They vote Tuesday 5:30 PM.
Monday morning at the Work Session,
after some resistance from a Commissioner, surprisingly Chairman Bill Slaughter
argued for
paying the $40,000 to match Valdosta on the LiDAR flood maps
to prevent loss of life and property damage.
He even said “folks that live in our cities are Lowndes County Citizens as well.”
Emergency Management Director Ashley Tye answered questions the Commissioners didn’t think to ask about Continue reading
Monday morning, will Lowndes County match Valdosta with $40,000 for LiDAR for the Withlacoochee River Flood Inundation Map Project? They vote Tuesday 5:30 PM.
A bit more information about the
REZ-2016-12 Salami, 3320 Bemiss Rd community well for a home school science facility;
see also
the LAKE video of the June 27th 2016 Planning Commission review
of this rezoning request.
No explanation of why there’s a vacancy on the South Georgia Community Service Board nor why Chairman Bill Slaughter is who they’re going to appoint. Reappointing Randall Crews to the Valdosta- Lowndes County Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals and Paul Alvarado to the Valdosta/Lowndes County Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBOA). Continue reading
Only the smoke stack remains, yet Remerton Mills still took up most of the
Remerton City Council agenda when Gretchen videoed there this month.
The Humane Society wants to house dogs temporarily and house an adoption site for cats. This also requires a variance.
Yes, apparently Remerton has more room for animals than Valdosta.
Here are links to the LAKE videos of each item, from the agenda. Also notice Remerton has Citizens to Be Heard first, like both Lowndes County and Valdosta used to have only a few years ago. Continue reading
Suing local businesses
helps run up fees to the county attorney, says County Manager Joe Pritchard.
He didn’t mention that continuing to promote sprawl for example through the county’s thoroughfare plan also runs up fees that property taxes will never meet.
Commissioners seemed
very concerned about “stakeholders” whom they said were “the development community, the real estate community” and “the construction and homebuilder industries”.
Maybe somewhere they mentioned the agricultural and forestry industries,
or sales tax payers even if they don’t own real estate; if so I missed it.
At least they’re thinking about the Comprehensive Plan
and the general direction of the county in a public forum.
And the County Planner did talk about quality of life.
Plus it seems business prospects bringing that up got the attention of the County Manager.
They said they have a responsiblity to set the direction of the county.
How about instead of continuing to drive sprawl outwards,
which is a fiscally (and environmentally) irresponsible path,
turn to directing development to be more dense in already-developed areas?
They continue this morning at 8:30 AM, and Gretchen is there again with the LAKE video camera.
Here’s the agenda followed by links to each LAKE video with a few notes. See also two previous pictures.
We are looking forward to the improved communication that was touted in the VDT headline. Jason Stewart, VDT, 4 February 2016, Slaughter wants to strengthen communication, Continue reading
Congratulations to Ashley Tye for being
only the third in the state to attain
a certificate as a professional emergency manager.
“I was trying to break a record,” bragged County Chairman Bill Slaughter as several people reminded him not to skip approving the minutes, presumably referring to the previous morning’s three-minute Work Session. After the six-minute presentation, they took less than a minute on each of the remaining items, except they did find time for an Executive Session for Attorney-Client Privilege. Who are they suing this time? Crawford Powell had to remind the Chairman not to skip Citizens Wishing to Be Heard, but “There are none,” said the Chairman, with satisfaction.
This time the contractor had magically finished punchlist for Nottinghill that the previous morning the County Engineer said would take a week, but had not finished the work. What does this rubberstamp punchlist mean, then? They approved the Davidson Road drainage easement quit claim from the county back to the landowner.
Here’s the agenda with links into the videos and a few notes, followed by a video playlist.
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSContinue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street — 2nd Floor
Received today via the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce.
I added a few links from
posts in this blog featuring Ashley Tye.
-jsq
Lowndes County Emergency Management Continuity of Business Workshop,You Are Invited to attend the
Lowndes County Emergency Management
Continuity of Business Workshop
On Monday, May 5, from 5:30-6:30 p.m., Lowndes County Emergency Management will host a Continuity of Business Workshop on the second floor of the Lowndes County Administrative Building, 327 North Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia. The session will be led by Lowndes County Emergency Management Director, Ashley Tye.
