Tag Archives: Agriculture

Budget and wood pellet farm –Adel City Council 2020-09-08

Adel staff answered extensive questions about the budget, in the Adel City Council meeting, Tuesday, August 8, 2020. The proposed wood pellet plant for export to Europe was criticised by several local citizens, and defended by members of local authorities and commissions, as well as its CEO, speaking from Houston, Texas, on a laptop screen.

Budget & Wood Pellet Plant @ Adel City Council 2020-09-08

Below are links to each LAKE video of each agenda item and each speaker, with a few notes. See also Continue reading

Education, Extension, Prisoners, Fire, Water, Sewer, Nelson Hill, Wages, Taxes, Clerk @ LCC 2020-08-24

A busy agenda for 8:30 AM Monday morning, with voting 5:30 PM Tuesday, includes especially taxes, and alcohol, sewer, twice, education, extension agents, Prison Work Details, and Architectural Services for Lowndes County Fire Station #5 – Bemiss Road Fire Station Alterations and Additions.

[Aerial Map]
Aerial Map for Uncle Carlo’s Italian Ristorante, 1024 Lakes Blvd., Lake Park, GA.

Plus appointment of a new County Clerk, Belinda Lovern, and Deputy Clerk, Sabrina Denson. No posting of the positions is mentioned.

Cost What
$147,954.00Annual Contract Renewal, Georgia Department of Corrections – Prison Work Details
$141,841.00Contract for Extension Agents and Staff
$110,000.00Peterson Road Lift Station Emergency Repair
$44,400.00Architectural Services for Lowndes County Fire Station #5 – Bemiss Road Fire Station Alterations and Additions
$41,840.00Nelson Hill Discharge Manhole
$5,699.35Tax Commissioners’ Back Wage Settlement with Department of Labor
$-32,000.00USDA Building Lease Amendment No. 4
$459,734.35Total

The Lowndes County Commission is Repealing Approvals Authorizing the Tax Commissioner to Waive Penalties and Interest, apparently because of a Tax Commissioners' Back Wage Settlement with Department of Labor.

After last year’s vote of the people to ask the Georgia legislature to make the Tax Assessors appointed, not elected, the legislature did that. Now the County Commission is setting the number of Assessors at three, with initial staggered terms of 3, 4, and 5 years, and after that 3 years for each.

This is after two weeks ago the Lowndes County Commission rolled back the tax millage rate slightly.

Here is the agenda. The entire board packet, together with the Minutes of the meetings of two weeks ago (Work Session, Millage Hearing, and Regular Session) is on LAKE website.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 24, 2020, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2020, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading

Videos: County paying for road right of way @ LCC 2019-01-08

They added two items to the agenda they didn’t even mention in the previous morning’s Work Session: purchase of some real estate on Davidson Road near Moody Air Force Base, and “just compensation” for right of way on Simpson Road.

Wait a minute! For ten years we’ve been told the county no longer buys rights of way: if you want your road paved, you have to donate the right of way. So why this exception? And why sneak it in like this?

Will Kamisha Martin get paid for right of way if the county paves Black Road? Will Rev. Berlinda Hart Love get paid for right of way if the county paves Williams School Road? They were the two citizens who were heard.

Not on the agenda were Continue reading

Videos: Retreat! Appointment to Development Authority, Abandon Reed Road, Ed Hay Lease, Forestry Speaks @ LCC 2019-01-07

Longest Monday morning was Chief Ranger Stephen Spradley’s Georgia Forestry report, a copy of which, scanned by Gretchen, is on the LAKE website.

Second longest was Chairman Bill Slaughter’s comments, in which he listed four upcoming events: Continue reading

Appointment to Development Authority, Abandon Reed Road, End Hay Lease, Forestry Speaks @ LCC 2019-01-07

It’s the end of an era at the Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority (VLCIA), excuse me, the Development Authority, now that Roy Copeland declined to be reappointed. To his joint-appointment position, Valdosta appointed Aneesha Johnson, and the Lowndes County Commission may confirm Tuesday.

Aneesha Johnson
DuPont Valdosta Plant Names Johnson New Plant Manager, Valdosta Today, 29 June 2015.

