to discuss pending litigation.

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

Videos: One county case: Knudson & Son Outdoor Activities @ ZBOA 2019-06-04

ZBOA granted some relief on parking, but not as much as they wanted, and not anything else: not setbacks, fencing, etc., to Knudson & Son Outdoor Activities, the only case on this month’s ZBOA agenda.

This is the case before the Lowndes County Commission today, after it Continue reading →

Knudson & Son Outdoor Activities, Sheriff, Intrusion Detection, Bids @ LCC 2019-06-10

Update 2019-06-10: ZBOA denied almost all of the variances the same applicant requested.

The paintball-like game venue that was surprisingly contentious at the Planning Commission, is on the agenda for Monday and Tuesday at the Lowndes County Commission. GLPC voted 5-1 to table until the June Planning Commission meeting, but the Planning Commission is merely a recommending body: it does not decide rezonings. The county’s agenda sheet says “The TRC considered this request and had no objectionable comments, and staff finds the request consistent with the Comprehensive Plan.” The County Commission could decide to ignore the Planning Commission and approve this rezoning anyway.

Still from LAKE video of REZ-2019-08 in the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

The Sheriff’s department wants to buy laptops and handheld citation thingies for $85,934.66.

IT wants some cyber-threat-detection service, at unknown cost.

All that and some bids for vehicles.

Here is the agenda. See also the Continue reading →

Packet: Lowndes County Commission @ LCC 2019-05-28

Received in response to an open records request by LAKE. The county supplied it onto the same USB drive with the documents from the previous County Commission packet. The county charged LAKE $6.65 for that USB stick.

GDOT to Lowndes County, Actual Cost Preliminary Engineering Agreement, Cover Letter

These documents are on the LAKE website.

LAKE looks forward to the county putting all these packet documents on the county’s own website, along with the agenda and agenda sheets.

Missing from what the county sent: Continue reading →

Packet: Lowndes County Commission @ LCC 2019-05-14

Update 2019-07-09: Missing items supplied by the county.

Here’s the mysterious Moody AFB “Helicopter Corridor and Class D Airspace” map from item 6.c. TWR-2019-01 Value Concepts, Inc., US Hwy 84 E. E-A, New 300′ Telecommunications Tower on the May 13 and 14, 2019, Lowndes County Commission agenda.

Page 24

This in the agenda packet, now on the LAKE website, including files returned by the county in response to a LAKE open records request. The county supplied those files on a USB drive, for which it charged LAKE $6.65.

Missing from what the county sent: Continue reading →

Two sewer projects, personal care home, street name change @ VCC 2019-06-06

This agenda brought to you by Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE), because mighty Valdosta’s new website forgot all its agendas and minutes since last October. No doubt they will get that fixed soon.

Still from LAKE video of CUP-2019-03 at the preceding Planning Commission meeting.

Here’s the agenda. See also the LAKE videos of the preceding Planning Commission meeting about the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to establish a Family Personal Care Home facility in a Residential-Professional (R-P) Zoning District as requested by Chad Bailey (File No. CU-2019-23 at 4019 Forrest Run Circle.

AMENDED AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE VALDOSTA CITY COUNCIL
5:30 PM Thursday, June 6, 2019
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL
Continue reading →

Videos: Outdoor sports more contentious than Tower @ GLPC 2019-05-28

More than 3/4 of an hour on Knudson & Son Outdoor Activities, 28 minutes on one of the Hahira GA overlay variance requests, and 22 minutes on the Valdosta personal care home request (before the Valdosta City Council tonight), plus a bunch of shorter items, added up to a two-hour Planning Commission meeting.