Tag Archives: 2017

Budget, Tax, Sewage Pump Station, Road Abandonment, Zika @ LCC 2017-06-26

They’re going to adopt the county budget Tuesday, after talking about it this morning at 8:30 AM, after complaining that nobody showed up at a budget hearing they didn’t announce. Also after refusing budget requests due to revenue continuing down for several years, and not being willing to adjust taxes.

The VDT summarized, Thomas Lynn, VDT, 23 May 2017, County Manager: Proposed budget austere; Most new funding requests denied. And Thomas Lynn, 22 June 2017, Public absent from county budget hearing. No wonder, since the county didn’t even post the meeting online until that same morning, with no agenda. The VDT wasn’t there most of the time, but Gretchen was, with the LAKE video camera.

LAKE video by Gretchen Quarterman of Harrison Tillman and Stephanie Black about Budget at the Lowndes County Annual Planning Meeting Day 1 @ LCC 2017-02-16
Photo: Gretchen Quarterman for LAKE of Harrison Tillman and Stephanie Black about Budget at the Lowndes County Annual Planning Meeting Day 1 @ LCC 2017-02-16

Gretchen also videoed Continue reading →

Videos: Paving, animals, speed zones, prison work details, fees @ LCC 2017-06-13

They welcomed Ross Berry, the new CEO of South Georgia Medical Center, and he spoke briefly. Last minute agenda addition: 6.f. Lowndes County Accountability Court Grant and Match Citzen Judy Havercamp spoke about the animal shelter. Citizen Shirley Garlan spoke for her neighborhood, asking to connect to county water.

They spent by far the longest time (almost 20 minutes including public participation) on the New Statenville Highway rezoning for a Dollar General, which they finally approved with conditions, including what County Planner Jason Davenport said was an unprecedented condition on lighting. For this item, see also the the LAKE videos of the preceding Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting.

Second longest at more than five minutes was Continue reading →

Videos: Dollar General, speed zones, prison work details, fees, road bid fail @ LCC 2017-06-12

Update 2017-06-18: Videos: Paving, animals, speed zones, prison work details, fees @ LCC 2017-06-13.

A rare event this morning at the Lowndes County Commission Work Session: neither Scruggs nor Reames bid on the Resurfacing of Five County Roads and Two Alternate Projects, and the Commissioners don’t like the bids they got. What will they do Tuesday evening? Accept none and try again later? They also went into an executive session about pending litigation.

See the agenda. See also Continue reading →

Dollar General, speed zones, prison work details, fees, road bid fail @ LCC 2017-06-12

Here’s the agenda for this morning’s Work Session and tomorrow evening’s Regular Session. See also the LAKE videos of the previous Greater Lowndes Planning Commission meeting for the New Statenville Highway rezoning.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JUNE 12, 2017, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2017, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Video: Budget Overview Summary Session @ LCC Budget 2017-05-22

Update 2017-06-26: the rest of the LAKE videos of this meeting. They’re discussing this budget this morning and voting on it Tuesday 27 June 2017.

“You have the packets that have been provided for you in regards budget,”, said County Chairman Bill Slaughter, but the taxpayers do not have that packet for this meeting that was not on the county calendar until this morning, had no agenda, and only popped up online also that same yesterday morning of this Budget Work Session.

This is the summary given by Continue reading →

Videos: Reappointment to Airport Authority, raise convenience fees, Moody AFB swimming pool @ LCC 2017-05-22

Six minutes and ten seconds yesterday morning to breeze through the agenda for the Work Session; the Lowndes County Commission votes tonight at 5:30 PM. Also, the Chairman announced the Budget Work Session to start at 9AM, which didn’t match the posting about that time put on the county’s website.

Tonight they will very likely reappoint Jeff Sikes to the Airport Authority, increase “convenience fees for online and telephone payments to $2.50 per transaction”, some I-75 exit work, and a swimming pool at Moody Air Force Base. Plus a beer and wine license due to the usual change of ownership, and an HVAC maintenance contract.

Videos: Peace Officers, Public Works GA-EPD request, Regional T-SPLOST, 2 ZBOA appointments, 2 rezonings, surplus, quit claim, lift station pump, and Naylor Community Center bids @ LCC 2017-05-09

The T-SPLOST motion passed, but as a very unusual split vote, two weeks ago in the Lowndes County Commission Regular Session, 9 May 2017.

4. Peace Officers Memorial Week Proclamation Presentation,

Vice-Chair Joyce Evans presiding, they spent about five minutes on this item, including a speech by Sheriff Ashley Paulk, in which he said his department would be having a bigger presence. Chairman Bill Slaughter returned from his “good little trip” some time in there and took up the gavel after the minutes to be approved.

6. ZBOA appointments,

They reappointed Continue reading →

Not on calendar and no agenda @ LCC Budget 2017-05-22

Not on their calendar until this morning, no agenda, and only popped up online also this morning, the same day of this Budget Work Session. And even though that says it would start at 8:45, they actually announced in the main Work Session that it would start at 9AM.

Immediately after the Work Session?

If Gretchen hadn’t been there with the LAKE camera, Continue reading →

Reappointment to Airport Authority, raise convenience fees, Moody AFB swimming pool @ LCC 2017-05-22

It probably won’t take them 15 minutes after 8 AM to breeze through this light agenda, including reappoinging Jeff Sikes to the Airport Authority, increasing “convenience fees for online and telephone payments to $2.50 per transaction”, some I-75 exit work, and a swimming pool at Moody Air Force Base. Plus a beer and wine license due to the usual change of ownership, and an HVAC maintenance contract.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, MAY 22, 2017, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2017, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading →

Videos: Public Works GA-EPD request, Regional T-SPLOST, 2 ZBOA appointments, 2 rezonings, surplus, quit claim, lift station pump, and Naylor Community Center bids @ LCC 2017-05-08

Not on the agenda this morning: Public Works is applying to GA-EPD for a grant for tire disposal amnesty. 11 of 18 counties have voted to hold a Regional T-SPLOST referendum, and Lowndes County now needs to decide whether to support or oppose that: they vote Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

County Manager Joe Pritchard asked why all the lift station pump repairs. Utilities Director Steve Stalvey said the county has 114 lift station pumps, all either duplex or triplex, with the duplication very important to maintain service. They typically last about 15-20 years, there were periods when money was short and maintenance was slack, and quite a few of them are coming to end of life, most recently this one at US 84.

They spent the longest time, 3 3/4 minutes, on the Continue reading →