In Monday morning’s Work Session, they will also consider abandoning the end of Reed Road (presumably the part that runs down to the Withlacoochee River), and ending the hay lease (presumably on the county’s Land Application Site). Chief Ranger Stephen Spradley of Georgia Forestry will say a few words. They vote Tuesday at 5:30 PM.

Here’s the agenda.

LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2018, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2018, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor

Continue reading

ZBOA agenda and packet @ ZBOA 2018-11-06

Two small county family plot variances at ZBOA this afternoon, one in an agricultural zone, the other in the Moody Activity Zone near Moody AFB. And today they vote on who will be Chair and Vice-Chair next year, as well as on their calendar of meetings.

Thanks to ZBOA member Gretchen Quarterman, here is the agenda and board packet, in which you can see where these variances are being requested, who is requesting them, and why.

This agenda is still not on the City of Valdosta ZBOA agenda web page, and the board packet never is.

[Future Development Map]
Future Development Map
PDF

Valdosta – Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals

Matt Martin,
Valdosta Planning and Zoning Administrator
300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 259-3563

Carmella Braswell,
Lowndes County Zoning Administrator
327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia
(229) 671-2430

AGENDA
November 6, 2018
2:30 p.m.

Continue reading

A farm to subdivision, 2 Howell +3 Valdosta, 6 Nijem Remerton @ GLPC 2018-10-29

The six Joe Nijem Remerton cases are merely for public input. Wait, isn’t everything before the GLPC merely advisory? So how are these items different?

Two of the five Valdosta cases are for Michael Howell on West Gordon Street.

And then there’s Knights Landing Development, LLC, for which the Tax Assessors’ acreages don’t add up to the stated 42 acres, for the sketched out medieval street names on Hoyle Lane and the nearby property on Bemiss Knights Academy Road, off Bemiss Road.

Knights Development LLC, parcel 01458 357, REZ-2018-18
Knights Development LLC, parcel 01458 357, REZ-2018-18

All on the agenda for this evening at the Planning Commission.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA

Monday, October 29, 2018 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue

Continue reading

Videos: Developments on Mulligan Road and North Oak St. Ext. @ GLPC 2018-06-25

Tonight the Lowndes County Commission will be voting on two rezonings that were considered a few weeks ago in the June 2018 Planning Commission meeting.

GLPC took 3/4 of an hour (by far the longest) on 4. REZ-2018-14 Jerry Stoker – Mulligan Road R-A and R-1 to P-D and 8 minutes on 2. REZ-2018-13 Sims, Sims, Jackson Beaver Rd E-A to R-1, before recommending both unanimously.

Second longest at 16 and a half minutes was the Valdosta case, 6. VA-2018-10 ADCO Investments – 3320 North Oak Street Ext – R-15 to R-P.

Here are LAKE videos of each GLPC agenda item, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also Continue reading

2 county, 3 city @ GLPC 2018-06-25

Here’s the agenda for the June 2018 Planning Commission meeting.

Greater Lowndes Planning Commission
Lowndes County City of Valdosta City of Dasher City of Hahira City of Lake Park
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
AGENDA

Monday, June 25, 2018 * 5:30 P.M. * Public Hearing
Lowndes County South Health District Administrative Office
325 West Savannah Avenue

Continue reading

Videos: Branham subdivision, Bemiss Knights Academy, Lake Park @ GLPC 2015-09-28

Almost half an hour on the Bill Branham subdivision on Copeland Road resulted in a split denial: the only denial in this Planning Commission Regular Session.

Slightly less time on the Charles Bennett accessory dwelling unit on Green Meadown Drive got unanimous approval with staff conditions.

Ten minutes on the Clint Joyner’s request for Knight’s Development’s 30-acre subdivision rezoning on Bemiss Knights Academy Road got unanimous approval. About the same on Tim Blanton’s rezoning of 45+ acres to residential agriculture passed unanimously. Ditto rezoning for Richard Bonner’s rezoning for a fast-growth corridor between Highway 84 and Interstate 75. Less time for Jon Nijem’s expanded parking on Baytree Road to pass unanimously.

Keith Sandlin’s Lake Park case did sail through, as did John Thomas’ rezoning for a showroom for his show car business.

Commissioner Willis’ term was coming up for reappointment.

Below are links to each LAKE video with a very few notes, followed by a LAKE video playlist. See also the Continue reading