Attendees will receive Continue reading
Lowndes County’s
Emergency Management Director
reported yesterday on projected icy roads today.
Here’s the video:
Weather report by Ashley Tye, Emergency Management Director
Regular Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC),
Video by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 28 January 2014.
All the local schools are closed, public and private, K-12 and college, so the best thing to to is to stay home.
Commissioner John Page said a constituent had just asked him if Lowndes County owned any snow plows. Answer: no, but the county can get access to them if needed.
County Clerk Paige Dukes enumerated ways she had tried to get the word out, including this information on the county’s front web page, which will probably disappear without trace in a day or so, so I’ve copied it below. Continue reading
The
request for a new State Court Judge
by Judge John Kent Edwards Jr. took 27 and a half minutes,
plus his
eight minute explanation of fines moving from Sheriff to State Court.
More people might have showed up to hear if anybody had known about
these items.
Commissioners asked a surprising number of questions about them
and about
the
Little River stream gauge
and the
opaque pest control bids.
Of course, then people might have seen
the proposed third no-bid contract to the same firm this month.
They vote tonight.
Here’s the agenda, with links to the videos and a few notes:
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor
- Call to Order
- Invocation
- Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
- Special Presentation
See separate post.
- Minutes for Approval
As is his custom, Chairman Bill Slaughter directed Commissioners to tell the Clerk of any changes, so we don’t know what they are. Then he introduced the special presentation out of agenda order.
- Work Session — August 12, 2013
- Regular Session — August 13, 2013
- For Consideration
- Environmental Engineering Services for GDOT Land Deed for Parks and Recreation
Invisible Engineer proposed a third no-bid contract for same firm proposed this month; see separate post.
- USGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge
This time Emergency Director Ashley Tye said it’s on the Little River, why it’s there, how it’s maintained, etc. See separate post.
- Budget Adjustment — Personnel Costs
Judge John Kent Edwards Jr. explained that many of the people going through his court or paying fines in Lowndes County don’t live here; they come off of I-75, and now the fine-collecting needs to move from the Sheriff’s office to the Clerk of Court; see separate post.
- Bid-Pest Control Service
Pest control for an unannounced amount with no bond from one of two unannounced bids. See separate post.
- Reports-County Manager
County Manager Joe Pritchard requested an Executive Session for pending litigation and they adjourned into that.
- Citizens Wishing to be Heard Please State Name And Address
Here’s a video playlist:
Work Session, Lowndes County Commission (LCC)
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, 26 August 2013.
Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE).
-jsq
After the 2009 floods, Lowndes County agreed to help USGS fund a stream
gauge on the Little River west of Hahira.
It’s time to renew that.
They vote tonight about what was proposed
at the
26 August 2013 Work Session of the Lowndes County Commission.
6.b. USGS Funding Agreement for Hwy 122 Stream Gauge
This time Emergency Director Ashley Tye said it’s on the Little River.
He said during ihe 2009 floods the county only had a gauges on the
Withlacoochee River at Skipper Bridge and US 84, and no way to
monitor the level of the Little River,
so he contacted USGS, who supplied and installed the equipment.
The county since then pays for the maintenance.
If something breaks, USGS comes and fixes it.
He’s also worked with the National Weather Service to establish flood stages
for better warning for residents.
It’s time to renew the funding.
Commissioner Demarcus Marshall wanted to know how many inspections were carried out by USGS.
Answer: Continue reading
Five minutes for tomorrow morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session? The mysterious “Special Presentation” might take longer Tuesday.
The last time the river stream gauge funding came up was I think
10 September 2012.
At that time I thought Emergency Director Ashley Tye was referring
to the Withlacoochee River, but he actually didn’t say which river,
and USGS only lists a gauge on the Little River at GA 122,
not on the Withlacoochee.
If the county put agenda packet information online with the agenda,
that sort of confusion wouldn’t be so easy.
Here’s the agenda:
LOWNDES COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERSContinue reading
PROPOSED AGENDA
WORK SESSION, MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2013, 8:30 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION, TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
327 N. Ashley Street – 2nd Floor